need help finding a decent T5?

ibsippin

Active Member
hello guys,

just wanted to share something with you guys. for anyone just starting out, like myself, and youre interested in a decent T5 fixture. i just purchased this 2ft by 4 bulb fixture and bulbs for $60 with tax and shipping off amazon, here is the link ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009GU4RMC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). its a
T5 Grow Light (2ft 4lamps) DL824 Ho Fluorescent Hydroponic Bloom Veg Daisy Chain. it has a couple of cool ass features that i thought were really helpful. read the description below

This is a brand new, never-before-opened 2 ft 4-lamp fluorescent grow light. Plug in and go with this beautiful light. Perfect for indoor gardens, green houses, almost anywhere. If you buy multiple, you will be able to connect them together with daisy chaining. For max yield, make sure to place fixture as close to plant as possible. Fluorescent fixtures do not get hot enough to damage the plant with heat. Included in package: 2ft 4-lamp T5 light-weight grow fixture, Qty4 F24T5HO 24W 6,500 kelvin white grow lamps by default (3000k red flowering bulbs upon request by buying and then messaging seller bulb mix request), 8-foot power cable - also good for daisy chaining, hang 3 different ways with mounting chain and hooks, UL-approved ballast already installed in fixture. 120V Input, 96W Input, L23.5"x W12.5" x H4". Has made-In-italy AAG Stucchi Lampholder with I certificate to prevent fire if tubes get loosed during operation. 30% less weight than any another brand products enables EZ installation. Works with timers. Turn all 4 lamps on/off with on-body swtich.

thats all cool and shit but this is what got my attention...

  • Outlet on fixture - Power up to 12 fixtures off one wall outlet - less clutter, more convenience
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i know a lot of the bigger growers wont benefit from this but if youre like me and grow for personal use only (1 - 2 plants) then youre good... let me know what you guys think and if anyone else has a better option out there i would love to check it out.

this one is slightly better ( http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009G0LQ08/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2PTKRM77N1Y59&coliid=I2IZAYT0VJ072W ) its about $120 with tax and shit.
 

topcat

Well-Known Member
I want to get back to starting seeds early, sex the plants, then take clones to put outdoors in May. I also want to start veggie seeds early. I used to grow under fluorescents 25 years ago and things have much improved. I know little about getting the best bang for your buck from any type of grow lights, but I don't need to necessarily take them to flower, so I don't want HPS. I'm a tightwad dinosaur.
I've been looking at this T5 grow light to put into a 3x3 tent. http://www.ebay.com/itm/321576142776?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649
 

ibsippin

Active Member
I want to get back to starting seeds early, sex the plants, then take clones to put outdoors in May. I also want to start veggie seeds early. I used to grow under fluorescents 25 years ago and things have much improved. I know little about getting the best bang for your buck from any type of grow lights, but I don't need to necessarily take them to flower, so I don't want HPS. I'm a tightwad dinosaur.
I've been looking at this T5 grow light to put into a 3x3 tent. http://www.ebay.com/itm/321576142776?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649
That light isn't bad... decent price... it's really up to the grower.. like you said, I too use cfls to vegg and flower. But this T5 just spreads out the light so much better.
 

John L III

Member
When I first got into this 'growing' thing about three months ago, I purchased two different grow lights. I did this in order to evaluate two different lights. One was a HydroGrow, 6 bulb unit. It was more expensive, heavier and came with two broken bulbs. The other was the same as yours, but it was the 4ft model. I read all of the reviews at Amazon, and waded through all of the picky, one star, bitching by some of the reviewers. Based on their negative reviews I decided to order it, just to see what they were so bitchy about. Also, it was a great price.

When it arrived, the bulbs were neatly wrapped around a cardboard tube, and they were all in perfect order. The light fixture protected the bulbs far better than the HydroFarm, which had the bulbs simply mounted in the fixture. I was impressed. This is a very nice light fixture, and was the best buy on the market. It is so light weight, its a breeze to raise and lower. I heartily recommend this light to everyone looking for a great deal. In fact it has gotten so popular that the unit I purchased has since gone up $15 and transportation by $5.

But the best buy is the 8 bulb unit. Its two 4 bulb units put together, and can be easily separated if need be. And it is far less than the sum total of two units. If I needed another T5 unit, this is the route I would go.

Anyway, smart purchase.
 

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
I just got the 4 ft 6 bulb model.
Rm3 these models stack the bulbs close.

The 8 bulb takes up less space than most 4 bulb units.

The 6 bulb is barely a foot wide.
I could run 12 bulbs in a 2 x 4 cab.
 

Michael Huntherz

Well-Known Member
I just got the 4 ft 6 bulb model.
Rm3 these models stack the bulbs close.

The 8 bulb takes up less space than most 4 bulb units.

The 6 bulb is barely a foot wide.
I could run 12 bulbs in a 2 x 4 cab.
That might get pretty hot, make sure your area is tall enough. It would be on the warm side in my 60" 2'x4' I think.

I am vegging under T5 in a closet and flowering under 360W of (actual) blurple 120x5W LEDs and a 2700k 125w CFL. I'm planning to add a 65W Reptisun 10.0 in CFL about a week.

I'm really digging the T5 and considering getting another 6-lamp T5 for flower.
I'm only growing for personal, but I am getting addicted to the growing part, utterly.
For the T5 flowering setup I'm planning to add one 10,000k bulb to 5 @ 2700k.
Do you think this is a good way to go, or should I do two at 10,000k? Any thoughts @RM3 ?
 

RM3

Well-Known Member
That might get pretty hot, make sure your area is tall enough. It would be on the warm side in my 60" 2'x4' I think.

I am vegging under T5 in a closet and flowering under 360W of (actual) blurple 120x5W LEDs and a 2700k 125w CFL. I'm planning to add a 65W Reptisun 10.0 in CFL about a week.

I'm really digging the T5 and considering getting another 6-lamp T5 for flower.
I'm only growing for personal, but I am getting addicted to the growing part, utterly.
For the T5 flowering setup I'm planning to add one 10,000k bulb to 5 @ 2700k.
Do you think this is a good way to go, or should I do two at 10,000k? Any thoughts @RM3 ?
I run half of my 18 bulbs with Coral Plus bulbs
 

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
That might get pretty hot, make sure your area is tall enough. It would be on the warm side in my 60" 2'x4' I think.

I am vegging under T5 in a closet and flowering under 360W of (actual) blurple 120x5W LEDs and a 2700k 125w CFL. I'm planning to add a 65W Reptisun 10.0 in CFL about a week.

I'm really digging the T5 and considering getting another 6-lamp T5 for flower.
I'm only growing for personal, but I am getting addicted to the growing part, utterly.
For the T5 flowering setup I'm planning to add one 10,000k bulb to 5 @ 2700k.
Do you think this is a good way to go, or should I do two at 10,000k? Any thoughts @RM3 ?
No doubt. I'm not suggesting any and everyone to run that many in a small space. Mine is 6 ft tall. I also have a 200 cfm fan on a variac. I run the six to veg and eight bulb to flower. I'm going to combine the two lights. I will mount the ballasts outside the cab. I will make a reflector that allows the heat to rise. I will see how many I can run and document it.
 

sixspeedv

Well-Known Member
ive got the 8bulb 2ft version of this. Its creates a lot of heat so i pulled 2 bulbs and am only using 6.
 
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