I'm retrofitting my T12 to T8 florescent bulbs and changed several already. In my kitchen, the T12 bulbs (old magnetic rapid-start ballasts) last around 2 years each. They aren't on "all day" like an office, but they aren't on/off like a hallway light: probably closer to on/off than all-day since we are home during the day.

Some say "T8+Instant Start = Death to the bulb unless it's hardly ever cycled, like no more than 2x/day". Wondering how much of that is truth, my question is:

If I switch to electronic Instant Start ballast and use T8 bulbs, how much reduced lifespan could I expect? (Obviously nobody knows for sure, I was thinking along the lines of "A lot" vs "not much").

I'm debating on upgrading the ballasts to 2x expensive Programmed Start instead of the Instant Start.

Opinions?