Which grow light(LED, HPS ect) should I go with?

[DankHerb]

Just pricing out at the moment so any input would would helpful. Sooo basically 3X3' or possibly 4x4' grow tent, had my eyes on a couple LED panels such as viparspectra, Mars 600w or 2 300s due to energy savings but mainly thinking less heat and not possibly needing a bunch of duct fans ect. Could I get away with a 250w-400w HPS in 3X3' or 4x4' tent witout heat issues? Probably other options I'm not aware so let me know what you'd suggest.
Thanks folks.

 

[DankHerb]

Hey!
Whats your ventilation situation? Where are you in the world?
Where is the indoor?(not your address obviously)

HPS, specially 250W, is extremely manageable in terms of temperature, just either a little bit of ventilation and making sure your plants arent too close to it and you should be fine.
HAVING SAID THAT, i would go for a 400W HPS with a proper fixture to put a ventilation duct to cool it and thats it.

The costs are a low lower than with LED and to be honest, i greatly doubt cheap LED panels(also they heat up more that some people think).

Hope i helped even if no telling you what you should do, i told you what i would go for.

I found some complete kits in Canada with free shipping 4x4 grow tent (grow lights ca) 4 inch inline duct fan and 600w HPS for 30 bucks more but would that be over kill?
Also a 300w cob set for 650 which is pretty pricey and might be overkill for what I wanna do. In a refinished attic basically so it gets real hot up here when my AC is off but warm in the winter.

 

[Budzbuddha]

For 3x3 or 4x4 .... You can get a superior light than that 400 or 600 .
Look into Quantum Boards they provide better light spread , lower heat ( since they are passively cooled ) , NO bulb changes ( grows seed to harvest ) , higher efficiency, available in multi spectrum ( 5000k/3500/3000/4000) , top bin chips ( not those epistar bullshit diodes in Mars panels , No blurple colors .

These are available for shipping to Canada , as new users are posting their grows and builds. Kits are complete and ready to use.

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com

@robincnn and @Stephenj37826 will help you out with any questions or which would suit your grows.

 

[DankHerb]

The 600W puts up A LOT of heat. Also energy consumption and the ballast is quite expensive.
To be honest i would stay with the 400 but i am always leaning more conservative(specially while giving advice online i rather them staying a little bit smaller and not setting your house on fire)

http://www.growlights.ca/4-x-4-custom-grow-tent-kit.html
I think I'll be able to keep the heat down even if it means more ventilation or just go with a 3x3 and 400w as you suggested.

 

[DankHerb]

For 3x3 or 4x4 .... You can get a superior light than that 400 or 600 .
Look into Quantum Boards they provide better light spread , lower heat ( since they are passively cooled ) , NO bulb changes ( grows seed to harvest ) , higher efficiency, available in multi spectrum ( 5000k/3500/3000/4000) , top bin chips ( not those epistar bullshit diodes in Mars panels , No blurple colors .

These are available for shipping to Canada , as new users are posting their grows and builds. Kits are complete and ready to use.

https://horticulturelightinggroup.com

@robincnn and @Stephenj37826 will help you out with any questions or which would suit your grows.

View attachment 3969408

Looks promising but maybe a little pricey for my needs, I'd like to spend 200-350 for the lights for I have to basically start from stratch and get everything needed.

 

[sunny747]

Let's discuss heat. I really don't see how it would be possible to grow without a 4" or 6" vortex fan and quality carbon filter.. Alll lights are hot, no matter what. Even a few watts of fluorescent will heat up a tent 10 degrees above ambient temps.. You have to have constant air flow and quite a bit of it. Regular fans can move a lot of air, but then how do you keep your space light-tight? Get a good fan and filter. Hurricane 4" 180 cfm fan + Can-lite filter + fan speed controller would be about the minimum

Also,attics are at the bottom of the list when it comes to choosing a place to grow. A much better option is to grow in a tent in your living area and pump the heat to the attic. Without running AC you have to have the tent in an area that remains at a constant temp in the low 70's, high 60's ..Even if you choose Quantum boards you have to have a way to pump that heat into another area/room that is separate from your grow area.

All in one kits typically aren't very good and you can do better by shopping individual pieces. The cheap tents on amazon and ebay aren't half bad.I've had good success with them. Make sure to get one at least 5 feet tall.

Here is my ordering of available light sources.
QB's
Cobs
CMH
Vipar Spectra
HPS
Flourescent tubes
CFL
Fireflies in a jar
Mars (Only because they are way overpriced compared to comparable lights)
If it says Roleadro on it just run the opposite direction.

Think about this setup (The bare bones setup)

• 3x3 Apollo Tent ($100 or so)
  
• 6" fan and filter combo (A real fan, not the axial fans that are made to look like vortex fans) why 6"? because if you go the route of hps all cooling elements are 6" (Maybe $180)
  
• 400w hps with cooltube ($150?)
• Quality nute line, ph pen (Not always necessary), ppm meter, soil, random hardware, vent pieces, hygrometer, pots, water filter, seed

Put the tent in your living area and vent to your attic. In fact you could even put the fan and filter in attic and just draw air from your tent. This would spare you some of the noise of the fan. They can be pretty noisy until you figure out how to dial them in.

There is no inexpensive way to begin growing. It's about $800 to get started. It just is what it is. However it's a fantastic hobby and very rewarding.

 

[Buyfrommycity]

I found some complete kits in Canada with free shipping 4x4 grow tent (grow lights ca) 4 inch inline duct fan and 600w HPS for 30 bucks more but would that be over kill?
Also a 300w cob set for 650 which is pretty pricey and might be overkill for what I wanna do. In a refinished attic basically so it gets real hot up here when my AC is off but warm in the winter.

