Well it sure isn't cheap.. to do a complete switch if you went with the Optic Vero 29 in a 500 Watt multi-fixture design, it's gonna run you close to $900 a piece for each fixture.. I paid a little less but I had to do some arm twisting.
If you are a DIY guy.. you can save yourself likely a couple hundred bucks I'd imagine using the same parts. I did inspect the unit I own and just like the manufacturer claims.. everything they are using... every part is high quality. They are really built well. The unit itself has a cover with a latch that is easy to open and you can inspect and see every piece, every part.. no secrets there.
A decent ballast, something real nice like a Hydrofarm Phantom 1000Watt 240v/120v HPS ballast.. a good air cooled reflector.. and a premium HPS bulb like a Ushio or a Hortilux all together is going to run someone about $450-$500.. so the Optic LED isn't twice as expensive.. but it's close.. you gotta figure though too.. You're replacing that HPS lamp once a year.. so over 5 years the LED will pay for itself in bulb replacement costs and electric savings. You're running a true 500 watts on a 120v circuit at only 2.9amps pulling from your panel!! A 1000 watt digital ballast running HPS pulls 8.9amps at 120v for comparison. Now these numbers aren't 100% typical of all LED power savings.. the Vero 29 COB chips have proven to be more efficient than any other type of LED chipset for grow light use on the market.
I expect the COB chips to last about 2 years the way I will use them.. so while they will get replaced.. It will take twice as long and likely cost about the same as the price of the LED chips will only go down, not up.
But if you have something like a KIND led light and you're say a few years onto ownership and a cluster of LEDs go bad.. then what do you do? You cry. I called the KIND company and asked them... whats your bumper to bumber full warranty on your product? how long are you guaranteeing me that this thing will work without any cost to me if there's a problem... the answer... 90 days. This was in regards to a light that cost almost $2k btw.
Didn't seem like a very KIND reply. Those types of products.. those kind of LED lights.. scare me. I couldn't buy something like that.
Also wanna note as I have said it already I think but.. anyone trying to scope out the manuacturer is going to have a hard time doing so today and possibly this next week.. they were bought out, snatched up by a larger company.. so they did say before they had to switch servers and were having some email/tech related switch over transitional type issues. So if you can't access the site or server.. that is why. That should be resolved shortly according to the rep I spoke to just recently regarding my order.. I ordered mine just as the switch over between companies started to happen. It's always a pain in the ass for the customer when stuff like this happens anywhere I think.. but should all be back to normal soon. This is the light here at
a working link that I bought, that I was referring to.
EDIT-
Sorry for thread hijacking
greenghost420. =)
I tend to ramble on about things I like sometimes. Great thread tho.. I was reading through it all last night. I like what you're doing here.