Metal haulides vs cfl

people say MH will get you better crop but then theres those people that say cfl lights will do just as fine.Does it make any difference, ima just use the cfl lights for the vege. stage, and then change hps for the flowering... do you rally get much better cops with MH???

CFL's are adequate at best. They will work but they can't come close to the lumen output of metal halide.

Blah I dont know where this information comes from. Comparing CFL's to mh/hps is like comparing a GEO metro to a Ferrari.

They both have 4 tires and go the speed limit so what would be the difference ?

la9 said:

They both have 4 tires and go the speed limit so what would be the difference ?

Click to expand...

Did you hit your head too hard?

Cynic Did you hit your head too hard?

Click to expand...

It's possible

worst thread ever! MH is a lambo

Think of it like painting your car.......Having a professional paint it (MH) versus doing it yourself in your garage (cfl's). Either way your car is painted but one way is much better than the other although both work.

I used MH & HPS on my last grow and had great results so on this grow I'm using cfl's for veg and will switch to hps for flower just to see the difference. I'll let you know in a few months.

Okay okay, I will drop the analogies. MH is better than CFL. Period. HPS is better than CFL period.

some people have said that T5HO's are about as good as MH for vegging..

For best results, use both fluorescent AND MH. Fluorescent(grow/6400k) bulbs for your moms and babies, and MH for your teenagers. When my clones get about 8-10" I take them from under the T5 and put them under the MH and watch them take off. I prefer T5 to CFL for my babies & moms.

my mh is out the door i have 2 t5 4ft 4tube flo they cost so much less to run and works great and cost less
then hps and uvb for bud only

i am always looking for the new elvolve lets not just say that only one light is the best

weedyoo said:

my mh is out the door i have 2 t5 4ft 4tube flo they cost so much less to run and works great and cost less
then hps and uvb for bud only

i am always looking for the new elvolve lets not just say that only one light is the best

Click to expand...

Doesn't your MH make your plants grow WAY faster than under the T5s? I use T5s to start my plants off while they're super sensitive to light, but then switch them over asap and find the growth rate under MH to be exponential compared to T5s.

i would love to here more on this subject. Im trying to deside if im going to use t5/mh in my veg room. Im in an apartment and the light bill can be a issue so wattage does matter. One thing i do like about the t5's is no heat, but u lose on light out put. Mh is great for lumens but in a small space it can be a bitch to cool down.

which is better mh or t5?

No heat out of a T5 ? Where do you find those ?

They burn pretty hot my friend.

175 watts of T5 lighting or metal halide lighting is going to heat up your area the same amount. Metal Halide is better but if you are worried about wattage you can get by with the T5's. You'll probably do OK with 2 54 watt HO T5 bulbs, those things are pretty bright.

Check thes out my friend. Thr t5's but in a 2' compact bulb 54w 5k lumens per bulb. Is this enough for one mother, clones, and seedlings?

Check what out ? Is there supposed to be a link or a picture or something ?

If you are stuck on T5's I'd stay with 2 of the 54 watt HO 4 foot fixture. That would be enough for clones and seedlings but your mother plant will be taller so you might want to get some CFL's to put above her.

You could probably get by with 2 T8 bulbs in a 4 foot fixture for the clones and seedlings.

personally I would go with a lower wattage mh if electric use is a concern. Your going to get better results with 175 mh than a 175 watts of t5s. you can get a 175 watter for like a 100 dollars at High Tech Garden Supply

Styl!st07 said:

Check thes out my friend. Thr t5's but in a 2' compact bulb 54w 5k lumens per bulb. Is this enough for one mother, clones, and seedlings?

Click to expand...

my bad im a fuck'n retard. lol

If all you can do is CFLs, just make sure they're close and you'll yield decently...if you can go with MH/HPS please do, your plants and you will thank yourself later (more vigor, more yield...just better).