Questions About T5's?

[cadlakmike1]

I have never grown under fluorescent bulbs and I have a few questions.

I have found a T5 setup for sale for $60. My first question is, is that a good price for a used 4 foot 6 bulb set up? I'm having trouble finding used prices and I know that it is good compared to new.

I already own a HID setup and might be upgrading that as well a little further down the road but I was considering purchasing this for mothers and a few autos.

My second question is, would I be able to take one bulb to test it and check each individual spot or would it need all 6 bulb slots filled to fire up?

Are there any questions I need to ask the seller? Are some brands more reputable than others? Any help or advice regarding this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[blancolighter]

Dude, snatch that up, or tell me where I can!!! Thats a great price for em, and yes you can just test with one bulb in each socket (I just tried it out on my t5 system for ya). Really, for 60 bucks, I wouldn't worry about name brands too much, if 4 out of the 6 sockets work, its worth that 60 bucks. I think you'll probably fall in love with T5 great light output with no heat, you can really drop em right on top of your plants, and those 4 footers cover a good bit of space too. You can also alternate blue and red spectrum bulbs to suit whatever growing needs you have. Hope this helps ya man!

 

[BuddyLuv]

Yeah That is a steal I paid 300+ bulbs for my New Wave T5 8 bulb 4 foot set-up. I run two for my veg and love them. Believe it or not but I get more compact plants with the T5 versus the MH I used.

 

[cadlakmike1]

Ok cool. I'm going to buy it tomorrow even though I have no where to put it! Looks like I might need to venture into the attic. I'm sort of worried about how big it is, but I'll figure something out, it's longer than my current grow room!

Thanks for actually checking on the individual space blanco! I know when one bulb goes out in my kitchen they both stop working. Glad to hear I can go with just one bulb to test it.

 

[BuddyLuv]

they are more like 44 inches, the bulbs are only 42.

 

[cadlakmike1]

Ok so the same person also has a 4 foot 2 bulb setup. I think I'm going to buy them both for $90 (The second one comes with bulbs but I don't know what spectrum yet. I'll probably just replace them being that the bubs are fairly cheap.). I was going to try to do 2 autos under this second lamp. Here's a pic of the 6 bulb setup.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

Nice score mike...Im looking at some on craigslis for the walls in my flower room..Nice job..I have some 4 ft but unfortunatley i made my rooms a bit under 4 ft..lol..I will correct this..this summer..good luck and keep me posted will ya:bolt::bong:

 

[blancolighter]

Mad jealous of your find man, haha then again, I'm in the same predicament as most others posting on this thread, I couldn't fit it anywhere!

 

[Old Hippy Toker]

If you get a used unit I would replace all the bulbs. I'm with BuddyLuv - I luv
those T5s! I Use 2 of the 4 ft -8 bulb units and you can lay em right down on the plants and they luv it...

 

[cadlakmike1]

Well I just got home from picking up the T5. I only picked up the 6 bulb 4 footer. The other one was a T8 setup and was in pretty bad shape. I ended up paying $65 for it though(and a quarter tank of gas for the drive), he said he had another offer and it was sort of shady when I got there so I just paid what he was asking. I bought a cheap bulb on my way there to test it and all 6 slots lit up with no problems. Some of the connections are a little loose but not enough to deter me from buying it.

Like i said I don't have anywhere to put it right now but I'm going to build something to house it. Hopefully a mother chamber that I can sneak some autos in from time to time. I took the measurements off the unit and it is larger than 6 square feet so no matter what I'm going to be getting less than 5000 lumens per square foot. So I see why people will veg with these but try not flower. When I go to build my room it will be catered for this light so should I build a room as tight to the lamp as I can or should I leave an inch or two on all sides to help with airflow? Just wanted to get some opinions. When the time gets close to start construction I'll repost something in the growroom setup section(with more details like exhaust, intake, things like that), I just wanted to hear what some of you think now.

 

[baggervance]

can you just buy t5 bulbs and run them in a regular fixture?

 

[tcbud]

I suggest a little room for air flow. Even tho they allow seedlings to be very close to the bulb, you will prolly still need a fan on them. I am actually flowering under mine for the first time. I thot I had to have some other type light for flowering, but my girls just flowered up and are packing on the weight now. I also have seedlings going at the same time.
Good luck to you and Great buy, mine was also like $300 plus bulbs.

 

[WeedHopper]

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showpost.php?p=437886&postcount=4:hubba:

 

[lordhighlama]

can you just buy t5 bulbs and run them in a regular fixture?

Yes, I would like to know this as well. I've got a 4ft x 4 light fixture in my shop that isn't being used. Can you stick T5's in this? How would I tell what the fixture can hold?

Sorry when I bought my house there was a bunch of stuff left in my shop, still haven't completely sorted through it all yet, this fixture happens to be one of those things.

 

[WeedHopper]

T5 tubes will only fit in a T5 fixture. The tubes are very small.

 

[tcbud]

Im gonna hazard a guess, and say no. The T5 bulb is about half inch in diameter. A regular floro is over an inch in diameter. I dont think it will work. And, seeing the fixture (mine has eight bulbs I think) commands a $300 price tag, they prolly wont go into a standard fixture.

 

[lordhighlama]

bummer