Help deciding for lights. (400W HPS vs. CFLs; for 2 plants)

Hello, this is my first grow (first grow with seeds that are not lowryder 2s)
I currently have 1 Nirvana AK48 Fem and 1 experimental Feminized in the seedling stage (2 plants).
I am currently using 1x 42w 6500k (2700 Lumens). I was planning on continuing with CFL lights, but I found out that there was a 400w HPS system (I thought there was only 600w+ or 250 and lower).

Now my question for you guys is; Should I continue with CFLs (Planning to use 8x 26w = 12,000+ lumens for flowering and vegetative later on) to save energy or should I go ahead and buy the 400w system (HPS bulb, MH bulb, reflector, ballast, 1 year warranty)? Or would you guys suggest that I continue my first grow with the CFLs and if I'm not satisfied, I buy the 400w HPS system?

Only thing keeping me from buying it is that I might be able to achieve the same results with the CFLs but for a lower electrical bill (only 2 plants), but I am scared that I may get unsatisfactory results... In addition, if any of you have grow with both CFL and the HPS, can you post your results? and if you have grow with CFLs only, can you still post your results? I am just curious since I have only grown lowryder 2s in my pc grow box).

Financially wise, I have enough to buy the HPS system, but I am scared of the electrical bill... But even if I don't get it, I am sure I'll get more than 10 grams so I can just sell to friends and get an HPS... Anyways, the CFLs with the sockets is less than 50$ and the HPS is 150$...

So yeah... basically, I'm just paranoid that I won't like my result so I just need some of the members' results to ease my paranoia and maybe a comparison between the two... I know for sure that the HPS will be awesomer...

I am really sorry for babbling on... and Thanks to all that post!

CFL's are kind of stupid I think. But that's just me. A 400 watt hps bulb running 12/12 is only going to add maybe 15 bucks to your bill each month if even that. It's up to you if you want your grow setup to be legit as fuck, or wack as shit.

I say get a 400w light. But Im using t5's.

Ive got 2 plants under 2 - 250 watt hid lights which all together is 500 watt ... My bud I dont think even comes close to the bud grown by most on here.. Maybe im not using the right light spectrum ... I dont know...

I veg under 6 40 watt flouro four foot bulbs... two of them have a red spectrum and the other four are daylight bulbs... They work great for vegetative cycle but unsure about flowering.. Never tried them with flowering before..

The Weedster said:

Ive got 2 plants under 2 - 250 watt hid lights which all together is 500 watt ... My bud I dont think even comes close to the bud grown by most on here.. Maybe im not using the right light spectrum ... I dont know...

Click to expand...

No disrespect here at all my man ,

Just a little constitutive criticism

Its not 500 watts my man

You got 2 - 250 wt lights , its still 250 wt ,

Its just the 250 watts is covering a bigger area since you have 2 of them ,

Op

I would get the hps also

I like to start off veggin with cfl`s for about a month then i put them under hps

I,am on my first grow of this type, I'am growing with cfls, as a baby I used 1 x40watt then changed to 2x100watt, the plant needed heat so I added a phillips grow light. comparing to what I have researched, my plant is growing above average, stalk is as thick as a pencil, same holds true for branches and beautiful dark leaves. plant is 6 wk old 3' tall and came from blue
cheese seed.
this is all I know for this type of grow.

my question is this, with the results I have, could I use
same lights to bud. in your expirence

I,am on my first grow of this type, I'am growing with cfls, as a baby I used 1 x40watt then changed to 2x100watt, the plant needed heat so I added a phillips grow light. comparing to what I have researched, my plant is growing above average, stalk is as thick as a pencil, same holds true for branches and beautiful dark leaves. plant is 6 wk old 3' tall and came from blue
cheese seed.
this is all I know for this type of grow.

my question is this, with the results I have, could I use
same lights to bud. in your expirence

bill112 said:

I,am on my first grow of this type, I'am growing with cfls, as a baby I used 1 x40watt then changed to 2x100watt, the plant needed heat so I added a phillips grow light. comparing to what I have researched, my plant is growing above average, stalk is as thick as a pencil, same holds true for branches and beautiful dark leaves. plant is 6 wk old 3' tall and came from blue
cheese seed.
this is all I know for this type of grow.

my question is this, with the results I have, could I use
same lights to bud. in your expirence

Click to expand...

