Running costs or lights

[Newgrow31]

Here in the UK we all no how expensive electric is so it's a non starter for me now I can't keep going with a 600 hps I packed it all in ages ago now.i feel like iv lost an arm lol I need to be gardening lol.whats the cheapest led I can run I'd defo want something equal to a 600hps for probs 4 pots

 

[HydroKid239]

Use one of these if available in your area. It’s a watt meter. You can check the cost of running as well.
Digital Power Monitor Meter Usage Energy Watt Amp Volt KWh Electricity https://a.co/d/2vVfRAW

 

[Creature1969]

Ideally you want 400ish watts of LED to replace your 600w HID but it more depends on the space you want to light.up.

 

[amneziaHaze]

To buy weed 10$ minimum to make it 20cent how is it expesnive?

 

[bk78]

To buy weed 10$ minimum to make it 20cent how is it expesnive?

Wut

 

[MickFoster]

Isn't buying weed more expensive than growing weed? Regardless of electric costs.

 

[bk78]

Isn't buying weed more expensive than growing weed? Regardless of electric costs.

It’s about equal here now for me to buy a pound vs grow a pound

 

[1212ham]

Wut

E=mc2.

 

[1212ham]

It’s about equal here now for me to buy a pound vs grow a pound

But people still like to grow.

Its cheaper to grow here but that changes as more states allow recreational.

 

[Drop That Sound]

Every one spends hundreds of dollars on fancy looking new LED lights, but I just buy cheap screw in bulbs, and wire them up with extension cords and base sockets to a panel. So easy, and scalable to fit any grow environment.. Doesn't really get that hot around here in the summer to even warrant LEDs, but I like playing with all kinds of lighting, and making my own stuff.

I can make a true 6-700+ watt LED light for around 100 dollars (kicks ass with the plastic diffuser globes removed, and is the most equal PAR map spread that isn't on the market, because you can position each bulb exact in a grid formation), and it grows the same GPW as any other comeercial led IMO. I always scrog anyway.

All the money I save per fixture, will pay for months worth of electricity. Its a no brainer to me.

I do feel bad, that Chinese people are being slaved so I can pay so little. I also kinda feel bad you guys spend dollars per watt for someone to assemble Chinese parts to make it look cool, why I get the same results for dirt cheap. To each their own though.

If one bulb burns out on me, I don't really care, and just keep trading them for new ones. If your driver goes out, your kinda screwed.


I can wire 40-50 e27 bulbs up in less than a few hours, no big deal.

Spending top dollar for "efficient" marked up lights, then running them at 50% and also sometimes having to add a heater to raise the leaf temps and dial in VPD is cool around here, lol. I suppose if you live in the desert it's great, but I would still rock SILs..

 

[1212ham]

I think it is around 400w led to 600w hps, but unlike hps, small leds are as efficient as big ones. Plants like higher air temp with led (26-28 ish) so thats a factor. Check out the led sub section here and Migrow on youtube, he tests lots of lights and does lists with efficiency and costs.

Some grows are less efficient than need be with too much power running fans, heaters, ac, dehu, etc.

I think I found my method, autos during the winter months. A small heater only runs 4 hours with lights on 20/4. No power suckers like AC, dehu or heater on 12 hours.

My electricity is cheap, but I hate inefficiency and waste, we are killing the environment we live in.

 

[MickFoster]

After the initial investment in lights, tent, filter and pots, the cost is minimal compared to the yield.
Last grow I yielded 19 oz.
My investment per grow is:
Nutrients - $36.00
New Coco - $40.00
Seeds - $50.00
Electricity - $200

Total approximately $326.........not bad for 19 oz. of great weed.

 

[.Smoke]

Get yourself a 480w bar style led and you'll be more than happy.

 

[speedwell68]

Isn't buying weed more expensive than growing weed? Regardless of electric costs.

Yep, by a long shot. It costs me about £3 a day to run my grow, weed is £10 a gram. The worst yield I ever had from my current tent and lights is 280g (10oz). I actually aim to get double that, my last full grow yielded 530g (19oz). It costs me about £350 in electricity from seed to joint, on the basis of £10 a gram I am about £4,000 up on the deal.

 

[amneziaHaze]

It’s about equal here now for me to buy a pound vs grow a pound

okej in legal states i guess its cheaper now. nobody knows what to do with it

 

[speedwell68]

Every one spends hundreds of dollars on fancy looking new LED lights, but I just buy cheap screw in bulbs, and wire them up with extension cords and base sockets to a panel. So easy, and scalable to fit any grow environment.. Doesn't really get that hot around here in the summer to even warrant LEDs, but I like playing with all kinds of lighting, and making my own stuff.

I can make a true 6-700+ watt LED light for around 100 dollars (kicks ass with the plastic diffuser globes removed, and is the most equal PAR map spread that isn't on the market, because you can position each bulb exact in a grid formation), and it grows the same GPW as any other comeercial led IMO. I always scrog anyway.

