i bought 2 sp6500s from mars for 1450 cad. one harvest 3 lbs. and i wasnt dialed in. and the smoke was comparable to it being run under 1k hps gavitas. as long as they last i have no issues with mars either. and am actually impressed.
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Mechanical design can be a significant difference. Also the configuration of the light.
- dimmable vs non-dimmable
- remote driver capability (driver outside tent)
- ease of assembly (folding vs snap together)
- thermal management approach
I’m sure there’s more but that all that bubbled out tonight… 
Cheers
G
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That is probably a decent light,my first light I bought and used before I started making my own ( Samsung Q series, Bridgelux Gen 2’s and Vesta Tuneable COBs) was their LF100 and I still use it for additional veg growth light to this day and it is 30$ cheaper lol
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Been running side by side 1k HPS vs Mars Hydro FC-6500. My yields have been off a bit ~ 15% lower on the LED, but I believe there are other influences that attribute to the deficit. IMO the FC-6500 still seems like a good replacement by this comparison.
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Welcome to OG @Longtooth , you should drop by the introduce yourself thread and say hello to the community.
As for the difference in yields, there are so many factors at play. I have seen people get higher yields and lower yields when switching to LED. Many times it’s just a matter of dialing in the grow to work optimally after the change in lighting. There is also quality to throw into the mix. I would gladly take a 15% drop in yield if it produced better bud. Personally I am an LED guy but have used MH/HPS. I say to just go with what works, no denying the tried and true MH/HPS setup works but I think we are to the point in LED that we can now say the same for it.
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I just purchased a Growers Choice 680. Apparently it pulls 710 w at the wall. It’s awesome, and the plants love it so far.
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Just had a buddy pick up 4 of these this week, pretty crazy deal for a killer light, they retail for 1500$ at my local hydro store
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But why? Incredibly over priced without any feature value.
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Can’t speak for him, however I went with different Fluence spydyrs for a few reasons. The quality of the product, the warranty, customer service, and made in US. I get that there are less expensive lights out that claim similar specs, but those things were worth the extra $$ to me.
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