ok time for an upgrade and moving into the 21st century going from mh/hps to led i think my choices are between spider farmer SF 7000 and a mars hydro comparables any thoughts on either brand and/or experience with them my grow area is 10ft x 4ft. any and all info is greatly appreciated
PS. i will have 2 600 wat mh/hps set ups with both mh bulbs and hps bulbs along with cool tube reflectors and batwing reflectors as well as a 6" exhaust fan and duct work im not going to give them away but there will be a resonable price one bvallast is about 2 years old and one is less than a year
All I can say is that recently had to do the same.
I figured I’d take advantage of the Black Friday deals, so it’s been a few months. Just finally set the light up actually.
So, I’m the type of person that does copious amounts of research before buying a product. Especially the expensive ones. It’s ODC like, seriously lol. After a lot of research, it came down to the SP3000(the light I initially intended to buy) and the SF4000.
If I can remember right, the defining factor came down to the lights power per its footprint, manufacture parts, and the warranty that it came with. The tests and reviews in the Grow Light Guide on this site I’ve linked can be really helpful by showing third party test results. But you should still do some additional research of your own.
Hopefully this can be of some help to ya. Good luck! I Iook forward to seeing your decision and why you came to that conclusion.
Oh yeah, if u can wait, I bet there will be some great LED fixture sales somewhere around 4/20!
When I was comparing brand spider farmer had the better numbers but ultimately I went with Vivosun because their numbers were the highest as far as output. I use a Mars Hydro though for my 100w. The smaller the light the less difference in output and Mars Hydro has the best value it’s just not the prettiest looking, mine has worked great though, doesn’t build up heat at all.
I know you’re looking for bigger lights but you’re essentially just buying these smaller panels linked together. Just my 2 cent.
You might also consider some of the newer models coming out with the integrated fans.
Interesting thread. I’ve got the SpiderFarmer 4000 and seems to work pretty good for my conditions. I live in Los Angeles and summers can get hot so I need a light that doesn’t. Still gives out some heat but nowhere near like my friends hps lights.
I won the SF7000 from a different forum and I’ve been using it for about a month or so. Seems very well put together and the vegging plants seem to love it. Mine is in a 5x5 tent and has dropoff in ppfd at the outside 6". They cluster more diodes out at the edges to help with this and the uniform coverage is pretty good. I’ll have to see how it does in flower before I’m really sold on it.
Yeah, I definitely found that my brand decision would change depending on the size of the fixture. Especially in the warranty column.
During my decision making I was looking at Electric Sky(which are damn hard to find now that they shut down), Mars Hydro, ViparSpectra, Spider Farmer, HLG…I cant think right now. I know there’s more. Maybe start there?
I won a small tent ventilation system with exhaust fan, filter and 25’ of hose from them too. It was a good year to say the least. I bought my 5x5 tent from them since they were so good to me and I love it.
Me personally I’m Spider Farmer Mars Hydro or Vivosun for LEDs, I do put a lot in brand though. I like stable companies I know I can follow up on the warranty with. Some of these smaller or fringe companies just not as reliable in that department. But honestly too, very few out there have things so dialed it that a slight difference in light strength is going to make or break your crop. I would focus more on a reliable product vs the “best” light.
I went from MH/HPS to HLG and then to Mars. I have a 100w and 150w Mars that work ok. Recently I did grows with the FC6500 in a 4x4 and FC8000 in a 5x5. I am currently doing a second run under the FC8000. I would fully reccomend the Mars FC series bar lights personally. My HLG leans against the wall in my grow room. I have not tried the Spider Farmers.
i have also been researching and want to transition to led myself, getting the most bang for my buck. the info i.ve come across says the bar style leds help spread the light better than the quantum boards.
i have been really liking the fc8000 from mars. lowest price i have found is on rightbud. $560 us dollars with free shipping.
I too went LED about 6yrs ago. After much research for a light to run in a small 2 x 2 x 4 tent… I chose the SF1000. The light was excellent, the one draw back to this model was the fact it had no dimmer switch that was easy to access… you had to remove the ballast, remove a rubber plug to access a screw… kind of a hassle… I still have the light and still run it in the smaller tent for a veg light…
I won bud of the month on another site and soon after Mars Hydro offered to sponsor me and offered me the usage of their TSW-2000 light for my 2 x 2.5 x 6.7 Gorilla Lite tent. This light barely fit inside the tent…
I love this light for all its features. for 1, dimmer switch right up front for easy access. 2. The twin ballast came with super long cords, just in case the heat is to much, you can place them outside the tent/grow area to help reduce the heat… cool feature and of course it has the same diodes as the SF lights do…
If you have the $$, take Dougs advice and go with the Pro series FC8000.
you won’t regret it… good luck man,
That’s kinda like my Maxisun. Maxisun!There’s another to add to my list, hehe.
Yeah, similar in the way that you have to remove a rubber plug. A plug that had a small tab to grab with a pinch of your fingers. And then you need a VERY small phillips screwdriver to make the brightness adjustments. Though this plug is at the end of the driver and can be accessed very easily.
Now, I’m not sure how things have changed since.
I remember you winning that light!!!
Glad to see you here and mingling in the threads.
It’s definitely a better vibe here, and also saw that you got in on the Veterans giveaway too!!!
