LED Grow Test

[Sonzor]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

they are good smoke but the problem is i lost allot of buds do to popcorn buds, from lack of penetration.
i will give this 600w led light a try and see if this light can change my mind about leds, if not then i will be firing up my HPS for sure.

I got you Irishboy. I am still in the market for a LED and your journal has helped out a lot. My only things is I would only be using the led for veg. Do you think it really matters which one I purchase since I won't be flowering with it?

 

[IrishBoy]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

I got you Irishboy. I am still in the market for a LED and your journal has helped out a lot. My only things is I would only be using the led for veg. Do you think it really matters which one I purchase since I won't be flowering with it?

if i were to just veg i would go with some T5's, they are way cheaper and veg real good.

as far as the two led lights i use, i like how the 126w was able to be real close during veg and not hurt the plants, but i also like how the 180w veged a nice equal canopy. but i think leds are way to much money to just veg with i would use CFL.

 

[Setting Sun]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

I agree 100% Irish.

T-5's do a great job vegging, and the new S-VHO T-5's like the Quantum Bad Boy, look like they may flower nicely too.

and you can tune the spectrum by mixing tubes.

Too bad the new S-VHO tubes don't seem to come in 24", only 48" and up. Hope that changes.

I have an HTG 110w power compact T-5 that vegges nicely and cost all of $90 including shipping.

 

[Bionic]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

Thanks for the great job, Irish. It was VERY informational.

 

[bluuurghhh]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

if i were to just veg i would go with some T5's, they are way cheaper and veg real good.

as far as the two led lights i use, i like how the 126w was able to be real close during veg and not hurt the plants, but i also like how the 180w veged a nice equal canopy. but i think leds are way to much money to just veg with i would use CFL.

I'm seein some nice full nugs on the 180's side(noticed ya aint lending that one out) but I see what you mean...the 180 def kicked the 126's ass-wattage difference notwithstanding.I appreciate what you're doin here man- straight up journalism

 

[dogsnova]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

I totally agree.. Had the PS side not had the runt. I think the PS light would of came close to 1 gram per watt.... Great show Irish...

 

[bluuurghhh]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

I totally agree.. Had the PS side not had the runt. I think the PS light would of came close to 1 gram per watt.... Great show Irish...

yeah man, it sucks but I think the runt was the fly in the ointment...shit happens, there aint no happy songs about farming

 

[IrishBoy]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

i agree the 180w would have been a different story if their wasn't a runt on their side. i look at the differences on the blue dreams and that tells me all i need to know right their. if their blue dreams made that much fatter/bigger blue dream buds at the same hight as the 126w i could only imangen what it would have done with a good hindu skunk? but either way thats just my opinion, and every one can use this test however they feel is the right choice, their is allot of different ways to look at things on this test. so to each is their own, we all need to stick together no matter what led anyone uses and help each other out.

either way i still think the BS claims need to stop. neither like came close to what their were claim to do. bottom line, why would i pay $400-$700 for results like this when i could buy a whole HID setup and yield some great weight on my total yield. these led prices need to come way down in order for them to be worth it. i would pay the money if they worked as claimed no problem. but it cost way too much to grow watt for watt with leds to match HID.

 

[dogsnova]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

either way i still think the BS claims need to stop. neither light came close to what their were claim to do. bottom line, why would i pay $400-$700 for results like this when i could buy a whole HID setup and yield some great weight on my total yield. these led prices need to come way down in order for them to be worth it. i would pay the money if they worked as claimed no problem. but it cost way too much to grow watt for watt with leds to match HID.

Yes... Again thank you Irish for doing a test like this that showed the BS claims made by these LED companies. One day we will all get to that LED garden in the sky my friend one day.....The truth is out there you just gotta do your homework first....

 

[IrishBoy]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

Yes... Again thank you Irish for doing a test like this that showed the BS claims made by these LED companies. One day we will all get to LED garden in the sky my friend one day.....The truth is out there you just gotta do your homework first....

i hope so bro, because i am getting real tired of not getting my HID yield. i love leds just hates the BS lies. i do believe on day they will be better then HID or maybe we just haven't found the right light yet? shit mike i hope your light changes my mind you are my last hope before i give up on leds. i just cant keep losing out on yield like i have.
cant wait to see what that 600w can do?

 

[IrishBoy]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

the lost in yield that i have lost dosent bug me as long as someone learn from this grow, then it is all worth it to me. all i hope is everyone walked away from my thread learning something they didn't know before. then my hard work/ loss of yield paid off.

 

[onthe420train]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

either way i still think the BS claims need to stop. neither like came close to what their were claim to do. bottom line, why would i pay $400-$700 for results like this when i could buy a whole HID setup and yield some great weight on my total yield. these led prices need to come way down in order for them to be worth it. i would pay the money if they worked as claimed no problem. but it cost way too much to grow watt for watt with leds to match HID.

There it is! Truth be told yo! Thank you, guinea pig!
I see your synopsis relies on a couple of ratios: cost per watt and yield per watt, but what about lifespan.

Imagine a 600w HID bulb lasts a year and ballast lasts 5 years and puts out 4 crops of 300grams each year. Each bulb puts out 1200grams and each ballast 6000, and there are 4 bulbs over the life of the ballast. If you're using digital and horticultural HPS:
$300+3($100) = $600 for 6,000grams over the life of the ballast.

