Are you considering a Spider Farmer LED grow light? You landed at the right place because I bought a Spider Farmer grow light and tested it myself.
Keep reading to find out which one you need for your grow space, and other helpful information.
Spider Farmer grow lights offer a great bang for your buck when it comes to growing cannabis. Read below for the coverage details and other features of each model.
Sizes & Design:
(click to enlarge)There are four sizes of Spider Farmer grow light available – The SF-1000 which flowers 2×2 feet, the SF-2000 which flowers 2×4 feet, the SF-4000 which flowers 4×4 feet, and the SF-7000 which flowers 5×5 feet. You can read the specifics about each model below, as well as how they compare to other brands like Mars Hydro. If you prefer a bar style grow light to the flat quantum boards, you should read about Spider Farmer’s new SE series here.
SF-1000:
Features:
It uses Samsung LED diodes, and emits a full spectrum including infrared light. All Spider Farmer grow lights will grow your plants from seedling to harvest.
The current version of these grow lights come with a dimmer knob and daisy chain capability. The first generation did not feature daisy chain, and the dimmer needed to be adjusted from underneath the driver.
SF-1000 Coverage Area:
Based on the numbers Spider Farmer provides, The SF 1000 hanging from 18″ is enough to hit that moderate yield threshold across a 2×2 foot space:
The Spider Farmer SF-1000 flowers a 2×2 foot area, or 3×3 foot area during the vegetative phase of growth. Based on the intensity readings provided by Spider Farmer, you should be able to get medium to maximum yield for one cannabis plant (2×2 foot space) with the SF-1000.
If you want to learn about how light intensity affects cannabis plants, read my full article here.
True Wattage:
The SF-1000 uses 100 watts from the outlet, despite the 1000 number in the name. Compared to other similar LED grow lights for 2×2 feet, this is a little bit lower. Other grow lights go up to 150 watts. The power efficiency is similar to other grow lights.
Click Here to View or Buy the Spider Farmer SF-1000 on Amazon
SF-2000:
Features:
It uses Samsung LED diodes, and emits a full spectrum including infrared light. All Spider Farmer grow lights will grow your plants from seedling to harvest.
The current version of these grow lights come with a dimmer knob and daisy chain capability. The first generation did not feature daisy chain, and the dimmer needed to be adjusted from underneath the driver.
SF-2000 Coverage Area:
The Spider Farmer SF-2000 flowers a 2×4 foot area, or 3×4 foot area during the vegetative phase of growth. Based on the intensity readings provided by Spider Farmer, you should be able to get medium to maximum yield for two cannabis plants (2×4 foot space) with the SF-2000.
If you want to learn about how light intensity affects cannabis plants, read my full article here.
True Wattage:
The SF-2000 uses 200 watts from the outlet, despite the 2000 number in the name. Compared to other similar LED grow lights for 2×2 feet, this is a little bit lower. Other grow lights go up to 300 watts. The power efficiency is similar to other grow lights.
Click Here to View or Buy the Spider Farmer SF-2000 on Amazon
SF-4000:
Features:
It uses Samsung LED diodes, and emits a full spectrum including infrared light. All Spider Farmer grow lights will grow your plants from seedling to harvest.
The current version of these grow lights come with a dimmer knob and daisy chain capability. The first generation did not feature daisy chain, and the dimmer needed to be adjusted from underneath the driver.
SF-4000 Coverage Area:
The Spider Farmer SF-4000 flowers a 4×4 foot area, or 5×5 foot area during the vegetative phase of growth. Based on the intensity readings provided by Spider Farmer, you should be able to get medium to maximum yield for four cannabis plants (4×4 foot space) with the SF-4000.
If you want to learn about how light intensity affects cannabis plants, read my full article here.
Definitely nice performance for a grow light of this size and price. But if you’re looking for an industrial grow light or a stronger grow light that will flower 5×5 feet and veg 7×7 feet, The HLG 650R would be an ideal match for your growing needs.
True Wattage:
The SF-4000 uses 450 watts from the outlet, despite the 4000 number in the name. Compared to other similar LED grow lights for 4×4 feet, this is similar wattage with other standard 4×4 foot coverage grow lights. The power efficiency is also similar to other 4×4 foot coverage grow lights.
Click Here to View or Buy the Spider Farmer SF-4000 on Amazon
SF-7000:
Features:
The Spider Farmer SF-7000 is the highest powered Spider Farmer grow light available. It uses 1,716 LEDs at up to 650 watts of power to flower up to 5×5 feet, and up to 6×6 feet for vegetative phase growth.
