Upgrading toLED for flowering

Which LED light

  • Spyder X

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Spyder XPlus

    Votes: 1 9.1%

  • Spyder 2P

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Spyder 2i

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Gavita

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • other

    Votes: 10 90.9%
  • Total voters
    11
Freakshow

Freakshow

Well-known member
OK I am wanting to upgrade my lighting to LED's for flowering. I'll most likely still use my HPS Vertical Cooltube in the winter because it keeps the room warm and heats the basement. But I really want to use the LED's to help cut my electric bill in the Spring through the fall.

I've narrowed the options to these

Fluence SPYDER series
not sure which one though: I'm not running Co2.
Spyder X
Spyder XPlus
Spyder 2p
Spyder 2i

not sure which Spyder at all. The X and the P are much less expensive and looks like the X is for home hobbyists and for veg in commercial ops. It has a price tag of $844. The X plus is for commercial apps and says they recommend CO2 supplementation. But, is any of y'all using this without CO2 and getting good results? The 2P runs around $1200 and states it's for commercial apps and CO2. The 2i seems to be the big boy and runs $1428.

in the running is the Gavita pro 1700e, although i have a seething hatred for anything that comes from Hawthorne group. They have single handed completely screwed every hydro store around here with very poor service and replenishment and they really do not seem to give a shit.


anyway, if anyone can offer good advice on flowering with LED's I'd appreciate it.
 
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I put other - HLG is what I went with and am very happy. The Kingbrite knockoffs are also loved but I like the peace of mind so the extra money was worth it to me.

I have both the 550 rspec for a 4x4 flower tent and the 100 in the 4k spectrum for veg. I did not however get the dimmable driver for the 100 and I wish I would have as it straight up blasts that space and is hiked up to the top of that 4 foot tall tent
 
Witchking said:
I had a local guy I used to hang with that was a legal caregiver. H used to swear by flowering under LED's but last time i visited I definitely noticed the addition of some 1K HPS'S back making apperances in his flowering room. He musta felt something wasn't performing up to par under the LED's! Other than him i never saw anyone flower under LED's before.
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I get that, my friend. The LED's I am looking at are commercial grade. they start at 1500 bucks. I really like the one LED i am using already. The Spyder by Fluence are some of the best in technology, production and yield. They are usually on a 2 month back order because tons of commercial growers are using them. I'm looking at getting 2.
this is the Spyder X plus - this ain't your cheapie Mars Hydro, put it together yourself LED board kinda light.
 
Variety said:
Those gravitas look dope and I here they have a 5 year warranty!
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yes but Hawthorne is total shit when it comes to customer service............... I know folks that have had an issue with their FLuence light and Fluence took care of it immediately. I'd take a 3 year warranty with great customer service over 5 years with crap customer service. just saying. FLuence does offer an extended warrenty t 5 years too. Not sure on the cost though

Here's another light in the running: I really like the pricing. with the exchange rate, it brings these down just under a grand. AND they offer a 5 year warranty

https://scynceled.com/product/raging-kush/
 
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Guymandude said:
yes but Hawthorne is total shit when it comes to customer service............... I know folks that have had an issue with their FLuence light and Fluence took care of it immediately. I'd take a 3 year warranty with great customer service over 5 years with crap customer service. just saying. FLuence does offer an extended warrenty t 5 years too. Not sure on the cost though

Here's another light in the running: I really like the pricing. with the exchange rate, it brings these down just under a grand. AND they offer a 5 year warranty

https://scynceled.com/product/raging-kush/
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Guy you might want to check with your local grow store about the warranty. It might be possible that all you have to do is bring it back to them and they deal with it for you. I can’t stand dealing with any kind of warranty lol
 
i chose other since i'm using KingBrite and i'm poor but if i had money to spend i'd go with SpecGrade
 
oldsog said:
i chose other since i'm using KingBrite and i'm poor but if i had money to spend i'd go with SpecGrade
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that looks interesting. I'm reading some information that like that refers to a canna line of lights but there's nothing on the company website about a canna line. I am looking at the Verta line, and it looks just like the Fluence lights. I do like the 10 year warranty on the light engine and 7 years on the drivers. Specgrade is definitely in the tops of the running. I really like what i see. Thank you pointing them out to me
 
I have a friend using the spider 2i and he says he will never look back. I have seen his bud and it is quite impressive. Although everytjimg points to that being an excellent lighting choice I would like to see his total weight numbers on subsequent grows b4 going out and spending big money on these hugely expensive led's:D

2b2s
 
CBGB said:
I really like these guys. View attachment 337654
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now that is ridiculously impressive. more PPFD than Fluence and more UV light too. I love that. Warranty is 5 years if it even smell wrong they replace. Not as long a warranty as Specgrade but it looks like this light is a better quality spectrum than most i've seen and more intensity. Hold on, gimme a minute, i'm getting a boner. Thank you for posting this.......

