that's interesting. have not seen one that does not list the 30W yet lists 25W , i do have the newer and older version of this

I have the Universal and Sylvania version of this. The Universal runs 30w and 40w but the Sylvania only runs 40w.

yeah it's odd. It does run the 30w lamps though becuase that's what it ran for about 15 years. My first and only 36" fluorescent.

There should be date stamp under the ballast that I could decode

There's a number code that i've already checked but i don't remember it. It's between 1992 and 1996 though...

Hey, Mike once I get home I'll send you the Advance date
code guide and some other ballast date guides.

They hused date codes? Mine just has the date right on the back. I just don't remember what it says and i don't feel like unbolting it to find out lol.

I think ballast date codes are made public b/c of the ones with PCB's and it helped identify which ones had it, which is obvious because of the label not saying anything about PCB'S so i really don't know the point of it...and I've noticed modern HID lamps have the date codes printed on the box not sure why either But its kinda nice because there is no decipehering needed

IMO, why not ink the date right on the lamp? lol. like 10/09 for Oct. 2009.

Not sure although they print the date code right on the Philips MH lamps, just checked a 400W its B5 so Feb 2005

My Philips 400w MH has the date right on the sleeve: April 25, 2005.
Will this run both those weird 25w 33" lamps AND the 25w "Shoplite" F40T12s?

they have F40T12 25W shoplite lamps?

Yup, since those LPF ballasts run 40w lamps at 25w anyway.

Those lamps are better then the krypton filled F34T12 lAmps, they have the same specs as an F40T12 lamp but have smaller cathodes designed for the cheesy LPF shoplight ballasts that underpower lamps , they have same output as F40T12 lamps as well but when used on a HPF ballast they have a relatively short life ,they do stArtup better on weak ballasts I've noticed

oh cool. since they're cheaper in terms of quality are they cheaper in terms of price?

Yep!

Those 33" 25w lamps are actually for special 25w preheat chokes, the reason for the odd wattage and length is that 33" is the longest they could make a tube that could reliably work with a 120v OCV choke.

i think these are 48" 25W lamps they're talking about. i've never seen them though. i bet they'd really kill a full power ballast.

Actually not since they're just really F40T12s intended for use on cheap LPF ballasts with cheaper electrodes. They only have a rated lifetime of 12,000 hours instead of 20,000 for a regular F40T12 and if used on HPF (.73, .76, .77, .78, .8, etc. amp) ballasts they will last half that long (6,000 hours.)
So in essence they won't last as long but full-power (and I'd guess HPF preheat tulamp) ballasts won't overheat/fry with these.
I think 25w 48" tubes are also halophosphate/F40CW still...can somebody confirm my suspicion?