I bought a Mars-Hydro sp-150!

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Sh311Sh0ck3d

Sh311Sh0ck3d

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I bought this new light today 11/03/20 and I was about to post a couple of photos and give my early opinion, without even having switched it on but I had second thoughts and it hardly seems fair to trash talk a piece of kit without giving it a chance, or switching it on.
The new light in question is the Mars Hydro SP-150, rated power 134 watts and to be honest, besides the £170 price tag thats all I know about it.
I am looking to replace 2 x 200 watt CFL, I use one red and one blue. The space, floor space I need to cover is 1 metre 7 cm x 40 cm. I use this space to veg clones in and I can get 40 x 1/4 litre pots into that area. So far the CFL have done a great job but I have to replace those bulbs and they are £30 each and Ive already spent £60 on the bulbs so another replacement of both bulbs would be in the price range of this light I just bought.
There's a problem though, straight up I don't like this light and I am even reluctant to install it rather than just take it back to the store I bought it from but the next suitable replacement is £440! A 270 pound leap! Some difference but the driver and overall quality has got to be better than what I am looking at right now. I really am disappointed, I guess I had higher exceptions.
Anyway, I don't want to be a jerk and talk a lot of trash about a piece of kit I haven't even plugged in but first impressions, I wish I'd spent the extra £270 in the first place.
So, having started this thread I guess I should get this thing set up and see how it preforms.
The heatsink is very thin, easy to bend and easy to damage. The driver is unnamed or labeled and looks as cheap as the heatsink. They do throw some kit to hang the light with and stickers, not sure who wants those stuck anywhere, they could keep the stickers.
I have 40 clones already in place and there is more involved than just hanging this new LED up. I have two reflectors that hold the CFL bulbs and I have a 4 " carbon filter in place, all neatly installed, that will need to be uninstalled before I can fit this LED. The CFL bulbs do need replaced so I do need to get busy and get this sorted out. My attitude now is, that even though I am disappointed, this new light has just got to be better than whats there right now. Its the extra £270 thats stopping me from just putting this back in the box and returning it. If this was the only light I had planned on using to grow Cannabis, well, I don't need to waste 16 weeks to know that I'd be disappointed a second time.
Right, I said I wasn't going to talk trash about this until I'd tried it. Who knows, might be perfect for what I am doing, we will see.
Here's a couple of boring photos of the LED.
Check back later, see if I got over the disappointment and installed the new light or if I just exchanged the light and spent another £270 to fix this problem.
Whatever goes on with this light I will give an honest no bs review.
 
I bought a mars hydro sp 150
I bought a mars hydro sp 150 2
I bought a mars hydro sp 150 3
FourthCity

FourthCity

778
143
I bought this new light today 11/03/20 and I was about to post a couple of photos and give my early opinion, without even having switched it on but I had second thoughts and it hardly seems fair to trash talk a piece of kit without giving it a chance, or switching it on.
The new light in question is the Mars Hydro SP-150, rated power 134 watts and to be honest, besides the £170 price tag thats all I know about it.
I am looking to replace 2 x 200 watt CFL, I use one red and one blue. The space, floor space I need to cover is 1 metre 7 cm x 40 cm. I use this space to veg clones in and I can get 40 x 1/4 litre pots into that area. So far the CFL have done a great job but I have to replace those bulbs and they are £30 each and Ive already spent £60 on the bulbs so another replacement of both bulbs would be in the price range of this light I just bought.
There's a problem though, straight up I don't like this light and I am even reluctant to install it rather than just take it back to the store I bought it from but the next suitable replacement is £440! A 270 pound leap! Some difference but the driver and overall quality has got to be better than what I am looking at right now. I really am disappointed, I guess I had higher exceptions.
Anyway, I don't want to be a jerk and talk a lot of trash about a piece of kit I haven't even plugged in but first impressions, I wish I'd spent the extra £270 in the first place.
So, having started this thread I guess I should get this thing set up and see how it preforms.
The heatsink is very thin, easy to bend and easy to damage. The driver is unnamed or labeled and looks as cheap as the heatsink. They do throw some kit to hang the light with and stickers, not sure who wants those stuck anywhere, they could keep the stickers.
I have 40 clones already in place and there is more involved than just hanging this new LED up. I have two reflectors that hold the CFL bulbs and I have a 4 " carbon filter in place, all neatly installed, that will need to be uninstalled before I can fit this LED. The CFL bulbs do need replaced so I do need to get busy and get this sorted out. My attitude now is, that even though I am disappointed, this new light has just got to be better than whats there right now. Its the extra £270 thats stopping me from just putting this back in the box and returning it. If this was the only light I had planned on using to grow Cannabis, well, I don't need to waste 16 weeks to know that I'd be disappointed a second time.
Right, I said I wasn't going to talk trash about this until I'd tried it. Who knows, might be perfect for what I am doing, we will see.
Here's a couple of boring photos of the LED.
Check back later, see if I got over the disappointment and installed the new light or if I just exchanged the light and spent another £270 to fix this problem.
Whatever goes on with this light I will give an honest no bs review.
You can get much better deals online than the hydro store fwiw.
 
