Give me your ratings and receipts! Would love to hear everybodys favorite led brands?

Trying to cash in on a new 5x5 bar light with 420 sales, but I've been overloaded with 60 + hours of info. Need some real peeps that have been doing led in a 5x5 to weigh in. Ive got some brands that im for sure not looking at but would like to hear everybody's top 5. From What i've gathered the top dawgs are HLG, grandmaster led, Photon/luma tek, mammoth, opticled, gavitas,, and maybe kingbrite?? mid level being spider farmer first, ACI, Viparspectra, mars. and then Ive seen aglex and Philzon picking up the bottom of the barrel to put something out. Personally, I worry quite a bit about a proper spectrum, fires, and warranty issues. So, Im more inclined to order US/CA. Whats your thoughts! 800ishin your hand today what light do you buy? Let me know who i missed or placed incorrectly! And definitely call out any brand that caused a fire or melted wires. No place for that in our community and I'll avoid!

I'd post this in the LED section or ask a mod to move it over.

But you should have a look at what grow light Australia have on offer too.

When you say run hot, you mean the heat sinks are hotter?

You know that makes little difference right?
A 600w led will give off the same heat as any other of equal wattage.

I have heard good things about the GML lights but never used.

Have lots of HLG lights and would always recommend based on customer service alone.

Same for GLA , top quality lights.

I also have several phlizon's and happy with them, though are basic, but you get a lot of light for your money.

Other than that ChilLED, I they're still going are good.

I'd look at this review


And this written version of the same review, and pick based on these.

This is likely to become a Ford, Chevy, Dodge thread, but I run HLG lights, and I'm very happy with them. A bit more, price wise, but they're US made and the customer service is incredible!!! I bought a refurbished light 4 years ago and it's running like champion!

HandyGringo said:

I'd look at this review

And this written version of the same review, and pick based on these.

The 25 best value grow lights for a 5 x 5 grow tent 2024

I have tested 21 of the best grow lights for a 5ft x 5ft or 1.5m x 1.5m grow tent and compare them for PAR output, efficiency and value for money. The 5ft x 5ft or 1.5m x 1.5m grow area is one of the most popular grow tent sizes and also a common modular size for commercial grow setups.

migrolight.com

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That's another option too .

One of the most honest guys in the game, makes great lights for very fair prices but will happily tell you if other lights outperform his own.

Hlg, mammoth, migro, and ROI are great

Grow light science has good bang for the buck, but its at least a tier below the worst of the aforementioned lights.

Thanks for the replies and info @coreywebster and @HandyGringo. I did initially try posting this in led, and first 2 posts were deleted but now seem to be undeleted sometime last night, so unfortunately it looks this same question was posted 3 times across newbies and led subs, cluttering crap up!

Somehow I missed Grow light Australia, I'll definitely check them out as well. As for heat I know some drivers run significantly hotter than others, to the point where you can't touch the drivers, and others barely blip. I used to use MH years ago tho and i know they're considerably hotter than all these new leds. I went out and bought some cheapo led shop lights for side lighting the corners, and the masterforce (crap i know!) run so hot that I returned them, figured they would burn the tent resting right on the sides or corners. I couldnt touch this 50watt bar, I also grabbed an almost exact GE replica that offers no heat whatsoever. I'm new to LED overall though and have read thousands of reviews now, researching and got the impression some of these higher watted lights will absolutely burn the shit out of you, and some wont? Sounds like I put too much weight on heat? I appreciate your insight!

I may abandon the side lighting was just an idea i had remembering the old phototrons. And I've watched that video, twice now lol. But, I appreciate it Gringo, he's got a lot of great spec info in it, but he's not actually using any of those lights he tests for any length of time. Wanted some growers who've actually grown with them or had personal experiences with any brands.

Do you get similar results from your philzon as you do from a comparative watt HLG corey?

Would i be better served trying to light this 5x5 up with 2 bar lights instead of one? Is the HLG 720 Tomahawk even enough for a 5x5 through flower? For some reason, it feels like maybe not? Some of the other brand's bar fixtures seem to have UV/IR included and look like they have more leds than the tomahawk and of course some have more wattage as well. Won't be using CO2. Thanks to all that take the time to read this book! lol

Still rocking the kingbrite 240s

Appreciate all your opinions and I dont mind a dodge chevy ford discussion! Toyota is the answer there tho for their reliability Thanks all!

notyourdad said:

Appreciate all your opinions and I dont mind a dodge chevy ford discussion! Toyota is the answer there tho for their reliability Thanks all!