2broke2smoke said:
I have a friend using the spider 2i and he says he will never look back. I have seen his bud and it is quite impressive. Although everytjimg points to that being an excellent lighting choice I would like to see his total weight numbers on subsequent grows b4 going out and spending big money on these hugely expensive led's:D

2b2s
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yes my friend, it's a lot of money. That's why i posted this. I'm not just trying to throw money at new technology. it's gonna take every dime i have to do this upgrade. $3K is a lot of friggin cash to spend. I want to get the best lighting system for the money. I compete with growers that use commercial grade LED's. I have to roll with the times and get up to date. The research and suggestions i am conducting and gathering will help he save money in the long run. It'll be nice not replacing $100 bulbs every 7 or 8 months. Or replacing $300 ballast every few years. And saving on my electric bill will be amazing. That in itself would be worth any difference in weight, if there's less weight to be had with LED's, but I'm fairly sure that won't be the case.

I have friends using the Fluence lights and they LOVE them. The research I am conducting will save money in the future.
 
GMD, I'm running a couple Nextlight Megas (www.nextlight.com). I bought them from www.ledgrowlightsdepot.com, which has excellent prices and customer service. Check out their package deals (2 lights + a tent).

The Megas weren't cheap (and I got them on sale), but they are proving themselves worth the price. Temps are lower (these lamps produce 2200 BTUs each; HPS lamps produce 4400 BTUs each), electricity costs are lower (2 x 650w vs. 2x 1000w), no lamp replacement... and the flowers are beautiful. Better results than with 2x 1k HPS, for sure. Flowers are denser and yield is just as good as with HPS. Initially I thought I would need more training and super-cropping, but penetration seems to be pretty damn good. This is due to the light source being spread out, multiple angles of incidence, vs the HPS "hot spots" and shadows.

I don't know enough about the spyders to offer an opinion, but I'd say you're on the right track. I would never go back to HPS!
 
180 said:
GMD, I'm running a couple Nextlight Megas (www.nextlight.com). I bought them from www.ledgrowlightsdepot.com, which has excellent prices and customer service. Check out their package deals (2 lights + a tent).

The Megas weren't cheap (and I got them on sale), but they are proving themselves worth the price. Temps are lower (these lamps produce 2200 BTUs each; HPS lamps produce 4400 BTUs each), electricity costs are lower (2 x 650w vs. 2x 1000w), no lamp replacement... and the flowers are beautiful. Better results than with 2x 1k HPS, for sure. Flowers are denser and yield is just as good as with HPS. Initially I thought I would need more training and super-cropping, but penetration seems to be pretty damn good. This is due to the light source being spread out, multiple angles of incidence, vs the HPS "hot spots" and shadows.

I don't know enough about the spyders to offer an opinion, but I'd say you're on the right track. I would never go back to HPS!
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looks like a great light, my friend. So far the Mammoth has the best PAR and PPHD numbers though. And they are quite a bit less money. I appreciate your suggestion greatly though. Thank you!!
 
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[MENTION=3189]Guymandude[/MENTION] you had me rolling but I totally understand. Those #s are hard to argue with.
 
Well, Mammoth and Specgrade are in the top running, so far. The main theme I am seeing, which is very important to note, is that folks are very happy with their LED's lights as long as they are the better quality, commercial grade lights. That tells me the industry as a whole is moving in a great direction.

Spoke with the dude at my local Hydro store and he said that Fluence has a new generation of lights coming out soon. given the numbers I've seen on current offerings, I'm leaning towards Mammoth as long as they can get me a power cord that will run 240 on a 110 style plug - ie Titan 4 light controller.
 
Hey Guy.... read up on these and looks like if your wanting to NOT run the CO2, then your

better off going with the Spyder 2i . Looks like some serious lights, be cool to watch how

these work out for ya.. I love my less expensive light, Spider Farmer SF1000.. you would

need their SF4000... luck man
 
been trying to get a hold of Mammoth to talk to them about their 10 bar UV fixture. It's 8 bars of full spectrum LED and 2 bars of UV. This light has me drooling. It runs $1250 each. But they aren't answering their phones, haven't returned my message and their website this light is sold out. Poop!!!
 
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