Hey guys, just wanted to get some opinions on LEDs and how much bang you can get for your buck. Ive been growing for almost 2 years now, and basically have my setup where I want it for the space I can utilize. However Im always looking to upgrade. I have 2 350 watt cheap-o LEDs Ive been using in my tent thats right around 3x3. I grow 2 plants using DWC. Theyve worked great for me, especially where they were only 80 bucks a piece. Ive been looking more into full spectrum, higher wattage lights, and also bigger lights that have both veg and bloom controls. However, looking into these lights that peak my interest, i realize the "good" ones start around $500. Im sticking with LED, so im really only looking for info on LEDs. Does anyone have an opinion through experience whether an expensive high-end light is really worth the expense, or if cheaper lights can work just as well? Figure a lot of people are in my same boat, could be a good conversation. Excuse the messy tent, moving shit around
I'm on my 4th different brand of led now. Some of the cheap panels are totally worth it. Meizhi is one of the better ones. There is quite a difference between those and the top end equipment though. The DIY world and kits have made top end leds pretty affordable if you're willing to do the minimal work it takes to wire a light and hang it. These are about .66 cents a watt and have the most efficient output you can find. Worth every penny. That's about 300 watts worth of leds. You can find driver for between $50-100.
I have meizhi now, and i definitely like them, but those lights you posted is something i havent seen much of. I like the idea of something like that for sure. Especially if it gives results. Im also looking to get another whole setup for veg/bloom only, so that idea seems cheap and customizable which is huge. Thanks for the input!
There is a ton of info in a post on here about them. I'm going to add some to my tent before flower for sure!!!
Probably a stupid question, but what exactly would I search for as far as finding these types of lights online? And do they just need like pigtails wired in for power or do they need to be soldered and hooked up to controllers or anything like that?
Or better yet what would i search to find the forums, diy lighting or something? Sorry Im just not great at searching on this site.
Someone help,I got this led bulb that only uses 9 watts I'm curious is this enough to grow some good buds Sent from my Alcatel_5054O using Tapatalk
Buy some chilLeds. You’ll be happy well once you pay them off you’ll be happy. Lol. But yes, the high end lights can definitely be worth the cost.
Im Im not as positive as a lot of other people on here, but 9 watts sounds very low. Things like cfls and flourescents will get you rooted and growing, but generally wont let you flower and get anywhere close to a positive yield. I got my meizhi 350 watt on amazon for $80 which is very cheap as far as grow lights go. I would do a lot of research before starting a grow, not just on lights either. Good luck!
Darkstar, how much would you say a high end light like that would effect your yield? Double? Triple? Ive been going good with my cheap shit so Im looking to basically upgrade everything Im doing including bud quality and yield. Just curious if lights at 5x the cost will produce 5x the yield? If I had the money Id drop it in a heartbeat haha.
Depends on the light honestly. But from what you’re using now I think you’ll see a big difference. A lot of the better led companies are easily outdoing a 1000w hps with a 600w led. Or at least matching it. If you’re a diyer check out their new kits. I’m thinking about redoing my entire flower room with them. And they’re growmau5 approved!! (And designed) I’m thinking 12-15 boards for a 5x7 space. And I think that’s a reasonable price. But chilLed are the best right now. $$$$ though.
See i checked their site really quick, i didnt see a diy section, but that seems a lot more reasonable than what i looked at. Do you have any experience with bloom specific lighting compared to veg, or do you generally look for full spectrum?
I run cmh exclusively right now. Started with cheap leds. Mars stuff. Heck before that I used cfls and a fish tank light. Haha. I haven’t ever been able to afford the good leds. But the cmh is gonna bridge the gap for me. They are the best bang for the buck so when I can I’ll be upgrading to something like chilLed. Even the diy will cost me about 1500 for my space. But that’s only slightly higher cost than the cmh I run now with a 60,000+ hour life expectancy (12+ years) its 300 a year in bulbs alone for my grow! Lol As far as spectrum specific for veg and bloom the only benefit I’d see is if the veg were cheaper. But they aren’t. So you can just dim your full spectrum down for veg and max em out for flower.
Those boards are the best grow lights for the price right now. This is my veg setup with 4 qb120 boards. If you read through my thread on the qb120 it will fill you in on the qb132 at the end. HLG QB120 boards in 3k in stock for $29.
Not sure about that. It's $49 for 100 watts of chilled. It's $133 for 300 watts worth of HLG qb132's. They both use the same diode. Samsung LM561c s6 bin. You can beat both those prices on alibaba. Check out the alternative to qb board thread in the lighting section. Also the same samsung leds. They are the highest efficiency on the market. Many manufacturers are using them because they grow amazing.
If you look at the mau5 ones they aren’t all whites. They are a specific array that mimics their actual commercial lights. More reds and deep reds to support a better flower cycle. Or so he says. They are pricey but when the lord of led creates something it’s usually unmatched.
I've been following growmau5 for a couple of years. He knows his shit but best bargain per watt goes to HLG as far as DIY. The qb120 and qb132 boards can be as low as $.66-.75cents a watt for world class led output. There isn't another manufacturer getting anywhere near that.
Mine are ViparSpectra PAR450 VIPARSPECTRA Dimmable Series LED Grow Light Review | Smoke and Buzz If you haven't already decided and purchased, check those out. Worth a look. I have 4 of the PAR450. They work great and are cheap to run, plus full control over lights with dimmers on red, white and blue lights independently. Sent from my SM-G930V using Grasscity Forum mobile app