Brands!? (ballast, bulbs, inline vent fans) What works for you guys?

First time grower here looking to make my first grow with some seeds I smuggled home from Amsterdam! I was wondering if you guys could help me out with some brands. Brands that are of good quality that isn't too ridiculously expensive. For now I am looking for a good brand for a: 1000 watt ballast that is switchable between MH and HPS, 1000 watt MH bulb, 1000 watt HPS bulb, and a 6" inline vent fan that is at least 400 cfms. Any help will be GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Ballast (1000 watt switchable mh/hps)- I looked into it and see nothing but a huge line of mixed reviews

Bulbs (1000w)- I'm leaning toward sunmaster or agromax or whatever you guys suggest

Fans (6", at least 400 cfm)- I'm thinking active air but I'm really not educated in this area

Please let me know what you guys think, Thank you and happy growing!
 

CanBud

Well-Known Member
If you want better value Id look into bulbs made by GE or Phillips, reputation and quality is there and cheaper from my experience by a mile. Bought my 400w hps and MH at an electrical wholesalers for 18 bux each and grow stores were 55-70 a piece for the "special" named bulbs.
 
yeah I have checked out htg b4 and haven't heard too many great things about their own products. I was going to get a grow kit from there that comes with a ballast, bulb and reflector and custom upgrade it to have higher quality mh and hps bulbs until I found out you can't switch out the ballast to a mh/hps ballast and even if i could, I have heard nothing but terrible reviews for the mh/hps ballasts they carry, that being digital greenhouse and lumatek ballasts.
 

full of purple

Well-Known Member
There both great ballasts i use to run a 400w htg ballast for 120 dollers its an okay deal unless you have the space to run a 1000w
400w is a great all round light good size to start seedlings and flower under. most name brand lights are good all magnetics use the same
componets inside
 

kinetic

Well-Known Member
On my 2nd indoor with my htg ballast, reflector, socket and bulbs. No complaints so far.
 

Opm

Active Member
I really like the hortilux super HPS bulbs for flower. They have a lot more blue in their spectrum which you don't normally get without running a MH with them.
 

kinetic

Well-Known Member
I'm most likely switching my HPS out, it's hard to bring myself to spend the $90 for the hortilux though
 

Gastanker

Well-Known Member
I hate my HTG ballast and love my Lumatek. Actually I like both my Lumatek ballast and my Lumatek bulb - at least over a Hortilux or Phillips.
 

kinetic

Well-Known Member
After searching around it looks like I'm one of the few lucky ones with HTG's kit setup for lights. I've already spent my allotted cash flow on equipement this year, picked up a mountain air carbon filter (which I love) and other assortments. Needed new cages for my tomatoes and more containers for herbs and other vegetables. I'm hoping to grab an induction light next year, I have more hope for that than flowering with LED in the next 5 years...
 
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