Now use the $500 LED and without the runt the 180w might have been 150grams that grow and you grow 4 crops a year. LEDs should last years longer, according to the specs. Lets see... 40 crops over ten years to get 6,000grams at that rate off the the LED.

Now invest $1500 on LEDs (~600w of LED) pumping out about 450g every 3 months. 600w LED can pump out the 6000g in 13 crops.

I don't think LED is quite there...

However, you got about .7gpw, which is a good yield. Think about it like this. You spent 2x initially to get about 2x more bud per electricity and use 1/3rd of the electricity you use. That is a positive way to see LED!

 

[Setting Sun]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

Think about it like this. You spent 2x initially to get about 2x more bud per electricity and use 1/3rd of the electricity you use. That is a positive way to see LED!

and that, combined with the lower temps that allow people to grow who could never grow before, makes them a *very* attractive option for some folks.

 

[IrishBoy]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

IMO the yield you get and buds you get with HID pays for its self. 300g with 600w hps is real low, shit even a 1lb is kinda low for a 600w hid. so if you getting a min of a lb per harvest are you really going to worry about a $80 bulb or a $125.00 ballest? now i under stand about the heat, but if you have a good vent system and a cool tube that takes away allot of heat. trust me i want leds to work, thats why i have been growing with leds for a year now. i just haven't seen anything grown as these lights are claimed and for the price they are i haven't seen anything that made my mouth drop. for one no one knows if these leds will last 10yrs and most warranty's are for 3yrs, ballest have the same warranty or better. plus the led light in 10yrs will be so out dated by then. i dont see it worth it yet. i have no doubt that leds will take over growing someday but i haven't seen anything crazy yet.

 

[logitech227]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

Me either, but heat is my main issue with HID. To many fans, and the damn hum ming noise gets to me.

 

[IrishBoy]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

Me either, but heat is my main issue with HID. To many fans, and the damn hum ming noise gets to me.

i feel you, but all that can be fixed. you still need fans with leds. you need fresh air going threw your room for you plants, unless you use co2? thats where leds help allot they save big time on co2.

the hum noise use a digital ballest

 

[logitech227]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

i feel you, but all that can be fixed. you still need fans with leds. you need fresh air going threw your room for you plants, unless you use co2? thats where leds help allot they save big time on co2.

the hum noise use a digital ballest

True that Irish. My 600w ballast is a digi but the inline fan on the cooltube and the two osculating fans bugged me because other then the tent I grow in, everything else is pretty stealth. The fans were loud, with all those damn LED lights i use now I only have one small desk fan on my flowering plants and I dont here a thing.

 

[IrishBoy]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

True that Irish. My 600w ballast is a digi but the inline fan on the cooltube and the two osculating fans bugged me because other then the tent I grow in, everything else is pretty stealth. The fans were loud, with all those damn LED lights i use now I only have one small desk fan on my flowering plants and I dont here a thing.

i just bought a S&P vent fan and that thing is so quite that you can barley hear it run at all. SS can vouch for this one because he has one of these fans. i am in no way trashing leds i am just letting the facts be know. if my 600w led light is equal to a 600w hps i will use my leds every time. its just the BS claims that were mad that gets under my skin. their is no way that 126w will = a 400w hpd or the 180w will = a 600w hps. bottom line! so when price comes into play HID wins hands down so far.

i deal with 115F* summer heat so i know whats up with the heat for sure and the leds work good when its summer time for me, but when its winter time HPS works better for me so far. i do believe leds do belong in growing for sure they help allot of people to be able to grow that cant run HID. this is a huge plus.

 

[Setting Sun]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

IMO the yield you get and buds you get with HID pays for its self. 300g with 600w hps is real low, shit even a 1lb is kinda low for a 600w hid. so if you getting a min of a lb per harvest are you really going to worry about a $80 bulb or a $125.00 ballest? now i under stand about the heat, but if you have a good vent system and a cool tube that takes away allot of heat. trust me i want leds to work, thats why i have been growing with leds for a year now. i just haven't seen anything grown as these lights are claimed and for the price they are i haven't seen anything that made my mouth drop. for one no one knows if these leds will last 10yrs and most warranty's are for 3yrs, ballest have the same warranty or better. plus the led light in 10yrs will be so out dated by then. i dont see it worth it yet. i have no doubt that leds will take over growing someday but i haven't seen anything crazy yet.

I ignore all the claims.

I just focus on whether they meet my needs or not.

if you want to see a perfect example of LED's meeting someone's needs, check out sfhaze's LED journal.

His LED light keeps him in meds just fine.

 

[IrishBoy]

re: LED GROW TEST. 126W hydro grow led VS. 180W

I ignore all the claims.

I just focus on whether they meet my needs or not.

if you want to see a perfect example of LED's meeting someone's needs, check out sfhaze's LED journal.

His LED light keeps him in meds just fine.

very true if leds meet your needs or make you able to grow then that all that matters. i always ignore the claims also, but i just want to make it clear just in case a newbie see this and was lied to by a led company i want them to see the truth, so they dont drop all that money thinking their going to beat HID with low led watts. its just not going to happen yet. i dont want you guys to think i am bashing leds all i am is stating the truth from my experience using leds and HID. leds have allot of good things about them, it just all matters on what you want and what ur needs are.

shit with this next grow i am going to try my hardest to get the best yield i can because i want to keep using leds and toss my HID. this last grow i could only do so much because of keeping it fair on both side, but on this grow its all out because now i can just grow and not have resections on what i can do and cant do.