What are the best balasts out there?

[indabonga]

Gavita is the only ballast that work with the double ended 400volts bulbs........ it's the rolls royce of the ballasts

 

[Tela]

Gavitas are the best on the market by far.

 

[Biosynthesis]

My smoke only gets 1000w. Anything less is unsatisfactory IMO.

 

[BlindDate]

The best ballast is the one that is not going to start a fire and land you in jail.

Look more toward the commercial brands (Gavita AKA "Micro Mole ballast") and the brands that have been around a long time (Lumatek).

 

[Green_science]

Lumatek dimmables have been %100 reliable for me, I have used ALOT of them

 

[OrganaCanna]

If you want a quantum check ebay you can get 2 quantum ballast with digilux bulbs for 455 shipped.

 

[Buds Bundy]

Lumatek dimmables have been %100 reliable for me, I have used ALOT of them

I've RMA'd a LOT of them in the last 1.5 years. I own a store so not making things up. Even though I push Lightpeed ones I've also had to do returns on those but some batches have been running for years with no issues. Same with AN digi ballasts I don't push them as I've a LOT of returns but again some batches run just fine.

At the the end the hydro industry does things to the lowest common denominator, so cheap manufacturing for bigger profits (for the manufacturer and wholesaler) the stores get fuck all for profit margin wise.

 

[Jhhnn]

I have an HTG branded 1000w HPS ferrous transformer ballast off CL- $135 for the whole setup w/ spare bulbs & vent hood. I have a backup switchable dual voltage Sun system, same story, $125. Both are several years old, work perfectly, and hum just a little.

Bulb choices are better than w/ electronic ballasts, and I can fix 'em if the need arises. Both have 52mfd capacitors & plain vanilla ignitors, which an electrician buddy can get wholesale.

For hobby growers, efficiency isn't a big deal, because making money isn't the objective. Losing a few % points doesn't really matter, imho.

 

[GrowsOnTrees]

have a room fulla quantums... pretty noisy

room fulla lightspeed... super noisy

room fulla lumatek.... quiet

they all light the light so whatever lol

pretty sure they all have a decent warranty/return but when u buy tons of shit from the same store returning broken stuff usually isnt an issue

i keep buying lumatek personally cause they feel the strongest and most robust

 

[gus738]

i didnot knew that horti ballast were made in japan ?

For the "best" 1000w ballast I'd go with Hortilux's 1000w e-ballast, warrantied for 5 years, made in Japan. Unfortunately they don't make any smaller ones.

i too have 1k dimable lumatek 100% reliable with me too . i also have a 1k galaxy reliable too. both my ballast are my first sets had them since 09 or so.

Lumatek dimmables have been %100 reliable for me, I have used ALOT of them