PeytonManning
New Member
You don't have to spend 1600 for a quality led light.
LED Grow Light Review
- Thread starter 123ABC
- Start date
n00b2112
New Member
Hello, I am only on my first grow so I don't have much expeirience. I did a lot of research on led grow lights before buying one. I found that there is Chinese junk and also very high quality Chinese LED lights. Most of the high priced LED's sold in the U.S. are made in China. I made sure that the company in China used bridgelux or cree LED's and the correct spectrum. I ended up getting a 430 watt high quality light that has blown me away so far. The customer service I got was the best I've ever had. The light arrived at my house eight days from placing my order. Totalncost including shipping was $430.00.
Just thought I would give my LED story. My plants went absolutely berserk with this light.
Just thought I would give my LED story. My plants went absolutely berserk with this light.
Just received 2 1200's (600watts) this morning and just set them up for a look...so here is my initial reaction to them.
I got them off ebay from ledgrowlightmanufacturer-au. The transaction and postage were very fast. I wish everyone could operate on ebay like this. The packaging was very good, wrapped in thick moulded foam. Pulled out the lights and they are exactly as pictured. No surprises there.
First thing that struck me was the weight. These lights are very heavy. Almost too heavy for my tents. I used the supplied hanger which uses 4 strong lines from each side of the light onto a hook. When I hung the light up there was considerable strain (and flex) on the hanger bars of the tent. And I had another one to put up yet...eeek!!
Another issue I had with the supplied hanger was that when hung I lose about 60cm(23-24 inches) off the top. I run on a recirculating system so I also lose the same on the bottom, so height is a real issue for me. Keeping the weight in mind there is no way I would tie these onto yoyo's. To get the extra height I had to do it with trusty cable ties. Here is where the weight came in again. I was not strong enough to be able to raise the light myself and tie the cables off as well, so I had to loop 4 cables ties around each other and lever them up. Its not an issue its just what I had to do in my situation.
Behold the power of cable ties
Ok so they are hung and I fire them up. First I notice the fans. They are not loud but neither silent. If you have a bedroom setup or something your probably going to be noticing it. In my room its not an issue. They seem to push a fair bit of air through the light and mine has been on for an hour or 2 now and they are cool to the touch (it is the end of winter here though)
Now onto the light itself. These 2 lights are replacing a 1000watt magnetic ballast. This light came with the tent and I have never been happy with it compared to 2 600's and the tent is only 1200*1200 (4*4foot) The light coming off these LED's in my opinion are good though I found there to be little spread. It fills the tent but the sides and noticeably duller than the centre. This could be because I'm only around 15 inches off my plants. They are bright and have good penetration through the canopy. Are they a replacement for my 1000watt hps...certainly. Are they a replacement for 2 600's....I would say they are an alternative. I cant see these producing any more light than another tent with 2 600's.
I've grown the same plant for a few years now. I know her quite well so it will be interesting in 6 weeks to see what she decides to give up in yield.
anyway that's my first glance opinion on these.
Chuckles
I got them off ebay from ledgrowlightmanufacturer-au. The transaction and postage were very fast. I wish everyone could operate on ebay like this. The packaging was very good, wrapped in thick moulded foam. Pulled out the lights and they are exactly as pictured. No surprises there.
First thing that struck me was the weight. These lights are very heavy. Almost too heavy for my tents. I used the supplied hanger which uses 4 strong lines from each side of the light onto a hook. When I hung the light up there was considerable strain (and flex) on the hanger bars of the tent. And I had another one to put up yet...eeek!!
Another issue I had with the supplied hanger was that when hung I lose about 60cm(23-24 inches) off the top. I run on a recirculating system so I also lose the same on the bottom, so height is a real issue for me. Keeping the weight in mind there is no way I would tie these onto yoyo's. To get the extra height I had to do it with trusty cable ties. Here is where the weight came in again. I was not strong enough to be able to raise the light myself and tie the cables off as well, so I had to loop 4 cables ties around each other and lever them up. Its not an issue its just what I had to do in my situation.
