I recently found this message in these forums:

I think Home Depot's Commercial Electric shoplights at about $8 per fixture are hard to beat. They will accept either T8 or T12 fluorescents. Home Depot also sells Philips T8 fluorescent tube in 10 packs for competitive prices. The 4100°K bulbs cost about $19.95 a pack, but the 5000° K bulbs and 6500°K bulbs don't cost a whole lot more and give whiter light. I currently have a variety of Philips bulbs in use, ranging from 3000°K, 3500°K, 4100°K, 5000°K and 6500°K and the 6500°K bulbs look by far the brightest and whitest. They are also cost more than the others, although not excessively so.

You will also want a three-wire timer and Home Depot has them for about $10.

MM

Well im a bit confused now because i went to HD today and bought 24 of the light fixtures for 8 bucks each that say for use with T12 bulbs. Reading here I see lots saying that T8 bulbs will work too. The guy at HD says they will not work and I can only use T12. If this is true would a T12 of 4100k from HD work just as well as the T8 bulbs? they were 3600k the 10 for 20 bucks bulbs. please help me thx