led vs hps
- Thread starter coldme
- Start date
PuffPuffPassed
Well-Known Member
watt for watt LED yields more. LED's are definitely known for producing higher quality. The main downfall seems to be the size of the light footprint, but if you have the money to spend on LED's, they last a lot longer than HPS and draw a lot less electricity.
Check my grow to see what they can do.. im only about 2 weeks into flowering but you will be able to see what they can do here in the next few weeks.
Check my grow to see what they can do.. im only about 2 weeks into flowering but you will be able to see what they can do here in the next few weeks.
Illumination
New Member
led wish...yield hps...quality cmh
outlander1
Member
I have an all LED grow started right now. 3x glowpanel 45's for side lighting and 1 lighthouse hydro 90W UFO ontop growing 2 plants. Total cost for me ( haggle with these companies, you will be amazed how much they will move on price) was just under $400. They're growing like crazy, more so outwards than upwards(farthest thing from sretching) I honestly have no idea how more nodes are somehow stuffing themselves in there. Ontop of this even without a fan on in my grow tent temperatures max out at 89/90 F. Go for more lights for side lighting rather than one beast unit ontop. It's all about the multi-angles.
outlander1
Member
Lawl, go away scrub. Good try though.
KawiZZR
Active Member
If you were to compare an LED setup using high quality panel(s) to an equivalent wattage HID setup the biggest difference will be in heat. Yes, LEDs do creat heat, that's why they have heat sinks and built in fans. They do not create the same amount of heat or direct nearly as much of that heat downwards towards the plants. The LEDs would not require as intensive of heat removal, meaning less would be spent on cooling. The other way power would be saved is by not requiring a separate ballast as HIDs do, the ballast creates additional heat and does take a greater amount of power than what the light is rated. The LED setup will be a much larger initial investment, but bulbs do not have to be replaced over time as with HID. For the same startup cost a more comprehensive and larger setup can be made using HID. Both ways have their benefits and drawbacks, go with what will work best for you.
why is it after reading many threads on many forums, that LED users are open to both options, and HPS users hate the LED users haha. personally i have LED+CFL, less elctricity and it works fine, i dont need to cool the tent or vent the room...i run a home made carbon filter for odor reasons...
I give out rep pretty sparingly, but +rep for this. It's nice to read level headed info in a place where there are plenty of haters and idiots trying to put out their opinions rather than respect the game, no matter what the grow method.
resinousflowers
Well-Known Member
leds are for small grow ops.also im yet to be convinced they can yeild the same as hps lights.many big scale growers have tried leds and never been happy with the results,and so have gone back to using hps lights,but some continued to use them for veg.also they are not really cheaper to run in the winter because of the fact youll need to use an electric or oil heater to make up for the lack of heat they put out.
themanwiththeplan
Well-Known Member
i HIGHLY disagree with this. i use to grow w/ only CFLs. granted CFLs DO give off heat but not that much more than an LED fixture and i didnt have to run the heat just for the plants...i had to use it to keep ME warm...
Remember these are indoor grows. how many of you keep your house that cold during the winter that you'd need a new/special heating source just for your plants?
idk about you guys but i like my house 70 degrees in the winter (give or take a few degrees)...outside it can be as cold as the upper 20s at night up to maybe...35 degrees or so...
themanwiththeplan
Well-Known Member
btw. ive never used LED's but im definitely on the bandwagon as ive seen some amazing yields on youtube from leds...i seen a video yesterday where a guy for nearly 20 oz (19 and some change) from 1 LED light and only 4 plants...i call that winning if you ask me. i just gotta find which LED's are rated just as good as their HID counterpart.
KawiZZR
Active Member
Thank you sir. I've used both and LED works best for me, but a friend of mine used to use 2 600w HPS and he dialed it in great for his situation so I've got the benefit of having seen firsthand where each excels.
I have to say I agree that LEDs are not yet ready for commercial scale grow operations. Many large grows do not have the same heat and sound considerations that small grows do, so the massive upfront cost of replacing many HID units doesn't make any sense for them. This same idea also applies to heat in the winter, a grow setup in a warehouse would need additional heating if using LED in the winter, but a small grow in the bedroom wouldn't.
In the coming years LED prices should continue to come down gradually in order to become more competitive cost-wise with large HID setups. Once this happens, it may make sense for large grows using several HID lights to replace half or so of their lights with LEDs and have all the lights on movers. This would cut down on energy costs and help to keep the temp fluctuations more mild over the course of the year.
virulient
Active Member
The large growers....they don't care about cost. Most of the commercial growers will happily shell out tens of thousands of dollars if the light is going to outperform what they are using now. Keep in mind I am a HUGE LED advocate...I love them. But that's because I'm setting people up small, personal-size grows for their household. Not to supply a dispensary. Therefore they aren't growing 36" tall plants and don't need the canopy penetration of an HID system. For people with a small grow, LED's are ideal, especially when growing smaller, quicker-yielding plants(like a SoG).
So, in conclusion, the fact that commercial growers AREN'T going out and replacing their HID systems with LED's is NOT a statement of how HID > LED period. LED's simply don't fit their particular needs. LED's have a place in indoor horticulture, AND as a main light, not a supplemental light. But it does have to be the right situation for them to thrive. If you are growing monsters with a 1000w HID and you go out and buy an LED, switch out lights, and keep growing the same.....well, you're really gonna hate LED's lol. Hope this helps.
So, in conclusion, the fact that commercial growers AREN'T going out and replacing their HID systems with LED's is NOT a statement of how HID > LED period. LED's simply don't fit their particular needs. LED's have a place in indoor horticulture, AND as a main light, not a supplemental light. But it does have to be the right situation for them to thrive. If you are growing monsters with a 1000w HID and you go out and buy an LED, switch out lights, and keep growing the same.....well, you're really gonna hate LED's lol. Hope this helps.