Looking to buy 6 bulb T5 fixture.

[hursty]

Any recommendations regarding what brand? I see Tek are pretty expensive. What about hydrofarm? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[fredsgrow]

Are you planning on a full grow with the T5s? If so, I'd suggest looking into CFLs. You can maneuver them much more easily than you can a 2-4 ft tube. I sat on the T5/CFLs fence forever and went the way of the CFL due to cost and ease of use. Sun Blaze and New Wave are two of the brands I was looking at. A 2-ft 4 lamp fixture is right around $200 CDN. Decisions, decisions! Keep us posted!

 

[hursty]

Are you planning on a full grow with the T5s? If so, I'd suggest looking into CFLs. You can maneuver them much more easily than you can a 2-4 ft tube. I sat on the T5/CFLs fence forever and went the way of the CFL due to cost and ease of use. Sun Blaze and New Wave are two of the brands I was looking at. A 2-ft 4 lamp fixture is right around $200 CDN. Decisions, decisions! Keep us posted!

Yes I was planning on doing a full grow, just two-three plants using T5's. However I was also planning on gettting 2 blue spec, and 2 red spec CFL Twister bulbs approx 100w each to mount, possibly for side lighting. Of course I would swicth the cfl's after veg to the red ones as well as my bulbs in my T5. I like the idea of mixing the two, a lil pricey to do so, maybe a little overkill? but I think this will work out nicely. What do you think?

 

[ataxia]

bumping this thread .... im looking for a good deal on a 4 ft 6 bulb t5. I know htg has one or two. The cheaper model looks like it has a divider in it. Anyone know a site with cheap t5 6 bulb fixtures ??

 

[whiteflour]

There was a journal on here using Quantum badboys that seemed to be going pretty good. It was like 6 fixtures, 4 overhead, 2 for side lighting. I've been looking into those or a Hydrofarm. The problem with the badboy is the bulbs don't come with it and they cost a little more so there's a bit more upfront cost. The bulbs are supposed to be brighter and last longer though.

 

[growingforfun]

i have a 8 bulb fixture i use for veg and i like it for that purpose. i bought some autos and left a few of them under it as a test while the others went under my hps. id say that the t5 is not the best option for flower but at the same time it will work. id say its great for veg but use a hps for flower if able to.

 

[SCARHOLE]

Just go to walmart an get a bunch of the 4 ft doubble tube shop lights, mix the spectrums red an blue.
Use one on all 4 sides, an one on top. They are cheep.

Its how we did it befor CFLs.

 

[GoldenGanja13]

You can not buy anything close to HOT5s at walmart. I would suggest looking on Craigslist first they are always there and 1/2 price used but new like. Also if you want to spend the money go with the new VHO T-5s.
I have a regular HO-T5 8 bulb foot, nothing special because it's all in the bulb not the brand when it comes to High Output T-5s

 

[GoldenGanja13]

Here is some past veg with them, and only use Cool Blue for veg.

 

[whiteflour]

For slightly more money though you can get something designed for the purpose. I'm using shop lights now but one of the ballasts has went bad in less than about a year, more of a strobe light now. lol

By comparison the flouros are slightly more efficient and you can spread the light over a more usable area. The normal 6 tube fixtures I think were pushing something like 40,000lumes @ 325watt while HPS is around 29,0000 @ 250w. Not to mention the 4x2.5" form factor is perfect for my 5x3 closet.

 

[ataxia]

EVERYONE GETS A REP FOR RESPONDING!!

There was a journal on here using Quantum badboys that seemed to be going pretty good. It was like 6 fixtures, 4 overhead, 2 for side lighting. I've been looking into those or a Hydrofarm. The problem with the badboy is the bulbs don't come with it and they cost a little more so there's a bit more upfront cost. The bulbs are supposed to be brighter and last longer though.

I hear ya .. but i have plenty of cfls for side lighting if need be. If i'm going to pay alot i might as well get the hps right away. well get back to this ....

i have a 8 bulb fixture i use for veg and i like it for that purpose. i bought some autos and left a few of them under it as a test while the others went under my hps. id say that the t5 is not the best option for flower but at the same time it will work. id say its great for veg but use a hps for flower if able to.

believe me ... i would rather just grab the hps for flowering instead of spending money on a t5. But my temps in my room are through the roof ... due to the fact i live on a second floor and temps are on the rise even with fans and AC

Just go to walmart an get a bunch of the 4 ft doubble tube shop lights, mix the spectrums red an blue.
Use one on all 4 sides, an one on top. They are cheep.

