I want to stick a couple of fluorescent shop lights in my garage. I'm thinking I want to replace the incandescent bulb with the fluorescent fixture.

Last night at Wal-Mart, I saw a 5' light assembly for only $10. Problem is that it is made to plug into an AC outlet. Is there any reason I couldn't cut off the male end of the plug and hard wire it into the light wiring?

I own a wholesale lighting company in Dallas. YES you can just cut the male end off and hardwire it in directly. Did it come with a split wire cord on it? If so...just remember the wire with the ridges on it is ALWAYS your neutral lead.

as far as i know ac bulbs & dc bulbs are differant. if thats wat u r asking.

opps, disreguard my mess.i don't know. DA !

Let me know if yoy have any questions. I can give you my phone number and we can talk through it if needed.

Thanks NRH. I hope it won't come to that, but it may! I'm not quite sold on that WM fixture though.

My experience with anything from WM is that it is made as cheaply as possible, and should be viewed as consumable. I'd hate to permanantly mount that thing only to have the switch break 6 months down the road.

But that does open the possibility to finding another plug-in assembly, so I appreciate your input.

You might want to check the operating temperature on the ballast as well, I had some fluorescent lights in an unheated shop and they wouldn't come on when it got real cold.

If your garage is not heated....I would use a fixture that uses T8 lamps. That way the electronic ballast has a minimum start up temp of 0 degrees. That way when it gets cold...they will still light up instantly and be at full brightness. If you are using the older T12 fixtures (just like the standard 4' bulbs that have been around forever) they will not light up if the garage is under 60 degrees.

I would look at putting at least 2 fixtures up, I only have 1 in mine and it needs another one pretty bad. Someone told me they sell a kit at home depot that ties together 2 fixtures, I havent looked into it as I am lazy

Go to Lowes and buy two fixtures. They are cheap. Cant have too much lighting in the garage. Install a receptacle in the box and plug them in so you can use the plug for an overhead ( roll up) extension cord later.

what walmart? got a link?

Walmart in Conroe. I saw it in the store, so you will have to look online yourself!

I have (2) 8ft with 4 T8 lamps per fixture and it's all anyone would ever need. Lamps are expensive but you almost never have to replace them. I'd goto a supply co like NRH and buy good fixtures not the ones from Wallmart, lowes, Home depot. Yes there is a difference in quality.

i've got 3 fixtures in my garage. they each hold 4 4' lamps. I had to replace 2 of the ballasts a few months ago.

Listem to NRH on here. He can guide you right. Skip the Walmart stuff. Get commercial grade if you can, it'll be less expensive in the long run.

I've got 2 of the 4 foot lights in my garage from Home Depot. I kept the incadescent bulb and added a plug socket to the light bulb so that the florescent lights are on the same switch. Haven't had any problems with them.