i use timers, but nothing fancy....try goodwill stores and garage sales; never pay for new ones...sometimes you can get them for as low as 25 cents...i bought one that had never been opened just the other day for 1 dollar....rather than the typical 24 hour type, it's a 7 day sort...i set it for 12 on/12 off, 7 days a week for rooting cuttings under two fluorescent fixtures with plant tubes...the whole thing is surrounded with reflective material, with a fan on low, and a small serenity fountain running to add humidity....everything is just going nuts!...if they keep growing at this pace, expansion will be inevitable.....

best fortune and blessings,

doug

I haven't had problems with any timer driving fluorescents, electronic or mechanical, but I do know that some will have trouble and either not work or shorten the life of the lights. Obviously the mechanical ones that physically push a switch on and off at the required times are mostly going to be OK. The electronic ones that I am using are called MicroMark but I don't know if you will be able to get the same brand.