T5 bulb choices

[Dunge]

I have been tempted and confused by the T5 fluorescent lamp form factor for years.
Now that Home Depot has an inventory of HO lamp holders and lamps I move ever closer to switching.
Here is what is being offered:

54 W Cool White is the only high wattage bulb.
The rest are all 28 W.

It would seem that the 54W is a good choice because it's higher power.
Can anybody offer a more thoughtful criteria for bulb selection?

 

[DieselDuds]

I built my 8 bulb system with those fixtures from hd. I just went to the grow store for my bulbs

 

[ken dog]

I think you should be more in what spectrum the light produces... from your picture, they offer soft white, and neutral.

I'm using an agrolux finish bulb, and the spectrum is 10,000K.

 

[Smoking Gun]

I don't believe that the 28 watt bulbs are HO bulbs. So that right there would be a deciding factor. I am actually not so sure if any of them are HO bulbs. Unless it specifically says they are HO, don't assume they are and don't put them into an HO unit. Also, the price of those bulbs is pretty much the same as getting horticultural specific bulbs from the hydro shop. The advantage of getting them from they hydro shop is that they will only be in the proper spectrums, 2700 K (red) or 5700 - 6400 K (blue), and you will likely get better advice than the fools at Home Depot can offer (I miss the days of helpful employees at Home Depot). The other option would be to go to a gardening center/nursery, they too are getting into the indoor gardening game. But as Ken said, it is the spectrum you want to focus on, not wattage.

 

[baba G]

you have 3000K bulbs on the left there but 10$ a bulb is a rip off. shouldn't be more than 7-8 for higher quality bulbs...

 

[salmonslammer]

Well in my opinion you want to stagger both ends of the spectrum in the same fixture red -blue- and so on, it covers all the bases on wavelength ect just my 2 cents :D

 

[baba G]

the quantum bulbs you can get in half cool half warm in the cases :)

 

[MysteryChild]

Quantum T5 Badboys Like baba G said

 

[d420dool]

Hey dunge i run phillips 54w 4100k t5's from home depot and they work damm good, i like them over powertrips, hydrofarms. I find the 4100k specrum with a few 6500k 26w cfl's hung down for side penetration seriously kicks ass, so ya i say get the ones that say 9.71 under them and u cant go wrong, think about it phillips bulbs are in gavita's

 

[Kcar]

GE StarCoat daylight 6500k T8's!