Click to expand...

What does that make the sun?

Luxx 645w

Sun had a power outage just the other day! Unfortunately, I'm stuck inside with this project!

notyourdad said:

Thanks for the replies and info @coreywebster and @HandyGringo. I did initially try posting this in led, and first 2 posts were deleted but now seem to be undeleted sometime last night, so unfortunately it looks this same question was posted 3 times across newbies and led subs, cluttering crap up!

Click to expand...

its not that theyre deleted theyre waiting spam filter que.


your two with replies havebeen merged together

Looks like the Tomahawk is getting a lot of stick on the par maps.

I've literally not really been following HLGs progress.

I'll always be a fan because they went above and beyond for me on a customer service front.
But I wouldn't class myself as a fan boy anymore.

I'd say there's probably better options as far as light distribution.

Comparing phlizon to HLG might be unfair, my HLGs are all the first ever released and great lights, the phlizon are new and a totally different kind of light, I'd say on paper they are equal but the bar lights can be closer and more uniformity.
But I'd trust the HLG figures and reputation, I hope I'll never have to test the warranty on the phlizons. And I take the figures with a pinch of salt.
However they perform well. I've never run both sets of lights side by side to compare though.


If your looking for side lighting, again, check out grow light Australia. They do some things called "Buddies" which a guy on here designed and they made as a collaborative effort.

Hlg and GLA both used to be a big presence here and I like them as people.

There are so many options out there right now.

Is 720 enough for a 5x5, yeah I think it is, though I'm sure many people would prefer a little bit more whack

HandyGringo said:

I'd look at this review

And this written version of the same review, and pick based on these.

The 25 best value grow lights for a 5 x 5 grow tent 2024

I have tested 21 of the best grow lights for a 5ft x 5ft or 1.5m x 1.5m grow tent and compare them for PAR output, efficiency and value for money. The 5ft x 5ft or 1.5m x 1.5m grow area is one of the most popular grow tent sizes and also a common modular size for commercial grow setups.

migrolight.com

Click to expand...

The measurements are not always at the same height and it is something to consider. So the efficiencies are somewhat distorted, there is a reason why it puts an asterisk in the measurements.

Cree, nichia

igna said:

The measurements are not always at the same height and it is something to consider. So the efficiencies are somewhat distorted, there is a reason why it puts an asterisk in the measurements.

Click to expand...

You know what @igna I swear I've seen that Migro vid mentioned as a solid reference point at least 10 times before today, watched it at least 2 -3 times prior and never once noticed the height differentials nor heard anybody mention it. Just now rewatched it and he does clearly say at the beginning that the lights are hung to Mfg recs, and that varies and at the bottom of all 25 lights specs, he lists the hang height as well. I must've been too stoned to hear him say it the first 3 times I saw it, or read it and notice the difference each and every time he listed each lights specs. Thanks for pointing that out!!

For the record I do like his vids, saw one with him and Dr Bugbee the other day was pretty interesting!

coreywebster said:

If your looking for side lighting, again, check out grow light Australia. They do some things called "Buddies" which a guy on here designed and they made as a collaborative effort.

Click to expand...

Those Buddies look like a great product design, and a brilliant way to add some far red or white, surprised they don't have UV buddies. Thanks for all the info @coreywebster and everybody that chimed in!

Jonesfamily7715 said:

Cree, nichia

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Are you building your own then @Jonesfamily7715 ?

notyourdad said:

Would i be better served trying to light this 5x5 up with 2 bar lights instead of one? Is the HLG 720 Tomahawk even enough for a 5x5 through flower? For some reason, it feels like maybe not?

Click to expand...

I didn't reply because I run HLG boards not their bars. My Scorpion Diablo X has similar wattage and I can't turn it over 70% in flower or it scorches them. @shnkrmn runs their Tomahawks and has some lovely grows under them.

Here's today on my 5x5 table, they are week 8 today:

Some gorgeous girls you have growing there @curious2garden! Stacking up every where looks like your crushing it! What flavor are you running?