I use an ES180 v2 from the green sunshine company and love it. Designed to throw light out and not just down which gives wider coverage and pretty consistent ppfd at the edges. This light is especially good for rectangular tents. Not trying to pump a competitor of the sponsors, just talking about what I run. That being said, it’s not exactly cheap. I have also read nothing but good things about Mars hydro lights and a lot of really good growers on here use them with great success (just check out their journals). They are Also a sponsor on this site and a very reputable company. In the end, you usually get what you pay for. There are a lot of cheap LED lights out there with claims of greatness at budget prices, but be weary and do your research. Better to spend a bit more and get a light from a good company. Make sure you look at the spectrum and ppfd, and not just stated wattage. If you are just starting out then maybe go with something a bit cheaper until you are good and hooked on growing, then increase your investment and get a really good light.
Best LED grow light
- Thread starter brownredroost
- Start date
Great post. I would add that it is wise to make sure and find out what the "actual" wattage draw is for the light you want. Lots of cheaper LEDs say they are 1000 watts and only draw 200-some from the wall. The high quality LEDs tend to give accurate numbers in that regard. My light draws 550 actual watts in veg and 680 when the flower booster is engaged. To grow really good weed, in my humble opinion, you need AT LEAST 450 actual watts.
- Thread starter
- #23
brownredroost
Active Member
Wow, Thanks for all the responses, some good lights for me to look at, keep them coming.
My first light was a Mars blurple for a 2 by tent then a Fluence 2P then a Electric Sky 300 then a ViparSpectra P2500 250W then a ViparSpectra XS4000 480w and I still have all these lights. BTW, I also start a lot of vegetable seeds in my basement for the garden.
My first light was a Mars blurple for a 2 by tent then a Fluence 2P then a Electric Sky 300 then a ViparSpectra P2500 250W then a ViparSpectra XS4000 480w and I still have all these lights. BTW, I also start a lot of vegetable seeds in my basement for the garden.
Mayne
Well-Known Member
LOL, those were the days. My first light, smh, i frankinstind'd her tho, I ended up replacing the diodes and put lenses on them. Worked freakin awesome till half went out, but even half the light, worked pretty dam good, lol. First real try at growing, sooooo yeah, alot went wrong, LOL.. fun none the less, These Mars300s hit like 600 par at 40 inches i think it was, would of been great if they had a dimmer. Then i found Perfect Sun, and got a mini, that was basicly what I created. Now, Im Vipar P series. ( Made 2 lights between ) ..
Best Lights? Have to go with Chilled and Pacific Concepts, for High End Expensive,
I have this light in the 250 watt format and while I haven't been able to try it out and have no idea when I will I can say after researching the subject to death I settled on Budget because I feel one can not get a better product for the price. I am one of those people who reach paralysis by analysis ALL the time. Looking at the spectrum it offers I couldn't find something equivalent with a similar price. I've heard good things about HLG and Gavita but that price just doesn't fit my finances. Take a look at @Dutchman1990 for budget results. Now results do vary from grower to grower but this at least gives you an idea of what is possible. If you have questions about BudgetLED lights you can reach to them directly with @Budget LED. This will notify them here that their attention is needed.
steelcurtain22
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the great post, really feel like I will be going with Budget LED!
Nunyabiz
Well-Known Member
Id suggest that whatever light you get be using Samsung LM301B diodes and is a strip light configuration.
Much more even coverage.
Much more even coverage.
You are very welcome! I think you will be very satisfied.
Edzzed
Well-Known Member
You will get the most bang for your buck if you build it yourself. See sig below. I had never even heard of an LED driver a week before I built mine. I schooled myself.
- Thread starter
- #31
brownredroost
Active Member
LOL, those were the days. My first light, smh, i frankinstind'd her tho, I ended up replacing the diodes and put lenses on them. Worked freakin awesome till half went out, but even half the light, worked pretty dam good, lol. First real try at growing, sooooo yeah, alot went wrong, LOL.. fun none the less, These Mars300s hit like 600 par at 40 inches i think it was, would of been great if they had a dimmer. Then i found Perfect Sun, and got a mini, that was basicly what I created. Now, Im Vipar P series. ( Made 2 lights between ) ..
Best Lights? Have to go with Chilled and Pacific Concepts, for High End Expensive,
I have looked at and interested in the Chilled Growcraft ULTRA – 600W LED Grow Light – Commercial Grade for $2499.00 but is it worth $2499.00?
If you want to spend that money you might as well get the very best grow light that exists on planet earth. I don't care what anyone else in this forum says, the best grow light, PERIOD, is this:
FOHSE ALESIS
Check it out. It's $2500 plus a controller. It gets no better than this light.
- Thread starter
- #33
brownredroost
Active Member
Thank you! This was the reason for my post, to find the very best out there. I never heard of this light and I will check it out
Stunned
Well-Known Member
Nice stuff
You might want to check out their 100 watt pucks using Samsung diodes with Osram reds
Hanging them pendant style wherever you want coverage
Nunyabiz
Well-Known Member
Yet my home built lights are 650w with about the same efficiency, same nice even coverage, made just as well, same driver, same diodes and my cost was $700.
"Worth it" is a relative term.
"Worth it" is a relative term.
Prepare to pick your jaw up off the floor.
- Thread starter
- #37
brownredroost
Active Member
Thank you but I am not savvy enough to build a light.
Mayne
Well-Known Member
yeah, but the best light on the planet isnt going to care for your plants, which is really of most importance.
Heck, you can put in 4 Viparspectra P1500 and kill it. ($400 )
Also matters is plant training with LEDs. You got room like Remo, or do you have short headway? Those lights matter. In a 4x4, LED + Scrog is the best way to go, JMO. So, at the end of the day, the goal is 1000 PAR at bud tops max. Getting ALL the buds, same level, realitivily (LOL) same par across the canopy = average coverage.
No way in heck id pay that much for lights, especially if you know how to manipulate the environment, plant count, canopy level, and overall plant health. A PAR is a PAR, spectrum plays a role, sure, but overall, hit them with 700-1000, PAR and they will grow as long as everything else is in tune.
Heck, you can put in 4 Viparspectra P1500 and kill it. ($400 )
Also matters is plant training with LEDs. You got room like Remo, or do you have short headway? Those lights matter. In a 4x4, LED + Scrog is the best way to go, JMO. So, at the end of the day, the goal is 1000 PAR at bud tops max. Getting ALL the buds, same level, realitivily (LOL) same par across the canopy = average coverage.
No way in heck id pay that much for lights, especially if you know how to manipulate the environment, plant count, canopy level, and overall plant health. A PAR is a PAR, spectrum plays a role, sure, but overall, hit them with 700-1000, PAR and they will grow as long as everything else is in tune.
I could not possibly agree with this post more. Nice. Although I disagree on one thing. !000 par max? Check out my scrog in my journal. They got 950 par in VEG. The par at screen level right now as they are in the stretch is 1200 or so. I will bring them all the way to 1400. That's about as high as you can go without CO2. But the difference you will see in your buds between budding them at 1000 par vs. budding them at 1400 par is VAST, trust me. They can take it, but it's way tough to do with blurples cuz they're too inefficient and put out too much heat. You need a good light. You don't need the world's best light for almost $3000. Unless you're the Bill Gates of pot growing.
