Best value LED grow light chart: par output per $
- Thread starter Rexer
- Start date
PK
Well-Known Member
Sure, the lights might be okay, but their representation and advertising tactics has currently shocked me. @Mars Hydro
People were eating that sh!t up like candy-coated h*eroin when all they sold were blurples. Now, they're getting beat on like a redheaded stepchild. Must be producing better lights 
.
That chart is ranked by "dollar per watt." A generic C&C 600-watt or 1Kw HPS would score #1. Unless you could find a place that was still selling 100-watt incandescents . [EDIT: Which wouldn't grow plants, of course.]
.That chart is ranked by "dollar per watt." A generic C&C 600-watt or 1Kw HPS would score #1. Unless you could find a place that was still selling 100-watt incandescents . [EDIT: Which wouldn't grow plants, of course.]
- Thread starter
- #4
People were eating that sh!t up like candy-coated h*eroin when all they sold were blurples. Now, they're getting beat on like a redheaded stepchild. Must be producing better lights
That chart is ranked by "dollar per watt." A generic C&C 600-watt or 1Kw HPS would score #1. Unless you could find a place that was still selling 100-watt incandescents. . . .
I don't pretend to be knowledgeable about lights, but when looking at the chart, I thought the $/PPF was the interesting part lol....
So it's pretty much a useless chart TS?
Oh well, I tried...maybe I'll stick to MH/HPS after all.
And there are a few places around here still selling those bulbs
Not necessarily. It just places the emphasis on cost per watt, which is somewhat misleading. You were looking at in the right way (IMHO). I made the assumption (shame on me) that you were paying attention to the products "positional rankings." Apologies.
It's worth it to pay more per watt for a light that has more... cannabis prowess per watt. But how much more, that's a variable thing. It depends on one's cost of electricity per kWh, but depends on other things, too. Some products are pretty expensive - meaning the break even point might be rather distant. Which is fine if the customer keeps his/her lighting products for an extended period of time and continues using them the entire while (and they remain fully functional for that long). But not everyone does; some folks have "upgrade fever," lol. I remember some 350-watt to 450-watt products that were selling for $900 to $1,200. They were decent products, but it takes a while to recoup that in energy savings (assuming you're not paying a dollar per kWh or something). And, in the meantime, more efficient products have been introduced. If you're still four years from reaching that magic point, what do you do?
It's a balance(?) act between initial cost and cost per unit of output (gram of bud or whatever). Plus a few other things. Even the gardener's preferred growing method. The "Heath Robinson effect,"
- he was getting 2+ grams per watt with HIDs years ago due to his methods (and skill level, of course). LEDs wouldn't have worked in his setups, so he'd have had to go to something different, and might not have had the same yields. Even if he would have, there's that initial cost thing again; he'd either have had to have ended up yielding more per watt, or the break-even point would have been a long time off in the future, because it would have depended almost solely on bulb replacement costs.
All of the above makes the assumption that the gardener will only purchase new equipment. He/she might look on Craigslist and find some kind of HID setup for $25 to $50, and then what?
Simple questions often don't have simple answers. . . .
It's worth it to pay more per watt for a light that has more... cannabis prowess per watt. But how much more, that's a variable thing. It depends on one's cost of electricity per kWh, but depends on other things, too. Some products are pretty expensive - meaning the break even point might be rather distant. Which is fine if the customer keeps his/her lighting products for an extended period of time and continues using them the entire while (and they remain fully functional for that long). But not everyone does; some folks have "upgrade fever," lol. I remember some 350-watt to 450-watt products that were selling for $900 to $1,200. They were decent products, but it takes a while to recoup that in energy savings (assuming you're not paying a dollar per kWh or something). And, in the meantime, more efficient products have been introduced. If you're still four years from reaching that magic point, what do you do?
It's a balance(?) act between initial cost and cost per unit of output (gram of bud or whatever). Plus a few other things. Even the gardener's preferred growing method. The "Heath Robinson effect,"
- he was getting 2+ grams per watt with HIDs years ago due to his methods (and skill level, of course). LEDs wouldn't have worked in his setups, so he'd have had to go to something different, and might not have had the same yields. Even if he would have, there's that initial cost thing again; he'd either have had to have ended up yielding more per watt, or the break-even point would have been a long time off in the future, because it would have depended almost solely on bulb replacement costs.All of the above makes the assumption that the gardener will only purchase new equipment. He/she might look on Craigslist and find some kind of HID setup for $25 to $50, and then what?
Simple questions often don't have simple answers. . . .
- Thread starter
- #6
Thank you for that, "Heath robinson" sounds like some fun reading ahead for me!Not necessarily. It just places the emphasis on cost per watt, which is somewhat misleading. You were looking at in the right way (IMHO). I made the assumption (shame on me) that you were paying attention to the products "positional rankings." Apologies.
It's worth it to pay more per watt for a light that has more... cannabis prowess per watt. But how much more, that's a variable thing. It depends on one's cost of electricity per kWh, but depends on other things, too. Some products are pretty expensive - meaning the break even point might be rather distant. Which is fine if the customer keeps his/her lighting products for an extended period of time and continues using them the entire while (and they remain fully functional for that long). But not everyone does; some folks have "upgrade fever," lol. I remember some 350-watt to 450-watt products that were selling for $900 to $1,200. They were decent products, but it takes a while to recoup that in energy savings (assuming you're not paying a dollar per kWh or something). And, in the meantime, more efficient products have been introduced. If you're still four years from reaching that magic point, what do you do?
It's a balance(?) act between initial cost and cost per unit of output (gram of bud or whatever). Plus a few other things. Even the gardener's preferred growing method. The "Heath Robinson effect,"
All of the above makes the assumption that the gardener will only purchase new equipment. He/she might look on Craigslist and find some kind of HID setup for $25 to $50, and then what?
Simple questions often don't have simple answers. . . .
At this point for me there is basically no point in my upgrading to LED...not until I have a larger grow space, as it will take too long to recoup costs.
Kinda reminds me on the whole solar power conversation, the tech is rapidly getting better and cheaper, but yeah it's a cost recuperation decision.
Considering I was paying an average of 10 bucks a gram for medication, my just supplementing with personal growing is the current realisitic goal. I know I'm far away from being able to do what I want as my space is too limited right now, and my upgrade fever is being held in check by our budget/NSF fever
I'm just researching right now, figure it's best to learn it on my own pace while there's no time crunch. I'd love to buy an LED just to squeeze a few inches of growth height in, but the HID works for now, just gotta deal with the odd bit of bleaching from light proximity (and yeah I understand that LEDs won't take that away). And it's winter temps right now , so the extra heat right now is kinda welcomed.
Hope the chart is of use to others researching!
DeanWest89
Well-Known Member
Diy quantum boards guys
godmodeller
420 Member
there was a second table that went with the one shown. MARS Hydro is in the top 20 twice.
- Thread starter
- #9
Thank you for catching that, his channel is great from what I've seen for informative reviews.there was a second table that went with the one shown. MARS Hydro is in the top 20 twice.