Switching to flower next month just wondering if there’s any real difference between brands of hps bulbs. Is 1000w eye hortilux(or other high end bulb) really any better than 1000w ipower/budget bulb?
Ive always been told the hortilux is where its at but personally only used hortilux. Like to ride along for ppl w experience opinions cause i too need some new bulbs and $90 for 600w each is lil ridiculous when i need a couple.
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Eye hortilux super hps are superior from everything I have read.
Would be interested in seeing ppfd maps from different bulbs.
For me, I use cheap Ipower 1000w HPS bulbs. They are cheap, so I do two runs on each bulb (I use MH and LEDs for veg) then swap out to a new one.
I cant bring myself to spend 100-150CAD on a single bulb. Lookforward to others input - maybe I’ll make the switch!
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Yeah im on a pretty tight budget. So trying to justify spending that much on a 1000w bulb is not easy for me.
dont know about hps bulbs but pretty certain a certain brand of economy cmh bulbs is the same as a far more expensive brand.
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Ok I’ll bite as it’s coming time fro me to get a few new ones.
Wow is it really $100 for a bulb? And how often do they need to be changed?
I was trying to explain to a friend the cost benefit analysis of LED vs HID and this just sweetens the pot on the LED side. I was leaning mostly on power consumption.
All the best.
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Imo the bulbs are about the same. The advantage of the eye is that they last longer. But in reality, it is how you use the bulb that will dictate it’s effectiveness…in a grow room however, there are very little parameters which change so the bulbs mostly preform the same. What would be interesting would be a side by side comparison of the two comparing qualities such as bulb life verse plant growth etc…
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Go with the hortilux super blue its the shit! It’s a full spectrum light but expensive $80-$120 depending where you look. You can veg and flower with them.
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There is significant difference in light output when comparing stats on Hortilux vs other brands.
I’ve run only Hortilux in my dino-lights and change the lamp every year to 18 months so the price isn’t a big deal to me.
If I had more time today I’d do the research for ya and post the numbers but instead I’ll encourage interested parties to do their own reading 
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I know you didn’t include this in to your question, @EugeneDebs420, but there’s another factor that makes a difference in 1000W HPS bulbs: single ended or double ended.
I’ve got a DE 1000W HPS that’s burning strong some 18 months after getting it, versus being on my 2nd or maybe even my 3rd 1000W bulb on the single ended light. Both ballasts are exactly the same, from the same manufacturer and purchased at the same time. I got them to do a side by side comparison, and the DE is the clear winner. Not only does the bulb burn brighter and last longer, but I can set the ballast to 400W or 600W without affecting the life of the bulb.
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just price I have found
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I use vivosun bulbs. Can usually find hps/mh sets for around 50$. No complaints, I’ve spent the money on hortilux bulbs and honestly haven’t seen any difference other than the extra money spent on the bulbs in my opinion
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Ok, I think I’ve made my decision and I’ll be going either vivosun or ipower. My 400w ipower did a damn good job last time so I’m sure 1000w will absolutely crush the one plant I’ve got left(fucking covid made me lose the other 7 because I had no energy to take care of them)
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Yeah amazon $90 for 600w other places say low as $50 but then they charge you the rest in shipping or places have $300 min order.
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Shit, zenhydro.com has the 1000w ipower bulbs for $18
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as long as people pay it they will charge it
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eBay usually has good prices. Bought a 1000w digital ballast with both bulbs 138$ (vivosun) so I now have 2 going
That’s where I got my ballasts. Payed $150 for 3 1000w phantoms. Only running 1 right now though.
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Back on here to report that i took the 600w hortilux bulb out and replaced with the $18i think vivosun amazon bulb. It is clearly brighter than the beat down hortilux. So a win for >$20 cant say its equivalent to the super hps hortilux new but it is an effective cheap bulb. Ill be running these cheap bulbs now i think. Plants like it.
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