I had a kitchen double 38 watt fluorescent unit do an electronic ballast. That was replaced by a twin LED unit (Abt 43 Watt). This unit when checked with a light meter, was actually putting out more light.

Unless one goes for the NEC tri-phosphor or quad-phosphor lamps at the 5000K colour temperature, LEDs will win every time these days. Standard lamps are quickly given a light coat of phosphor during manufacture and this layer can almost be seen through it is that thin. Contrast this with the old T12 lamps - the phosphor coating was abut 1/3mm thick.

The quality of fluoro lamps these days is quite pathetic really. The makers skimp on the phosphor coating and the end caps are also very lightly made. Bent pins on lamps out of the box are quite common.

LED lamps are brighter, generally last a lot longer and the drivers operate at a high frequency so there is no visible flicker. Whilst electronic ballasts also have the high frequency advantage, they still consume more energy than LEDs. I only have one fluoro batten fitting in my flat. It has LED tubes but the remainder of the lights are the older Kempthorn type with an aluminium gallery and milky glass shade. These have standard bayonet lamp holders so I just fitted them all with 8 watt LED globes and all are still in service after several years. Light output is very good.

When I go camping I use much the same setup so my battery and inverter is not loaded up too much. The lamps for that job are 4 watt globes in the fancy-round style but still with bayonet caps. They put out plenty of light for camping purposes.

I've got a stash of 100w incandescants I bought last year from ebay!

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/122849962059
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/152680615321

As for fans, I still have my grandmothers 1950's Elcon fan and it blows a gale even though it no longer oscillates!

Wow JamieLee I could use a couple of those for my Dim Bulb Tester. Unobtainium these days!

One of those ebay links is from an Australian supplier, they both might be, but I have never had any dramas buying them!

One of those ebay links is from an Australian supplier, they both might be, but I have never had any dramas buying them!

Whilst it is a long shot I admit, you may have trouble if the ABF is tracking them. Your trouble may be limited to not receiving your item, but for the seller, he will be in trouble for bringing them into Australia. It's illegal.

Oh well, I'd best keep a good stockpile in case they get hard to get for a while, though usually illegality makes for a more robust demand, with supply following suite, however I believe there must be a loophole? Coloured party lights (incandescent) are readily available too. It's funny how you can get around things. I bought a high powered slingshot (sold as a bait-caster) and my snakeskin boots didn't make it through customs the first time around with all of the appropriate importation paperwork filled in, all protection of wild life stuff, which is ridiculous as these pythons are farmed in the US, second time they went straight through when the seller posted them as a general item!

I have to admit to being a fan of older appliances and tend to keep them going long after Joe Average would have thrown them out.

Among them a little 1950s Philips desk fan with a knob on a stick out shaft to switch it on and off in original as new condition apart from the
new figure 8 mains cord fitted by me.

A Sunbeam Radiant Heat Toastermatic which I reckon is the best toaster you can have.

It somehow measures the radiant heat from the surface of the toast with a bimetal sensor, all passive and designed in the 40,s.
Works perfectly.

Not like the plastic throwaway rubbish toasters these days which simply dry the toast out without really toasting it.

And my pride and joy a fully restored (by me) 1956 Pye W101a telly. (My avatar). I'd love to do more TV's but space is a problem.

I always say if you see it out on the hard rubbish out front of my place it has had every ounce of use drawn out of it.

I have one of those toasters. My first one was a wedding present in 1972.

This is the ONLY toaster worth having! You CANNOT burn the toast!
While it was still in production, it was the ONLY product that Choice magazine ever recommended as a First Choice buy that was also the most expensive.

My grandkids think it's magic, how does it know the toast is already cooked?

The way it works is a black-coated bimetal strip behind a small window that picks up radiant heat from the surface of the bread. When the bread is toasted the reflected heat rises rapidly, causing the bimetal strip to trip the switch mechanism. The slow rise and drop of the bread is achieved by a spring and lever system that holds the centre element wires in tension. As they heat, they expand and this lowers the bread carriage.

This is the only toaster in the world that has its own website!

http://www.automaticbeyondbelief.org/

These words from the site say it all:

"Once a person has experienced a Radiant Control toaster, the common response is, "This is how all toasters should work." One couldn't express the understated elegance of this toaster more succinctly."

There are 2 adjustments on the Toastermatic and are likely the reason many are unnecessarily thrown out.

One adjustment is the toast colour preset and the other is the tension preset on the toast raise bi metal spring which needs adjustment after 10 years or so.

Once adjusted the toaster works as good as new again.

Somewhere I have a full service manual for them and I have checked out that website. Very interesting reading.

It's very sad that we just don't make things like that anymore.