I went with the 600 hps for flower as I heard it was the most efficient and closer to plants, etc.
I also went pretty big on the pots I imagined to flower in, 7 gallon'rs, because like you, I imagined I wanted huge plants.
Now, I'm seeing that the pros seem to favor shorter cycles with less yield, in order that they can do that more times per year and ultimately, harvest more weed over the long run.
Of course, I have plant quantity limits, so growing a few plants large and harvesting less frequently may be a better (and more 'coloring inside the lines') than having many small yielding, yet quick maturing plants.
It's all kinda what your variables are, holmes.
But believe, if you can control some of the major environmental factors that come with using a 1000w lite, you are going to harvest big sticky weeds.
You can grow 12-15 plants with a 1000watt or 8-10 with a 600w. It depends how long you veg! I started with a 1000w but it produced too much heat.
I had to go with a 600w and it does allmost as well as the 1000w because you can put the plants much closer to the light. Go with a digital ballast if you can afford it. My Lumatek 400w works great and it will light HPS or MH bulbs. I have had good luck with both Hydrofarm and Sun Systems products. Try bettergrowhydro.com and empirehydroponics.com they are good too too.
The Future-Brite digital ballasts can fire BOTH Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) bulbs this is the one im usein and a Hydrofarm's Radiant reflector with a strain of white seeds not sure which ones yet was thinking of rhino or widow i was just wounderin what might plants might produce with a set up like this? ty u all for u'r advice much help