Hello, I have grown lowryder 2's in a PC grow box before and it ONLY used 5x26w CFLs (8000 lumens for 130w), you could get away with less, but my power strip had an extra thing so may as well put it to use.

Also, thanks guys! Where I live, electricity is more expensive than in the U.S so it will probably add 20-50$ if I get the HPS (I thought it would double -.-). So I have almost made my decision and I am leaning towards the HPS. I'm probably going to hope for some more people to post results and I will do more research. Thanks for all the posts, but keep 'em coming please!

I would not completely write off cfls

Their are some nice grows with cfl`s and nice harvest

read through this forum and check out some cfl grows

CFL/Fluorescent Growing

Dude, go with the 400w HID. You'll never look back.

heat wise CFL are great, you can still get respectable results with them but you will get better results with that HPS light.

if you have 2 full size plants you dam well better get more than 10 grams lol.

maybe try the CFL grow this time to save some cash and when you get your harvest sell a bit and buy the better light, should have enough from 2 plants to sell enough to get light and still have a nice head sack while you start your next grow. then you can use BOTH srts for even better results

definatly check out the CFL section if your going to go that route, alot of people have had good results using these bulbs so dont think they are junk, they just arent quite as good as some other lighting options out there.

best of luck

I started growing using T5's...and I had some awesome harvests. But I switched to LED'S because they are up to snuff if you spend a bit up front (although it is basically, still, a buck a watt). You get that money back 10x fold with electrical savings-no problem. They run even cooler than my 400w T5 set up, and are more wattage and yet Less power consumption...crazy...I know!

People still going on about HID?--Hi it's 2011, not 1985..thanks.

You guys are going to have some kid burn his house to the ground with that shit.

I'll agree that it's only 15 bucks a month extra ...FOR JUST THE HID. But all the fans and cooling that run...fucking chillers to cool even the water???-LOL? well that makes 15 bucks more like 50 bucks.

Listen OP---the answer is Good Quality LEDs. The are so specific with their light spectrum, you just can compete with that in any other form of light, Just don't get cheap made in China LED's.

Here's my Blooming set-up (no green light waves in my set up...just what the plants need )-I use a 250w for clones and vegging....again, the below is my flowering set-up.

6 band,
3watt/ea
An amazing chip-set.

note: LED's are all about the chips. Smarter chips=Smarter lights. Mine have light bands that the human eye can't even see---but my plant can! More useable light is the real key here though.

504w (total)-3w ea/6 band
Infrared: 730nm Bulb Type: LED
UltraViolet: 380nm
Blue LED: 425nm
Cree White: 12000k

I definitely recommend considering this route.

hell yea dude cfls kick ass any day im a 1st time grower and im impressed with cfls.u can get 5 26w 6500k and its enough to do this to your plant 3 weeks veg no lie

youre never lying tell em bro

cfl's are great for veg but for flower i would def. go hps and my first grow was cfl all the way but was buying another light every week. bud was great, yield was 1oz. per plant switched to hps bigger buds more yield and you dont have to move the lights everyday. just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the input! I will probably just veg with the CFLs that I have and when I get enough money to buy extra bulbs (another MH and HPS as well as the actual system with the free bulbs, reflector, ballast, etc.), I will get it because my friend said that the stock bulbs are crap. Anyways. after the guy with the LED grows posted, I considered LEDs and then I searched up the price... 500$+ for lights -.- no thanks.
Keep the posts coming please! Gives me something to read an think about! I also think this thread would help other people who are choosing between as well! Oh yeah, I miscalculated electricity... Electricity is actually pretty cheap where I live lol

Nice plant. but what's with the different colours of leaves?? Also, did you LST that beast or is it the genetics?

Oh geez. Am I paranoid now!!! I just found out that if you put too much stuff on one circuit breaker, you could blow something and start a fire... one problem.. I don't know wtf a circuit breaker is.. is it the actual box in the basement or is it one switch inside the box???

One switch. Each one will be rated either 30, 20 or 15 amps. In all likelyhood, you'll trip a breaker long before anything becomes a fire hazard. Thats what breakers do.

what jack said!!.. i have a 1000 watter and a 6 ft rail.. but my buddy is usin a 400 and i was sooo suprised... no ventilation just a fan blowin on them and thats it in his bathroom.. but he is killin it and i think you would too...