I used to use a 150 hps when i strated out. Then a 400...now a 600. Im glad i did. You get a good learning curve that way. In the end we want alot of bud. So when you get to 600 that is the ideal home setup IMO. 1000w is hard to cool without ac. I get about 10 zips every harvest. When i had 150w i only got about 1 or 2 zips.