T-5, T-8, T-12....Whats the difference?

UTurn

Well-Known Member
Hey guys, getting ready to go out and get a fluorescent system for some vegging and was wondering what the difference between the T-5, T-8, and T-12's were, anyone know?
 

KP2

Well-Known Member
the size of the bulb; the smaller the number, the smaller the diameter of the tube.
 

chazel

Well-Known Member
do believe its to do with the pin/fitting -can be on both ends , or 1 , 1 pin , 2 pins - differeng spaces etc. alsong as the lamp and the fixture are the same u should be all good dude . . .
maybe take some time to see which of those has the best range of grow lights tho
 

UTurn

Well-Known Member
Hey guys, getting ready to go out and get a fluorescent system for some vegging and was wondering what the difference between the T-5, T-8, and T-12's were, anyone know?
Also anyone have any suggestions for a T-5 setup with 4 bulbs? If not I'm just gonna head to lowe's or home depot and get my own going.
 

abomb

Well-Known Member
Get T5 lighting I have one for my veg room Its a 4 footer with 4 lamps cost me 175 bucks then I use a 600watt hps for flower! T5 is the better of the ones you listed more light spectrum for veg growth. Hope that helps
 

abomb

Well-Known Member
They have really good prices if you have a local hydro store print the prices from that site and ask them to match it cause most store fronts will charge a lot more then you have some bargaining power plus its safer to pay cash at a store.
 

robotninja

Well-Known Member
Save your money and get a 2x Light T-8 Fixture from home depot. Also get T-8 Cool White bulbs for veg/clone.

T-12's use too much electricity, you'll save money on your electric bill with the T-8's.

T-5's would ultimately be the best, but I can't justify spending 250$ on a flouro light fixture, that's just me.
 

abomb

Well-Known Member
You can get them for $175 not bad price concidering what you get but I agree with you if $175 is out of your price range.
 

UTurn

Well-Known Member
They have really good prices if you have a local hydro store print the prices from that site and ask them to match it cause most store fronts will charge a lot more then you have some bargaining power plus its safer to pay cash at a store.
thanks alot abomb and robot, whats your opinion on vegging spectrum, 4100 or 6500k?
 

chazel

Well-Known Member
thats the 1 , at first i knew them by the numbers but while browsing they are always listed as cool and warm white everywhere i look so i got a bit miffed , shoulda just looked in the bible.
i heard better yeilds when both are there for flower , someone else mind confirming that ?
 

stoverdro

Well-Known Member
I got a couple different t5s and like i love my 8 bulb one. It was around 200 and some bucks i think but like you can turn on either 4 or all 8 on and its super fucking bright. they say it puts out like 40000 lumens or some shit like that. all i know is its 4 inches over my plants and they fucking love the thing and are just blowing up like crazy man. So def get a t5 and i got a 2bulb 4 footer one that was less than 200 bucks more like 125 or 150. Check ebay they have a ton of shit or just google it in the shopping section and they will show you some pics with the price on the right and its the best way to get and idea of what exactlly you want ya know.
 

chazel

Well-Known Member
appreciate that mate - kinda responses i needed - gonna go for 4 2 footers of each, unless i see a pack of 8 full specs for cheaper of course , luckily i already hav a pile of t8 fittings . . .
now to get them running off the 1 starter . . . .
 

Landragon

Well-Known Member
Understand there are T5 and T5HO. and they are different beasts.

T5 use 7 watts per linear foot and T5HO use 12-16. They are both 5/8" diameter and use different pin spacing from T8 or T12 and will not fit in those fixtures. T5 offer efficiency gains over T8-T12 and the ability to use a very effcient reflector. They are usually available at Lowes or HD. T5HO are like night and day compared to T5,8,12. Whenat he'd to a good reflector they are on par with MH. They are not available at those stores.

T5HO are available in many spectrums and a fixture with 4 or more bulbs can be fine tuned for the specific phase of the life cycle. They are available in 2', 3', 4', and 5' lengths @ 24, 39, 54, and 80 watts respectivley. If rigging up bulbs yourself, reflectors can be purchased online or locally at saltwater fish stores.
 

chazel

Well-Known Member
yeh , shit thing bein im already stuck with the t8 fittings . . so i think ill just grab 8 of them and see how it goes , im sure tehy will be happier with the extra light whatevr the case n this still being my first try its not like im gonna go mental at the fact the buds are all airy compared to last time.
while browsing for bulbs tho i seen the t5ho's look pretty monsterous , happy to have an improving plan for the future . . maybe even see about a couple more to have dedicated to the moms n veg space.
in the middle of tryin 2 plan out which way id want to wire em , and yeh gonna buy sum extra reflectors coz the 1s on the fittings are like stickers and are smudged to shit , and dont seem to clean . . hmmm
 
Top