Has anyone had success with LED grow lights?

The persons selling the new 600 watt lights claim they produce the same as 2 1000 watt HPS lights with no heat. They are $2,300 apiece so I want to be sure before spending the cash. Thanks

 

Hi, 600w LEDs work but not to the level of 2 1000's or the area claimed. If the manufacturers using 1 watt LED's (which typically emit 30-45 lumens each), with several wavelengths which are accurate then you'll realize nice growth. $2300 for a 600w LED is NUTS!! My HID suppliers offered me 300w for $679 and 600w for $1179.

 

Think with all new technology the first in will always paid a premium on price.
Led should be better then traditional lighting for growing as the light spectrum emitted can be targeted better and in theory coz nothing gets wasted so they dont have to be so heavy on the watts but think there still a few years off from being better and cheaper then more normal types of lighting.

 

I've started acquiring LED's, so far the 90w ufo along with the original 1KW HPS seems to have accelerated the flowering process. The second light is due to arrive soon which using both might replace the HID completely!>)

 

Well thats just showing off Hehe.

 

Aw Shucks!

But I wouldn't have if I hadn't gotten them at a substantial discount. LED's are still very expensive. Anywho, the second light arrived and I hung it in the flower room with the first and removed the 1kw, 2 days ago some of the upper flowers will be harvested beginning today. We had the first LED in with the 1kw HPS for 2+ weeks before.

I also switched the cycle from night to day, since heat isn't a factor anymore.

As you may have figgered out they were close to harvest before LED's but I feel that they cut a week or 2 off the time.

 

If you look at led's in general household type lighting there not that expensive which make ya think the price will come down to a more reasonable level once the ground works been done. I'm struggling with heat here as the summer starts to arrive Hehe so dont leave ya doors and windows unlocked or I'l be having them away off ya. Your have to keep us all posted when you do a complete grow coz they do sound good on paper.

 

Yeah the 1/4watt bulbs are plentiful so cheaper, but the 1 watt bulbs are still expensive. The 90w UFO's I got have an msrp of $3-500+ on ebay they can be found for much less;>P

 

If what I've been reading is correct that you only need 20-30 per cent of the wattage you'd use with hid's lighting then on an average grow of just a few 100 watts there gonna take about a yr to break even on the saving you've made in electric. Quite interesting how just coz a light looks bright dont mean its looks bright too a plant, its seems that any light that looks bright to the naked eye emits lots of yellow and green spectrum light which is no good for plant growing (thats wasted energy in my book) and most of the red and blue spectrum we look for in a grow light is out of the range of what we can see so hence led's will seem to look dim.

 

Boy I hope they (LEDs) do come down in price 'cuz the $$electric and the heat are killing me and my babies.

 

im one of those asses that will NEVER switch to LED........mostly because i would rather not switch my method that works, partly because LED's are so damn expensive, partly because i need and use the heat from my HID light, and lastly because i don't know jack shit about 'em and don't care to!! Don't mind viewing threads/journals of guys using 'em because it's interesting to me..........i just personally would never trade out a HPS over a LED board.........just my 2 cents.

 

Maniac, you're such a 'tight mind'!>D

 

Lol lol. Remarkably set in there ways for such a young chap. Fair point once ya've hit the sweet spot in ya growing you get unwilling to change.

 

I have an update on the 90w UFO's.

Didn't notice much activity while they in the flower room, about 3 weeks.

So I moved one of them to the veg room, after 4 days the plants seemed to have bulked up alot. I replaced 4 t-5 4' flouros.>)

 

LED lights in my experience have been difficult to grow with. For me early growth was fast and flowering slow and not as dense as hps. Had a hard time with curling leaves and figuring distance from lights. I bought a 150 hps to try again I may use both led and hps. I have about 100 watts of led. Definetly not close to what my 430 w hps did many years ago. Energy use and heat wise led lights are great. some of the unit type led systems like ufo or procyon may direct light better but cost is high. Watch out for crappy hong kong par 38 spot led lights 30 bucks each and fall apart in a month. I will have to regroup and research before my next try.

 

I just know that more and more people like to use led fluorescent lights as plant grow light. But they are not so bright as 600 watt replacements. But the customized kelvin 20,000 make the light really fancy. May be can have a try.

 

Yes i have used it for years. It really helps.

 

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