Is the 30$ led anygood?

D

Delps8

Well-Known Member
tstick said:
These lights are getting reeeeally inexpensive now....to the point it makes me wonder what will become of "our own" light manufacturers like HLG, ChilLED....and so on. I don't know how anyone can compete with those kinds of prices. Of course, I still believe in supporting our own companies....but I've also gotten some of the overseas-made ones and some of them are damn nice and at a fraction of the cost for a locally-made light. Already, we've seen Timber disappear....Nextlight is gone....Area 51 (lol)...and probably a few others that I'm forgetting. But those were, at one time, the BIG names in grow-lighting.
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Was't Timber still selling blurple or white LED's in big box enclosures with fans? If that's the case, they were just wringing out the last few cents from their trade name.

I'm pretty sure Chilled is gone. They introduced a new line of lights, the 2024 models, and as soon as they brought them out, they were out of stock. I check them every now and again and it's the same thing-always out of stock, leave an email. I have veg and flower lights that I bought in 2021 and am glad I didn't pony up for their new lights.

It looks like HLG isn't spending a lot on R&D. They're sticking with a board light design and adding reflectors so their R&D costs aren't huge. They're based in the US and, if they're doing manufacturing here, the clock is ticking. American labor is too expensive for a commodity market. Heck, so is Chinese labor.

What I can't fathom is how is Kind still above ground? Of course, they're in business until they're not but how are they able to get people to buy into their variable spectrum schtick? I think of them as the Bose of grow lights - they got in the market early but they switched to selling gizmos after they got taken over by marketing people.
 
Syntax747

Syntax747

Well-Known Member
Delps8 said:
Was't Timber still selling blurple or white LED's in big box enclosures with fans? If that's the case, they were just wringing out the last few cents from their trade name.

I'm pretty sure Chilled is gone. They introduced a new line of lights, the 2024 models, and as soon as they brought them out, they were out of stock. I check them every now and again and it's the same thing-always out of stock, leave an email. I have veg and flower lights that I bought in 2021 and am glad I didn't pony up for their new lights.
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Damn .. I just checked ChilLed Tech's website and it gives off a 404 error code. I own 2 of their x6 600 watt lights from 2022. This fucking sucks. ChilLed was a good company.
 
D

desplegado

Well-Known Member
dexscamz37 said:
Found this on Amazon. Only has one comment and dude says its crazy good for 30$ it don't show up if you search for growlights. I had to type in 120watts. Its got
SAMSUNG LEDs.
MEANWELL DRIVER.
And its 120watts. For 30$
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I'm a new grower and I made this mistake to im pretty sure viparspectra xs1500 is on sale it's the light I use now and it's pretty good but it's also up to you what u wanna buy
Just from my mistakes don't go to cheap it will cost more in the long run
 
coreywebster

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
@Delps8

"Was't Timber still selling blurple or white LED's in big box enclosures with fans? If that's the case, they were just wringing out the last few cents from their trade name."

i believe timber started at the same time as northern grow lights , northern grow lights later joined with I forget who to form hlg, both companies started with white COBs on large pin heat sinks.

That came off the back of the DIY community here on RIU, because LEDs were pretty crap previously.

Hlg then copied a board design and "invented" quantum boards.
TIMBER stuck with COBs for most of their time.

KIND simply set up at a time when LED was all marketing mumbo jumbo and there's a sucker born every minute.


Mars hydro, viper spectra all started as dodgy blurple manufacturers but being Chinese they were savvy enough to see how the market was changing thanks to HLG and they followed suit And then continued to adapt to market trends.
 
dexscamz37

dexscamz37

Active Member
coreywebster said:
@Delps8

"Was't Timber still selling blurple or white LED's in big box enclosures with fans? If that's the case, they were just wringing out the last few cents from their trade name."

i believe timber started at the same time as northern grow lights , northern grow lights later joined with I forget who to form hlg, both companies started with white COBs on large pin heat sinks.

That came off the back of the DIY community here on RIU, because LEDs were pretty crap previously.

Hlg then copied a board design and "invented" quantum boards.
TIMBER stuck with COBs for most of their time.

KIND simply set up at a time when LED was all marketing mumbo jumbo and there's a sucker born every minute.


Mars hydro, viper spectra all started as dodgy blurple manufacturers but being Chinese they were savvy enough to see how the market was changing thanks to HLG and they followed suit And then continued to adapt to market trends.
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So mars hydro is a Chinese company
 
dexscamz37

dexscamz37

Active Member
Delps8 said:
This is the PPFD map:

View attachment 5419071

I can't figure out what the foot print size is but it really doesn't matter because the light fall off is so rapid, it's not something I would try to use.

At 12", the PPFD is so low that it can barely be used for flowering (600µmols is the absolute minimum) and that's a crime because at 600, you're losing 35%± of your yield and, at these light levels, you're going to get stretchy pants with very few leaves and branches so yield is in the toilet.

At 6", there's a good amount of light in the center but move 3 units off center and you're in late seedling/early veg.

Can you use it? Sure your plants won't die but the usable area for growing is tiny.

If you're in 2' space, get a They're $99 and usually have a coupon. It puts out a lot of light, has a very even PPFD map, and is a supported product.

Just checked Amazon - $85 including delivery.

View attachment 5419076
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I'm getting the Vipar XS_1500 Pro. I got a 2x4 tent and I was trying to get 1 plant flowered for now. Its all I can afford. I still gotta buy some seeds. Its getting expensive. I've got a 2x2 with 100watts vivsun with swiss cheese about to harvest soo. Thank you for the advice
 
1

1212ham

Well-Known Member
Delps8 said:
Was't Timber still selling blurple or white LED's in big box enclosures with fans? If that's the case, they were just wringing out the last few cents from their trade name.

I'm pretty sure Chilled is gone. They introduced a new line of lights, the 2024 models, and as soon as they brought them out, they were out of stock. I check them every now and again and it's the same thing-always out of stock, leave an email. I have veg and flower lights that I bought in 2021 and am glad I didn't pony up for their new lights.

It looks like HLG isn't spending a lot on R&D. They're sticking with a board light design and adding reflectors so their R&D costs aren't huge. They're based in the US and, if they're doing manufacturing here, the clock is ticking. American labor is too expensive for a commodity market. Heck, so is Chinese labor.

What I can't fathom is how is Kind still above ground? Of course, they're in business until they're not but how are they able to get people to buy into their variable spectrum schtick? I think of them as the Bose of grow lights - they got in the market early but they switched to selling gizmos after they got taken over by marketing people.
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Timber did cobs, then bars before shutting down. He had a reputation high quality and great service. RainDan is still a member here and has a new company, highgrovelighting.com
 
D

Delps8

Well-Known Member
1212ham said:
Timber did cobs, then bars before shutting down. He had a reputation high quality and great service. RainDan is still a member here and has a new company, highgrovelighting.com
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Thanks for the info. I must have confused them with another company.
 
D

Delps8

Well-Known Member
Delps8 said:
I'm pretty sure Chilled is gone. They introduced a new line of lights, the 2024 models, and as soon as they brought them out, they were out of stock. I check them every now and again and it's the same thing-always out of stock, leave an email. I have veg and flower lights that I bought in 2021 and am glad I didn't pony up for their new lights.
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Chilled - they're in business until they're not.

Their home page was open in a tab on my browser. I clicked on it and got a 404.
 
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