Indoor Grow Light Options Discussion

[knowboddy]

The other day I was having a conversation with another grower I know about, what else, growing! In particular we were discussing grow lights and we had a bit of a disagreement over what was the best in terms of actual performance, overall cost, cost compared to performance, and so on.

Obviously I think I’m right and he thinks he’s right and it doesn’t honestly matter who’s right as long as we’re both happy with what we have, right? But the whole thing got me thinking, as any good debate should, about whether or not I’m actually right. If I can’t doubt myself, my mind isn’t open and I can’t learn anything.

So what I’d like to do is turn the questions over to you, and ask you what you think on the subject. I don’t want to inject the particulars of my debate with my buddy since I want to avoid it turning into a conversation about whether he or I are more right than the other. I’m just looking for honest, untainted opinions. So here’s what I’m thinking: we have HID (MH/HPS/CMH), Plasma, LED, Induction, and Fluorescent (CFL, T5, etc.) lighting. I don’t think that’s leaving anything out. Some are more expensive than others, some have better spectrums, more/less heat, more/less lumens, you get the idea.

Which do you think is best, and in which situations and for which growers? Say you were going to advise someone new to growing, what would you say is the best starter light? On a small budget? Big budget? For an experienced grower? What do you use? What would you use if money were no object?

Answer any, all, or make up your own criteria/questions and answer those. I’m looking for any and all thoughts on grow lights.

 

[namvet25]

:smokebuds:I have used a homemade cfl for a long time and I have had good luck. I just bought a 8 bulb 4 foot t5 and will be using that on my next grow.The only reason I got it because it was a super deal. I think every different light has its pros and cons and its all about what suits your need. I think hps might be tops for growth but you have to deal with the heat and fans etc cost more along with electric.I wish I had the space and money to do a test with all the lights but for now I use what best for my need. Leds are good but I think the cost is way out of line,but maybe will come down in the future. All in all its a subject that really has no final answers.

 

[autowidow]

From my own experience with T5 and LED, both are great lighting systems. I started and finished two grows with an 8 lamp T5 set up and a couple of small spot LED's for side lighting. I was able to place the T5's about six inches above the tops with no worry of heat burn. I used a combo of blue and full spectrum lamps. Both grows were very good. I now use a 500w blackstar along with a 100w blackstar. No heat issues at all, in fact i always need to add heat to the grow room at night. What can i say, LED's rock, no maintenance, no heat, the right spectrum. Cost is a consideration, but the life span on the LED's are much longer than most other lighting systems, so there is some give and take on the price.I do get better results with the LED's. Oh, my T5 set up was 400w.

 

[agito]

this is such a can of worms with lots of crossovers

larger grows hps for 90% situations people looking at the 150w hps dont bother
cmh not enough research yet looks good though on paper same with plasma

micro/ low ceiling grows or 1 plant auto grows or even short auto grows
due to heat and light spacing there is exceptions to this
t5/led (quality)

A t5 would be slightly more beginner friendly but you would need a very expensive setup for decent bud production and in the long run hps would yield a fair bit more per wattage

worse for me cfl due to heat vs light and spread

 

[Muddy]

I get this question a lot from the new growers I help. For micro grows, CFLs seem to be the better option. Lower heat and the ability to keep the lights close to the plants. Sometimes LEDs can work well in micro grows, depends on how much vertical height is available as they require more space between the plants and lights. For small spaces with sufficient head room, LEDs work great. They can be kept the optimum distance above the plants and with their tailored spectrums, do a great job, especially in flowering. In bigger spaces, HPS is still an option if the heat can be controlled. If not, then T5s. A 16 bulb T5HO can cover the same 4' x 4' area that would need a 600 watt HPS with a lot less heat. LEDs are an option for larger spaces if money isn't an issue. That same 4 x 4 area would need four 240 watters for optimum production. CFLs and LEDs are both good for stealth grows where noise can be an issue. Fan speeds can be reduced do to the lower heat. I generally try and steer new growers away from HPS. Not having to deal with heat and ventilation issues allows them to concentrate on growing.

As far as what grows the better buds, I prefer LEDs. The ones I get from my GLH light are better than anything I every got from HPS. The ones I get from my Blackstars aren't quite as nice, but are comparable to HPS. I have yet to grow with T5s, but will be doing so soon. From the results that Jackal and others have gotten they look very promising, especially now that there are bulbs available designed specifically for growing weed.

Plasma is supposed to be the next new thing but right now it's still unproved with only a few, very expensive lights available. I see LEDs dominating the market in the near future. As the technology continues to evolve with new and better products coming on the market, prices should come down a bit as production and demand increases.

One thing people often forget when comparing the cost of various lights is the cost of consumables. HPS and T5HO bulbs need to be changed 1 1/2 years or so. When you factor in the cost of replacement bulbs, about $100 for a good HPS and $8 for a T5HO, along with the electrical savings, that LED you though was too expensive really isn't. Over the 5 year life expectancy of the LED you will spend less than running HPS and about the same as T5HO.