Please help me choose the BEST 600 Watt system, I have 3 in mind, thanks SO much!!!

Please help me choose a system!!! Been reading, absorbing, etc. online & at forums for months, now I am ready to get a GOOD lighting system.

I have narrovwed it down to three, 600 Watt interchangeable digital systems of which have some differences, & I would really appreciate some feedback on which one you think is the best overall because they are all the same price.

#1 is on ebay, $249 complete with free shipping & actually you can get it for like $237 on a live auction & free shipping if no one else bids.

http://cgi.ebay.com/600w-Watt-MH-HPS-Air-Cooled-600-w-Hydroponic-Grow-Light-/330509163369?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf3e19b69

What I really like about this is the dimensions of the hood: Dimensions: 23.5" long, 21" wide, 8.5" tall & it is open ended. Also comes with glass, but it seems like I should remove it if not hooking anything up to help cool it? And it is not just brushed aluminium, it is the white type.

Doesn’t say what kind (brand) of digital ballast it is, I could call to find out, but that wouldn’t make much difference if I couldn’t find anything about the brand. They talk about a “superb current crest factor (below 1.7)” which I know nothing about, but it sounds good & in the other ads they dont take about that.

Comes with rollers & a mechanical timer as well. This system looks ideal, ready to go, interchangeable with MH & HPS lamps.

#2 is from HTG supply, $249 of which one is 30 minutes from my area.

http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-Digital-Greenhouse-Ultimate-600-watt-HPS-&-MH-Grow-Light.asp

Says the ballast is manufactured by Digital Greenhouse, like that is a great thing, but I don’t know either way. Says …The DIGITAL GREENHOUSE electronic ballast operates at a high frequency (20,000Hz) instead of the lowly 60Hz of standard "core & coil" ballasts. Again, cant find info on the other ballasts to compare what that means.

The warranty: Digital Greenhouse ballasts now come standard with a 5 year warranty, 3 years complete, 2 years pro-rated…..is obviously VERY attractive, as it gives me piece of mind & because they are local I could easily return or gain assistance IF there were a problem.

Hood not as nice, just aluminum, and not as big.

Their MH bulb emits 72k, compared to the others 60k, but that to me is no issue since it will be used in veg stage where 60k is fine

Timers, hangers are extra, and with an of these systems, parts might be UL rated separately but how about all together, hmm?

#3 is $249..

http://www.thelashop.com/catalog/600-Watt-MH-HPS-Grow-Light-Electronic-Ballast-Umbrella-Reflector-p-1023.html

Has the BIGGEST hood, which looks as though you can ask them for a vertical or horizontal socket? Again, doesn’t say what brand of ballast, also includes hangers & timer (although I guess this timer is analog & is not reliable, so says a post I found about it).

So obviously I want a 600 Watt system that can use both MH & HPS bulbs. I want one that is READY TO GO out of the box, which it seems all are, meaning I just need to hang, plug & go…Warranty is a big plus, for piece of mind, but it probably means no more then my 5 yr warranty on my last vehicle that had NO problems until a few months after it expired, of course.

I want a hood with the best reflective & distribution capabilities and one that will likely stay as cool as possible with the light, as I will have nothing more then a fan running in the room; no advanced exhaust systems etc. This is just for a closet grow.

So what do YOU think? Please tell me which system & why? And THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE for taking the time to provide your input as I am stumped and cant make up my mind, because I don’t have ALL the information needed to make the best informed decision. Since price is not a factor (as they are all the same) right now it would be like a crap shoot if I chose alone. If it is not asking too much, can you start your reply with I would choose #1, #2, or #3 (whichever one it is) and then followed by your reasons as to why

how big is your grow area

Great thread man, was just getting ready to ask some of the same questions. Im am looking to upgrade from cfl's to a 600watt hps as well. I have mostly been looking at the HTG supply one and thinking of upgrading to an air cooled hood. I am in a small area and need a fan to cool the light and run a carbon filter on. Any ideas on a fan capable of all this and still kinda quiet. Good luck on your search

going to be using 1/2 of a closet, I know I really only need a 400w system, but want the 600w for later potential use. Space will be about 4 ft wide & 1 1/2 ft deep, maybe 8 ft tall

thanks, hope I get lots of input for us both. not sure why it is so important to cool the hood, other then to preserve life span on the bulbs, but that is just another expense I dont want to invest in right now, so I will take the hit on shorter bulb life if that is the only concern.

