Most problems in magnetic track lighting projects are not fixture problems — they are ordering problems. A missing connector holds up installation day; a driver bought separately turns out to be the wrong voltage; heads from one brand do not fit another brand’s track. This checklist covers every line item a complete low-voltage magnetic track system needs, so you can order a project in one BOM instead of discovering the gaps on site.
The complete bill of materials
| 1. Track sections | Recessed, surface-mounted or pendant track in the lengths your layout needs. Order per the shop drawing, including short filler sections — on-site cutting of finished track is not recommended. |
| 2. Connectors | L-shaped (corners), T-shaped, X-shaped (crosses) and I-shaped (straight joins) per layout. Count them off the drawing — connectors are the most commonly under-ordered item. |
| 3. End caps | Two per continuous track run (open track ends are both a safety and a contact-protection issue). |
| 4. Power feed + feed cover | One per circuit. Plan the feed position next to the driver location. |
| 5. Driver(s) | One per circuit, sized at total fixture wattage × 1.25 minimum. See the driver selection guide. |
| 6. Light heads | Mix beam angles on purpose: narrow beams to accent individual pieces, wider beams to wash shelves. State CCT per zone (e.g. 3000K for gold, 4000K for steel and watches). |
| 7. Mounting accessories | Recessed mounting brackets, suspension wires/kits for pendant drops, or mini poles for pole-mounted spotlights — per installation type. |
| 8. Spares package | 2–5% extra heads plus at least one spare driver per site. Retail displays cannot wait for a sea shipment to replace one failed head. |
Compatibility rules before you mix suppliers
- Buy track, heads and driver as one ecosystem. Contact spacing and conductor geometry differ between brands — heads from one brand frequently do not mount or contact correctly on another brand’s track, even when both are “12V magnetic track”.
- Check the mounting type. Recessed, surface and pendant tracks take different accessory sets; pole-mounted mini spotlights require their own pole diameter and accessories.
- Confirm the recessed cut-out early. Recessed magnetic track typically needs a groove in the region of 55–60 mm wide and 85–90 mm deep for the housing — but always confirm the exact cut-out from the model drawing before the joinery is cut. Retro-cutting a finished cabinet is expensive.
- Ask about model continuity. If you are standardizing across multiple stores, confirm with your supplier how long the model stays available and what the replacement path is before it is discontinued — retrofitting a different brand’s system later means re-cutting the ceiling.
Installation prep
- Shop drawing approved: track layout, connector positions, feed points, head positions with beam angles.
- Driver locations identified (outside the cabinet, ventilated, accessible) with power routed to them.
- Dimmer/control type confirmed and matched to the driver protocol.
- Joinery cut-outs verified against the track model drawing before finishing.
Commissioning checks (before handover)
- Aim pass: walk the display from the customer’s viewing angles and re-aim every head; check for glare at eye level and hot spots on merchandise.
- Flicker check: view each lit head through a phone camera at slow-motion — visible banding indicates a dimmer/driver mismatch to fix before handover.
- Thermal check: after 2 hours at full load, confirm the driver housing and track are not hot to the touch.
- Dimming range test: run the dimmer across its full range on every circuit.
- Spares handover: leave the spare heads and driver with the store manager, labeled by model.
Plan with us
Send us your cabinet drawings or store layout and we will return a complete BOM — track, connectors, feeds, matched drivers, head mix and spares — as one quote. Start from the magnetic track lighting system overview, the driver selection guide, or contact our team directly.