Just like the post says, I'm looking to upgrade from my MH TS 1000. I have 2.3'x2.3' tent and just over 5' height. I've been eyeing the MH FCE 3000 and ChilLed Growcraft X3 Mini (less wattage but similar efficacy). Hoping to spend less then $300. I know AC infinity has also released some lights as well.
All thoughts and opinions are welcome.
I was looking at the AC Infinity lights today. AC Infinity is moving aggressively into the small/home grower market. I've watched their product mix change over the past year and they're coming up with some innovative ideas. Their lights are on "the value end of the scale." I checked out their PPFD map and took a glimpse at the spectrum and that was enough.
MH is better product than Infinity. The infinity products have an advantage of working with their controllers but, looking over the product line, I see a lot more emphasis on design and marketing than on engineering. Bose comes to mind. Infinity also has a lot of products in "beta" (there's no such thing as "beta" in manufacturing - "beta" is a software term with a specific meaning that has no analog manufacturing) and that's one of the things that pushes me to believe that they are more design and marketing than engineering.
I've got an SP 3000 and I think it's a very good product for the price. I don't know about the FC/E line but the SP 3000 is a strong competitor against the X3 from Chilled. I've got one of those, too (I got it for just under $450 when it was on sale last summer so I couldn't say "no"). The Chilled products are in another price band and every aspect of the X3 is higher quality than the SP 3000. That's important because the X3 is almost double the price of the SP 3000.
If you've got a hard price ceiling, I'd go with the Mars. Their products are vastly improved compared to where they were 3 or 5 years ago and I think they're an excellent value today.
One other thing you might want to look into - ppfdcharts.com. The Micro Array is really something. I think it's to most uniform of any light reviewed on that site and it's well priced.
Just for G&G, check out the new X6 mini from Chilled. It's spendy but the PPFD map is a thing of beauty.
