600 Watt HPS Bulb Quality, $75 Eye Hortilux vs $20 Apollo Horticulture

[DesertGrow89]

I am about to purchase a 600 watt hps to go with a medium adjustawing, and was wondering if anyone has experience with eye hortilux bulbs, and if they are worth the price tag. I'd rather not waste ~ $50, if the bulbs will yield the same amount of flowers. Thanks for any input.

 

[Nullis]

1st grow? Get a cheap bulb. It probably wouldn't yield the same amount but then again you might not get the most out of the Hortilux either.

 

[DesertGrow89]

1st grow? Get a cheap bulb. It probably wouldn't yield the same amount but then again you might not get the most out of the Hortilux either.

Thanks. Second grow, also investing in a 4x4 tent and an RO system. If it would yield >10% more I think it would be worth it. Actually thinking of sticking with my 400 watt ballast, but that may not be enough for a 4x4 area and 4 plants.

 

[GemuGrows]

http://growershouse.com/blog/hid-bulb-test-comparison-review-hortilux-ushio-digilux-baddass-solistek-lumatek-maxlume-growlite-ultra-sun/

 

[DesertGrow89]

View attachment 3491553
http://growershouse.com/blog/hid-bulb-test-comparison-review-hortilux-ushio-digilux-baddass-solistek-lumatek-maxlume-growlite-ultra-sun/

I'm always skeptical of any .Com website, but will take the test into consideration. A Google search didn't return much so had to ask here. Thanks for sharing!

 

[GemuGrows]

I'm always skeptical of any .Com website, but will take the test into consideration. A Google search didn't return much so had to ask here. Thanks for sharing!

growershouse has good stats else i wouldnt have linked it

 

[DesertGrow89]

growershouse has good stats else i wouldnt have linked it

Looks like you get what you pay for, going to shell out $60 for a 400 watt EH HPS... Damn this stuff gets expensive.

Thanks for posting

 

[GemuGrows]

Looks like you get what you pay for, going to shell out $60 for a 400 watt EH HPS... Damn this stuff gets expensive.

Thanks for posting

A lot of people love hortilux. A lot of people also love cheap bulbs.

Personally I like using the best equipment I can get my hands on, which will just about always cost more

 

[Punk]

There is a difference in performance when you buy the higher quality bulbs. The cheaper bulbs won't hold up as well over time, sort of lose their penetrating power. They won't actually burn out, they lose the ability to nurture bud growth on the lower canopy, thus diminishing yields significantly. In any case, the life expectancy of a HPS bulb isn't much more than a year (at full use), two years on the better quality ones.

Good bulbs don't increase yields, they maximize them.

 

[nomofatum]

I would love to see a side by side comparison both under a meter and after a grow. The comparisons available with meters never include ipower or apollo...

 

[jmcdaniel0]

Personally I grow with Apollo. I have their tent, 1000w HPS/mh light. No complaints. At all. Cheap and effective!

 

[nomofatum]

I have no desire for the adjusted spectrum as I don't run just 1 type of light, I have supplemental covering the rest of the spectrum. I just want as much output as possible, especially red/orange output. I would pay an extra couple of bucks for the highest output standard HPS bulb available if we discover what that is... I ordered a cheap lux meter to see if I can measure the difference between a new Apollo, a 1-2 grow old Apollo, and a 1 grow old iPower. 600w

 

[Mount]

Just another search result that I found interesting as I was doing a search for dual band bulbs and hoods...

 

[DropWalk]

Ive used the hortilux, digilux and sunmaster and I find that there isnt much difference over the first 4-6 months but the last 6 you can notice the light difference between them all. The hortilux stays brighter longer. This is based on 1k watt bulbs.

 

[since1991]

Old post but the really dirt cheapos arent very good but for one crop..Junk bulbs from Ipower and Apollo are really bottom of the barrel for even one. Go in there mid crop just when lights shut off and look at the arc tube. Apollo and Ipower bulbs get coal ash black WAY before the better more expensive brands. This is electricity your paying for. And you will notice a difference side to side from the expensive ones. Most cheapos dont have the "30% more blue" in them and it shows. The really pricey ones lose the oommpph after 3 ...I suggest change out after 3 max (preferably 2)with hortis..ushios..sunmasters..genesis and digilux. You can find middle of the road cheapos like Yield Lab (they have the 30% more blue) and change out every crop. You can even squeeze a second crop from a middle of the road cheapo. I used to use alot of single ended lamps. And Ive used every brand out there damn near. Hortis and Ushio arw hands down the cream of the crop but really not worth it when you change out every 2 crops with alot of lamps. For my 4x1000 watt room I been using the Yield Labs and change out every rip. My Gavita Double ended room...them awesome bulbs dont lose much after 4 or even 5 rips. One of the reasons I went with my main room packed with double endeds. I hear cmh bulbs last a helluva long time as well. Get. A PAR meter or even a digital footcandle/lumen meter to get to the facts of it all. Very underrated and under used tools that tell a grower when change out is near. Buy the bulb (s) you like. Slap them in. Write down on the side of the hood on a sticky or piece of tape with the date when you screwed em in. And use your light meter (PAR is ideal but lumen meters work for this too) often to get optimum yields. You can write the initial number on your sticky date as well. Light is where its all at indoors. The true "magical nutrient additive" and your entire quality and quantity revolves around it. Its the engine that makes the whole system move.