Like the lower powered Spider Farmer models, the SF 7000 has a dimming knob and two daisy chain ports so you can connect multiple lights instead of plugging several lights into one outlet.
The SF-7000 also has several different features from the lower powered Spider Farmer grow light models.
Inventronics Driver:
Spider Farmer chose to use an Inventronics driver to power this 650 watt model. Inventronics is a well known high quality alternative to MeanWell.
Extended Power Cord & Detachable Driver:
There is an 8 foot power cord attached to the driver, which is detachable from the grow light so you can keep the driver outside your grow tent to keep temperatures down.
This detachable driver feature is unique to the SF-7000 and a big benefit for growers who struggle with high temperatures.
Seoul Semi Diodes, Plus Infrared and Ultraviolet Diodes:
Spider Farmer has moved away from Samsung diodes in this model and chose Seoul Semiconductor diodes. The spectrum of 2800K – 3000K, 4800K – 5000K are what you would want for plant growth, although I haven’t been able to find out much about the quality of Seoul Semi LEDs. It’s a very large company so hopefully the product is high quality.
The SF-7000 also includes infrared and ultraviolet LED diodes which are beneficial for cannabis plants. These extra diodes are not commonly included on many grow lights, adding extra value to the SF-7000.
Folding Light Board:
Although not really functional for growing plants, the SF-7000 is able to fold in half for easy storage.
SF-7000 Coverage Area:
(click to enlarge)As mentioned earlier the light is strong enough to flower 5×5 feet. You can see the impressive strength of this light in the image above, where it’s hanging at 22 inches above the canopy.
True Wattage:
The SF-7000 uses 650 watts from the outlet, despite the 7000 number in the name. Compared to other similar LED grow lights for 5×5 feet, the SF-7000 has the same wattage as the HLG 650R, and slightly more than the HLG 600, both of those grow lights cover a similar sized area. The power efficiency is also similar to other 5×5 foot coverage grow lights.
Click Here To View Or Buy The Spider Farmer SF-7000 On Amazon.com
Other information about Spider Farmer Grow Lights:
Spider Farmer grow lights are a modern quantum board design. If you don’t know what quantum board grow lights are yet, there are a few features that distinguish them from more traditionally designed grow lights:
Energy Efficient
These grow lights are more energy efficient than traditional LED grow lights. That’s partially due to the fact they don’t use cooling fans. Another reason is the LEDs they used in these designs are newer versions of diodes compared to grow lights that were designed years earlier but are still for sale today.
Spider Farmer’s 2.9 micromoles per Joule is at the very high end of efficiency compared to most other grow lights that typically fall between 1.5 and 2.4 uMol/Joule.
Fanless design
Quantum board LED grow lights are designed to dissipate heat efficiently, and therefore don’t utilize cooling fans. With that said, tests of quantum board grow lights like Spider Farmer grow lights have shown that they still generate heat.
During the winter months when your room is colder, the moderate heat coming from the Spider Farmer grow light may help maintain temperatures in your grow space. But during the summer months you may choose to use a space fan or take other measures to lower the temperature of your grow tent.
Uniform Light Coverage:
The uniform light coverage is perhaps the best characteristic of Spider Farmer grow lights and other quantum board grow lights. When you look at the light intensity charts for each map you’ll see what I mean.
You’ll note the light intensity hardly fades at all on the Spider Farmer compared to the older boxy purple LED grow lights.
This is important because you ideally want your whole canopy covered in usable light. This way the side branches have a chance of growing sizeable buds or fruits instead of only the stems under the center of the light.
Spider Farmer Hang Height Information:
*All heights at 100% Power* | SF-1000 | SF-2000 | SF-4000 | SF-7000 |
Seedlings | 28 in. | 30 in. | 30-32 in. | 48 in |
Vegetative | 16-18 in. | 24 in. | 26-28 in. | 36 in |
Flowering | 10-12 in. | 16-18 in. | 18 in. | 30 in |
For more information on proper hang height, read my full article about Grow Light Hang Heights.
Light Spectrum Information:
The spectrum included with Spider Farmer lights is exactly what you want and need for growing cannabis, or other types of plants. It consists of 3000K white, 5000K white, 660nm Red, and 760nm Infrared diodes. All together they make up a nice full spectrum white light.
