digital ballasts suck ass

shit bought 4 lumtek digital less than 1 year ago....now 2 wont fire up. cost $200 each

I have had and used my magnetic ballasts for 7 years and they still work to this day cost $115 each

just like the new washer and dryers...all fancy but don't last long

End rant

Sounds like the typical product being hyped so much people buy it for tons and end up losing more than they bargined for.

Purchased cheap $150 600W Dimmiable ballests (Digital obv) I have 3 now for a year or two havent had a single issue.

Could be bad luck, could be hyped up brands going chinese.

All in all I always spend more where it matters, and as long as my MH/HPS are outputting the desired wattage and not breaking I'd buy the cheapest one.

I'm not sold the digi's are superior to the older mag ballasts. I've had friends buy Quantums, Lumatek's and cheap Chinese knock-offs. All of them have had problems within 2 years or less (hell, they're all made in China anyway these days, so IMHO name brand don't mean shit anymore). I'm sticking with my Sun Systems MH & HPS ballasts (they were made in WA). Going on 5 years now, and not a single issue with either one. I picked both up for under $ 200 each delivered. Ebay's full of good deals on them, since so many people have jumped on the digi bandwagon.

I've been running my Lumateks nearly everyday for 3 years without any problems. Sorry about your luck. At least you have that 5 year warranty to fall back on.

Been using Sun System's magnetics for years and have never had an issue, plus no IMF to worry about. It's the only type that is non-traceable by cable companies, if that matters.

I've been running a 600 watt Chinese cheapo ballast for 5+ years with no problems so far.

I wonder if dirty power/power surges mess with digi ballasts.

It's no secret that magnetic ballasts last forever...and are relatively easily repairable...Sorry about the shitty Lumateks, bro...Fuck that company

Their are a lot of old school folks who like the magnetic. I have talked to people who use both, & with a luxmeter all claim the digital ballast put out more light. I have had 3 Digital Greenhouse ballast going on constant 12/12 for 3 yrs with no problems.
I have a cheapo 400 mh I use in veg on a 20/4 still gong after 4 yrs.
They run cooler are lighter & take up less space.

Had two lumateks shoot shit as well. within a month of each other. a lot of people bash nextgen, but have ran them for a few years. only an occasional blinking (code) light, but will reset itself, and fire up a few minutes later. no cable interference that ive heard about either....

Truth reloader I love digital just because its silent and almost no heat compared to magnetic but magnectic are more realiable due to be able to repair them easily and they almost never break. Still have mine from HTG not sure where it was made but it was HTGs.
I switched to digital chinese knock offs from ebay and amazon tho go with Apollo $100 for that 600 air cooled ballest hasnt broken on me been 2 1/2 years and they are super cheap and come with everything a $300-500 kit comes with and if you purchase from amazon (Might cost a little more) you can use return if it breaks amazon is flawless with returns and refunds.

The only digis I'd use is quantum. They won all kinds of awards for their products. They have 3 year warranties on everything. But I've been using hydro farm and c.a.p. Mag ballasts for cmh. I had a 1000w quantum for 2 years. No problems. But it was stolen.

Soils tek ballast or even a phantom..

MedicatedGrow said:

Truth reloader I love digital just because its silent and almost no heat compared to magnetic but magnectic are more realiable due to be able to repair them easily and they almost never break. Still have mine from HTG not sure where it was made but it was HTGs.
I switched to digital chinese knock offs from ebay and amazon tho go with Apollo $100 for that 600 air cooled ballest hasnt broken on me been 2 1/2 years and they are super cheap and come with everything a $300-500 kit comes with and if you purchase from amazon (Might cost a little more) you can use return if it breaks amazon is flawless with returns and refunds.

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Yea I hear ya. I find deals on Ebay for used ones. I am not kidding, I have bought 2 used HTG digi's off Ebay for $50 & $ 60 bucks. Now I have a spare ones. At that price if one takes a shit, I would just replace it. I also have an old magnetic ballast form the 90's, that still works to this day. I put it in my closet yrs ago for a spare.

My magnetic ballast has been burning for about 12 years no problems. wouldn't go near a digi, why when I have had no problems in over a decade

I dunno why so many people have such high regards for lumatek. They hit 300% thd in some cases . That and I've seen so many lumatek returned half burned to the hydro store I shop at I've renamed them lumaflame. Buy a decent digital and there isn't a problem.

Check for power surges a bad transformer fried my 1k two times that wasn't even the half of it my new fridge @2800 4 times under six months and the dish washer all were mother board if your appliances are simple they won't show problems only the fancy one's will. the electric co. Wouldn't Own it. They did change all the transformers on the street a week later and bam no more problem. Also check your electric in the house a bad connection could be to blame. A data logger is how I found my problem.

Digitals can put out as much as 30% more light...but many are also far less reliable as everyone has pointed out. I run mags at my place now because RF paranoia and my location. But when I had digital it was noticeable more growth. And I never had any problems.

Gavita utilizes a digitals and still eliminates the RF potential. I haven't heard any kind of problems with them. Other than not for small spaces.

Lumitek has lost some of it's reputation(still one of the best) in recent years. But there are other good digitals out there.

tags420 said:

Digitals can put out as much as 30% more light...but many are also far less reliable as everyone has pointed out.
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Reloader said:

Their are a lot of old school folks who like the magnetic. I have talked to people who use both, & with a luxmeter all claim the digital ballast put out more light. I have had 3 Digital Greenhouse ballast going on constant 12/12 for 3 yrs with no problems.
I have a cheapo 400 mh I use in veg on a 20/4 still gong after 4 yrs.
They run cooler are lighter & take up less space.

Click to expand...

I have a light meter...they don't...

if you use the super setting your bulb has 1/2 life...change it every crop

if you'd like to know how well your lighting set up really is get a welders mask and watch the flow of plasma in the arc, it should be smooth .
You coil and core people should change out capacitor every two years or brightness is affected. But coil and core are very low thd and as already stated easily rebuilt.
After my experience with 5 brands of digital ballast I've decided there is only one. Where the first one I bought , a 1kw chinese made welthink worked like a champ it brought the cable guy to the door.
Lumatek , I do own one and it seems to work, don't have a welders mask to look at the arc so I just assume like all older lumatek it operates with a high percentage thd.
I'm running a quantum at the moment that I also have no comment on really, it's a ballast.
I bought a hydrofarm phantom that I THOUGHT was gonna be the shit but found out before 1 cycle was up that they do have defects, it was the first return the shop I bought at had seen of a phantom and they were surprised, I was def turned off by the phantom failure and went with solis tek, I won't be looking back.
Then there's the solis tek matrix I bought awhile back. I'll never buy another ballast .