Spider Farmer SF-1000 Quantum LED Grow Light
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Spider Farmer SF-1000
(LED Grow Light)
Product Review

Modern LED grow lights are so efficient that you can use them to replace older, higher wattage LEDs from just a few years back. The first generation of this quantum styled LED has outperformed my expensive LED which consumes TWICE the power.

More polished than many competitors. No need to assemble. The SF-1000's aluminum board is thick and sturdy. But it gets hot to the touch, so be careful. The hard protective coating reduces risk from splashes. The driver is solidly fixed in place, resulting a solid unit.

Two years after the initial release, Spider Farmer revised their SF1000 for the third time, making several enhancements. It offers an external dimming box. The coating has been improved. And the diode layout is completely refreshed. Originally the luminaire only had 218 individual diodes. But this latest generation now has 270 diodes, which means less power being pushed into each diode. However, Spider Farmer secretly dropped the SAMSUNG LM301B diodes, without actually updating their listing!

PRODUCT SPECS:
• Diode Brand: Unknown
• Driver: Mean Well XLG-100-H-AB
• Daisy Chain Dimmer Box
• Power Draw: 100W (92W actual)
• PPE (400-700nm): 2.41 umol/J
• Photon Efficacy (380-780nm): 2.50 umol/J
• Total PPF (400-700nm): 221.5 umol/s
• Photon Flux (380-780nm): 230 umol/s
• Spectrum: 3000K, 5000K, 660nm, 760nm
• Coverage: 3 ft x 3 ft Vege / 2 ft x 2 ft Bloom
• Distance: 12" - 24" from Plant Canopy

Spectrum Test Report

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Spider Farmer SF-1000 LED Samsung Diodes Full Spectrum Light
In 2021 Spider Farmer began phasing out the LM301B diodes from their SF-1000.


EFFICIENCY: No power is wasted on fans or inefficient drivers. The PPF efficacy is 2.41 micromoles per joule. For an entry-level, consumer-grade grow light, that's pretty good. A couple years ago LED manufacturers were excited to offer 2.0 or 2.2 ratings. NOTE: Originally Spider Farmer was claiming the PPE to be 2.7 umol/J. But that referred to the diodes, not the actual luminaire itself. Test reports showed the discrepancy and I've addressed it through Spider Farmer in an effort to correct the specs.

I've taken objective PAR readings to show how bright this new LED panel is. Measurements were taken with my Apogee SQ-520 quantum sensor. It gives more accurate readings when comparing custom LED spectrums. I saw strong consistent numbers at 24 inches. With an average PPFD of 375, running this light at a cycle of 18 hrs on / 6 hrs off would produce a DLI of 24.3.

Video: Spider Farmer SF-1000
Efficient LED Grow Light

Watch my original product review of the Spider Farmer SF-1000 LED!

IS THIS LED RIGHT FOR YOU?

APPLICATION: This is a good LED for a 3 ft x 3 ft area for vege growth or 2 ft x 2 ft area with fruiting plants. It's supposed to draw 100 watts, but the power drops to 92W as the unit warms up. This reduces the overall light output. This isn't the brightest "100W" light available, but it's one of the more efficient ones. I've used mine for vege growth (very large seedlings and also lettuce greens).

If you're growing high-end fruiting or blooming plants, it offers entry level performance in a 2 foot by 2 foot area. To be honest though, I'd recommend Atreum Lighting's HYDRA-1000 instead. NOTE: Spider Farmer offers a two panel and four panel version which would really get the job done for larger, high-end applications! Just stay away from the 1000D, which is a stripped budget model that doesn't perform as well.

UPGRADE TIME?: People often replace their older fluorescent plant lighting systems with LEDs because they use much less power and save in energy costs. This LED is so much more efficient than many other models that it could even replace older LED systems! I'd say you could replace a 200 watt model if it’s from 2016 or older.

In my grow room, the SF-1000 replaced an older UFO style LED which ran at the same wattage. The Spider Farmer LED has a more even light distribution at 24 inches. Same power draw, but WAY more light! See my PPFD chart for the numbers. And see my YT video for even more measurements!

IS IT A TRUE "QUANTUM BOARD"?

TERMINOLOGY NOTE: The term "Quantum Board" has been used colloquially for years in the LED community to describe a specific form factor of LEDs used in plant lighting. However Horticulture Lighting Group was the company that developed this specific terminology. In 2019 they received official recognition for the use of "Quantum Board" as their registered trademark. No other companies have any rights to used that term for their light.

The Spider Farmer SF-1000 is not an actual "Quantum Board." Rather, it is merely designed or styled with similar characteristics. By definition, the word quantum is simply describes "a large quantity" of hundreds of diodes per light fixture. Quantum styled panels have a large quantity of LEDs, spread out over a large area (in contrast with point sources such as COBs). In general, these types of LED designs offer amazing advantages in efficiency and they are well worth the investment!

#QuantumLEDs #IndoorGardening #ArtificialLighting #GrowYourOwn #LEDGrowLights

Buy the Spider Farmer SF-1000 LED Grow Light from Amazon.com || Promo Code: PEPPER19

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