Best light for $50 or under?
- Thread starter Sirdankz
- Start date
growingforfun
Well-Known Member
Probably off the shelf bulbs from Walmart. 100 watts should get you about a oz or 2, an you'll be able to get that for under $50 counting the bulbs, power strips, an socket adaptors.
Could you give some examples of lights?
growingforfun
Well-Known Member
I think the sylvanna brand household bulb LEDs are the best price/value ratio.
Gilligans Island
Well-Known Member
ummmm... no
growingforfun
Well-Known Member
How about list a better option for under $50 then....
Your post is about as helpful as a nail in the foot.
eyderbuddy
Well-Known Member
For flowering how much space?
waterproof808
Well-Known Member
The best you'll do for $50 is finding a used hps on craigslist.
growingforfun
Well-Known Member
That probably would be awesome if it's possible to be found for $50. A steal of a deal if it includes hood, ballast and bulb. Yea the bulb is gonna be overused but it will make it through a first run until you can replace it. Def check CL in your area for a used HPS before you do anything else, it's the best most reliable results imo. But I think not will be hard to find one for under $50 to be totally honest
Flagg420
Well-Known Member
If you cant drop more than $50 on the most important part of the grow, dont start growing yet, ur not ready.
You are God... You are making a tiny little world...
The light is the sun... its IMPORTANT. Save money on nutrients, reuse grow medium, things like that...
But go in with a good sun!
And you still never said how big of an area you plan to grow in, so no one can even give good advice... a 400w HPS may be over kill, or a 250w might be uselessly small... temps are gonna play a role...
In a perfect world, save the money and get a 315w CMH thats 150-200 on Amazon (roughly same for a 1000w HPS set if you are talking about a big space)
Unless you find a used set, and then buy a new bulb soon after, theres just no way to provide a quality enough light to justify trying to grow a plant under it.
(And do not let anyone talk you into using a dozen desk lamp bulbs as if it were a grow light. Grow a plant, or dont, but dont torture one for 3 months.)
You are God... You are making a tiny little world...
The light is the sun... its IMPORTANT. Save money on nutrients, reuse grow medium, things like that...
But go in with a good sun!
And you still never said how big of an area you plan to grow in, so no one can even give good advice... a 400w HPS may be over kill, or a 250w might be uselessly small... temps are gonna play a role...
In a perfect world, save the money and get a 315w CMH thats 150-200 on Amazon (roughly same for a 1000w HPS set if you are talking about a big space)
Unless you find a used set, and then buy a new bulb soon after, theres just no way to provide a quality enough light to justify trying to grow a plant under it.
(And do not let anyone talk you into using a dozen desk lamp bulbs as if it were a grow light. Grow a plant, or dont, but dont torture one for 3 months.)
growingforfun
Well-Known Member
So your for the "all or nothing" , that's cool.
Meanwhile... in a world where people do what they want and get it done on a budget... I have a veg area with 100 watts of led lightbulb going right now. In it plants are doing fantastic. I use a 1kw hps to flower but I've used these bulbs to flower also and I easily got 3 or so oz from the area. Somebody their first time should be able to easily get a oz or 2 for very little effort doing this, sell what they get, and get a real setup.
It's not a ideal way to go... but it works fine.
growingforfun
Well-Known Member
Not everyone needs to grow a pound right off the bat. Many first grows are learning experiances, an it doesnt hurt to get some of the kinks worked out the first run before getting a bigger an better light.
These led bulbs are probably a lot better than you think... you know people grew fine for years with cfls right? These modern LEDs are around 2x better than those. 134 lumens per watt dude. They actually do a fine job.
Flagg420
Well-Known Member
Keep telling yourself that kiddo, lol.
I'll keep checking the grow shops for those 7w monsters........ (I wont find any, they are for reading books, not growing plants)
Theres a huge world of difference between living, and surviving.
When your light has a MAXIMUM penetration of about 1.5inches... its not adequate for growing a real plant... just getting a scraggly bitches OUTER layer thru....
Dont teach yourself how to use the wrong gear, then buy the right gear, and... start learning all over again!
All thats does... is waste your money. People certainly did NOT "grow fine" for years with desktop lamps... fools simply managed to keep their plants alive with them. Huge difference.
Add up the cost of your lights, power, nutes, medium, etc. If its more than the cost of "maybe up to a possible ounce" 3 months later.... dont waste your money Just buy a fucking bag!
If you arent ready to do the job like an adult, dont do the job!
Spending 3 months teaching yourself how to grow just to completely negate all of it by using a real light, with real lumens, real heat, and real results... spend that 3 months collecting cans and bottles and you will have the money to buy a big boy light.
No plant over 12" high should ever have to try to survive off desk lamps... If plants were animals, this would be an act of cruelty.
CFLs are for seedlings, for people too cheap to by a simple 2ft T5 set.
