I purchased this fixture from a local grow light shop and had it drop-shipped to my current residence (which was out-of-state).It looks great right out of box and is very similar to the other hydrofarm 2ft fixture found here on amazon, but this one accepts T8 bulbs as well as T12 bulbs. I had a hard time finding 24" T8 full-spectrum bulbs locally so I decided to us T12 bulbs.Mounting it was simple as it came with two "S"-hooks and chains (which had "S"-hooks fastened to one end already). Screwed the bulbs in fairly easily and snapped into place. I read the other (assuming older) version here on amazon had people struggling with them locking in place, but this one seems very secure and looks great. The box also included metal screw-in hooks.This fixture also included a pull chain about 5 inches long in the middle of the housing (another complaint from the other 2ft fixture says it was not included). The ballast is also silent and lights the bulbs instantly with no flicker or stuttering.Very happy with my purchase and would recommend this for anyone looking for a T8 or T12 fixture to fit in a smaller place than 4 feet.
I'm using four of these inside the garage and hanging them from the rafters above, so the attachment chains that are included with the fixture (each just a few inches long) are way too short to be of any practical use. If this is how you'll use it also, plan on having to buy additional lengths of chain to allow the fixture to drop down low enough to be an effective light source. In addition, the two-inch-long pull cords will also need extending in this type of installation. But I guess if you're using it as a small-space grow light, these may not be issues at all. The fixture itself has been working fine, and it's nice that these accept the larger T-12 bulbs. One other thing: the box packaging has a somewhat "incriminating" look to it ("GROW LIGHT" in bold lettering, with lots of photos and references to indoor "plants")... this raised a few eyebrows when it was delivered to my workplace office!
This product is *only* for use with F18T8 (18 W) or F20T12 (20 W) bulbs. The former are hard to find, the latter exist but not in all varieties (plant grow lights, etc). I found the product info listed to be misleading in this respect. Otherwise the fixture is simple and rugged.
I looked at the much more expensive 4 bulb grow lights and, well, they were just too expensive! This is a very affordable option for a roughly 3'x4'x6' in an outdoor green house. They use 2 bulbs, so it's not super expensive to fill the and don't put out too much heat so they don't overwhelm tender plants. One of the previous complaints was that bulbs were hard to find... I found grow lights at Home Depot that fit this fixture, you just have to make sure you get the right wattage bulbs. It's really nice that they came with "S" hooks and chains so they can be hung from the frame in a greenhouse w/out having to cut chains. We have a 2nd greenhouse that we will probably start using next year and I will probably buy more of these fixtures to use. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is b/c it's a bit tall so it takes up more head room on each shelf than a traditional grow fixture.
I like this light. It is inexpensive, maybe $20 less than other T12 double light systems. But it is unreliable. Many times I have seen the lights not work, or one working and the other off. In retrospect, I would've just spent more on more reliable lights, but since my seedlings owe their life to them, I have to just live with it. Spend a little more $$ and get better lights!
I needed a 24" fluorescent fixture to start some seeds. I found this one to be well made for what it is, but not that well designed as a grow light fixture. The trays and inserts used to start seeds and grow the seedlings are about 10 1/2" wide, and the tubes in the fixture should be far enough apart to give even lighting. The sides of the reflector should be far enough from the tubes and deep enough to contribute to the even lighting as well. That's not the case here. The outer cells on each side receive considerably less light. I had to add reflectors to my support structure to even things out. In all fairness, better light distribution is rarely achieved until prices reach absurd levels. Still, you can buy a decent 4-foot shop light for the same price, or less, which makes one wonder why this little fixture couldn't feature a little more sheet metal.
I got this unit to start growing some habeneros in my closet. It did the trick and now I have upgraded to some 4ft fixtures for the sprouted seedlings. This unit percectly accomadates 2 jiffy 25 pod greenhouse stations. The unit is quiet and well made.
I thought this product was exactly what I wanted, a 2 ft grow light. But, a few days after turning it on one of the lights ceased lighting. A jiggle would cause it to go on but then later on I would find it off. I took it apart and discovered the plastic pole was cracked. I glued it back together with super glue but now it won't work at all. I sent an email to the company I purchased it from and no response. Its a total waste. Very disappointing.
I notice that one reviewer comments on the difficulty of finding the "approved" bulbs. It's true that the box says only F20T8 or F20T12 bulbs should be used. However the instructions inside that came with the lamp that I ordered (Model FLV22) say that either F17T8 or F20T12 bulbs are required. I found both these bulbs readily available at local stores. I should note that I am not using this for plants (I'm lucky enough to have a greenhouse) but to provide light in a closet which is built into my garage. There is a grounded outlet in the space but it is not connected to a switch so I needed a 24 inch lamp with both a cord and a pull chain (the 48" lamps available locally were exactly one inch too long) so I was happy to find this. Thus far it is working great.
No comments:
Post a Comment