Im lookin for info from experienced growers. Many of you know im pro HID but. Im not a dinosaur, im a grower and I dont want to waste my funds, especially since funds are limited for most of us. So im lookin for real feedback, the pros n cons, what model you used, customers service info, even vs numbers. I hope this thread can stay updated and help us all make informed decisions. Feel free to post any experience, and photos too. Need to see what these lights can do. I saw an led claim on facebook from a member here by a sponsor here with the claim, proof led is better than HID and tbh, i was not impressed. The buds looked like cfls to me. So which light is most like an hid in terms of penetration, longevity, price, and durability? What do you recommend, full spectrum or blue or red? Really interested in soaking up your knowledge and I thank you for your patience as I learn from you LED gurus! Thanks so much! -poke
I use a topled mars 2 there 400w i wish i would have gone bigger but im happy with the results Ive used a shitty ufo and it was ahit and ive used a grow northern ms0004 with good results but not as good as the mars2 auto help page if you need help with autoflowers http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1294434-Need-help-with-autos?-Welcome new vote page sept please vote http://www.dutch-passion.nl/en/photovote/2014-09-03-autoultimate%C2%AE-loki_1752/
I think i screwed up sayin shitty ufo. Bias from an inexperienced point of view is not a good way to start a thread. My apologies. Wow, your buds look great! Are they airy at all like cfls or fat n dense? They look really impressive loki! Ive heard lots of good things, LOTS about mars 2! Mars 2 is top led for those who dont know.
Reflector II from TopLED 96 x 3W (approx 170w draw). It is better than my old HPS set up that was 250W. I run this in a 2x4 flowering tent with 3 "stations". It is over the 2 "stations" that are the finishing stations so basically the last 5-6 weeks of flower. In the first station I am running a 125W CFL 2700K. That is the light they stretch under pretty much. The light from the CFL doesn't spill into the other 2 stations much due to the hood alignment and the inverse square law. If the CFL wasn't there I would need some sort of heater to keep temps up as it only gets about 77 F in there and that CFL is hotter than hell. The Reflector II cost around $170 US when I got it back in June. If you want to add in the cost of the CFL I think I picked it up for about $60 US.
Would you all mind listing prices for your setups as well? Im trying to keep it clear for those following along. Also, are any of you mixing brands?
Im open to all brands, even the cheapest of cheap. I just picked the top 3 i see talked about on these forums. Feel free to talk about any led. I hear people raving about no name brands a lot
No there really dense not airy st all I got a 90x90x160 tent mars2 400w(200wDraw) 4inch systemair extraction 4inch intake and 4inch fan I use the mars 2 standard spectrum auto help page if you need help with autoflowers http://forum.grasscity.com/index.php?/topic/1294434-Need-help-with-autos?-Welcome new vote page sept please vote http://www.dutch-passion.nl/en/photovote/2014-09-03-autoultimate%C2%AE-loki_1752/
If you compare the specs of black dog vs mars II they're basically the same. The mars is just cheaper
I used a mars II 700w and it was great. The only thing I didn't like was that it's hard to control heat with LED lights because you can't just duct and vent the heat out like with an air cooled HPS lamp. There are built in fans but they are designed to pull air through the top and push out the sides which isn't very useful in a tent situation in my opinion. If I could solve this issue the functionality would be greatly improved. Other than that it was very nice to use.
I can easily grow 20 plants under 2x600w hps. How many of your lights would i need to pull 3-4 pounds off 20 plants? I dont mind using the same electricity 12-1300w, but i dont want to lose weight at all. What are your thoughts on this?
2x600HPS uses as much electricity as 2 mars II 1200w which I suspect could easily do 20 plants but I don't have experience with growing at this scale, I use a closet for reference. I think it would be much easier to cool 2 600w HPS lamps though even though you would have to buy a nice duct fan, aluminum ducting, air cooled hoods, etc
Nice thread poke. I feel too uninformed to make the plunge to LED so hopefully this thread will bring some clarity.
Same^ im lookin for less energy usage, same results, less heat. But some lights look like theyre built like tanks and some look like plastic pieces of shit lol And in california, where its hot as hell, my choice is invest in chillers and ac and a buncha other shit to keep it cool, or get cooler lights. New lights are the cheaper route imo. My question is I wanna go big, not some little closet grow, i mean 1000watt status. That doesnt mean i dont want to hear from closet growers....my roots were in cfls and i did the whole closet grow, keep it small struggle stuff for a few years before hids. My basement celiing is only 7 feet tall, so im still ducking and crawlin around on my hands n knees sometimes, due to ducting n shit. Ive pulled away from two opportunities to be sponsored by led companies because i didnt want to commit from an ignorant point of view. Wife keeps gettin so pissed im pullin away that she started accepting sponsorships because shes tired of me turnin my back on opportunity. But itll be nice to have her in the garden again.
I've got the GrowBlu 225w Super UFO's 2'x2' coverage area, I use them for veg now that I'm out of the closet, hehe. Also bought the Full Spectrum Mars II 900w(400w actual) and the 1200w(600w actual). With the 1200w in a 4'x4' I am averaging 2-3oz per plant in a 3 gal smart pot with a shit soil mix and random feedings. I think with good soil, better strains and 5 gal pots, I could pull 3-4oz per plant under the 1200w. The 900w is a 3'x3' light. Despite my problems this grow, these lights have prolly saved my ass, still have dense hard nugs, even at the lower branches. The taste and smoke from all of these plants as been pretty top shelf stuff. My friends are raving about my weed compared to last grow with just the UFO's. I would say the Mars II series is a mid range work horse light, built like a tank and ways almost as much lol. If I had the cash, I would like to try the Solar Spec 1040 a few lucky guys are testing out right now. I could too, I just need to find a rich divorced woman who likes weed... Check out my grow! LED & Organic soil. http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-grow-journals/1318542-freedom-35.htmlk "I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow." - David Hobson
i really fucking rate the fact that your missus gets down and dirty in the garden! Thats a dream come true for me bro! nice thread btw, subbed in, im trying to decide what LED aswell but htink im going to get a TOPLED since its the only light i have seen decent proof, great customer service and cheap as chips prices
From my couple of years on the different forum, I've seen great proof for TopLed's MarsII (same with BlackDog), The advanced led Light Diamond series have great results also but are somewhat overpriced... I have used the California Lightworks' SolarFlare 200W which surpassed my expectations and I have had great results. But it is not cheap... If I will ever buy another LED, it will probably be a MarsII, they don't seem to have any downside to their cheapness, they have a 3 year warranty and great customer service, SmokeSarah works for them and has a thread for the Topled grow lights. Although I haven't dealt with her directly, she is super nice and I have only heard great comments about her (she also gives out a lot of deals! ) If I were you, I'd go with TopLed, for the simple reason that it looks just as good as the blackdog (which has a great reputation amongst LED growers) and it costs about 1/4 of the price. So if you ever end up not liking it, well you just spent 500$ instead of 2000$ for the same wattage light.... but I dont see why you wouldnt like it!