HPS,MH, & HID vs. CFL

ok so this question has been bothering me for quite some time now. Is it possible to produce the same amount of light as a MH, HID, or HPS with CFLs? Main reason i chose CFL lights is because of the cost of operation. are they about equally equivalent to each other when it comes to lumens to cost ratio?

100X 23W CFL's @ 1600lumens has the same lumen output as a 1000W HID

100 x 23W = 1230W vs 1100W(high running wattage draw)

You would need to make a panel of 10x10 CFL's, arranged in a 60" square, and even that would still need to be ran 4X closer than with the HID.

Gonna need a lot of cfl's to get the same results as MH,HPS, not sure it's worth the time and cost.

for the same amount of watts hps and mh will produce more light and less heat. cfl are pretty good for new clones/seeds where you don't need alot of light. also for small veg areas when your not in a big rush. got to agree with dee if you want hps/mh preformance theres not much point to trying to do it with cfl's.

Well i've been wanting to get a hps or mh for awhile now. I was just concerned about running up my electric bill. Im a paranoid guy and try to lay as low as possible :/

I have a 400w that i got used for cheap and I've added it up and at 11.5 cents per kwh it only cost me $25 a month to run at 18/6. that's not that bad when you consider that a 400w light will grow plants pretty good. WAY better than CFL or Flouro's. also if you have the cash just get some LED lights they can produce some awesome stuff but they are VERY expensive

Ok well thats not bad at all for 400watts. I'll definitely keep that in mind. I'll check out craigslist for some.

thats what I did. and 400w is a great starting point. easy on electricity and not that hard to cool and can still produce several ounces. hope you get a light soon and start having fun

I recommend LED.

Cost efficient, easy to maintain temperature, less watering.

ozgrow420 said:

thats what I did. and 400w is a great starting point. easy on electricity and not that hard to cool and can still produce several ounces. hope you get a light soon and start having fun

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sweet man thanks for the input.

Villane said:

I recommend LED.

Cost efficient, easy to maintain temperature, less watering.

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i would love to run a LED setup but im too broke at the moment :/

I bought a Quantum 600 watt, that's switchable to 50%, 75% or 100% power, but I have only run it at 100%

I have heard people say that running at lower power levels can reduce the lifespan of the bulb...I do not if this is true or always applicable

The ballast is very quiet with little heat output and it can run HPS or MH bulbs..... I only have a HPS so I use CFL for the first 2 or 3 weeks... I plan on getting a MH bulb for vegging

420tokeup said:

sweet man thanks for the input.



i would love to run a LED setup but im too broke at the moment :/

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Well if you have around $100-130 to spend. I'd look into 90W UFO of ebay, preferably hydrohouse brand. I got mine for only 100, which is great, considering
retail price is $180.

Best of luck.

will LED lighting produce the same results as HPS and MH?

If you're so concerned abt cost and stealth, you could look into T5 florescents, that's what I use and get good results, low on elct use also as well as heat.

420tokeup said:

will LED lighting produce the same results as HPS and MH?

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LED have better color(blue/red) spectrum for the plant growing, but not the same wattage, unless you want to spend BIG bucks for a 400W LED. The UFO I have, has sustained 3 plants.

Villane said:

LED have better color(blue/red) spectrum for the plant growing, but not the same wattage, unless you want to spend BIG bucks for a 400W LED. The UFO I have, has sustained 3 plants.

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I'm interested in seeing pics of these 3 plants.
For the same price of $130 Op could also grab 250w hid with hps and a mh conversion lamp and be good to go. Brand new with a warranty.

It has sustained 3 plants, I didn't journal it at the time cause I was more into need weed asap! But..

Right now I'm working on maximizing one plant through nutrients, techniques, and light with limited space.
Here's a pic

I think the 250w hid would be a good start like you said. a ballast can be rebuilt if it fails and LED can't. also 250 would be about the same watts you'd run if you had 4 t5 bulbs and hid would have more light for sure. also if you choose 250 think about a cmh bulb that would rock

All lights are fine, mostly a matter of preference.

Just play with it.