PHOOBOS

PHOOBOS

5
3
Hi man what's up, I've read you whole story and I'm a little bit insecure in what to do, I'm about to buy the whole kit for growing for Mars Hydro, with the tent lights and all the other equipment the kit brings along, but I'm worried about how good or bad the lights are. And this is because I really want to have a lot of trichomes. What you think I should do?
 
Sh311Sh0ck3d

Sh311Sh0ck3d

337
93
You can get much better deals online than the hydro store fwiw.
Yeah, for sure but, not that it seems to help, I hate buying anything online and I've never had anything like that delivered. Its not so much the cost, although I'd expect better quality for the best part of £200, if it does what its supposed too and already it doesn't because its not dimmable and I was told it was.
I would really liked to have waited for the new Lumatek light bars, similar to those used in the 600 watt pro LEDS I use already only each 100 bar is independent with its own internal driver. Not sure what they will cost but I don't mind paying a little extra for quality, every time. This unit not being dimmable means I can't even use it to replace the t5 I use to root clones. I really don't see where a light like this has a place in our hobby. I might end up using this for now and then hanging it in the kitchen and sticking some basil and some other herbs under it. I am struggling to hide my disappointment with this piece of kit. The second hand grow light market it terrible. Ive 3 x 600 watt ballast, reflectors and bulbs I cannot give away! Mostly because I am not advertising the fact and I don't want anyone knowing I have them in the first place. LOL! I've hundreds of pounds of CO2 release kit I cannot use because I cannot get the CO2 anymore and again, its not easy to sell on. As long as these are the things I have to moan about 😆.
 
PHOOBOS

PHOOBOS

5
3
Yeah, for sure but, not that it seems to help, I hate buying anything online and I've never had anything like that delivered. Its not so much the cost, although I'd expect better quality for the best part of £200, if it does what its supposed too and already it doesn't because its not dimmable and I was told it was.
I would really liked to have waited for the new Lumatek light bars, similar to those used in the 600 watt pro LEDS I use already only each 100 bar is independent with its own internal driver. Not sure what they will cost but I don't mind paying a little extra for quality, every time. This unit not being dimmable means I can't even use it to replace the t5 I use to root clones. I really don't see where a light like this has a place in our hobby. I might end up using this for now and then hanging it in the kitchen and sticking some basil and some other herbs under it. I am struggling to hide my disappointment with this piece of kit. The second hand grow light market it terrible. Ive 3 x 600 watt ballast, reflectors and bulbs I cannot give away! Mostly because I am not advertising the fact and I don't want anyone knowing I have them in the first place. LOL! I've hundreds of pounds of CO2 release kit I cannot use because I cannot get the CO2 anymore and again, its not easy to sell on. As long as these are the things I have to moan about 😆.

Hey man I tho the lights are dimmable, you should try to see a vid for see what we need to do, I think you need to unscrewed the Drivers or so
 
Sh311Sh0ck3d

Sh311Sh0ck3d

337
93
Hi man what's up, I've read you whole story and I'm a little bit insecure in what to do, I'm about to buy the whole kit for growing for Mars Hydro, with the tent lights and all the other equipment the kit brings along, but I'm worried about how good or bad the lights are. And this is because I really want to have a lot of trichomes. What you think I should do?
Well, I did say I don't know too much about these particular LEDS. I have Lumatek LED's, were not cheap but they are great quality and worth every penny. They are made under a different name for us and Canada but they are avilable. They do a whole range, 200, 300, 465 compact, 600 and 1000.
My honest advice is to shop around and consider all factors. Cost, running costs and return. Right now I can show you what van be achieved with Lumatek but this Mars led I have is no comparison, it was a quarter the price. I just think this particular sp-150 led is too small to give much coverage. Could you grow one single cannabis plant under it, probably but its not going to be much use for anything else.
 
