****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I changed the lights out to ATI coral light. Works great didn't have to pay 500+ for "reef t5"I have had two Hydrofarm light fixtures similar to this and one just pooped out after three years, so I ordered another, but I needed a light sooner than that thing will be here , so I took a chance and ordered this (which came in just a few days instead of 3 weeks). This to me seems to be a much sturdier fixture than the Hydrofarm even though the Hydrofarm is $40 more. Also, you can turn on just two bulbs at a time with this fixture but can't with the Hydrofarm (you have to loosen two bulbs instead). The top of this fixture is solid metal with no way for dripping water from above to get in, whereas the Hydrofarm top is strips of metal bolted together, so water can get in from above (which matters if you are hanging these from chrome wire shelves one above the next). The only issue I've had with this Hydroplanet fixture is that one of the bulbs is dead, but I have plenty of others. I am planning on getting three more fixtures, and if this Hydroplanet holds up, I will get them instead of the Hydrofarm.People have complained about the fixture being too tight to fit the bulbs in, but that's not a problem. Put one end of the bulb in and then push back the tab with the socket in the other end when you are putting in the bulb. They fit fine.I purchased the 4 ft fixture that has 4 bulbs. Upon installation, it turned out one of the bulbs simply didn't work. I contacted the seller and they promptly sent me 4 new bulbs for free! Didn't even ask for shipping. So that's awesome. I'll update this review upon any further developments. So far, It's been on an 18 hour per day cycle for about a month and has been working great. My seeds have been sprouting at good rates.P.S. I've seen other reviews where people mention that it's difficult to install bulbs. I offer a solution -- use your fingers or thumb to press against the edge of the socket while you slip in the bulb. It's super easy. After reading those reviews, I expected it to be difficult, but it absolutely wasn't. It seems some people have forgotten how to use their appendages.This light is actually saving my plant. Best light you could own for the value. It's a lot better than I thought it would be. For that price, I expected a cheap set up. This is actually a great quality light. The bulbs are a little tight to fit but it's designed that way for stability. Better connection per se. It came with a pulley to hang and its very strong. Holds the light no problem. Extremely easy to set up.There's 2 switches that turn 2 sets of lights on individually, it's a 4 light unit. Has an outlet on the side which I plug the fan into. You could attach another unit to it easily. Very long cord which is amazing, usually lights have short cords.I would recommend this light to new growers. Even veteran growers would love this for seedlings, its exactly what you need. During budding stage you can switch two of the lights out for a redder spectrum bulb, that way you get the full light spectrum on your buds.Also I've seen other reviews saying it wasn't packaged well and lights were broken, but that couldn't be further from the truth in my experience, everything was perfect, the bulbs came in a circular cardboard package and they were individually wrapped inside it and everything was great. One thing out of the package I did notice is, it was a lot bigger than i thought it would be. It's also lightweight. It would hang fine in a grow tent.This feels like a high-quality light. It's very sturdy and appears to be well-made. It arrived in one piece with no damage.I ordered the 24" unit and though it's a single aluminum reflector, it is molded in a parabolic fashion so that it wraps around each individual bulb. This is one of the more important aspects of T5 lighting. You lose an incredible amount of PAR when using inadequate reflectors.I'm going to be using this light over a saltwater aquarium, and for those considering doing something similar, note that there is no acrylic/glass splash guard over the bulbs. This is not necessarily a fault with the light, as the product listing didn't say the light would come with a splash guard, just something of which to be aware.The bulbs included with the unit arrived unbroken and work. I won't be using them as reef aquariums need more blue light (closer to 20,000K). But the bulbs are fairly bright and produce a white/yellow light, which should be ideal for horticulture.The unit has two switches powered by one cord. One switch operates the outer two bulbs, while the other operates the inner two bulbs.I haven't taken the unit apart to look at the ballasts yet. At this price it's safe to assume that they are budget ballasts, and may not have the efficiency, longevity or PAR of more expensive ballasts. At this pricepoint, however, I think that's to be expected. New ballasts are cheap, and these work just fine out of the box. For horticulture, I'm sure these ballasts are more than enough.Overall I'm very pleased with this purchase. I need to make some modifications to make it fit my particular use case, but it would have been near impossible to find these features anywhere else for less.I have been disappointed in the longevity of this product. It is barely into 2022 and I can't remove the bulbs to change them. This light has had full-time use as a grow light for mixed indoor tropical plants since I got it in 2018. I've faithfully replaced the bulbs every 8-12 months, which is totally normal for a T5 bulb at the 8-12 hours I run them, but now I can't remove the bulbs without damaging the housing so this light fixture is done. This is my second light from this company to go out in under 5 years. That just isn't good enough to pay this much for a fixture.Hello I received my light today but not the hangers I can’t figure out how to contact you can you contact me before I write a review the light is nice just one imperfection from factory it’s ok though ??Great light for a small area. Using to help winter our succulents.Excellent product and fast shipping, I want another one.
