Now I know why

[ultramegabob]

Took the three bad ballasts in and they gave me three Sylvania replacement ballasts. Don't know if they are any better, but at least I recognize the name.

I have used Sylvania ballasts, they are as good as anything you can get these days, which isnt saying alot....

 

[K2X]

If we buy a box store fixture it is a givin that the ballast goes in the trash. Besides being cheap Chino junk they are almost always using up old stock Rapid start, series wired ballast, (as in above picture), which in a 4 lamp fixture require 4 lamps to be good, sockets etc. to be good or nothing will light. Buy a Hd fixture and put in a nice instant start ballast you have a pretty good fixture.

I've noticed that the HD $8 shop lights now have room for a real ballast. 8 dollar fixture with a $17 instant start ballast and a couple of t-8 lamps gives you a pretty decent shop light.