Check out like craigslist. Or apps like offer up, or let go. Tons of people selling used equipment during summer months for cheap.

If you want new stuff that's cool too. I'd recommend Apollo tent cus they are cheap but pretty decent.

Use a viparspectra 900 for a 3x3
Use a viparspectra 1200 for a 4x4

Remember that led companies market their products weird so like a 1200 is only like 500-600 watts.

Get an intake and carbon filter if your worried about odors

Good luck

Ps remember even leds put out heat just not As much as hps

 

[DankHerb]

Right on, good idea on the second hand. Originally I wanted to go LED just because of the less heat, not to concerned with max yield since I'd be happy with 2-4oz a plant. Alot of different outcomes and opinions in regards of LEDs, HPS, Cobs so it's wishy washy for me. I just want a solid light system with easier to manage heat for about 200-400, tent 160ish, inline 150. 30-50w per square foot would suffice I think.

 

[dirtWeevil]

do NOT skimp on ventilation, keep in mind "cooler running" should be read as "still produces heat", if i were in your shoes id use the 350$ light budget on a 600w hid cooltube, vortex fan and filter, and 6" duct booster fan for active intake. I got iPower stuff on Amazon for I think less than 300 for all that plus ducting and clamps and have been using it for a couple years so far with no hiccups, i also barely notice a change on my power bill, 600w is 600w after all, led or hid.

no matter the light get the fans, you'll save so much headache going forward

 

[dirtWeevil]

Right on, good idea on the second hand. Originally I wanted to go LED just because of the less heat, not to concerned with max yield since I'd be happy with 2-4oz a plant. Alot of different outcomes and opinions in regards of LEDs, HPS, Cobs so it's wishy washy for me. I just want a solid light system with easier to manage heat for about 200-400, tent 160ish, inline 150. 30-50w per square foot would suffice I think.

check Amazon, those budgets you listed will fit well. My advice is get a cooltube reflector, you can get a 400w iPower for under 150, fan\filter combo about 120-150 usually, ducting, 20$, booster fan 30$, a 4x4 tent can usually be found under 150, the vivosun brand is actually pretty nice, very smooth zippers. So for around 500$ or less you get all the stuff on your list

 

[DankHerb]

check Amazon, those budgets you listed will fit well. My advice is get a cooltube reflector, you can get a 400w iPower for under 150, fan\filter combo about 120-150 usually, ducting, 20$, booster fan 30$, a 4x4 tent can usually be found under 150, the vivosun brand is actually pretty nice, very smooth zippers. So for around 500$ or less you get all the stuff on your list

Okay awesome, ya I was looking at the viviosun tent and did see the ipower kits.

 

[dirtWeevil]

i was pleasantly surprised by the vivosun tent, the ipower light is my second one, the first was a 400w i passed on to a family member and he's still using it, I've had my 600w for a couple years now. It also doesn't interfere with our Wi-Fi like my buddies top o the line digital. I think I've read its because they aren't truly digital but electronic, whatever that entails

 

[DankHerb]

i was pleasantly surprised by the vivosun tent, the ipower light is my second one, the first was a 400w i passed on to a family member and he's still using it, I've had my 600w for a couple years now. It also doesn't interfere with our Wi-Fi like my buddies top o the line digital. I think I've read its because they aren't truly digital but electronic, whatever that entails

Something like this?

 

[dirtWeevil]

damn thats high! Unless Canadian is worth half a usd, i got that same set for 150 usd. Also look around Amazon another seller may be drastically cheaper

 

[DankHerb]

Yea the exchange rate is a bitch lol.

 

[dirtWeevil]

here Amazon always has a link to other sellers of the same item, often much lower though. for what you need out of it a 400w set would work wonderfully, that may shave some loonies off lol, and cut down on power and heat

 

[DankHerb]

here Amazon always has a link to other sellers of the same item, often much lower though. for what you need out of it a 400w set would work wonderfully, that may shave some loonies off lol, and cut down on power and heat

Yea like 30 bucks difference and trying to keep to prime so I don't have to pay shipping.

 

[DankHerb]

here Amazon always has a link to other sellers of the same item, often much lower though. for what you need out of it a 400w set would work wonderfully, that may shave some loonies off lol, and cut down on power and heat

http://www.growlights.ca/4-x-4-custom-grow-tent-kit.html

 

[coreywebster]

Right on, good idea on the second hand. Originally I wanted to go LED just because of the less heat, not to concerned with max yield since I'd be happy with 2-4oz a plant. Alot of different outcomes and opinions in regards of LEDs, HPS, Cobs so it's wishy washy for me. I just want a solid light system with easier to manage heat for about 200-400, tent 160ish, inline 150. 30-50w per square foot would suffice I think.

LEDs are only less heat when theres less wattage and a cheap panel as you suggested are not great, with quality like cobs or quantum boards you can use less wattage than with hps and have the same or a little more light. Which is good obviously.

You have already said that quantums are a bit out of your price range. SO...

I would go with a 3x3 tent and get a 315w chm, they will really produce in a 3x3 and the spectrum is far better than HPS, you get more light per watt and they light up a 3x3 perfect. You will also likely see better resin production. If you shop around you will see there are some very expensive ones but you can get them at a reasonable price too. Mine cost £200

Edit, use the search bar and go take a look at the 315cmh thread. I think @MichiganMedGrower would be a good person to ask about them.

 

[coreywebster]

Oh and just to point out those cheap panels are as little as 135w and make outrageous claims about been the same as 600w HPS, this is so far fro the truth its unreal.

Good luck in your search, try not to rush into buying anything, take your time to think through your options and ask folks on here for opinions.