Anyone know which HPS bulb is best?

[fabvariousk]

I went to all digimax plant max hps bulbs in flowering this summer. Only 55$ and the brightest 1000 watt bulbs I have ever seen. I understand with halide bulbs you deal with different color temps but why would hortilux 2000 kelvin be different than plantmax 2000 kelvin? I think it just makes some people feel better to spend a lot of money on things.

 

[FunkJungle]

Hortilux ftw

 

[dansbuds]

I went to all digimax plant max hps bulbs in flowering this summer. Only 55$ and the brightest 1000 watt bulbs I have ever seen. I understand with halide bulbs you deal with different color temps but why would hortilux 2000 kelvin be different than plantmax 2000 kelvin? I think it just makes some people feel better to spend a lot of money on things.

get yourself a digital light meter & watch how fast the light diminishes on those plantmax bulbs . horti's are good for about a year before they start to diminish ..... those i'll be surprised if they last 1 cycle @ the same strength .

 

[budleydoright]

Horti recommends 9-11 mo replacement

 

[TheCleanGame]

One of these days I'll have a budget for lamps...

10 years and I'm still buying the cheapest I can get my hands on... try to replace before 6-8 months of use.

Keep it Clean!

 

[_Dude]

whichever one you can afford to replace after ever 1 or 2 grows.

This. I started replacing my MH veg bulbs more frequently and really noticed a huge difference in the density of growth. Like night and day. I'm too cheap to replace them every 2 or 3 months if they cost $75 each.

I still run mag ballasts, and sylvania bulbs.

Same here. I can't see the point of digital ballasts. They seem like an overcomplicated, expensive solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

get yourself a digital light meter & watch how fast the light diminishes on those plantmax bulbs . horti's are good for about a year before they start to diminish ..... those i'll be surprised if they last 1 cycle @ the same strength.

Ah, that makes sense then, if they don't need replacing as often.

 

[drsmoke69]

gonna see if my local grow shop will set up a side by side comparison between there brand hps bulb and the infamous horti, then snap a photo to see the difference.

 

[Zen Medz]

I've been running Ushio 600's for 3 cycles and can say that they are good quality bulbs with a whiter light than the cheaper 600's I've used in the past, GE, Sylvania, etc... My local shop recommended them over the Horti's because of their durability and price but said the Horti's have a little better PAR rating. The Ushio's are very sturdy and run quiet, the Grolux I had vibrated and made weird sounds with my Lumatek ballast.

I think the Ushio's and Horti's have higher PAR levels than most bulbs, are well made and are worth the money when you use them for 2-3 cycles. If you're using a digital ballast try and get a bulb designed for digi's or you may see a faster lumen/PAR loss. Good luck.

Saw these the other night, could be bunk but seemed legit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgb_Khtqa1Q
https://growershouse.com/blog/hid-b...-solistek-lumatek-maxlume-growlite-ultra-sun/

 

[coolbud]

which hps is the best....hmmm such a stupid stupid question.the one that you plug it in and gives you a bright yellow light

 

[AlterEgo860]

yo, i run cheap hps bulbs and change them out frequently, my local grow store has there own brand (grow brights, agro-max) something like that. never have had a problem with any of them. recently i started running a 1000w hps bulb with my digital 600w ballast. i get more light because the bulb is twice the size as the 600w bulb. only try this with digital ballasts. haven't had any problems at all. vegged under this setup with 24hr light for 2 months no problem, switched to 18hr light vegged for another couple weeks, still no problems. now i'm flowering with the 1000w hps bulb (12 - 12) and still no problems. i definitely can see the difference between the two, and don't need a light meter to tell me so. try it out you will be surprised.

we will be lookin in the news for the idiot whose room burnt down cuz he thought he was getting more light from a 1000w bulb in a 600w ballast.. if anything ur getting a diff spectrum.. and only 600ws of power since ur ballast don't go much higher.. unless u got a digi with the turbo setting..

but ya.. good luck with that.. but don't go around giving out misinformation telling people to try a 1000w bulb in 600w ballasts.. you obv have a pride issue... so don't take my word on it.. but please do post when it lights ur house up while ur not home one day.. just please don't disappear and try to act like it worked great .

 

[AlterEgo860]

gonna see if my local grow shop will set up a side by side comparison between there brand hps bulb and the infamous horti, then snap a photo to see the difference.

and again.. this would only work... if he used a light meter.. and also.. ran the bulbs on a timed cycle for 3-6 months.. and tested it every 30 days to see what kind of loss each bulb loses as time goes on.. and see how much FASTER one or the other loses its performance at..

shit u can grow great buds with a 10 year old HPS bulb.. but when u toss in a brand new bulb ever 2-3 harvests u will see a difference in growth.

 

[Podink Stucky]

I have gotten excellent results with Ushio 600 hps. They are like a newer version of the more expensive hortilux. Both bulbs have the same spectrum and the ushio has a few thousand more lumens. New ushio 600's increased my output by 30%.... my 2 cents.

 

[drsmoke69]

wasup alterego, if you read my post carefully i state its the actually size of the bulb that is larger and gives off a larger spread of light. bigger is better dude. and regarding my house burning down that's just silly. there are guide lines that i stated, only digital ballasts and only a 1000w bulb in a 600w ballast not the other way around (now that might burn only because your overloading the bulb). i got this info from a commercial grower with tons of experience and i trust his opinion.

 

[zamzia]

Quick Google search shows that Ushio bulbs are not available in the UK

 

[Zen Medz]

Zamzia, what the fuck? They're made in Deutschland an hour flight away?? eBay? Make a trip to Germany and grab some nice lagers while you're there!

 

[qupee]

I feel like Solis Tek is worth a look for bulbs these days. While I haven't held on in my hand yet, I don't feel unreasonable expecting them to be in the class with the Ushio & Hortilux.

 

[RetroGrow]

Edit.....

 

[RetroGrow]

we will be lookin in the news for the idiot whose room burnt down cuz he thought he was getting more light from a 1000w bulb in a 600w ballast.. if anything ur getting a diff spectrum.. and only 600ws of power since ur ballast don't go much higher.. unless u got a digi with the turbo setting..

but ya.. good luck with that.. but don't go around giving out misinformation telling people to try a 1000w bulb in 600w ballasts.. you obv have a pride issue... so don't take my word on it.. but please do post when it lights ur house up while ur not home one day.. just please don't disappear and try to act like it worked great .

Newsflash!
In the new digital ballasts, you CAN use a 1000 watt bulb up to the limits of the ballast, without any danger. So don't go around spreading disinformation.

 

[zamzia]

Zamzia, what the fuck? They're made in Deutschland an hour flight away?? eBay? Make a trip to Germany and grab some nice lagers while you're there!

And amazingly the listings on eBay are all from America / Canada! Nothing listed in the E.U. Not sure I fancy a trip to Germany just to buy bulbs, although I'll be in Dam next week for HTCC

 

[qupee]

Newsflash!
In the new digital ballasts, you CAN use a 1000 watt bulb up to the limits of the ballast, without any danger. So don't go around spreading disinformation.

The spectrum will be significantly different than intended, however, and the bulb life may be shortened, possibly significantly.