NEED wisdom, want to try new lighting

Bare with me and know your help will go a long way here. I believe in my growing skills/passion, and am always about the quality over yield. I've helped soo many people over the years and now I'm looking for help.

For 7+ years I've done indoor growing, (over 10yrs outdoor) using 400w HPS, then 1000w, and finally 600w. Switch from HPS to Pulse start MH and had even healthier plants, and then pulse start MH mixed with hortilux blue, and that combo has worked great. But I need to try some new lighting to ease my summer grows. The heat and need of extra fans and AC isn't worth extra yield that you paid so much extra for. I'm stuck on what to do. I've been interested in Inda Gro 420 induction and eventually add some LEDs to it, and read a lot on LEDs but it's so back and forth, confusing to me, and a costly investment.

I moved and will set up two grows, one with my horti blues and other MHs, and a 4x8 tent half covered by 8tube t5 and the other half for my new test light.

Soo here's where I need help. I will start with autos for one grow then into regular photoperiod genetics. I need to cover a 4x4 area (half my 4x and if all goes well will copy to other side. I'm looking for quality and a light that is designed with brains and plant knowledge. I don't need the "best" #1 light, just one that sits in the top brackets and will open my eyes to new lighting. I can't afford super pricy, but refuse to be cheap. I'd like to stick around $500-800, a happy medium would be awesome and super helpful.

Any growers have insight on Inda Gro 420's?

As far as LEDs it seems Mars 2 is cheap and works, but Area 51, GrowBlu, and Hans are recommended for more satisfaction? I know there's other brands but they seem to really jump in price.

Hard to swallow that I can get 2 mars 2 for price 1 growblu

Any help on what you believe/know would make a happy customer and plant would be helpful. If I have to go a little cheaper to jump in and work way up that's fine. 2 lights at 70-80% grade scale is better than 1 at 90+% scale.

Please help me, and I'll be sure to log my grow with test light, and my meds are given to truly sick people that's why I don't have lined pockets, and I'm very ok with that. Thanks and sorry for long post. I'm a talker and my mind runs a million miles an hour

How are your DIY skills? Do you have time on your handz?

To be honest I wouldn't mind trying myself but have no tools or anything. All my tools were stolen before I moved, so kind of stuck purchasing, which with fancy lighting may be good idea for me

Ok...Its a bit of a misconception that you need alot of tools. You need a solder iron and wire strippers and thats about it for tools needed... (not including materials) (minimum) <<<< This is what i used...

Some people use LED (COB) holders (where the LED is held....so you dont need to solder) and so need to thread their heatsink...

A few ways to do this...depends how technical you want to get....my way is probably on the cheap...and not everybodies idea of a 'masterpiece' but it is still working great after 3 months of use...

https://www.rollitup.org/t/the-chronikool-of-the-crytochrome-and-the-all-conquering-cree.794758/page-6#post-10664202

S33K said:

To be honest I wouldn't mind trying myself but have no tools or anything. All my tools were stolen before I moved, so kind of stuck purchasing, which with fancy lighting may be good idea for me

Click to expand...

Not much is needed unless you want to drill and tap the heatsinks. Harbor freight has a nice inexpensive drill press, hand taps can be purchased for a couple of dollars. If you have a A dremel and a stand would work as well.

No advice on any of the made units?

Pretty sure I just want to buy my first

I'm just needing help on induction v led, and what of the LEDs I should start with (kind, growblu, Mars 2, dormgrow, SS, ect.) based in my expectations listed above

i'm definately down for a51's build quality and quality parts in general, i personally have 3 xgs 190's and i love them to bits, though the rw-150 may be a step in the same direction with more power savings.

edit: this is aimed at your price bracket, the next step past these in my opinion is the higher efficiency from nichia diodes and such, ie apache tech

I've used pretty much every type of lighting.
(Magnetic induction)
http://shop.gyostuff.com/Magnetic-Induction-Light-400W-Grow-IN400PS.htm?categoryId=-1 <had to get the bloom bulb for this one when flowering time came
http://shop.gyostuff.com/Anubis-800W-Magnetic-Induction-Lighting-System-ANUBIS800.htm?categoryId=-1 <This one was a gift, and it was fucking incredible, although I could never afford to buy one
(LED)
http://advancedledlights.com/3w-led-grow-lights/new-diamond-series-leds-extreme-3w-led-technology/ <Used the ds300w ds200w ds100w and xml 150 and 350 for flower, I loved the ds300 the 100 is really only good for very small areas and the XML's didn't work well at all. You do need to cater to the light with a scrog or sog type grow if you wanna get comparable yields to HID lighting. I used their extreme veg fixtures as well, definitely got the job done.
(CFL)
Only used CFL for flowering once. I have t5's for early veg, clones and seeds. I do not recommend flowering with cfls unless you are really cheap and like to make poor short term investments. But for baby plants, CFLs all day every day.

Bridgelux Vero doesn't require solder. Hacksaw for building frame, tap and die for COB mounting holes, wire stripper, screwdriver, drill.