t5 or hps

current grow is wrapping up about 3 weeks left. im wanting to buy a new light for whenever i start a new grow. im having trouble deciding if i should go with a 8 bulb t5 highoutput fixture that puts out 38,000 lumens or a 250 watt MH/HPS. the only thing im worried about is heat. i dont want to get a hps and burn my plants to hell cuz i cant handle the heat. so for a closet grow with just a few plants two or three what would be my best choice. is the HPS gunna give me major problems with heat? and how much difference in heat between the two fixtures are there... anyone with knowledge on the subject please shed some light thanks

i would go with the 250w hps/mh. are youwilling or can you open the closet when the light is on? I would and just park an osc fan in front when the lght is on and you should be good.

i got a 4 bulb and a 6 bulb t5 fixture and they work great for veg, maybe do the t5s but mix in some grow blubs, the t5 fixtures come with veg bulbs but the hydro shop will sell bloom bulbs seperate, half and half would probabley work, i seen a guy in high times get 8 oz from a 4 bulb fixture

i wouldnt really want to have any doors open. im really liking the t5s right now because of the low heat and they are energy efficient and 38,000 lumens is alot for flouros. if i was to get a hps i think a cool tube would be better but i would still have to vent the air somewhere and i think i could get by with t5s with just a osc fan and opening the door once or twice a day for fresh air

HPS!!! All the way.

FLoros are great for veg, but for dense nugs you have to use HPS. IMO.

Others will give their opinion & that's ok.. But in my experience, HPS all the way for sure!

I own two 8 bulb 2ft x 4ft t-5 units & i dont care for them one bit,ive vegged using mh,hps & regular t-12 shop lights running natural daylight bulbs,my favorite light system for veg was the regular shop lights,watt for watt they are as good as mh for veg,i decided to try the t-5 units to see if they were better in veg.

Im not at all impressed with t-5 units at all,they work but the extra expense is in no way justified,watt for watt they are no better than shop lights.

With all that said sadly your situation warrants using floroescent lighting due to heat issues,if vegging is all you need the light for you can get excellent results running t-12 natural daylight bulbs, but if you plan on budding also then t-5 is a must,there isnt a t-12 bulb that comes near the right spectrum for bud.

One thing to think about is heat,t-5 fixtures are not without heat issues,not as much as hid lights but the large fixtures do generate quite alot of heat so keep that in mind when selecting the fixture,some models have the ability for the user to shut half the bulbs off for heat control on very hot days,thats your best bet.

i veg with a 8 bulb (4ft) T5 system from HTG Supply and flower with 2-400's HPS and love the set up.

use the t5s for veg, then switch to hps. you can see my first grow in my sig, where i used an 8 bulb t5 system for veg and flower. I was very unimpressed with the t5 flowering. got a total of 20 grams from 4 plants. they work fine for veg, but then you will need to switch to hps if you care about your yield. i got a 400 hps the last couple weeks of my grow. it definitely helped, but i think by that time it was just too late. the heat isnt that bad on a 400, couldnt tell you about a 250, but it CANT be bad. just put in an osc fan and youll be good to go.

I use T5's for veg and would take them over anything to be honest... I used a 250MH and my T5's veg much better... I started with 6 bulb DIY fixture and this present veg I upgraded to 10 T5 bulbs. heat is not an issue and bulbs can be placed within an inch of the canopy. 4 weeks veg under T5's and most plants are 12-18" tall, perfect for me to place in bloom room.

thanks guys i think im gunna get a 250 watt hps/mh i want denser nugs