Man a 600 is going to get hot in that grow space..if it were me id get a cool tube and a 4 or 6 inch inline fan..you will end up cooking your plants if you dont...htg supply is good ....happy growing

Unless your half closet is huge, it's gonna be 100 degrees in there if you don't cool the hood. HID lighting is hot. I had a 4x3 closet and it was near 100 degrees without cooling. I have 2 600 and 1 1000 htgs digital gh and haven't had any probs

The air cooling draws most of the heat the bulb puts out and gets it out of the growing area. True, you probably only need a 400 for now.

As for your choices, I am not familiar with any of them, but I would definitely get one that comes with a warranty. I use a Nextgen digital I got from Discount Hydro- It is switchable from 400 to 600 so I have room to expand later. I currently use it in a 2' x 3' cabinet and it is great on 400w. Their warranty is also top notch, if you have a problem they send you out a replacement right away and don't charge you anything unless you don't send back the broken part within 30 days. The price was a little over $300, so It's out of the range of the other options you have, but it's all I know or can recommend, other than saying getting a digital ballast is way better than the old magnetic ones.

If you want name brand then go here.
http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/daystar6-600w-hps-dual-voltage-xtrasun-grow-light-p-2197.html

Shop around on the site and you can build your own too. You can maybe build something for about the same price but with name brand crap instead of no name Made in China crap.

And be careful of those UL listed components ballasts because the ballast will not be UL listed and then if it causes a fire good luck getting money from your insurance company. I read that if it is not a UL listed ballast then the insurance companies will find a reason to keep their money. heh I may be wrong and it may be hear-say but who wants to risk it?

Forget the parabolic.

I clicked on your thread to give you advice and find out your buying cheap ass, made in Taiwan shit gear. All those hoods suck balls dude. People forget t's all about the hoods. If your in it for the long haul, but QUALITY grow gear. My 2 cents on the "best" setup (based on a TON of research):

lumatek dimmable electronic ballast
super sun II hood
CAP products digital HPS or ushio HPS
cheap ol GE 400 watt MH for veg

I bought 4 of the above listed setups for $360 each from the local hydro store. Came in with a list, prices I was willing to pay for each, and walked out with a truck full of gear. All parties happy as a clam.
I seriosly not imagine why anyone would buy a magnetic ballast in this day and age. Longer life, no fade, less power usage, 100x higher "refresh" rate, silent, higher resale value, and less power usage. Ummmm, yeah... Get the magnetic ballast. I love that old school Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

thanks eviljay & sparkabowl for your input about the potential heat problems with a 600 in my grow area, you have both convinced me to go down to a 400 & call it a day, I want to keep the temps where they are suppose to be. "cooling the hood" that is where I know NOTHING. For example, some of the units have the rounded ends, are fans suppose to go in there? From some of the sites suggested here, I saw what looked like to be round units that would go there.

thanks for the link sparkabowl, they look like they have great selections. The NextGen Digital Lighting system for a 400w looks great (almost like the best/lightest on the market) and is also within my budget. But I have heard of lumatek brand before & wonder how those 2 compare.

hempstead, great link as well, thanks, same system in a 400w is even cheaper then my original price range, of only $209, with great hood, etc. which brings me back to my IGNORANCE on the hood. This one has those circle ends but with hoses attached, is that enough to self cool or would I add something to them as well? And that is exactly what my concern was, not having a complete unit UL listed & more importantly SAFE, fuck the insurance, lol, my life has NO PRICE.

and lastly to legallyflying, u said u clicked on those links, where is a magnetic ballast among those? Because I thought they were all digital/electronic offerings; I do know that much, that I don't want a magnetic ballast. And I posted for help because I dont want some unsafe or cheap ass crap as u call it BUT to some people money is a consideration as well and as this is just for my growing my own little supply, I have a limit for investment.

Thank you VERY MUCH jojodancer10 because your question about my actual grow area, obviously was the most IMPORTANT question someone could ask, because obviously otherwise it seems I would have been making a BIG mistake trying to go with more then a 400.

I just dont understand, when everything I read says that for flowering the plants should have at least 90000 lumens, how 50000 with a 400watt system is going to be sufficient?

And sorry Jack Ripa, I dont know what you are referring to at all, but thanks anyway.

