Never liked the LED's...but, I haven't grown with them myself. Just have seen grows a friend has that he uses LED and HID's. There is just no comparison between the two.
The key to growing with LEDs is purchasing the highest quality LEDs made, purchasing them in adequate numbers and knowing how to use them to their maximum potential.
Most people who try LEDs look for super duper deals, the lowest prices, and they purchase too few of them and they do not use them in a way to maximize their potential. The results are those people tell everyone else that they tried LEDs and LEDs are not good but the real failure was how and what the person purchased in what numbers and how they used them.
While NASA does not grow cannabis, or at least if they do I am unaware of it, NASA has had tremendous results growing a variety of plants, both on earth and in space, using only LED lighting. To equal those results someone only has to emulate exactly what NASA has done, with some slight variations to deal with the height of cannabis plants, and if they do they would throw rocks at HID lighting and CFL lighting after that.
The most impressive grow thread I have ever followed was an all LED grow. It was very costly and it was very elaborate but the plants were more lush than any I have ever seen before and the production was beyond amazing.
All it takes is big bucks and big brains and the willingness to use as much of both as is needed.
If someone is incapable or unwilling to do that they should stick with HID lighting because if they do it and do not do it right they will be rather unhappy in the end.... that is unless they are used to and satisfied with poor results.
