How to pick a light

[Austinpalm36]

Hey guys. I’d like to know how many actual watts it would take to grow 4 autos in a 4x4. Not sure what seeds I want to try next but I want my next run to be bigger. Right now I have a maxsisun 1500 w led which is actually 290 watts. It did pretty good for one plant but I was wondering if that light could handle two plants. So if I get another light it be good for 4. I was thinking about the mars hydro ts2000 but it says only 150 watts I think. Doesn’t that mean it’s only good for 1 plant? If you want 150 grams from that plant anyways. How do I decide because all the spiderfarm farm unit and king led lights that say belong inside 4x4 all have such low wattage

 

[Mars Hydro]

TS2000 has 300w, not 150w. I suggest you you to choose TS3000, the wattage is 350w, can cover 4x4 tent well

 

[Stunned]

Get 2 X 250 watts Quantum lights or 1 500 watt fixture
I like having 2 units so that they can be moved around a little more easily.
@Budget LED makes good lights
As does HLG and others

 

[Elevated Lighting Company]

For a 4 x 4, typically people look for around 480w to stick to a 30 watt per sq ft. Some go higher and some go lower. The next thing to look for is the distribution of light. High wattage is great but it is not the only factor. Also the lights efficiency plays a role.

As @Stunned mentioned, two lights will be more effective and offer more flexibility to help distribution of light. If you want specific light recommendations please let me know. Our 250w with xl heatsinks is a beast in a 4 x 4 ( 2 units).

 

[BigDannel]

For a 4 x 4, typically people look for around 480w to stick to a 30 watt per sq ft. Some go higher and some go lower. The next thing to look for is the distribution of light. High wattage is great but it is not the only factor. Also the lights efficiency plays a role.

As @Stunned mentioned, two lights will be more effective and offer more flexibility to help distribution of light. If you want specific light recommendations please let me know. Our 250w with xl heatsinks is a beast in a 4 x 4 ( 2 units).

I always see the 30 watt per sq ft as a rule of thumb and it seems to be spot on in my limited experiences. I was wondering does this still apply when someone is running a separate veg/flower setup? I've always just had one area but recently "upgraded" to having a separate tent for veg and for flower. My understanding is that more wattage is needed in flower, would I be OK in dimming the light in my smaller veg tent below the suggested 30 watts/sq ft or would this significantly stunt growth? It seems many people dim their lights initially and only have them at 100% in flower.

 

[Elevated Lighting Company]

I always see the 30 watt per sq ft as a rule of thumb and it seems to be spot on in my limited experiences. I was wondering does this still apply when someone is running a separate veg/flower setup? I've always just had one area but recently "upgraded" to having a separate tent for veg and for flower. My understanding is that more wattage is needed in flower, would I be OK in dimming the light in my smaller veg tent below the suggested 30 watts/sq ft or would this significantly stunt growth? It seems many people dim their lights initially and only have them at 100% in flower.

Yes in veg the requirements are different. We have plenty of growers that run veg at 50% power and maintain a closer to plant distance. Some even have done it with as little as 25% power at 12" height.

For example, in my personal veg tent (4 x 4), I dim our 500w Veg light down to 250w. I have personally tested it at full power and extremely low. At the current position the plants are happy.

 

[BigDannel]

Yes in veg the requirements are different. We have plenty of growers that run veg at 50% power and maintain a closer to plant distance. Some even have done it with as little as 25% power at 12" height.

For example, in my personal veg tent (4 x 4), I dim our 500w Veg light down to 250w. I have personally tested it at full power and extremely low. At the current position the plants are happy.

Great to know, thanks for the response.

I'll dim it down a bit, heat isn't an issue but no harm in saving a few bucks on the electric bill and helping the driver and diodes last longer.

 

[Elevated Lighting Company]

Great to know, thanks for the response.

I'll dim it down a bit, heat isn't an issue but no harm in saving a few bucks on the electric bill and helping the driver and diodes last longer.

Just watch the plants and behavior after doing it. May need to lower the lights slightly. It is normally strain / plant dependant tho. I have a ghee butter cut that in both veg and flower, loves light.

On the other hand, I have a deep breath cut that struggles with light and is a stinker to maintain.