HLG 600 R-Spec vs Spider Farmer SF7000 LED Comparison

We are testing all of the LED lights that we sell on our website and in this blog we are comparing the HLG 600 R-Spec and Spider Farmer SF7000 lights. The Spider is the more expensive of the two lights with an MSRP of $999. We are retailing the HLG for $699 right now so this one is winning right out of the gate on price.

 

LED Specifications	HLG 600 R-Spec LED	Spider Farmer SF7000 LED
Wattage (Input Power)	600w	650w
Voltage Options	100-277v	100-277v
Efficiency umol/J [380-780nm]	2.55+	2.58
Total PPF intensity [380-780nm]	1,522	1,681
LED Diodes	Samsung Brand (USA): LM301H (White) + Deep Red	Seoul Brand (South Korea): White + Blue + Red
Amps	5.1 @ 120v | 2.5 @ 240v | 2.17 @ 277v	5.4 @ 120v | 2.6 @ 240v | 2.26 @ 277v
Mounting Height	28" - 36" From Canopy, 48" for veg	12" - 30" From Canopy
Coverage Footprint Veg	Up to 7' x 7'	Up to 6' x 6'
Coverage Footprint Flower	Up to 5' x 5'	Up to 5' x 5'
Length	26" (66 cm)	29" (82.3 cm)
Width	21.5" (54.6 cm)	22" (55.8 cm)
Height	2.75" (7 cm)	4" (10.3 cm)
Weight	23 lbs	28.3 lbs
Warranty	3 years	3 years
Controllable	No	Daisy Chain Dimming (15)
DLC Listed for energy rebates?	Yes	Yes
IP Rating	None Given, Waterproofing	None Given, Waterproofing
UV and/or IR spectra?	No	No
Dimming	Yes, Manual or 0-10v	Yes
Cooling	Passive	Passive

 

Discussion: The HLG 600 R-Spec and Spider Farmer SF7000 LEDs incorporate very similar designs and compete with one another directly. While many of the specifications are very similar there are a few which vary significantly.

Of particular importance are the brand and quality of LED diodes used by each model. The HLG utilizes Samsung brand LM301H (White) and Deep Red diodes both of which have very impressive PAR efficiencies equal to (3.1 umols/J) and (3.12 umols/J). The Spider Farmer utilizes Seoul White, Blue and Red diodes which are of high quality and made in South Korea. The addition of blue diodes also produces a spectrum that's less ideal for reproductive (bloom) growth as discussed in Spectrum Differences below.

The Samsung LM301H is claimed to have the world's best PAR efficiency and all their horticultural LED diodes only incorporate the highest quality components so the HLG fixture is more likely to stand the test of time.

The Spider Farmer has a couple advantages over the HLG including the ability to control dimmability of up to 15 fixtures daisy-chained together. Also appears to have the ability to be mounted closer to the crop's canopy without affecting PAR distribution as significantly.

Spectrum Differences

The spectrums produced by the HLG and Spider Farmers LED lights between 380-780nm are shown in the first graphic below, along with the absorption spectrums for chlorophyll and carotenoids:

HLG 600 R-Spec vs Spider Farmer SF7000 LEDsLED PAR Spectrum Comparison

Below, a second graphic includes additional LED spectrums from the well established brands Growers Choice and Fluence, to be used for direct comparison:

 

Discussion: (GRAPHIC #1) A significant difference between the spectrums of the HLG and Spider Farmer LEDs are clearly observed, with the HLG producing greater levels of Red (1.0 vs 0.65) & Deep Red (0.95 vs 0.5) over the Spider Farmer which produces greater levels of Blue (1.0 vs 0.8).

Generally, greater levels of Red (600nm) & Deep Red (660nm) light are utilized during the reproductive phase while greater levels of Blue (450nm) light are utilized during vegetative growth. However, both wavelengths are useful for flower production, with red improving flower yield and blue improving flower resin content. Overall, the HLG LED incorporates a more useful spectrum incorporating relatively high intensities of both red and blue wavelengths.

(GRAPHIC #2) Here we see that the HLG spectrum conforms to those produced by the Growers Choice and Fluence LEDs far more closely than the Spider Farmer LED.

This is because an ideal full spectrum LED should produce a greater red + deep red intensity in order to promote more effective reproductive yield during the blooming stage of crop development - when the DLI (Daily Light Integral) is shortest at only (12-hrs).

With a relative intensity of (0.8) in the blue spectrum, the HLG 600 R-Spec LED should have no problem generating heavy resin content. The SF7000 on the other hand may have trouble generating yields similar to the HLG with the lower relative intensity of red and deep red spectrums.

PAR Grid Chart Differences

Take a look at the PAR grid charts below. The PAR efficiency data for the HLG LED light is provided in the first graphic and was tested/verified by GrowersHouse experts over a 5' x 5' grow area at a height of 30". The Spider Farmer LED light data was sourced from the supplier and claims to be collected using a 5' x 5' grow area and height of 22":

HLG 600 R-Spec PAR ChartSpider Farmer SF7000 PAR Chart

 

Discussion: Comparing these two PPFD charts is not ideal since the Spider Farmer chart is outsourced, the test criteria/parameters are unknown and the charts display data collected from different heights.

That being said, according to this data the Spider Farmer LED produces better PAR uniformity than the HLG when mounted closer to the crop's canopy.

HLG 600 R-Spec vs. Spider Farmer SF7000 Cost Comparison

	HLG 600 R-Spec LED	Spider Farmer SF7000 LED
Estimated Fixture Cost	$700	$800
Adapter for Controller	N/A	N/A
Controller	No	No
Cost to run per month @ $0.13 per kWh (US average)(12-16 hr DLI)	$28.08 (12-hr DLI) – $37.44 (16-hr DLI) @ 600w	$30.42 (12-hr DLI) – $40.56 (16-hr DLI) @ 650w

 

Discussion: The HLG 600 R-Spec LED light is a more ideal selection when it comes to cost since the fixture is 12.5% cheaper. While the HLG LED has a lower running cost, it's at the expense of a slightly lower PAR intensity.

How to save money on these LEDs?

Start by making the right choice between the two! The HLG 600 R-Spec only costs $699 and the Spider Farmer costs $999, so even when the Spider Farmer is discounted to $800 the HLG is still cheaper. If you want to save money even further, sign up for our email list and we will let you know when we are discounting the R-Spec on our site!

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