x420xColtonx420x
New Member
I'm not always one for going the cheap route but times are tough.
What is the cheapest light you can use to yield great bud
- Thread starter x420xColtonx420x
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x420xColtonx420x
New Member
I would need it all.
PutItInTheBowl
Active Member
i got my 400w hps/mh/ballast and shit for 115$ there is a thread somewhere on this forum where everyone posts cheap shit gooluck bro
FreeStateLumpy
Active Member
I'd have to agree with the CFL bulbs. Is a cheap light all you want? I mean, there is a huge difference between a cfl and a 1,000 WATT Hortilux WIth A King Cobra Predator Anal Vibe Hood.. then there is the electric bill and yeah, times are tough so get into some new currency (like weed or silver, or barter stuff, that way when it all finally crashes when people see it's a fucking illusion, you are safer then they are). If cheap light is what you are looking for that I agree with B166ER420 that cfl's are the way to go. There are threads on here about them like he says too. Make sure you get the right ones though if you go that route. Think lumens!
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
For best-quality bud, HID is pretty much the way to go imo. You don't have to get one of the big-watt lights, but it's not that much more expensive than CFL and will yield more, denser and possibly frostier bud.
Good results can also be had with T5s running specialist bulbs, but that isn't cheap to assemble. cn
Good results can also be had with T5s running specialist bulbs, but that isn't cheap to assemble. cn
FreeStateLumpy
Active Member
If you can find a good panel on craigslist locally, the bulbs are only a few bucks a piece. The light difference in flower was around 3 oz average. Now with the BIG LIGHTS (and two more on the way in a few days... heck, I' have two 432 watt and one 324 watt in veg, I'll expect 5 ounces at least, that's what my brother is getting and he has the setup I'm installing now putting plants in when they reach 20 inches). You can still get great bud from the cfl's or the panels but big fat colas are a different story. This is meant to help. I hope I'm not being counterproductinve when I say these things.
Straightjacket
Well-Known Member
You really need to define "cheap and great bud". if by cheap you mean under 60 bucks then cfl's. for 75 you can get 150 watt hps. for 120 you can get 400 watt. The bud gets greater as you go. lol
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
Imo the way to really optimize T5s is by not going with typical white bulbs. The aquarists' bulbs detailed in the "LED without LEDs" thread do this but are not cheap. In fact it's arguable if the increased bulb cost is offset by the light's increased PAR efficiency. I've only run my T5 this way and haven't tried it with white bulbs, so please mark this post "my opinion". cn
robert 14617
Well-Known Member
nothing beats natural sun light and when its shinning its still free
rdo420
Well-Known Member
yeah cant beat the sun for cheap.lol. Cfls are good aswell. But the bad thing with cfls is you have to keep adding more and more as the plant grows to get a good yied. It starts out cheap but by the time your all said and done you could of just got a 400w from htg for $120 and be done with it. Done that in the beginning too. Probably have $600-$700 worth of flourecents, adapters, cords, the sheet metal to make the homade hoods etc.. Good luck either way though man, be safe.
***entertainment ony***
***entertainment ony***
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
This is true, but i have never been able to make proper use of it. I leave the bucket outside for HOURS, slam the lid on it and RUN it to the grow room, but by the time I open it up, all the sunlight is gone, just gone. It's bordering on tragic, really. cn
robert 14617
Well-Known Member
check around ware houses , i found a 400hps the people moving into the building were about to throw out... pawn shops and craigs list are good places to check
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Clown Baby
Well-Known Member
go HPS..
with CFLs youre going to spend 2 months just flowering, plus veg time. And you'll probably only yield enough smoke to last you a couple weeks.
HPS is a bit more investment up front, but itll give a better yield and denser buds.
with CFLs youre going to spend 2 months just flowering, plus veg time. And you'll probably only yield enough smoke to last you a couple weeks.
HPS is a bit more investment up front, but itll give a better yield and denser buds.
FreeStateLumpy
Active Member
To clarify, I meant "t5HO" or the T-5 High Output lights. Them 'er plenty white n' brite 'n plug right in with no need for a ballast. I believe the best penetration happens in about the first 4 inches of light though so mylar and anything you can do to reflect light (flat white, but I'm getting deeper than perhaps need be) if you are doing a head stash grow.
FreeStateLumpy
Active Member
I also agree with this. I wish I had done it that way from the get go. Instead I messed around with being stubborn and doing it on the cheap, but on the cheap doesn't mean bad bud, just not a lot of it. HPS just works... not good in veg but for flower, nothing beats it. I like checking on craigslist too, as I do see old ballasts but you can't exactly get the things to preform well using the street light bulbs. And those bulbs can be costly as well. I run Hortilux only and I get them for about 80 frn's each currently... or barter for some great smoke 
Maybe check with friends who may let you borrow a light too... as long as it's a decent one and you are able to follow through, which myself and many others are not able to do early on as some of us had to smack our heads a few times against the wall to learn ho to make "great bud"... no, it isn't THAT easy
Maybe check with friends who may let you borrow a light too... as long as it's a decent one and you are able to follow through, which myself and many others are not able to do early on as some of us had to smack our heads a few times against the wall to learn ho to make "great bud"... no, it isn't THAT easy
FreeStateLumpy
Active Member
... bugt the UN is trying to find a way to use that as another excuse to steal your wealth too so "still" being the operative word... fucking UN. Fuck you UN! Tax this! (I pointed to my dick but I really don't know what happened... I was taken by emotion... sorry).
TXskunkKush
Well-Known Member
IMHO cheaping out is never the way to go. . . Cheap out on seeds & get bad genetics it's just that simple for lights as well. All the best grows are with HiD (MH/Hps) it's true that you can have a wonderful grow with cfls but it just won't see as high of quality product as you would have if using a hps. My 2¢