Propagation: Where are the inexpensive grow lights?, 1 by hcmcdole

hcmcdole wrote:
That'll work. It does seem high in price especially for strip lighting. 30W is what is used for 36" fixtures, 20W for 24".

Here is another suggestion: Get a 3 (or more) light screw-in fixture (less than $10) but this may not have a plug (see if you can find one with a plug or buy a plug). Then get the screw in fluorescent bulbs (get the 26W ones since they are equivalent to 100W incandescent). Buy the six pack to save money. Now you have 75W (or more if you bought a bigger fixture) of fluorescent light (equivalent to 300W of incandescent) in a very small space. I just put one in my wife's closet and it is bright. These bulbs cost more than the 48" tubes but they are quite compact.

Here is a picture of the light I installed in the closet.

Maybe the 34W was confusing. Most shoplights (standard 48") call for 40W but there is a new "efficient" shoplight that uses 34W. If you haven't bought the 34W fixture, then don't buy the 34W bulbs - they just flicker or are short-lived. Maybe the 40W ballast is too much for 34W bulbs.