LED Light Recommendation

[TheChosen]

Can someone who's knowledgeable in LED lighting help me choose a light? I have a closet that's about 2' x 3.5' which I would like to convert to a mother area. I had some t5's I was gonna use but with summer temps it gets too hot. So I've been told that LED's emit a very small amount of heat and are good for plants in veg.

 

[Xoshua]

Grab a blackstar 240. Made by gothom hydro, give them a call. Its the best middle model. Its not the best but its the best bang for your buck. I have one currently, check out the results so far. Also if your looking for the top models your going to need to spend 900+ dollars.

 

[Avant2000]

• I own a Magnum Plus from grow perfect.
  It's a poorly designed LED panel with no finned heatsink & 5 cheap fans that sound like a jetplane. It was drop-shipped to me from China...one of their websites say each light is spectrum tested in Canada for 24hrs before being shipped
  
  Without trying to sound like a I work for them: look at California Light Works - 5w LEDs, UVB supplementation, seems legit.
  
  I would also 2nd the suggestion to look at a cheap blackstar to get a feel for LED growing. I would say they are as good/reliable as any other "made in china" LED. My mag+ has also had several failures: stripped screw threads, psu's, fan failed...
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[TheChosen]

Thanks, I'll stay away from Magnum Plus then.

Read some reviews on the Blackstar and it seems many people have hat to return or replace theirs for one reason or another, but the service is supposed to be fast and professional which makes helps make up for it.

Found the Pro-Grow 180, looks like a quality product that will fit my needs. Still open to any other suggestions though, just doing research for now.

 

[Avant2000]

Not a problem buddy, no experience with the blackstars personally. If they ship replacement parts for you to install under warranty then it's no different to the magnums. Having to send the whole light back for a broken fan would suck...

 

[Bad Karma]

Found the Pro-Grow 180, looks like a quality product that will fit my needs. Still open to any other suggestions though, just doing research for now.

I owned one of these briefly, was not happy with it, and returned it.
It will not be enough light for that area and there are much better lights out there.
If you are looking for a LED light that is strictly for mothers, check this out:
http://store.prosourceworldwide.com/180W-Illuminator-Mother-Keeper-p/illuminator%20mother%20keeper%20180w.htm
1W LED's also stay super cool in comparison to 3W and 5W LED's.
Or if you want a LED light that you could use to also possibly flower with someday, check this one out (I own 6 and am very happy with them):
http://store.prosourceworldwide.com/Illuminator-180W-UFO-LED-Grow-Lights-p/illuminator jumbo ufo 180w.htm
Trust me when I say from first hand experience that the ProSource LED's are far superior to Pro-Grow.
I hope this helps, good luck.

 

[TheChosen]

Yea that definitely helps Karma, first hand accounts are what I take into consideration the most when buying something so I appreciate the info. I was kinda surprised on the pro-grow website it lists the 180s coverage area as for 21 sq ft which I knew couldn't be true. I was thinking somewhere between 6-10 feet max but 20 is just bs.

1W LED's also stay super cool in comparison to 3W and 5W LED's.

Very helpful right there, I never took into consideration how many watts each LED is which is important to me as I am trying to cut back on the heat. So thanks again for that.


Also like the fact the prosource comes with a 90 day risk free trial and a 3 year warranty.

How is the noise from the fan on the prosource 180?

 

[postnothrills]

• I own a Magnum Plus from grow perfect.
  It's a poorly designed LED panel with no finned heatsink & 5 cheap fans that sound like a jetplane. It was drop-shipped to me from China...one of their websites say each light is spectrum tested in Canada for 24hrs before being shipped
  
  Without trying to sound like a I work for them: look at California Light Works - 5w LEDs, UVB supplementation, seems legit.
  
  I would also 2nd the suggestion to look at a cheap blackstar to get a feel for LED growing. I would say they are as good/reliable as any other "made in china" LED. My mag+ has also had several failures: stripped screw threads, psu's, fan failed...
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Having talked with then on the phone and seeing a review of their heatsink "the unit was taken apart" I find this hard to believe about the mag+

 

[ClassAcura]

I have a 600w Blackstar, great light for $600. Results have blown me away so far. For your small space, you don't need anything past 240w, I would still buy a 500w-600w light in case you move to a bigger space.

I am surprised to hear the Mag Plus sucks, I always thought it was one of the better lights out there.

The California Light Works 800w SolarStorm looks sick, but its $1999. Would love to see a group sale on that light.

 

[postnothrills]

• I own a Magnum Plus from grow perfect.
  It's a poorly designed LED panel with no finned heatsink & 5 cheap fans that sound like a jetplane. It was drop-shipped to me from China...one of their websites say each light is spectrum tested in Canada for 24hrs before being shipped
  
  Without trying to sound like a I work for them: look at California Light Works - 5w LEDs, UVB supplementation, seems legit.
  
  I would also 2nd the suggestion to look at a cheap blackstar to get a feel for LED growing. I would say they are as good/reliable as any other "made in china" LED. My mag+ has also had several failures: stripped screw threads, psu's, fan failed...
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  ​

So I just got off of the phone with Grow Perfect. There isn't a finned heatsink because there is no heatsink. They run a Metal Core Printed Circuit Board that is the newest technology in heat dissipation.

Honestly, if you ask me, from REAL grow journals of people pulling a dry 1lb harvest in a 3x3 space, go with the mag+.

