1ofaKind
Well-Known Member
Hi Everyone,
These lights have been good to me and have not put me in any danger. They have helped me produce a couple pounds and have certainly paid for themselves, but...
To have melting chips on so many of my lights in less that 2 years irks me. To be fair, I either bought these used or on clearance. Some might say it serves me right.
All these lights are sold through HTG Supply. They are a low cost grow equipment provider (East coast). I am not trying to bash them in any way. They are simply the manufacturers and resellers.
You can't see much in the images below, but try to put yourself in my shoes. You finish your grow season, hunker down and enjoy your pounds for 6 months, start setting up again the next year, and BAM, you see all these melted chips on your LEDs. Fire safety is now a huge concern for me. I want to sell these, but I would feel shitty if they caused a fire for someone else, too. Not to mention that no one wants to touch them with a 39.5' pole.
I tried to get the local hydro shop to fix them. The one that I bought on clearance they did fix in the first 12 months for free, but that warranty ran out and the others I bought used so LHS was not responsible for them. They are modular, but they want over 50% of the cost of the lights, retail, for the modules.
The models are :
AgroMax 150 watt pro 5 band LED (140 actual draw). This one has the lease melting and I have 3 others that appear to be in perfect condition, still. I bought these @ $175 each + 10% off for buying with a tent.
7-Band HTG 90 watt (60 watt actual draw). These retail @ $150, I bought a used pair for $100 ($50 each). These have a molded plastic lens. So not only have the chips melted, but the lens melted, too... The LHS said the UV bulbs were the ones that melted here, but it seems like several chips melted out, so I think it was more than just the UV chips.
6 band HTG UFO 225 watt (150 watt draw). This light retails @ $300. I bought it used @ $150. This one always had a raw, mechanical look to it. No covers. Now it looks gnarly and scary with the melted chips.
I took all the lights apart to see if there was anything I could do to try to fix them. I did not see anything that looked like I would be able to improve. Considering the prices I paid, it is probably best to scrap them and invest in something new or downsize and use the products I have that are in good condition.
I am just looking for others who have had a similar experience. Are these low end Chinese products? Maybe they are fine, I just bought products that were more greatly used that what I was led to believe. Would you still use them? LHS said they are still safe... Just no more UV... Some of these lights don't even have UV...
These pics are not the best. I did show the inside of the small green lights. That is basically what is happening with all the lights. That small green one is missing like 25% of the chips!
These lights have been good to me and have not put me in any danger. They have helped me produce a couple pounds and have certainly paid for themselves, but...
To have melting chips on so many of my lights in less that 2 years irks me. To be fair, I either bought these used or on clearance. Some might say it serves me right.
All these lights are sold through HTG Supply. They are a low cost grow equipment provider (East coast). I am not trying to bash them in any way. They are simply the manufacturers and resellers.
You can't see much in the images below, but try to put yourself in my shoes. You finish your grow season, hunker down and enjoy your pounds for 6 months, start setting up again the next year, and BAM, you see all these melted chips on your LEDs. Fire safety is now a huge concern for me. I want to sell these, but I would feel shitty if they caused a fire for someone else, too. Not to mention that no one wants to touch them with a 39.5' pole.
I tried to get the local hydro shop to fix them. The one that I bought on clearance they did fix in the first 12 months for free, but that warranty ran out and the others I bought used so LHS was not responsible for them. They are modular, but they want over 50% of the cost of the lights, retail, for the modules.
The models are :
AgroMax 150 watt pro 5 band LED (140 actual draw). This one has the lease melting and I have 3 others that appear to be in perfect condition, still. I bought these @ $175 each + 10% off for buying with a tent.
7-Band HTG 90 watt (60 watt actual draw). These retail @ $150, I bought a used pair for $100 ($50 each). These have a molded plastic lens. So not only have the chips melted, but the lens melted, too... The LHS said the UV bulbs were the ones that melted here, but it seems like several chips melted out, so I think it was more than just the UV chips.
6 band HTG UFO 225 watt (150 watt draw). This light retails @ $300. I bought it used @ $150. This one always had a raw, mechanical look to it. No covers. Now it looks gnarly and scary with the melted chips.
I took all the lights apart to see if there was anything I could do to try to fix them. I did not see anything that looked like I would be able to improve. Considering the prices I paid, it is probably best to scrap them and invest in something new or downsize and use the products I have that are in good condition.
I am just looking for others who have had a similar experience. Are these low end Chinese products? Maybe they are fine, I just bought products that were more greatly used that what I was led to believe. Would you still use them? LHS said they are still safe... Just no more UV... Some of these lights don't even have UV...
These pics are not the best. I did show the inside of the small green lights. That is basically what is happening with all the lights. That small green one is missing like 25% of the chips!
