Anna,

Lots of things get posted - it doesn't make it true! They may not be the most efficient light but they will work. Just keep them close, real close to the top of the seedlings and you will do fine. My first year, I grew some under two 15" 20 watt bulbs.

Mike

Yes they will work for seedlings.

Mike that example is a poor one seeing though that 15" bulb probably put out more lumens per inch than a 4' 40w unless you had it 2' above 4' of plants. lol

Taz,

You didn't see the fixture! I was working at this place and they threw it in a trash bin. The bulbs may be, at most, 3/4" inches wide. To give you an idea how old it was, it had a red button on the top that I had to hold down in order to ignite the lights! I actually got two of them but chucked one - it had a short in it someplace and touching the metal would "wake me up" in a hurry! It clamps onto a desk and has "arms" so one can raise it up or down, plus the light itself swivels. It was probably a new light in the '60s!

Mike

LOL! I remember those igniter's. Yeah that was an old fixture and probably not near as efficient as T12s. I take the previous statement about your example back.

Thanks, Mike!! I feel a lot better now! What a relief :)