First let me start by saying hey all. This is hopefully the first of many posts here at GC. While I just got an account I've been browsin through the site for a long time. My question is: Do LED's produce more bud per dollar than HID's? Please factor in watts used and any other monthy costs. Do not factor in initial costs. Essentially does the lanky growth, airy buds, and decreased quality cancel out any savings in monthy bills? I'm looking for the most economical grow, not the biggest or baddest one. Thanks, BigGuru
Damn....posting a LEDs vs HID thread is just asking for a debate thread..... Long story short, don't buy crappy LEDs. Invest in GOOD LEDs and it will be worth it. I'm currently using magnum LED panels that are known to produce 1.0 - 1.3 grams per watt. They do, however, cost 749 each but I only pay maybe 15$ a month of electricity with two panels... Good LEDs: Magnum 357 / ISIS Spectras Advanced LED
Iknow not to cop out on initial cost but this is exactly the kind of answer i was looking for. Thanks! Oh and trust me I've seen some hot debates lol
Exactly... Here are some useful links brother Magnum 357 panels Spectra panels Blackstar panels Here's some more but I haven't seen that much from them. Advanced LED seems to be good though. Advanced LED lights Stealth Grow LED lights Black Dog LED lights
Thanks man great stuff. You said youre running 2 panels. May I ask the dimensions of your grow space? Also how many plants you got under there? Reason I ask is Im planning a grow room right now. Veg and flower are each gonna be 5x5. Im afraid Ill need too many panels..
LEDs have come along ways. Many on here bash them well most on here have not used them and simply regurgitate what they read or what others post. Initial LEDs sucked ass. Underpowered, wrong spectrum etc. Second and Third generation LEDs are 100% better. HID lights are tried and true but they also have alot of downfalls. 90% of the light generated is in the form of heat and unused by the plant. LEDs can be fine tuned to exact spectrum requirements..something they have achieved now. In terms of yield...well alot of that is up to you. Many people have great grow set ups but there loon growers and there yield sucks. Some people use CFLs and have awesome grows. Because you buy the best LED, best HID light it does not equate to a better grow. We both could have the exact same set ups and have wildly different yields. Monthly costs are way less..my old 400w HPS light added 40 dollars or so to my energy bill. The 3 LED lights I have add about 15.
A 400 watt LED uses the same amount of electricity as a 400 watt HID. LEDs tend to run cooler and can save ventialtion costs. But both LEDs and HIDs need to have good ventilation, the LED will require it to cycle less often. Grams per watt is a retarded measurement that tells nothing without a time stamp and is used mostly by braggers or spaced out book authors. Never go by that and stay away from wild claims that use it.
If I may add one little correction. You are 100% correct by saying that a 400w led and 400w hid draw the same but some of these LED companies try to con people into thinking they are buying a 250W unit when it only consumes 130W of power. An important question to ask when buying an LED unit is: How much does the unit draw? If they say it draws 130w and it's a 250W unit then it's not a 250W unit. It's a 130W unit with 250W of LEDs. On another note I love my little LED unit but I have switched to HPS for flowering. LED for veg IMO is still king.
The con is only pullable if you do not read. About 99% of the time they label it as such in the product description. Usually what they are refering to is a combo of things that makes a lesser wattage light perform or out perform a higher one. Theres some truth and mumbo jumbo in that just have to sort it out for yourself.
Yeah. I've seen some grow journals that have yielded pretty nicely for using less than 400w of electricity...Of course you can't really compare HID to LED...
Hey Rumple. I realize grams per watt isnt a very professional measurement. Im just trying to get an idea as to their performance. I actually consider myself to be very educated on most topics regarding a grow...basically I know the ups and downs of LED's but since Ive never grown I was looking for insight on whether the ups (energy bill) or downs (quality growth/bud) win out in the end (hence dollars per gram/gram per watt). Also I've read all the way through both your LED test grows and have found them very helpful in my decision making and learning experience. Thanks
As for everyone else thanks for your input. Mostly stuff I know/knew. This is such a debated topic lol. Id still like to know what kind of area a LED panel will cover (lets say that magnum 357 for example). Thanks
I believe the magnum 357 panel's core coverage is 2 ft x 2.5 ft. Keep in mind Grow Perfect Technologies is releasing new magnums soon.
so 2 for a 5x5 room would be good right? I dont have anything set in stone but Im looking to go with only a couple big plants over several smaller ones. Ill probably top (maybe lst) and then scrog Would you say LED's would do better with a couple bigger plants or many more small ones. Im just worried about light penetration if I go with only a few big plants.
OP Rumple already chimed in but you should check out his HID vs' LED thread. After seeing the results, I'll hold off on any LED purchases until the technology makes it worth it.
Yeah Ive seen them and I know the results werent fantastic. Again though Im looking to find out whether the money saved in the long run cancels out those negatives.
Alright lets make my question this: 1000w mh/hps vs 1000w top notch LED's. Both have identical rooms/conditions. Both grown by an expert grower. Both grows tailored to the pros of each light. Which yield weighs more?
First of all....hypothetical yields are not accurate. second of all, 1,000w of LEDs would be expensive... Magnum 357 panels use 180 actual watts so you'd need 6 panels to consume 1,000w..thats $4,500 in JUST lighting. In my opinion, LEDs are ONLY worth it if heat is somewhat of an issue and electricity is expensive for you. I was running a 1,000w HID system and was paying $350 a month to veg per month...Switched to LED and my bill is super low.
I realize the 4500 price tag lol. And Im not saying Id be spending that much...but once I get started I plan to grow for the rest of my life probably so initial cost is a non issue. So I now turn my attention to wattage, the main monthly cost for growing. So you even that out 1000w HID 1000w LED (same cost to run) which one performs better? Hypothetical or not I feel the LED would win no doubts...1000w of LED's would be crazy! Am I right or am I right?
This is an age long debate with people bashing LEDs. Long story short, buy GOOD leds and you will grow pretty great. After taking a look at my 2 magnums in a 5x5 tent....6 magnums would be very very insane....I gotta wear sunglasses on top of my transitional lens glasses because they're so bright and even then my vision is a little affected by the leds...That would be very crazy.... As to answer your question, I don't think anyone can really say for sure...HIDs have been the same for a long while but LEDs keep changing with each passing generation...The only way to really tell would be to set up 6 Magnums and 1 1,000w and do a comparison grow bro. And even then the new magnums are coming out...the current ones draw 180 watts, the 2 new ones will draw 210 watts and 357 watts...however, the ones that draw 357 watts I think will be priced at 1,300 each.