600 Watt CFL Fixture W/ Reflector

Why buy 3 expensive ass 200w CFLs when you could make one of these for 100 dollars or less?!

also the LMW ratio on the lower watt cfls is great. If you have a small cab setup you can always just buy a 4 socket vanity bar. or even just a 2 socket vanity bar.

Materials were:

1 grounded extension cord=free(got from old non-working electronic)
2 1/4" thick threaded rods= $4
1 8" x 36" piece of ductwork= $8?
8 nuts for the rods=48 cents
1 Hampton Bay 6 socket Vanity Light= $20
6 Twin Socket splitters= $13
12 23w CFLs=$24
Zipties=$5
Electric tape=$1


Tools needed:

Power Drill
Wire strippers


I suggest putting a rubber(or similar) edge around the reflector and on the end of rods. Those things are SHARP man!! Doesn't feel good going to smoke and check your plants and catching a threaded rod to the dome lol.

Please, practice safety when wiring this fixture.

Bare wire to ground
Black to Black
White to White

There you have it. an easy diy CFL light fixture/reflector

So what are we talking here? 276 watts producing 19,200 lumens....for under 100 bucks.

Yeah. I am running 276w but the vanity light can push out 600w if needed.

Sweet, i use cfls to supplement side lighting for my t5s and that would work great..
Thanx for the info.

Yeah. it is perfect for side lighting. you don't even have to mount the dang thing. Just put it on its end standing up and you have full blown light hitting your plants. Could even put smaller fixtures, one on one side and another on the other side of the plant. I would expect that would keep a lot of buds from looking so "popcorny". Thanks for the comments.

Matter of fact. heading to home depot now.
That is really gonna help me even my light coverage.

I made one very similar but with a 2ft section of 6" ducting and two light sockets with y's for my dp90 propigator tent. Except my bulbs are horizontal. Either way its a nice little 92w hood for rooting clones. cost me $30 to make.

you got me thinking of replaceing my t8's with some cfl's im only useing 208 watts lol

sorethumb said:

you got me thinking of replaceing my t8's with some cfl's im only useing 208 watts lol

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You got me thinking, your a troll and an idiot! Lol

marc88101 said:

You got me thinking, your a troll and an idiot! Lol

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really wow.

Where could i pick up one of those reflectors.

Ripcat said:

Where could i pick up one of those reflectors.

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homedepot or lowes. anywhere they sell ductwork.

marc88101 said:

You got me thinking, your a troll and an idiot! Lol

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Weve got a badass over here

Also what are you using to hang this up?

Nice work FresnoI'll post pics of my 115w(5 100 watters)light I made from lowes materials if you don't mind. Working with cfl's is is easy to do and these guys.....I like to see other ideas.Yours is better than that dudes on youtube btw

Ripcat said:

Also what are you using to hang this up?

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I have ratchet light hangers.

But you can just buy some chain from HD or Lowes and some hooks.

I use zipties to secure the light to the fixture. also I use zipties to secure the fixture to the ratchet hangers.

B166ER420 said:

Nice work FresnoI'll post pics of my 115w(5 100 watters)light I made from lowes materials if you don't mind. Working with cfl's is is easy to do and these guys.....I like to see other ideas.Yours is better than that dudes on youtube btw

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Go ahead. Post away. Thanks!! I know. That guys cfl setup sucked lol. I have seedlings under this light right now. I will take and upload pics soon.

If anybody else has a picture of a cool, efficient CFL setup they have made.......post them if you like

Growing quality buds...PRICELESS

Here are some pictures of a cfl fixture I made
What I used:
Aluminum roof flashing(I had a roll of 12").............$12
Aluminum tape(3").......................................................$4
5 standard E26 sockets w/wiring..............................$10y
10ft of chain...,.............................................................$8
1 extension cord(1650w).............................................$2
4 eye bolts w/8 nuts....................................................$4
1 pack of wire connectors...........................................$1
and some 16gauge speaker wire(had some).............$4
Oh yeah the bulbs(wal-mart).....................................$5/2pk


Like I said I had the roll of flashing,cord,speaker wire,wire connectors but adding it up...........damn!It looks like about $60 bucks for the 115w(500w sounds better) grow light,i'll take it.I hope the pics are good enough to show how easily it was made,a monkey could make one.....SUPEREASY!!!

Really good idea and nice execution. Do you wire the whole fixture to a single plug?