Dimming and Daisy Chain
First generation Spider Farmer grow lights feature a dimmable Mean Well driver. The dimmer on the older models is located on the underside of the driver. You need to unscrew the Mean Well driver from the LED board so you can access the under side of the driver where the dimmer is located.
The newer models feature an easy dimming knob. They also feature a daisy chain which allows you to plug the grow light’s power cord into a slot on the dimmer module of another Spider Farmer grow light, instead of running multiple power cords to a single outlet.
This can be a big convenience if you have a large grow space and you’re using multiple grow lights. It also enables use of the SF-4000 in industrial grows.
Full Specifications Table:
Click Here | Click Here | Click Here |
Owner Comments and Warranty Info:
All in all people who own Spider Farmer grow lights seem to like them, myself included. The lights have solid reviews on Amazon, and they’ve generated good commentary in the forums I’ve visited.
One owner said the node spacing on their plants is like something out of science fiction. The nodes are super close and it’s amazing to see. Believe it or not this person said they like the way their plants grow under the SF 1000 more than the way they grow under his 600 watt HPS light.
Another person said his SF 4000 is nothing short of impressive right out of the box, and a great light for any indoor gardener.
Regardless of whether you’re in the market for a low cost light, or a professional grade light for a larger space, Spider Farmer has a nice lineup from the affordable SF 1000 to the serious SF 4000.
All Spider Farmer grow lights come with a 3 year warranty with local service centers in the US, CA, UK, and DE, as well as an unconditional 30 day money back guarantee. If you think Spider Farmer grow light could be right for you, check them out!
Personal Spider Farmer Review:
Below is the SF-2000 that I bought. Right out of the box this light looks and feels like it’s worth its weight. The metal frame is very sturdy.
I turned the light on and I was almost blinded. The picture doesn’t do it justice because my camera dims the image when it’s too bright.
Mine came with a handy measuring tape so you can accurately measure the distance between your light and your plants. It also comes with a hanging kit.
The light does make some heat like all others do. It’s manageable if you have the right fan setup and you know how to keep your grow tent temperatures under control.
For the price, this light offers a good bang for the buck with the yield you can get out of it. Check out some of the yield picutres below.
Spider Farmer Grow Light Test Videos:
This is the SF 2000 model, all in all a very solid light for a decent price. The SF-1000 is half this size, and the SF-4000 is double this size.
Spider Farmer Yields:
Spider Farmer vs Other Grow Lights:
The main competition for Spider Farmer LED grow lights are the Mars Hydro TS Series and the HLG series from Horticulture Lighting Group. There are other grow lights on the market that perform just as well, but are priced considerably higher, so I’ll discuss the two closest competitors.
Difference between Spider Farmer SF Series and Spider Farmer SE Series Grow Lights:
If you’re considering one of these grow lights you may be considering the other style of grow light from Spider Farmer as well – the SE Series grow light, which is a bar style grow light.
The bar design spreads the light more evenly across the canopy compared to the more compact square design seen on grow lights like the SF series. Don’t get me wrong, the SF Series will perform great in your grow tent, the Spider Farmer SE Series are just another of many options available to home growers.
The Spider Farmer SE Series are currently offered in three sizes – the SE-3000, SE-5000 and SE-7000. The power output is 300 watts, 480 watts, and 650 watts respectively. You can read more about the Spider Farmer SE Series grow lights by clicking here to read my full post about them.
Aside from the design, Spider Farmer didn’t previously offer a square 300 watt model designed for 3×3 feet of coverage. Now there’s the SE-3000. They said the SF-2000 was good for 3×3 but I owned that light and I think it was good for 2×4 feet. The SE-5000 offers a 30 watt power jump from the SF-4000 which is also designed for 4×4 feet of coverage. The SE-7000 offers the same 650 watts as the comparable SF-7000.
Spider Farmer vs Mars Hydro:
What sets the Spider Farmer grow lights apart from Mars Hydro TS Series grow lights is the brand of LEDs and a slight difference in color temperature used in the light spectrum. I’ll break that down below.
The Mars Hydro TS series grow lights use Epistar brand LEDs and Mean Well driver. Mars Hydro also uses a slightly different color temperatures in the white spectrum.
Spider Farmer grow lights use top shelf Samsung LM301B diodes, as well as industry standard Mean Well drivers. Both lights have received solid reviews, so it’s up to you to decide if the price difference is worth it.