Behold the power of cable ties
Ok so they are hung and I fire them up. First I notice the fans. They are not loud but neither silent. If you have a bedroom setup or something your probably going to be noticing it. In my room its not an issue. They seem to push a fair bit of air through the light and mine has been on for an hour or 2 now and they are cool to the touch (it is the end of winter here though)
Now onto the light itself. These 2 lights are replacing a 1000watt magnetic ballast. This light came with the tent and I have never been happy with it compared to 2 600's and the tent is only 1200*1200 (4*4foot) The light coming off these LED's in my opinion are good though I found there to be little spread. It fills the tent but the sides and noticeably duller than the centre. This could be because I'm only around 15 inches off my plants. They are bright and have good penetration through the canopy. Are they a replacement for my 1000watt hps...certainly. Are they a replacement for 2 600's....I would say they are an alternative. I cant see these producing any more light than another tent with 2 600's.
I've grown the same plant for a few years now. I know her quite well so it will be interesting in 6 weeks to see what she decides to give up in yield.
anyway that's my first glance opinion on these.
Chuckles
Just received 2 1200's (600watts) this morning and just set them up for a look...so here is my initial reaction to them.
I got them off ebay from ledgrowlightmanufacturer-au. The transaction and postage were very fast. I wish everyone could operate on ebay like this. The packaging was very good, wrapped in thick moulded foam. Pulled out the lights and they are exactly as pictured. No surprises there.
First thing that struck me was the weight. These lights are very heavy. Almost too heavy for my tents. I used the supplied hanger which uses 4 strong lines from each side of the light onto a hook. When I hung the light up there was considerable strain (and flex) on the hanger bars of the tent. And I had another one to put up yet...eeek!!
Another issue I had with the supplied hanger was that when hung I lose about 60cm(23-24 inches) off the top. I run on a recirculating system so I also lose the same on the bottom, so height is a real issue for me. Keeping the weight in mind there is no way I would tie these onto yoyo's. To get the extra height I had to do it with trusty cable ties. Here is where the weight came in again. I was not strong enough to be able to raise the light myself and tie the cables off as well, so I had to loop 4 cables ties around each other and lever them up. Its not an issue its just what I had to do in my situation.
Behold the power of cable ties
Ok so they are hung and I fire them up. First I notice the fans. They are not loud but neither silent. If you have a bedroom setup or something your probably going to be noticing it. In my room its not an issue. They seem to push a fair bit of air through the light and mine has been on for an hour or 2 now and they are cool to the touch (it is the end of winter here though)
Now onto the light itself. These 2 lights are replacing a 1000watt magnetic ballast. This light came with the tent and I have never been happy with it compared to 2 600's and the tent is only 1200*1200 (4*4foot) The light coming off these LED's in my opinion are good though I found there to be little spread. It fills the tent but the sides and noticeably duller than the centre. This could be because I'm only around 15 inches off my plants. They are bright and have good penetration through the canopy. Are they a replacement for my 1000watt hps...certainly. Are they a replacement for 2 600's....I would say they are an alternative. I cant see these producing any more light than another tent with 2 600's.
I've grown the same plant for a few years now. I know her quite well so it will be interesting in 6 weeks to see what she decides to give up in yield.
anyway that's my first glance opinion on these.
Chuckles
Very interesting! I am thinking of purchasing a 1600w version of those lights. Its going to be nice to see what your plant thinks of the change.
Mars Hydro
420 Sponsor
U bought from our EB store.
Just received 2 1200's (600watts) this morning and just set them up for a look...so here is my initial reaction to them.
I got them off ebay from ledgrowlightmanufacturer-au. The transaction and postage were very fast. I wish everyone could operate on ebay like this. The packaging was very good, wrapped in thick moulded foam. Pulled out the lights and they are exactly as pictured. No surprises there.
First thing that struck me was the weight. These lights are very heavy. Almost too heavy for my tents. I used the supplied hanger which uses 4 strong lines from each side of the light onto a hook. When I hung the light up there was considerable strain (and flex) on the hanger bars of the tent. And I had another one to put up yet...eeek!!
Another issue I had with the supplied hanger was that when hung I lose about 60cm(23-24 inches) off the top. I run on a recirculating system so I also lose the same on the bottom, so height is a real issue for me. Keeping the weight in mind there is no way I would tie these onto yoyo's. To get the extra height I had to do it with trusty cable ties. Here is where the weight came in again. I was not strong enough to be able to raise the light myself and tie the cables off as well, so I had to loop 4 cables ties around each other and lever them up. Its not an issue its just what I had to do in my situation.
Behold the power of cable ties
Ok so they are hung and I fire them up. First I notice the fans. They are not loud but neither silent. If you have a bedroom setup or something your probably going to be noticing it. In my room its not an issue. They seem to push a fair bit of air through the light and mine has been on for an hour or 2 now and they are cool to the touch (it is the end of winter here though)
Now onto the light itself. These 2 lights are replacing a 1000watt magnetic ballast. This light came with the tent and I have never been happy with it compared to 2 600's and the tent is only 1200*1200 (4*4foot) The light coming off these LED's in my opinion are good though I found there to be little spread. It fills the tent but the sides and noticeably duller than the centre. This could be because I'm only around 15 inches off my plants. They are bright and have good penetration through the canopy. Are they a replacement for my 1000watt hps...certainly. Are they a replacement for 2 600's....I would say they are an alternative. I cant see these producing any more light than another tent with 2 600's.
I've grown the same plant for a few years now. I know her quite well so it will be interesting in 6 weeks to see what she decides to give up in yield.
anyway that's my first glance opinion on these.
Chuckles
hydromania
New Member
Nice looking tent set up, what is your regular yield prior to the LED's
hydromania
New Member
Nice looking tent set up , what were you yielding prior to LED's
Just received 2 1200's (600watts) this morning and just set them up for a look...so here is my initial reaction to them.
I got them off ebay from ledgrowlightmanufacturer-au. The transaction and postage were very fast. I wish everyone could operate on ebay like this. The packaging was very good, wrapped in thick moulded foam. Pulled out the lights and they are exactly as pictured. No surprises there.
First thing that struck me was the weight. These lights are very heavy. Almost too heavy for my tents. I used the supplied hanger which uses 4 strong lines from each side of the light onto a hook. When I hung the light up there was considerable strain (and flex) on the hanger bars of the tent. And I had another one to put up yet...eeek!!
Another issue I had with the supplied hanger was that when hung I lose about 60cm(23-24 inches) off the top. I run on a recirculating system so I also lose the same on the bottom, so height is a real issue for me. Keeping the weight in mind there is no way I would tie these onto yoyo's. To get the extra height I had to do it with trusty cable ties. Here is where the weight came in again. I was not strong enough to be able to raise the light myself and tie the cables off as well, so I had to loop 4 cables ties around each other and lever them up. Its not an issue its just what I had to do in my situation.
Behold the power of cable ties
Ok so they are hung and I fire them up. First I notice the fans. They are not loud but neither silent. If you have a bedroom setup or something your probably going to be noticing it. In my room its not an issue. They seem to push a fair bit of air through the light and mine has been on for an hour or 2 now and they are cool to the touch (it is the end of winter here though)
Now onto the light itself. These 2 lights are replacing a 1000watt magnetic ballast. This light came with the tent and I have never been happy with it compared to 2 600's and the tent is only 1200*1200 (4*4foot) The light coming off these LED's in my opinion are good though I found there to be little spread. It fills the tent but the sides and noticeably duller than the centre. This could be because I'm only around 15 inches off my plants. They are bright and have good penetration through the canopy. Are they a replacement for my 1000watt hps...certainly. Are they a replacement for 2 600's....I would say they are an alternative. I cant see these producing any more light than another tent with 2 600's.
I've grown the same plant for a few years now. I know her quite well so it will be interesting in 6 weeks to see what she decides to give up in yield.
anyway that's my first glance opinion on these.
Chuckles
paganini
Active Member
Looks very nice my friend. Can you post the outside sizes for the lights such as length and width and wich models did you get. Thanks for your excellent posting.
Just received 2 1200's (600watts) this morning and just set them up for a look...so here is my initial reaction to them.
I got them off ebay from ledgrowlightmanufacturer-au. The transaction and postage were very fast. I wish everyone could operate on ebay like this. The packaging was very good, wrapped in thick moulded foam. Pulled out the lights and they are exactly as pictured. No surprises there.
First thing that struck me was the weight. These lights are very heavy. Almost too heavy for my tents. I used the supplied hanger which uses 4 strong lines from each side of the light onto a hook. When I hung the light up there was considerable strain (and flex) on the hanger bars of the tent. And I had another one to put up yet...eeek!!
Another issue I had with the supplied hanger was that when hung I lose about 60cm(23-24 inches) off the top. I run on a recirculating system so I also lose the same on the bottom, so height is a real issue for me. Keeping the weight in mind there is no way I would tie these onto yoyo's. To get the extra height I had to do it with trusty cable ties. Here is where the weight came in again. I was not strong enough to be able to raise the light myself and tie the cables off as well, so I had to loop 4 cables ties around each other and lever them up. Its not an issue its just what I had to do in my situation.
Behold the power of cable ties
Ok so they are hung and I fire them up. First I notice the fans. They are not loud but neither silent. If you have a bedroom setup or something your probably going to be noticing it. In my room its not an issue. They seem to push a fair bit of air through the light and mine has been on for an hour or 2 now and they are cool to the touch (it is the end of winter here though)
Now onto the light itself. These 2 lights are replacing a 1000watt magnetic ballast. This light came with the tent and I have never been happy with it compared to 2 600's and the tent is only 1200*1200 (4*4foot) The light coming off these LED's in my opinion are good though I found there to be little spread. It fills the tent but the sides and noticeably duller than the centre. This could be because I'm only around 15 inches off my plants. They are bright and have good penetration through the canopy. Are they a replacement for my 1000watt hps...certainly. Are they a replacement for 2 600's....I would say they are an alternative. I cant see these producing any more light than another tent with 2 600's.
I've grown the same plant for a few years now. I know her quite well so it will be interesting in 6 weeks to see what she decides to give up in yield.
anyway that's my first glance opinion on these.
Chuckles
A bit of a followup on my experience. As far as yield is concerned I'm gonna hazard a guess that I was a few ounces down on HPS. It was only my first go on LED so maybe second time around may prove better.
A couple of observations.
First is the light spread. If you are the person that is trying to really stretch as much light into a given area that you can then HPS may prove to be a better solution than LED.
I haven't had any issues with heat at all. If you have heat issues or worried about them then LED's are the way to go imo.
This is the one that really stood out for me. Shade leaves. These things would not stop growing...and growing...and growing. I'd jump in and do a shade leaf cull for light penetration only to come back a week later and have to do it again. I mean I took off alot. For me it was a sign of a really healthy grow but it led to another issue.
While the whole grow looked awesome and I was really excited about the pull, when I did I found that the top inches looked great but right under were quite light indicating to me that the light just was not getting through. Probably my mistake but I was getting worried at how much leaf matter I was trimming off. Obviously it needed more. Also the nodes were alot closer together for a shorter more full plant. The actual top part of the flower that looked good was like a brick. Better than my 2 600 HPS's The flower density at the top is really quite remarkable.
The Jury is out for me. I'm not so sure there is any benefit that can justify the price difference between HPS's and led's. A mate came around and suggested a mix of the 2. Basically if you are after quality then the tops of the LED grow was pretty awesome but if you are after yield then its a flip of the coin.
A couple of observations.
First is the light spread. If you are the person that is trying to really stretch as much light into a given area that you can then HPS may prove to be a better solution than LED.
I haven't had any issues with heat at all. If you have heat issues or worried about them then LED's are the way to go imo.
This is the one that really stood out for me. Shade leaves. These things would not stop growing...and growing...and growing. I'd jump in and do a shade leaf cull for light penetration only to come back a week later and have to do it again. I mean I took off alot. For me it was a sign of a really healthy grow but it led to another issue.
While the whole grow looked awesome and I was really excited about the pull, when I did I found that the top inches looked great but right under were quite light indicating to me that the light just was not getting through. Probably my mistake but I was getting worried at how much leaf matter I was trimming off. Obviously it needed more. Also the nodes were alot closer together for a shorter more full plant. The actual top part of the flower that looked good was like a brick. Better than my 2 600 HPS's The flower density at the top is really quite remarkable.
The Jury is out for me. I'm not so sure there is any benefit that can justify the price difference between HPS's and led's. A mate came around and suggested a mix of the 2. Basically if you are after quality then the tops of the LED grow was pretty awesome but if you are after yield then its a flip of the coin.
She explained why the boxes were labeled as they are. She also explained that the shipping in the U.S. is contracted out, and (although she didn't mention it) to ship in different boxes or re-labelled boxes would be cost prohibitive for their pricing policy. My neighbors don't see the box labels that I receive, and the people who deliver the packages have no interest in spotting suspect products being delivered (unless something's smoking,leaking, or ticking...). There are LOTS of products that use LED lamps, and I can't think of any that are illegal...
I want to just give an initial 4 weeks of use update, I love the light. I ordered a Mars II 1600 and the delivery took a little longer than expected but that was due to UPS having a delivery truck breakdown. Other than that the light has been operating wonderfully. Temps stay around 81 deg F with only a 4 inch exhaust fan operating. I will give a new update once my grow is complete.
Shothpusechef
New Member
Re: Official LED Grow Light Review
I am going to be running a full flower comparison with led, a 400wt hps and a 1000 wt hps. My journal and pictures will be posted.
I am going to be running a full flower comparison with led, a 400wt hps and a 1000 wt hps. My journal and pictures will be posted.
ScienceRules
New Member
Re: Official LED Grow Light Review
Great comment Wheel, I completely agree. The LED lights I know, use phosphor downconversion of high quality blue LEDs (the most cost- and electrically- efficient LEDs) to create a broad grow spectrum that emphasizes blue and especially red light, but provides a little bit of every PAR & far red wavelength. I think about plant light like I think about our food --- we need a lot proteins, carbs, etc., but without a balance of vitamins, minerals, etc. we won't be at our best. It's great to enhance the red and blue regions, but keeping a bit of the natural broad spectrum plants are used to means taking care of all of the plant functions, not just photosynthesis.
here's where i'm not sold.
over eons of evolution, plants have grown highly efficient at utilizing the parts of the sun's spectrum that are the weakest.
this is like a highly trained athelete whose body is more efficient at using oxygen in the blood than a normal person.
also, plants use the strongest part of the suns spectrum a lot less efficiently for photosyntesis. and doesn't use any green.
this is like a person who goes on oxygen therapy, and because of long term over availability of highly concentrated o2, the lungs get less efficient at proccessing the o2, because there is so much, it gets lazy. (this really happens)
this doesnt neccessarily mean that you should just blast the hell out of them at their most efficient wavelength that they can proccess. they might need other wavelengths for other things.
i personally would try to mix my spectrum, placing emphasis on the best parts of the spectrum, and eliminating green all together. but then again, im not a botanist or an electrical engineer. . . oh wait i'm one of those. . .
Great comment Wheel, I completely agree. The LED lights I know, use phosphor downconversion of high quality blue LEDs (the most cost- and electrically- efficient LEDs) to create a broad grow spectrum that emphasizes blue and especially red light, but provides a little bit of every PAR & far red wavelength. I think about plant light like I think about our food --- we need a lot proteins, carbs, etc., but without a balance of vitamins, minerals, etc. we won't be at our best. It's great to enhance the red and blue regions, but keeping a bit of the natural broad spectrum plants are used to means taking care of all of the plant functions, not just photosynthesis.
You know, I been watching LED's for a decade now. I see lots of comments like: "Wow. I ordered and it arrived in three days." and "Great people there, they answered all my questions." "I can't wait to get it hooked up, I will let you all know the results." and "I wish there were some studies ...", "I am going to do a side by side ..." "My electricity consumption should go down by x%, this is going to save me a bunch ..." "I am getting 1000 watts for the cost of 400 watts ..." "The spectrum of the blue edge bleeds over into the left range of the flaggelation remediation .... and this has been known to create a broad grow spectrum that emphasizes blue and especially red light, but provides a little bit of every PAR & far red wavelength " Huh? Ok. Thanks.
And, that's all I still hear.
I don't care how fast shipping was. Where they were made. How much electricity it's going to save me (I'd save even more if I didn't grow at all).
What I want to know is ... is it as good as HID lights? and, if its brand specific ... what brand?
Simple. If I am getting a gram per watt with my HID's, how much can I get with LED? (everything else remaining the same).
Now, I should just say, like everyone else that's been saying it for the last ten years. "I'm going to do my own study, and I will report my results." Not.
I think the whole LED vs HID thing is just mental masturbation. There is 250 discussions here, and some pretty smart and educated people - but no answer. Opinions. Conjecture. Nobody has hard data, or they won't report it. Suspicious that the LED manufacturers can't do it either. The HID guys can, and do; LED is still a big mystery.
Want to find out if it works? Spend $500 and find out, because nobody knows (or they won't say).
~ Auggie ~
And, that's all I still hear.
I don't care how fast shipping was. Where they were made. How much electricity it's going to save me (I'd save even more if I didn't grow at all).
What I want to know is ... is it as good as HID lights? and, if its brand specific ... what brand?
Simple. If I am getting a gram per watt with my HID's, how much can I get with LED? (everything else remaining the same).
Now, I should just say, like everyone else that's been saying it for the last ten years. "I'm going to do my own study, and I will report my results." Not.
I think the whole LED vs HID thing is just mental masturbation. There is 250 discussions here, and some pretty smart and educated people - but no answer. Opinions. Conjecture. Nobody has hard data, or they won't report it. Suspicious that the LED manufacturers can't do it either. The HID guys can, and do; LED is still a big mystery.
Want to find out if it works? Spend $500 and find out, because nobody knows (or they won't say).
~ Auggie ~
Have you not been able to find any of the hundreds of grows here that have been done with LEDs?
I welcome anyone who wants to do a LED grow light test to put them to the test. Put them on a 4x4 in either the array the manufacturer recommends or in a 1:1 against a 1000w HPS. Meter the energy used, not just for the lighting but for the HVAC system as well. The good grow lights will back up their claims by producing more than 1.0gpw of yield. I agree with the earlier poster that was saying to be careful of the claims about lumens, if a manufacturer is talking about lumens they are talking about the way people see light (ie a 60w light is approx 800 lumens and a 40w light is 400 lumens to your eyes). The standard HPS lights were designed originally for parking lots and warehouses but because they were bright, they were used for indoor grows. The new generation of LED lights are designed specifically for plants. You can buy LED lights that replace 1000w HPS but be careful to make sure it's actually a grow light. We had one client who bought (not from me) a LED replacement light that was 175w and was supposed to replace 1000w HPS but they didn't specify GROW and it turned out to just be a standard LED high bay light and their entire crop failed. The grow lights are different. They're designed to be better.
superskunk61
New Member
anymore since im not as mobile i couldnt do hps all the venting,growing alone tends to kill my spine from bending over alot,rods in my spine,but well worth it.saved my life from hard drugs.so no one can ever say that mmj is addictive,not 4 me anyway,not after all that other poison.to this day its the only thing i no where i have a choice if i want to use it or not,now growing it may b another story.lol.
superskunk61
New Member
i do no it helps on electricity 4 sure but as gram per watt this is the 1st grow that im just not using 1 400 watt led,using 2 700 watt leds and for electric and even my carbon inlines,air conditioning or whatnot is cheaper as for qaulity its just as good but quantity i will find that out like 3/4 weeks.will see.i get ur point.
superskunk61
New Member
im using two mars2 700 watt and the 1st time i have not got that bleaching tips so far so good but is going to yield as much as hids,remains to b seen.but for me in my living quarters its what i need,wether there better or not,dont no.the weed is great.quantity remains a?really dont care because i would rather have some grass then none.
A tip about the photobleaching, at about day 18-20, increase the temperature in your room a bit and add nutrients. Photobleaching is a stress reaction to too much light and the increased metabolizing of nutrients because of faster growth under the LED. Temperature increase, a bump of CO2 and nutrients will help.
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