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/2nd-grow-magnum-357-og-kush.39289/

Read his grow. Now on this grow he is using 2 Magnums, not the plus, which only draw 180w each, equaling 360w, just 3 shy of of the Mag+. This is without the updated technology of the Mag+ as well.

I don't have any ties with Mag, I have just done a ton and ton of research and Mag's are def the way to go.

Mag has a medical grow under 180 of their lights and they yield about 130lbs...... Seriously, what other lights can boast that?

 

[ClassAcura]

Yeah, I always thought the Mags were legit......

 

[sine143]

Apollo 6 or 8 for the space from cidly. can customize your spectrum, and its cheaper than the blackstars. Really I guess the real question is do you want to spend more than 1k or less than 500? I kind of feel that anything under 500 is going to yeild similar results, and SOME lights over 1k will perform at the same level as those same under 500 lights. If its just for veg, forget UV, forget IR, max out the blue and pepper with 630 and 660 nm reds.

 

[Bad Karma]

Yea that definitely helps Karma, first hand accounts are what I take into consideration the most when buying something so I appreciate the info. I was kinda surprised on the pro-grow website it lists the 180s coverage area as for 21 sq ft which I knew couldn't be true. I was thinking somewhere between 6-10 feet max but 20 is just bs.



Very helpful right there, I never took into consideration how many watts each LED is which is important to me as I am trying to cut back on the heat. So thanks again for that.


Also like the fact the prosource comes with a 90 day risk free trial and a 3 year warranty.

How is the noise from the fan on the prosource 180?

I'm happy to help out with the first hand accounts, as I know finding honest info on LED lights isn't easy.
One of the ProSource 180W lights will veg a 3x3 area or flower a 2x2 area.
The built in fans make very little noise and helps keep the light completely cool to the touch.
The 3 year warranty is awesome, as they will replace any defective light with a brand new one.
After 2 straight years of use, 1 of my 6 ProSource lights had an electrical issue.
I contacted the company with a couple pics of what was wrong, they sent me an empty box to ship the defective model back (with free shipping), and then they sent me a new light.
I believe them to be the most dependable LED company out there, not to mention that they have been around the longest too.

To help prove I'm telling the truth, here's a couple recent pics from my garden:

 

[Avant2000]

Having talked with then on the phone and seeing a review of their heatsink "the unit was taken apart" I find this hard to believe about the mag+

Its a piece of flat metal with the fans flush-mounted on it. Want a picture from an actual unit?

 

[postnothrills]

Yeah! Please!!

 

[Avant2000]

Didn't see your post there about getting off the phone with them.

Let me put it like this, we all have air-cooled metal heatsinks in our computers; if some company started selling metal plates with flush-mouted fans(no fins on the heatsink) on them saying they "were the latest in heat dissapation" what would you think?

If there is no heatsink like they are saying what's the metal plate that gets hot with fans stuck on 1 side?

 

[Avant2000]

Have pics at home. I'll post so you can see what I mean...

 

[medikal]

So I just got off of the phone with Grow Perfect. There isn't a finned heatsink because there is no heatsink. They run a Metal Core Printed Circuit Board that is the newest technology in heat dissipation.

Honestly, if you ask me, from REAL grow journals of people pulling a dry 1lb harvest in a 3x3 space, go with the mag+.

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/2nd-grow-magnum-357-og-kush.39289/

Read his grow. Now on this grow he is using 2 Magnums, not the plus, which only draw 180w each, equaling 360w, just 3 shy of of the Mag+. This is without the updated technology of the Mag+ as well.

I don't have any ties with Mag, I have just done a ton and ton of research and Mag's are def the way to go.

Mag has a medical grow under 180 of their lights and they yield about 130lbs...... Seriously, what other lights can boast that?

ca5per is a moderator on led bud guy and owns a 4 part share in grow perfect he is also involved in seed scams on thc farmer an works with the feds to bust fellow dispensary owners to thin out the competition

you can consider yourselves well and truly warned a bullet is to good for a guy like him

 

[dbkick]

I have a 600w Blackstar, great light for $600. Results have blown me away so far. For your small space, you don't need anything past 240w, I would still buy a 500w-600w light in case you move to a bigger space.

I am surprised to hear the Mag Plus sucks, I always thought it was one of the better lights out there.

The California Light Works 800w SolarStorm looks sick, but its $1999. Would love to see a group sale on that light.

Sign up for the feedback program and you can get that light at 50 percent off which is still a little pricey is you ask me, I'm running 3 of 5 blackstar 500 I have and as where the comparison HPS counterparts (doing a side by side comparison) are killing the blackstar they may not do too bad, canopy penetration is the problem. I was told you have to do a few LED grows before you get your room and yourself dialed in to that type of grow. My first mistake was going to RO and then not supplementing calcium or magnesium (which growing under LED require whether you're using RO or not) so I'm starting to believe the idea of having to get the hang of growing with LED, it is different for sure.

 

[curly604]

ca5per is a moderator on led bud guy and owns a 4 part share in grow perfect he is also involved in seed scams on thc farmer an works with the feds to bust fellow dispensary owners to thin out the competition

you can consider yourselves well and truly warned a bullet is to good for a guy like him

although i dont know about the whole seed scam or working with the feds thing havnt looked into it , but that grow looks pretty damn sketchy ..... he posts veg pics and then bud pics in the same post .... and then a little down the page ....POOOF!!!! all done! .... ya i really dont trust the looks of that too much at all.