dred

dred

116
43
I’m using one on current grow and last grow
good for veg and can flower with it
stays pretty cool, mine has a LG driver.
i Like the length in my 3x3 would likely need 3
in a 3x3 for full coverage

i paid less then 200 cdn on sale not bad for price

btw not only light in tent
 
A29FC78D 74A4 479E 95B2 7BB51AB3B7C7
JSH1973

JSH1973

Supporter
1,027
263
Where did you pay 170 GBP, they are only 113 GBP on the Mars Hydro website?
They're supposed to be decent enough lights, I'm using two TS1000 myself but they might be a newer version, totally happy with them though
 
Sh311Sh0ck3d

Sh311Sh0ck3d

337
93
I’m using one on current grow and last grow
good for veg and can flower with it
stays pretty cool, mine has a LG driver.
i Like the length in my 3x3 would likely need 3
in a 3x3 for full coverage

i paid less then 200 cdn on sale not bad for price

btw not only light in tent
Those plants look as good as any I am growing. I think the tent definitely helps. Unfortunately I've already put the light back in the box ready to return to the store in the morning. I wasn't happy from I opened the box and discovered it wasn't dimmable. Might not seem like a big deal but had it been dimmable I could have used it over clones but as it is it would be too bright for that.
Two of these units would give me the coverage I need and if they were better quality I would just go and buy another one but as I was putting that unit back into the box I noticed damage on the edge of the unit, just a slight bend in the metal and I am sure it wouldn't have any bearing on the overall performance but it does speak to the quality. I have handled it carefully from I opened the box. I don't believe I damaged it but if my unpacking it caused damage then it wouldn't be long before it gets bent out of shape. I am always bumping into my lights.
Thanks for your input, it will definitely help others make up their minds.
 
Sh311Sh0ck3d

Sh311Sh0ck3d

337
93
Where did you pay 170 GBP, they are only 113 GBP on the Mars Hydro website?
They're supposed to be decent enough lights, I'm using two TS1000 myself but they might be a newer version, totally happy with them though
Hydro Store, lol, I am not exactly a new customer either. I have spent a lot of penny's there. I am going to return them anyway, slightly damaged and falling short of my requirements. I will take a look at the sp-300, look like a better build? And it is dimmable as well as providing the coverage I need.
 
FourthCity

FourthCity

778
143
Hydro Store, lol, I am not exactly a new customer either. I have spent a lot of penny's there. I am going to return them anyway, slightly damaged and falling short of my requirements. I will take a look at the sp-300, look like a better build? And it is dimmable as well as providing the coverage I need.
Checkout Kingbrite's website
kingbriteled.en.alibaba.com
 
dred

dred

116
43
Those plants look as good as any I am growing. I think the tent definitely helps. Unfortunately I've already put the light back in the box ready to return to the store in the morning. I wasn't happy from I opened the box and discovered it wasn't dimmable. Might not seem like a big deal but had it been dimmable I could have used it over clones but as it is it would be too bright for that.
Two of these units would give me the coverage I need and if they were better quality I would just go and buy another one but as I was putting that unit back into the box I noticed damage on the edge of the unit, just a slight bend in the metal and I am sure it wouldn't have any bearing on the overall performance but it does speak to the quality. I have handled it carefully from I opened the box. I don't believe I damaged it but if my unpacking it caused damage then it wouldn't be long before it gets bent out of shape. I am always bumping into my lights.
Thanks for your input, it will definitely help others make up their minds.
there is also an electric sky es180 and sf1000 in there..lol can defiantly see the stretch diff with the es
i did last run with sf1000 and sp150 wasn’t bad
3 in a 3x3 would be good
 
Sh311Sh0ck3d

Sh311Sh0ck3d

337
93
Lets start again! I bought another New Light!
This time I spent the heap and splashed out on the New SP- 3000. For what I paid for this I expect it will wake me when the plants are finished, with a cup of tea!
Just unpacking this I can tell the difference in build quality. There is no comparison to the SP-150 so I won't bother.
This light is dimmable and has an on off switch at the dimmer. The Mean Well Driver is a quality driver and is detachable from the main unit, as is the dimmer switch. Very useful for gaining extra space where every inch counts.
So far I am very pleased with this new unit and I have yet to even switch it on. It measures 1 cm more than the space I want it to fit into. I have some options. The first is that I adjust the space ( old ferret hutch) so the light will fit. I could always squeeze it in at a slight slant so it fits but that's a bit sloppy for my liking. Or the most sensible option is probably not to mess about with that old hutch any more, get a ferret and pick up a 4ft x 2ft tent!.
I would like to try and keep the hutch, its pretty neat and keeps all the cuttings and plants in veg together and out of the way. Indeed, abandoning the hutch is more difficult than it sounds. I'd also have to find somewhere to put a 4 x 2 tent.
Now I have this unpacked I shall start dismantling the current CFL light set up and see what adjustments will be required so I can fit this unit neatly where I want it.
 