I'll keep checking the grow shops for those 7w monsters........ (I wont find any, they are for reading books, not growing plants)
Theres a huge world of difference between living, and surviving.
When your light has a MAXIMUM penetration of about 1.5inches... its not adequate for growing a real plant... just getting a scraggly bitches OUTER layer thru....
Dont teach yourself how to use the wrong gear, then buy the right gear, and... start learning all over again!
All thats does... is waste your money. People certainly did NOT "grow fine" for years with desktop lamps... fools simply managed to keep their plants alive with them. Huge difference.
Add up the cost of your lights, power, nutes, medium, etc. If its more than the cost of "maybe up to a possible ounce" 3 months later.... dont waste your money Just buy a fucking bag!
If you arent ready to do the job like an adult, dont do the job!
Spending 3 months teaching yourself how to grow just to completely negate all of it by using a real light, with real lumens, real heat, and real results... spend that 3 months collecting cans and bottles and you will have the money to buy a big boy light.
No plant over 12" high should ever have to try to survive off desk lamps... If plants were animals, this would be an act of cruelty.
CFLs are for seedlings, for people too cheap to by a simple 2ft T5 set.
Antitheist
Well-Known Member
On Amazon there is a Chinese blurple for $60 and they claim it will replace a 1000w (it doesn't) they will last a few grows. Can take care of 1 plant ok. 2 little ones.
growingforfun
Well-Known Member
How stupid are you? On a scale of 1-10 rate yourself please. Hahaha
I grow a lb for about 200$
I bet your still struggling. The trouble is that while other people are succeeding, your saying it cant be done, and it shows where your ass is stuck.
Budzbuddha
Well-Known Member
Not too many choices ... however you CAN get a T5 lamp ... use it to get your feet wet , then keep saving your beer money for a better rig like Quantum or Timber grow light.
With this T5 you can still upgrade the bulbs later to ArgoLed replacements to plug in and get more efficient light. Plus you can still keep this for a starter - seedling light when you gravitate to a better primary lamp. SAY NO TO BLURPLE !
Flagg420
Well-Known Member
buy yhe replacement bulbs in the 5packs from amazon, ipower.
Even the T5s with 3000k bulbs would give ya several inches of light penetration. You are still limited to small plants, sog/scrog most likely... but its doable.
Id get the T5, pop seeds, and veg under it, but save every penny and scrounge up all I could to get a decent HPS to flower with... ya got a few weeks in between.
Even the T5s with 3000k bulbs would give ya several inches of light penetration. You are still limited to small plants, sog/scrog most likely... but its doable.
Id get the T5, pop seeds, and veg under it, but save every penny and scrounge up all I could to get a decent HPS to flower with... ya got a few weeks in between.
growingforfun
Well-Known Member
Funny that you recommend t5 when the led bulbs are better.
Do you have any clue at all?
Flagg420
Well-Known Member
Did I suggest that? Or did I specifically say its gonna have the same limitations? Still no light penetration. Even going so far as to say to use the veg time to invest in a real light?
Stop pretending your cute little reading lamp bulbs have anything to do with real grow LEDs.
Its for kids. Kids in middle school playing at growing pot. "I got almost 22grams off my plant!!" which took 3-4months and over $150 in grow costs.... cuz you saved money by not buying a grow light.
But over 3/4!! Yeah!
People on this site with the patience to do it right are pulling an ounce off solo cup plants.
If the value of your yield can not equal or surpass the cost of creating it... dont do it. just buy some weed, and save for a better system.
This isnt talking out my ass, I have run the full fucking spectrum from T8s, MH, HPS, CMH, wing reflectors, cool tubes, hoods....
Its the main reason I tell people... skip those stepping stones! Just get the good light, and a good reflector first. In the end, it saves TONS, and you dont have a mountain of "learning" gear.
Learn from others mistakes, and you dont have to make your own.
And never let anyones "This CAN be done" replace the overwhelming majority when they say "This SHOULDN'T be done"
No one get into growing for the purpose of wasting money...
Stop pretending your cute little reading lamp bulbs have anything to do with real grow LEDs.
Its for kids. Kids in middle school playing at growing pot. "I got almost 22grams off my plant!!" which took 3-4months and over $150 in grow costs.... cuz you saved money by not buying a grow light.
But over 3/4!! Yeah!
People on this site with the patience to do it right are pulling an ounce off solo cup plants.
If the value of your yield can not equal or surpass the cost of creating it... dont do it. just buy some weed, and save for a better system.
This isnt talking out my ass, I have run the full fucking spectrum from T8s, MH, HPS, CMH, wing reflectors, cool tubes, hoods....
Its the main reason I tell people... skip those stepping stones! Just get the good light, and a good reflector first. In the end, it saves TONS, and you dont have a mountain of "learning" gear.
Learn from others mistakes, and you dont have to make your own.
And never let anyones "This CAN be done" replace the overwhelming majority when they say "This SHOULDN'T be done"
No one get into growing for the purpose of wasting money...