Well for the moment my thread has caused me more confusion then before, lol. So it seems like I should not even think about buying anything but a 400watt, but again are the lumens enough? It looks as though the offerings at both new sites suggested can use either a MH or HPS but I am not sure? I really wanted to use the MH for veg & HPS for flower for optimal growth, but I guess you can really use just HPS all the way through if choosing only one type. And lastly can someone PLEASE just explain the damn hoods to me, again what I really NEED to cool them?

BTW everyone on this site ROCKS and I am THANKFUL I can reach out & save my potential "ignorant ass when it comes to lighting & MJ growing" from making some critical buying errors. Happy NEW YEAR.....Roll It Up peoples!!!

legallyflying said:

I clicked on your thread to give you advice and find out your buying cheap ass, made in Taiwan shit gear. All those hoods suck balls dude. People forget t's all about the hoods. If your in it for the long haul, but QUALITY grow gear. My 2 cents on the "best" setup (based on a TON of research):

lumatek dimmable electronic ballast
super sun II hood
CAP products digital HPS or ushio HPS
cheap ol GE 400 watt MH for veg

I bought 4 of the above listed setups for $360 each from the local hydro store. Came in with a list, prices I was willing to pay for each, and walked out with a truck full of gear. All parties happy as a clam.
I seriosly not imagine why anyone would buy a magnetic ballast in this day and age. Longer life, no fade, less power usage, 100x higher "refresh" rate, silent, higher resale value, and less power usage. Ummmm, yeah... Get the magnetic ballast. I love that old school Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

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i also believe quality grow gear is better it WILL last you longer..

next gen(any cap products), lumatek, quantum etc. you will be happier in the long run. also why not help support your local hydrostores?
ive learned my lesson about ebay stuff..most of it is all cheap ass shit..

you usually get a better warranty and better service at a store front

If you are going to go for a 400 then go magnetic so you can use a CMH bulb. I have a 250/400w lumatek dimmable and wish I went for a magnetic for that reason and the digital also interferes with my cordless phones. The amount of power saved isn't gonna be very noticeable.

And the holes in the hoods are to attach a fan to exhaust to one end and either cool air intake or through a carbon filter on the other end like in this pic.View attachment 1356169

Here is a link to the ballast I use . It runs both 400W and 600W . Both MH and HPS . All in one ballast . I just finished my third grow with it and I am very happy. Check out my sig. to see the results. I use the 400W MH to veg and then switch to a 600 HPS for flower. just change the bulb and flip a switch. You can find it on e-bay for about $200. Great investment.

http://www.growwurks.com/nextgen-digital-ballast-400-and-600-watt.aspx

thexception said:

going to be using 1/2 of a closet, I know I really only need a 400w system, but want the 600w for later potential use. Space will be about 4 ft wide & 1 1/2 ft deep, maybe 8 ft tall

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I am just giving myself a HEADACHE, thanks dadio161 for the link. all morn i have been pondering lumatek or nextgen....uggh

And the hood, I want the best hood where I dont HAVE to hook a fan or exhaust up to it, just the one that will keep the temps down if possible without hooking anything to the hood. someone mentioned super sun hood 2 but is that really worth the money I wonder if I dont plan on attaching anything to it.

ok , here is my advice , and this is with years of practice trying all kinds of hoods and reflectors - Parabollic (umbrella) style give the best results - hands down and by far......air cooled hoods are good, if growing in a small area but you should be injecting fresh air into your grow area anyway.........good luck - link for ya - http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/Grow-Lights-182/Reflectors-471/Parabolic-Reflector-1146.asp also www.basementlighting always have great offers on , the first link -Greens"" offer good guarentee's and can be trusted, the second i have also ordered from with no issues , again good luck !!

lol, parabolic THANK YOU for adding umbrella, it click THAT is what another poster was referring to, funny though he said forget them, exactly opposite of your opinion, which I appreciate bloomfields. Goes to show so many difference of opinions & likes/dislikes across the board on every part of a growing system. I am drinking it ALL in & am going to check out those links now, and wait for anymore advice,suggestions,opinions that come along

thexception said:

lol, parabolic THANK YOU for adding umbrella, it click THAT is what another poster was referring to, funny though he said forget them, exactly opposite of your opinion, which I appreciate bloomfields. Goes to show so many difference of opinions & likes/dislikes across the board on every part of a growing system. I am drinking it ALL in & am going to check out those links now, and wait for anymore advice,suggestions,opinions that come along

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no probs ... the argument on weather to have your bulbs hanging vertically or horizontal is a long and ongoing 1 - just talking from what i have tried myself =)