Galaxy select a watt 400w/600w Ballast vs Lumatek 400w/600w dimmable Ballast?

James! said:
Hello all :)

I am currently in the market for a digital ballast (That you can change the wattage) :) and i have been looking at these two ballast's...

http://www.growlightexpress.com/gro...alaxy-select-a-watt-400-600-ballast-1307.html

http://www.growlightexpress.com/gro...13/lumatek-400-600-watt-240v-dimmable-36.html

What are your guys views on these :) or do you have anything better to suggest :p

Thanks :)

James :)
Click to expand...

I would go with the lumatek the galaxy and the lumatek are the same just different color and different hood plug in.
Thats the only difference lumatek is 10 dollers cheaper spend that on a bottle of flowering nutes Both have the same warranty also so cheaper would be the way to go
 
i like galaxy over lumatek.. not a fan of lumatek for the most part... galaxy has a great name and product.. phantoms are quality as well..

i have a quantum and it runs great and never had an issue with it..
 
racerboy71 said:
i like galaxy over lumatek.. not a fan of lumatek for the most part... galaxy has a great name and product.. phantoms are quality as well..

i have a quantum and it runs great and never had an issue with it..[/QUOTE
Really they are all great ballast to be honest i have a quantum also but prefer the hydrotek ballast more
Solt my last hydrotek and bought a quantum even the junk sounding name ballasts run great for atleast
a few years
Click to expand...
 
full of purple said:
racerboy71 said:
i like galaxy over lumatek.. not a fan of lumatek for the most part... galaxy has a great name and product.. phantoms are quality as well..

i have a quantum and it runs great and never had an issue with it..[/QUOTE
Really they are all great ballast to be honest i have a quantum also but prefer the hydrotek ballast more
Solt my last hydrotek and bought a quantum even the junk sounding name ballasts run great for atleast
a few years
Click to expand...

never have heard of a hydrotek m8..
i was just looking at the new hortilux ballasts that are pretty new, and they look pretty nice imo.. pricey as balls, and i never like to be the one who runs out and buys a product as soon as it hits the market as you usually end up paying out the nose, and sometimes the first few models still have a few bugs that need to be worked out ime..
Click to expand...
 
Yea definetly check out the hydroteks they are not as common but have a great warranty and fuction just as
good as any other digital ballast out there even has a fan like the quantum but the hydrotek is built more heavy
duty and has a super lumens switch for 60 extra watts
 
I also use the Quantum ballasts in 600's and 1000's and never had any issues with them. I tried the lumatek and had problems with it and my local store swapped it for a quantum. Whatever one you go with you might want to run the bulbs that the ballast maker recommends. I called Quantum when I had a ballast problem with my Badboy T5's and while talking to them the sales rep said if I also used their h.i.d ballast they work best with Ushio bulbs but that wasn't a issue for me because I've been using Ushio for many years. All quantum's have a 3 year warranty and they stand behind them well and even had my local shop give me a loaner while mine is being repaired
 
i bought the galaxy over the lumatek in the 1000, I can fire a 400, 600, or 1000w bulb. The lumatek went down 750-600w. I'm more interested in firing the right bulb than dimming down my expensive ushios. I own a handful of lumatek 600's, a galaxy 1000 and a generic 600. honestly I'de be surprized if they didn;t all come out of the same factory. I know the digitals that are sold by the big distributors: Lumatek, Galaxy, Phantom all have very good warranty exchange programs available at their dealers. digitals do go down more than core and coil, so I would buy a brand that offers a good warranty and has a well stocked dealer in your area that is service oriented.

I had a lumatek 600 that I bought used for 60 bucks go down and had a brand new replacement the same day at my dealer. The replacement is a new dimmable and has a new 5yr warranty. The service offered more than made up for the failure considering what I had in it.
 
Thanks guys :)... It looks like no matter what ballast I get its gonna be atleast good enough :)... I want to go for the Galaxy, as I have heard that the lumatek has reliability issues... I want a Ballast that can fire 400w and 600w.. :)... I'm still just unsure... If anyone has pics of their setup, please share :)... Now just need to find a good air cooled refector (A XL one), any suggestions :)

Thanks :)

James!
 
I've had a 600w lumatek for a few days now, I find it nice being able to dim my 600w hps as low as 350w and as high as 660w with super lumens she gets warm after being on 16 hours but not HOT and at 350/400w shes cool as ice. Im growing in a closet atm so i got my light @ 400w ambient tempeture outside 68 F inside closet 75 F max 80 F @ 600w note i have no 'real' exaust. my closet is 5x2x8 but I only using half because i got some boxes in the closet :) Ballast is like 6 feet away from the lamp hood. Good luck buddy:bigjoint:
Pics:
http://i.imgur.com/qINAj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/sWSAg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2OPfv.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WqRPe.jpg
 
Thanks for the pics man :), I'm still stuck on the fence between the galaxy and the lumitek :( which one is more reliable, or which one do you prefer and why ?? :)

Thanks :)

James!
 
six of one half dozed of the other. If your favorite shop stocks and supports one brand over the other I would go with that brand. Local service is what will make the difference IMHO.

They're all so close in spec and quality. I would venture to guess there are only a couple of factories that all of these brands came out of.

A 5 year warranty is great from a mail order place but it's even better when you can swap it out at a dealer the same day.

I exchanged a failed lumatek 600 I bought used for 60 bucks for a brand new one from a solid stocking hydrofarm dealer. No receipt, no questions Based on the date code only. I would absolutely buy another lumatek from them based on that experience. That said, I know I will get the same service from the Sunlight Supply shop in town where I bought my Galaxy which I like better.
 
Thanks :), just my only problem is I don't have a local dealer here that sells any half decent ballast (I have to buy from over seas) :( so I am looking for one that will last forever :) and ever :)... I might be buying from England, so lumitek is the way to go, right? :)

Thanks :)

James!
 
James! said:
Thanks for the pics man :), I'm still stuck on the fence between the galaxy and the lumitek :( which one is more reliable, or which one do you prefer and why ?? :)

Thanks :)

James!
Click to expand...

FWIW, I use Galaxies and Quantums, because they accept SS corsets without adapters. If I ran Hydrofarm cordsets, I'd use Lumatecs. As you're planning on a SS reflector ....

James! said:
Thanks :smile:, just my only problem is I don't have a local dealer here that sells any half decent ballast (I have to buy from over seas) :sad: so I am looking for one that will last forever :smile: and ever :smile:... I might be buying from England, so lumitek is the way to go, right? :smile:

Thanks :smile:

James!
Click to expand...

That's not necessarily a realistic expectation.

Simon
 
The Forver part was a joke :) People know that you want em to last a way past the warranty or at least up till the warranty :).... SS being? (Sunlight supply?)

Thanks :)

James!
 
SimonD said:
FWIW, I use Galaxies and Quantums, because they accept SS corsets without adapters. If I ran Hydrofarm cordsets, I'd use Lumatecs. As you're planning on a SS reflector ....



Simon
Click to expand...
If by SS you mean Sunlight Supply/Sun system Im positive lumatek accepts SS plugs. Lumatek is made by Sunlight Supply so it'd be weird if u had to use an adapter to use a SS on a lumatek I got a SS reflector which i run on the lumatek;)
 
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