All the money I save per fixture, will pay for months worth of electricity. Its a no brainer to me.

I do feel bad, that Chinese people are being slaved so I can pay so little. I also kinda feel bad you guys spend dollars per watt for someone to assemble Chinese parts to make it look cool, why I get the same results for dirt cheap. To each their own though.

If one bulb burns out on me, I don't really care, and just keep trading them for new ones. If your driver goes out, your kinda screwed.


I can wire 40-50 e27 bulbs up in less than a few hours, no big deal.

Spending top dollar for "efficient" marked up lights, then running them at 50% and also sometimes having to add a heater to raise the leaf temps and dial in VPD is cool around here, lol. I suppose if you live in the desert it's great, but I would still rock SILs..

I have a 3x2 with some cheap LED flood lights, cost me less than £30 from Amazon. I use them for Autos, 300w from the wall, they are ace. My main tent has 4xTS1000 clones, built from parts. Cost me half the amount of Mars Hydro, they can yield me around 20oz a time.

I get why pros need the super expensive lights, but not hobbyists.

 

[DoubleAtotheRON]

It’s about equal here now for me to buy a pound vs grow a pound

And at least you know what's in it..... or not in it. Over the past few years, I won't smoke anyone else's weed but my own. I've seen some crazy shit being in the commercial side of things in the past 4 years. Crazy unsanitary conditions, sprays, .... Last drop I made was to another grow op that the Dispo Owner had, and it was fucking gross! Not a square inch of cleanliness.

 

[coreywebster]

Every one spends hundreds of dollars on fancy looking new LED lights, but I just buy cheap screw in bulbs, and wire them up with extension cords and base sockets to a panel. So easy, and scalable to fit any grow environment.. Doesn't really get that hot around here in the summer to even warrant LEDs, but I like playing with all kinds of lighting, and making my own stuff.

I can make a true 6-700+ watt LED light for around 100 dollars (kicks ass with the plastic diffuser globes removed, and is the most equal PAR map spread that isn't on the market, because you can position each bulb exact in a grid formation), and it grows the same GPW as any other comeercial led IMO. I always scrog anyway.

All the money I save per fixture, will pay for months worth of electricity. Its a no brainer to me.

I do feel bad, that Chinese people are being slaved so I can pay so little. I also kinda feel bad you guys spend dollars per watt for someone to assemble Chinese parts to make it look cool, why I get the same results for dirt cheap. To each their own though.

If one bulb burns out on me, I don't really care, and just keep trading them for new ones. If your driver goes out, your kinda screwed.


I can wire 40-50 e27 bulbs up in less than a few hours, no big deal.

Spending top dollar for "efficient" marked up lights, then running them at 50% and also sometimes having to add a heater to raise the leaf temps and dial in VPD is cool around here, lol. I suppose if you live in the desert it's great, but I would still rock SILs..

In the UK its massively more expensive to buy LED bulbs.

£1.50 a pop for 4w bulb X 100 plus all the parts and wire , so at least double that, then time @ £20 per hour , gets expensive for something that's average efficiency.

 

[Drop That Sound]

Oh.. gotcha.

You can still get 14w bulbs from the dollar store here in the US i'm sure, in case anyone was wondering. Or should I say the $1.25 store now, haha. Not sure if they still have daylight ones in stock, haven't looked in awhile. OK I looked.. https://www.dollartree.com/soft-white-100-watt-equivalent-medium-base-led-lightbulbs/297620

Do they have a £1 store in the UK or something like that?

It used to be $40 for a 40 pack when I would get them, but now its $50... I only see soft whites too.. hmm.

Either way, 40x14=560w. For $50!

Add a bag of base sockets from walmart.. 50 pack for like $36, and use sp3 12-16ft extension cords as the wires. I get mine for about 3 dollars a cord on sale, depending on how many I need. Its way cheaper than buying a roll! Also, comes with its own plugs, lol. You guys in UK have fused cords right?

You can get cheaper LED great value bulbs from walmart here in the US too, but they cost more than the dollar store. They for sure have daylight bulbs, and 4 packs in stock usually. Sometimes cheaper deals online.


As you can see, for around $100 -/+ in the US, you can build an actual 5-650 watt LED fixture.

That leaves 3-400 in the bank to pay on the electric bill, compared to those 480w bar lights that cost what, 4-500?

Wiring is fun!

 

[DrDukePHD]

And at least you know what's in it..... or not in it. Over the past few years, I won't smoke anyone else's weed but my own. I've seen some crazy shit being in the commercial side of things in the past 4 years. Crazy unsanitary conditions, sprays, .... Last drop I made was to another grow op that the Dispo Owner had, and it was fucking gross! Not a square inch of cleanliness.

Omg. I'll take my chances swallowing herbal products from companies in a pinch sure.

But

There's no way in hell I'm ever going to inhale anything I didn't grow myself. I've learned too much here & my lungs are too important.