Best LED on the market ?

[caterpillar707]

I am shopping for an LED light...
It will be used mostly for vegetative growth but would be nice to have potential to change or utilize more than one color spectrum in the future. I want to cover up to a 10x10 area, but would be interested in starting with something smaller to try.

What do you all use that you have success with? Pros and Cons?

Thanks

 

[Lyfespan]

that one that actually puts out what it says

 

[w3rds]

Always cross reference sellers information with youtuber testing. If someone sells it, there are a handful of videos with people testing everything from true draw to PAR intensity. If youre using a 10x10 area, I prefer multiple 300-600 watt lamps rather than fewer 1000w, but thats just me.

 

[Easy7]

It's a very complicated subject. This could turn into a lengthy thread soon.

I have eye's on black dog's phytomax 2's. The only part I do not like are the fans. One fails and it won't cool properly.

Seems there is a theory behind everything with led's.

 

[Phaeton]

The garden went LED in 2011 and the only fan failure out of the 18 units with fans was HydroGrow with three fan failures caused by faulty power supplies.

But other than HydroGrow, fans are reliable, I currently run 13 fan cooled LEDs, some as old as four years, none with any indication of fan trouble. My computer's fan is 8 years old (need upgrade bad), same fan and nary a problem there either.

From the number count it should be obvious I prefer smaller units spaced out over the 9' x 7' growing area. Tall plants get their tips placed between lights.

Black Dog PhytoMax is wide beam best for shorter plants, Dwarf Star is better for taller plants, Advanced XTE is almost a spot light. CMH is extra wide and used for finishing at lower intensity. !2 each 100 watt passive LED bars surround the area as side lights, I let some of the plants get some height and the overhead's just don't put enough power to the lower buds. The side lights put out less blue than the overhead lights, they are adjustable and the plants seem to like it this way.

The title asks about the 'best'. I use four main brands of full spectrum overheads, separate Far Red and UVB, plus CMH and fluorescent.
So far the 'best' has eluded me and I have to make do with many 'pretty darn good' units used in conjunction.