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Sh311Sh0ck3d

Sh311Sh0ck3d

337
93
Nice one, I would love on of those lights myself 😎
I thought I might as well, it is the business, from what I've seen in reviews. I like that its adjustable and if I wanted too, I could find other uses for it. I could even finish the clones in the "hutch" if I wanted too. This light is supposed to be capable of delivering 16 1/2 oz, according to the coco calculator, I think that's what its called.
I got caught out and would usually have a much better idea of what I am buying before I buy it.
I think this light is of such good quality it would be worth building another " Hutch" tailor made for this light. Its early days and I haven't had a good look at where I hope to fit this light but its better looking at it wondering where I am going to put it, than looking for it.
You will be able to see how this light preforms for me, using it to veg clones. I think this is going to make a huge difference to my finished results. I am using CLF's for veg work at the minute. Still get an OZ + per clone as things are.
 
Sh311Sh0ck3d

Sh311Sh0ck3d

337
93
Its not a perfect fit but its going to fit OK. Slightly angled across the area rather than angled up one end and down on the other. This gives full coverage and I can alway adjust the angle to the opposite side if I see any uneven growth in the clones, or I can move the plants/ cloned around which is a good practice anyway.
I will get the 4" carbon fliter hung up out of the way and fix 2 hooks either end so I can just turn the ligjt from side to side and the hooks will be in place. I think I will just leave the driver and dimmer switch on the unit for now, heat isn't so much of a problem but space is a huge factor and that will determine if I leave the control gear on the unit or remove it and operate the light remotely. We shall see what works best.
I will post again when I have it all put back together and the clones/plants in place.
 
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Sh311Sh0ck3d

Sh311Sh0ck3d

337
93
Update: The new Mars-Hydro SP-3000 has been installed. It certainly seems a lot brighter than the 2 x 200 watt CFL that its replacing, even though at full power its using 100 watts less than the old CFL bulbs. I may seem like Ive only gained a few inches in height, that is true but the bulk of the CFL Reflectors is gone and the carbon filter sat right in the center of the reflectors closing up that space above them leaving no room for me to adjust anything. It was all very neat and tidy and has been in operation for just over a year but I was running into problems due to the confined space. Plants weren't getting even coverage, one end was red the other blue, the best mix of light being about a square foot in the middle. The clones would grow into those CFL bulbs and get burnt. Of course encountering these issues means you have to find solutions and this new light, although expensive, is definitely a solution to all the above problems and it comes with some extra benefits. The first and most obvious, its much better for the plants and secondly, its less expensive to run and its more efficient. I should see the real benefits at the end of each grow. Also, the LED won't blow a quarter of its capacity and be running under power as happens to often with the CFL.
I was using CFL long before LED's were avilable to the public at affordable prices and they served me well but I cannot help but feel that they, along with the other old technologies such as hps and MH have had their day and will soon be obsolete.
If this Mars-Hydro does what it says on the tin I will be happy with it.
So fsr, very good @mars-hydro
 
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Moshmen

Moshmen

8,218
313
Lets start again! I bought another New Light!
This time I spent the heap and splashed out on the New SP- 3000. For what I paid for this I expect it will wake me when the plants are finished, with a cup of tea!
Just unpacking this I can tell the difference in build quality. There is no comparison to the SP-150 so I won't bother.
This light is dimmable and has an on off switch at the dimmer. The Mean Well Driver is a quality driver and is detachable from the main unit, as is the dimmer switch. Very useful for gaining extra space where every inch counts.
So far I am very pleased with this new unit and I have yet to even switch it on. It measures 1 cm more than the space I want it to fit into. I have some options. The first is that I adjust the space ( old ferret hutch) so the light will fit. I could always squeeze it in at a slight slant so it fits but that's a bit sloppy for my liking. Or the most sensible option is probably not to mess about with that old hutch any more, get a ferret and pick up a 4ft x 2ft tent!.
I would like to try and keep the hutch, its pretty neat and keeps all the cuttings and plants in veg together and out of the way. Indeed, abandoning the hutch is more difficult than it sounds. I'd also have to find somewhere to put a 4 x 2 tent.
Now I have this unpacked I shall start dismantling the current CFL light set up and see what adjustments will be required so I can fit this unit neatly where I want it.
That’s awesome! Just proves they are all made the same Shenzhen that is -
 

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