Its how we did it befor CFLs.

I don't doubt it. but i want to be trendy and be like everyone else ... no really. If i could get the same output from shoplight i would get them for cost efficiency

Here is some past veg with them, and only use Cool Blue for veg.

nice pics Golden

For slightly more money though you can get something designed for the purpose. I'm using shop lights now but one of the ballasts has went bad in less than about a year, more of a strobe light now. lol

By comparison the flouros are slightly more efficient and you can spread the light over a more usable area. The normal 6 tube fixtures I think were pushing something like 40,000lumes @ 325watt while HPS is around 29,0000 @ 250w. Not to mention the 4x2.5" form factor is perfect for my 5x3 closet.

I agree. the fit is perfect for my tent. and they put out a shitload of lumens without the strobe effect. hence the reason i'd like to have 6. eight would be too wide for my tent i think. plus. like i stated before. for the money i'd pay for eight lamps, im better off just holding out for the 400.
My plan is is to use the t5 for summer due to heat. I will flower under them and use cfls for side lighting. I know my buds won't be dense like i want them. but i was about 2 days from ordering the hps for flowering when i realized the plants can't make it through the summer with all the heat.
so I'll hold off till fall then get the 400 and switch the t5 for my veg room... sound about right ???

 

[ataxia]

btw white ... you can find those hydrofarms on ebay WITH bulbs. If i'm not mistaken. I was checking it out a bit ago

 

[whiteflour]

Yea that's what had me leaning towards them. The phosphorous bulbs like the badboy are slightly more than regular T5HO bulbs, so I had it figure up to about $90 more after bulbs.

I think the hydrofarm was actually cheaper on Amazon with a prime account. If you can still sign up for a trial account you can exploit that and get express shipping for like $3.

 

[whynot]

I have not used T5HO for a grow, but do use them on saltwater aquarium. There is a BIG difference with the output of different T5HO fixtures. If you are going to go a T5 route, make SURE you get good individual reflectors (icecap, tek, etc.). You can also overdrive the bulbs with certain ballasts, which will give you better output, but you must keep a fan on the bulbs as they can burn out much quicker.

With that, i have a 4x24w T5HO fixture (cheap one, 1 reflector for 4 bulbs) and may throw it in a grow as additional lighting. Still a total newb to growing, but do have a little exp. with T5HO. HTH

 

[ataxia]

while we were on the subject of t5's, i opted to grab one over an hps due to the heat issues i'm having in my home due to the weather.
i grabbed up a hydrofarm 4ft 6 bulb fixture for a steal. 180 dollars with bulbs and free shipping. NEW! Now let's hope this bitch will give me a bigger yield compared to the current 300 watt cfl grow im doing.
I know it would've been smarter to get the HID but in due time my good people. NEW LIGHTS. i'm a happy man.
ANYONE FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR EXPERIENCES AND YIELDS WITH YOUR T5's! i'd like to see what it's going to do for me.

 

[GoldenGanja13]

In Skunk Magazine Best of Vol 2 there is a lot of growing done by MH only and T5s only. Good Growing. My advice would be to use uncle bens 4 top method at 6 nodes, taking off the very frst node at bottom the day before applying 4 top methd, then after 1 week fim each then wait 1-2 weeks and fim again. as soon as you get 18" induce flowering. You should have some real sticky bud.

while we were on the subject of t5's, i opted to grab one over an hps due to the heat issues i'm having in my home due to the weather.
i grabbed up a hydrofarm 4ft 6 bulb fixture for a steal. 180 dollars with bulbs and free shipping. NEW! Now let's hope this bitch will give me a bigger yield compared to the current 300 watt cfl grow im doing.
I know it would've been smarter to get the HID but in due time my good people. NEW LIGHTS. i'm a happy man.
ANYONE FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR EXPERIENCES AND YIELDS WITH YOUR T5's! i'd like to see what it's going to do for me.

 

[ataxia]

In Skunk Magazine Best of Vol 2 there is a lot of growing done by MH only and T5s only. Good Growing. My advice would be to use uncle bens 4 top method at 6 nodes, taking off the very frst node at bottom the day before applying 4 top methd, then after 1 week fim each then wait 1-2 weeks and fim again. as soon as you get 18" induce flowering. You should have some real sticky bud.

I'm following you Golden. I have yet to try UB's technique, but i will. At the moment though, I've been doing LST on all my plants. It's been creating an even canopy for me and very adjustable with varying pot sizes. I would scrog but right now I'm still going through a staggered flowering period. I have a limited space so i've been trying to make it so i harvest a plant every week or two. i have three small sog style plants which are about two weeks away, as well as another smaller LST that is about the same time frame. Then i have a two month veg LST about a month away and another plant that was lollipopped.
like i said they're all the same height.
I plan on fitting the system in there as soon as it comes and finishing the bunch off.
I like the suggestion though. With limited space it seems like i'd have alot to cover with just the fixture and those techniques. I gotta check out the Skunk mag your talking about.
I'm really trying to increase my yield with this light so the most efficient the better. I'll surely check into it!
on the subject ( and i know technique, nutes, and care plays into it) how much would an average yield be out of 300 plus watts of flourecent tubes??
I know fluros don't give you the penetration like an hid. but i'd expect a bit of a bigger yeild?? at the moment .. i'm getting about an ounce per plant with two months of veg and the cfls.
I'm rambling... If you have a link Golden fell free to send some my way ..... I'll be posting pics in my sig to show what my plant set up is looking like now.
btw. I'll be buying a bag of OF for my next plants ....the roots i love but i have to throw a whole bag away due to where i stored it. Figured i'd take that OF challenge ... peace brotha.

 

[KlosetKing]

i don't have yields to boast of yet (iam about 1-3 weeks away from harvest still) but i did my entire veg and flower with my 6bulb t5ho Hydrofarm kit. havnt even switched the bulbs out for the 2700k (out of a job right now, so those will have to wait a bit), but check out the journals for yourself. i am very pleased so far, and from most peoples accounts they are shocked that they came from my t5 setup.

my Hydrofarm ballast (came with bulbs as well) was 200 bones at a local Head Shop that happens to cater to the basic needs of the medical grower as well. I go them because i too have heat issues, and bought them when i was still working. the plan THEN was to use them for just veg, and save up for a nice cooltube HPS before flower came. well, unfortunately, unemployment came before flower did, so iam stuck with these in the meantime. all in all though, i couldn't be happier so far.

 

[ataxia]

i don't have yields to boast of yet (iam about 1-3 weeks away from harvest still) but i did my entire veg and flower with my 6bulb t5ho Hydrofarm kit. havnt even switched the bulbs out for the 2700k (out of a job right now, so those will have to wait a bit), but check out the journals for yourself. i am very pleased so far, and from most peoples accounts they are shocked that they came from my t5 setup.

my Hydrofarm ballast (came with bulbs as well) was 200 bones at a local Head Shop that happens to cater to the basic needs of the medical grower as well. I go them because i too have heat issues, and bought them when i was still working. the plan THEN was to use them for just veg, and save up for a nice cooltube HPS before flower came. well, unfortunately, unemployment came before flower did, so iam stuck with these in the meantime. all in all though, i couldn't be happier so far.

believe me i understand your plight man!! the same happend to me this past winter. After my first grow i was ready to upgrade to an hid and unemployment struck me. The irony in it was, i was selling my boss the bud i was growing and the fucker ratted me out the the main boss... nice grow so far man! hopefully you'll get some work so you can grab that cooltube. I plan on doing the same once the weather breaks. Nice plants though man!!

 

[KlosetKing]

believe me i understand your plight man!! the same happend to me this past winter. After my first grow i was ready to upgrade to an hid and unemployment struck me. The irony in it was, i was selling my boss the bud i was growing and the fucker ratted me out the the main boss... nice grow so far man! hopefully you'll get some work so you can grab that cooltube. I plan on doing the same once the weather breaks. Nice plants though man!!

thanks a bunch, good luck with your search for lights!