LED lights. are they as good as more commonly used lights?

[quigz]

im new to this and have been looking into buying equipment to grow herbs. i found a 120 watt LED light that is claims to give off as much light as a 400 watt light.

is it a good idea to buy one of these lights?

heres the link to the LED light
http://www.hg-hydroponics.co.uk/120w-led-dual-spectrum-grow-light--400w-hps-1797-p.asp

thanks in advance for any help

 

[Slixxor]

I see alot marketing hype on that site. but yeah sure give it a try. I made my own light and and used a mix of red and blue spectrums. they only seem to be using 2.

they will work, but flowering might be interesting.

- Slix

 

[IAmKrazy2]

These LED's will not get you good buds. They are not good for flowering, and you will end up with thin and airy buds, i would only use LED's to connserve power during seedling and veg stage. NOT FLOWERING

 

[LEDGrowKing]

im new to this and have been looking into buying equipment to grow herbs. i found a 120 watt LED light that is claims to give off as much light as a 400 watt light.

is it a good idea to buy one of these lights?

heres the link to the LED light
http://www.hg-hydroponics.co.uk/120w-led-dual-spectrum-grow-light--400w-hps-1797-p.asp

thanks in advance for any help

First off, that panel is overpriced. Secondly, LED 'marketing' is greater than LED performance. A 120w will not out perform a 400w panel. A 120w can make a few plants produce as much or more than a 400w, but the light footprint is much too small to outperform a 400w. Generally speaking, LED can match hps when grown correctly. So, a 400w LED can match or out perform a 400w HPS.

Check ebay for pricing, they have much better deals than those crappy sites. I've bought my LEDs through ebay and I have yet to receive a shitty panel. Here is a 120w panel for cheaper: $199
http://cgi.ebay.com/LED-120W-120-Watts-Hydroponic-7-1-1-Plant-Grow-Light-/180520792043?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a07e0afeb

These LED's will not get you good buds. They are not good for flowering, and you will end up with thin and airy buds, i would only use LED's to connserve power during seedling and veg stage. NOT FLOWERING

I use both LED and HPS. I've flowered with LED a number of times. Anyone that gets thin, fluffy buds is just a bad grower, it's not the lighting. In my 4 LED grows, I have yet to get anything that isn't dense hard as a rock. Don't believe me? Check the grow in my signature.

 

[CaliforniaGlad]

Howdy...

I researched and wrote a article here yesterday: "LED" LIGHT ARRAYS! All about them... "
My answer for you is a resounding NO. Please see my Post here:

https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/345044-led-light-arrays-all-about.html

I hope this helps you and I remain,
SOGLAD

 

[LEDGrowKing]

Howdy...

I researched and wrote a article here yesterday: "LED" LIGHT ARRAYS! All about them... "
My answer for you is a resounding NO. Please see my Post here:

https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/345044-led-light-arrays-all-about.html



I hope this helps you and I remain,
SOGLAD

I read that article. All it demonstrates is that you don't quite understand the science behind the lighting. You claim that the LED limits the light spectrum too much to be able to produce results. The reality is, you don't need 'full spectrum' because even the sun gives off wasted light. All red light past 700nm is essentially just heat and is not used at all; also, most visible light (the yellow range) is mostly useless to plants. Plants produce peak chlorophyll in the blue and red spectrum at a MUCH greater level than under any other light. You may 'prefer' full spectrum lighting, but that doesn't mean your preference is right. I have a room filled with happy, thriving, lush plants with big frosty colas under 65% LED lighting.

They might not be 'perfect' yet, but I'll buy more LEDs before I ever get another HPS setup.

I use both LED and HPS. I've flowered with LED a number of times. Anyone that gets thin, fluffy buds is just a bad grower, it's not the lighting. In my 4 LED grows, I have yet to get anything that isn't dense hard as a rock. Don't believe me? Check the grow in my signature.

 

[Slixxor]

here, here!

 

[Denofearth69]

OK, I made a combination panel of my own using LEDs and floros I already owned, and as I am closing in on harvest of my first crop, I can give you the low down of my experiences.

First of all, LEDs are great for veg stage, as nodes are very close together, and LEDs have great penetration so lower part of plants just as healthy as top, my flowering plants have buds growing at every single intersection from top to bottom. My ghetto panel is has a 120W LED panel in the center, with a 14W all red bloom panel on top and bottom, and on both sides I have double tubed floro fixtures one tube full spectrum, and one tube cool white. Foot print of these lights is rather small, but these lights give off a lot of light humans can't see, so foot print is a lot bigger than it looks. I have had great success with clones which were sat just on the edge of visible foot print. My buds are NOT light and airy, and with probably six weeks to go, I think they will be just fine. LEDs increased my electric bill by about $20 per month, and the only temperature issues I have had to deal with is putting a space heater in grow room during cold months. Here are some pictures for your consideration
.

 

[LEDGrowKing]

OK, I made a combination panel of my own using LEDs and floros I already owned, and as I am closing in on harvest of my first crop, I can give you the low down of my experiences.

First of all, LEDs are great for veg stage, as nodes are very close together, and LEDs have great penetration so lower part of plants just as healthy as top, my flowering plants have buds growing at every single intersection from top to bottom. My ghetto panel is has a 120W LED panel in the center, with a 14W all red bloom panel on top and bottom, and on both sides I have double tubed floro fixtures one tube full spectrum, and one tube cool white. Foot print of these lights is rather small, but these lights give off a lot of light humans can't see, so foot print is a lot bigger than it looks. I have had great success with clones which were sat just on the edge of visible foot print. My buds are NOT light and airy, and with probably six weeks to go, I think they will be just fine. LEDs increased my electric bill by about $20 per month, and the only temperature issues I have had to deal with is putting a space heater in grow room during cold months. Here are some pictures for your consideration
.View attachment 1022966View attachment 1022989

Nice poo juice.

Also, you should consider moving the lights that are under the canopy off to the sides, angled in. Most of the light is absorbed through the top of the leaf, so side lighting is more effective at illuminating the lower canopy.