So are the Epistar LEDs any good compared to Samsung? Yes definitely. They produce a similar light intensity to Samsung, and a similar efficiency. Epistar is a leading LED manufacturer, they just happen to be sell LEDs at a lower price than Samsung.
The main difference is the brand name premium on Samsung LEDs, which I don’t think justifies a more expensive light. There’s also a negligible difference in LED spectrum color temperature.
For that difference, the Mars Hydro TS Series grow lights are priced lower than Spider Farmer.
Spider Farmer vs HLG Grow Lights:
Spider Farmer grow lights are pretty close to HLG in quality. Both grow light series use Samsung diodes and Mean Well drivers. There’s a difference in light spectrum because HLG only uses one white color temperature of 3000K or 4000K where the Spider Farmer grow lights use a mixture.
HLG is American made, so that factors into their slightly higher cost. But HLG actually offers a wider variety of models, including DIY kits that help their prices compete a lot better with similar brands. Spider Farmer only offers three pre-assembled options at the moment.
When you get to the larger sized models, the largest Spider Farmer grow light model (SF-4000) doesn’t compare well to the large HLG grow lights – the HLG 600 and 650R. The SF-4000 uses 450 watts and flowers 4×4 feet, while the HLG 600 and 650R flower 5×5 feet.
The Spider Farmer SF-2000 is priced more attractive than the HLG 350R, but it also uses less power (200 watts vs 330 watts) and covers less grow space. The SF-2000 is best suited for 2×4 feet, while the HLG 350R will flower 3×5 feet, and veg slightly larger.
Spider Farmer vs Any Other Grow Light:
Whether you’re considering a Spider Farmer grow light or another brand, it’s important to consider a couple of things about grow lights that’ll help you make the best decision.
The light intensity is directly correlated to the growth of your plants. If you’re tempted to buy a less expensive model be sure to keep that in mind.
The design of the grow light also plays an important role. A boxy purple LED grow light is an older desgin that isn’t as good at spreading light, and the purple light is not as good as the white light.
Some more expensive grow lights like the Scynce Raging Kush have special optical lenses that allow you to hang the light close to the plant while maintaining strong light intensity. The bar design grow lights are also good at spreading light uniformly across the canopy.
Click Here To View Or Buy Spider Farmer Grow Lights
FAQ:
Is Spider Farmer a good grow light?
Spider Farmer grow lights feature modern design, efficient power consumption, and strong light intensity, making them a strong choice for indoor growing.
Are Spider Farmer grow lights a good price?
Spider Farmer grow lights are not the cheapest grow lights, but they’re priced very competitively considering what they offer. Spider Farmer grow lights are priced fairly.
Are Spider Farmer grow lights strong enough to grow cannabis?
The Spider Farmer SF-600 is not strong enough, but the SF-1000 and SF-2000 will grow a moderate cannabis yield while the SF-4000 model will grow close to the maximum yield.
What’s the difference between Spider Farmer grow lights and Mars Hydro grow lights?
Spider Farmer grow lights are slightly more expensive because they use name Samsung LEDs and Mean Well drivers compared to Mars Hydro which uses unbranded LEDs and drivers.
What’s the difference between Spider Farmer grow lights and HLG grow lights?
Spider Farmer uses the same brand LEDs and driver as HLG. Spider farmer grow lights are priced lower than HLG grow lights. Horticulture lighting group offers a larger selection of grow light models and DIY kits.
Whats the difference between the Spider Farmer SF 4000 and Mars Hydro TS 3000?
The Spider Farmer SF 4000 uses Samsung LEDs and is priced slightly higher, while the Mars Hydro TS 3000 uses Epistar LEDs and is priced slightly lower. Both lights consume 450 watts of power. Both grow lights flower 4×4 feet of space. Both perform well and I’ve personally spoken to satisfied owners of each grow light.
Whats the difference between the Spider Farmer SF 1000 and Mars Hydro TS 1000?
The Spider Farmer SF 1000 uses Samsung LEDs and is priced slightly higher, while the Mars Hydro TS 1000 uses Epistar LEDs and is priced slightly lower. The TS-1000 is stronger as it consumes 150 watts of power, while the SF 1000 consumes only 100 watts of power. Both grow lights flower 2×2 feet of space. Both perform well and I’ve personally spoken to satisfied owners of each grow light. Due to the difference in power I would prefer the TS-1000.
References: