Mars Hydro TS and SP Series LED Grow Light Review

Like many other brands Mars Hydro also finally decided to launch its quantum board full-spectrum white LED grow lights. In total, they released two variants of these lights, one is the SP series, and the other one is the TS series. Although they’re somewhat similar, there are still a few differences that we’ll be discussing in detail as you read further.

The most noticeable similarity, however, is the fact that they both use a full spectrum of white LED lights that are like a mixture of crisp white and warm white lights. Additional red diodes are also present to supplement the white light. IR and UV lights are also covered in the SP series models.

The HLG Quantum board lights or the COB LEDs with their additional red diodes have a pretty similar spectrum as that of the TS and SP series’ mixture of lights. It is one of the most reliable products of Mars Hydro, and the spectrum is super useful for the plants.

Mars Hydro TS and SP Series 2020 Line Up

Mars Hydro SP Series Review

The following review will be mainly focused on the Mars Hydro SP 250, but since it’s pretty similar to the SP 150, then we are really covering them both except for a few minor differences.

Features

• 245 Watts Usage – Saves around 50% of your electricity bill spent over HID lights.
• As powerful as a 400 Watt HID system – still comparatively cheaper and easier to operate.
• Just the right spectrum for plants – this light is helpful in all kinds of growth stages, thanks to the broad range, along with the UV and IR lights.
• High efficiency – output is excellent compared to the power it uses (2.7μmol/J).
• Core coverage of 2 by 4 foot – even more extensive coverage for vegging, up to 3 by 5 feet.
• Epistar Diodes – might not be the best diodes, but they’re excellent and cost-effective.
• Driver is dimmable – the standard driver is fully dimmable and removable from the fixture so you can place it outside the grow tent to control the heat.
• Running rate of 50,000 hours – no need to change the lights for at least 4 to 5 years.
• Three-year warranty – along with a full money-back guarantee for 30 days.

Advantages

• The Mars Hydro SP Series comes with three distinct features, first is the color spectrum, second is the high output per watt consumed, and lastly, its low cost.
• First off, let’s talk about the spectrum. Initially, the industry used to use the purple colored spectrum in most of the lights, but now everyone’s moving more towards having at least some white diodes in their lights. Most of the lights have a higher amount of white lights, and some only have just white lights.
• We’re happy to say that Mars Hydro has also finally joined the ‘white light revolution.’ Mars Hydro makes use of the white SMD diodes by Epistar, giving them a lot of similarity to many other quantum board lights.
• The addition of IR and UV lights to the spectrum, however, has given Mars Hydro a competitive edge, where most other all-white LED lights don’t compare. The SP 250 also consists of red diodes, and the addition of those red diodes along with the IR and UV lights makes it pretty similar to some of the top quality COB lights.
• What most quantum board spectrum lights lack is the addition of UV and IR lights, and Mars Hydro brings all these things together along with the addition of the red light to make it stand out as one of the best LED grow lights on the market.
• The outcome it gives is a complete spectrum that is beneficial for all growth stages, and the presence of all these lights brings it very close to natural light.
• A dimmable Chinese driver, which is just a Meanwell rip-off, is used to drive the Epistar diodes. The Epistar diodes are operated at full power using 245 watts, which is super efficient and gives you an output matching that of a 400 watt HID system.
• For a two by 4-foot coverage area, you should hang the light at least 12 inches from the dead center during the bloom stage, to get a PPFD of 944 umol/m²/s.
• When the plant is in the vegetative stage, however, it is advised that you hang the light somewhere around 18 inches from the dead center so that it can easily get a PPFD of around 632 umol/m²/s.
• The light has a rectangular coverage area, and even then, for some reason, Mars took measurements for a square area of 2.5 by 2.5 feet. Although they’re doing a lot better as a whole, compared to the past, some of their choices are still pretty confusing to many of us.
• The prominent rectangular coverage of the SP series lights plays as an advantage for most people, but if you have a smaller, square grow tent, then it won’t be of much use to you. But that is where the TS series will come in handy for you.
• But again, for bigger setups where there are at least a few rows of plants, the rectangular coverage of the SP series becomes a huge plus point.
• A large setup lets you install the lights right over the rows of the plants and not on the side, as that’s often the case with square lights.
• Another advantage of having a larger size of the light is that it allows you to have even coverage. Small lights naturally emit light from a lower point, and after the light spreads out and falls, it isn’t sufficient enough for the corners, therefore larger lights are better in that regard as well.
  
• Therefore, a larger fixture means that the light won’t have to travel much further, and it won’t lose much intensity. This also means that this will result in diminished PPFD ratings in the middle and higher around the corners, allowing the coverage to be even.
• Back in the days, Mars Hydro’s customer service was a huge letdown, as is the case with many Chinese companies. But now, they’ve opened up customer centers in the United States, which makes it a whole lot easier for customers to get instant help and guidance.
• This gives a substantial competitive advantage for the company compared to many other budget light brands.
• And lastly, Mars Hydro gives you a whopping three-year extended warranty along with the option to get a full refund on your purchase within the first 30 days. Although this isn’t enough time to thoroughly test out the lights, it still is an excellent time to test some of its features and functionalities, and it’s generally an excellent option to have.

Drawbacks

• As mentioned before, although a larger fixture is a huge advantage, it isn’t quite that helpful if you have a square tent and even worse if it is too small for the large lights to be fitted inside.
• Another significant disadvantage of the lights is the heat factor. Although the absence of fans and the presence of just heat sinks make the lights very quiet, it also tends to heat the lights, which is a considerable drawback.
• If your growth setup is in a closed space, then you will have to make some extra ventilation for the area to avoid overheating. Although it doesn’t have to be as big as it is required to be for an HID system, it still has to be there.

Mars Hydro TS Series Review

The TS series comes in 4 different light variants: 1000 as being the smallest, the 3000 as the largest variant, whereas the TSW 2000 and TSL 2000 are the middle ones who are almost the same other than a few form factor differences.

TSW is designed to be more light for square coverage and square tents, whereas the TSL has a rectangular coverage, making it similar to the SP series models.

The main focus of this review will be on the Mars Hydro TSW 2000, as all the other three are quite the same, apart from a few minor differences.

Features

• 310 watts usage – 50% electricity bill saved, compared to HIDs
• Equivalency of 450 watts of HID – but still costs comparatively less, to operate
• A wide spectrum of light for plants – Special focus on blue and red colors with the inclusion of almost every other color to support all growth stages
• High efficiency – low power usage but an excellent output (2.35 μmol/J)
  Core coverage of 3 by 3 foot – 4 by 4 feet coverage for vegging
• Diodes by Epistar – may not be the best, still are pretty good and highly cost-effective
• Dimmable drivers – Drivers on all models are Chinese that can be removed and placed separately for heat control
• 50,000 hours rating – No light changes required for at least 4 to 5 years
• Three-year warranty – along with a generous 30-day money-back guarantee

Advantages

• As most of the benefits of the TS series are pretty much similar to those of the SP series covered above, we’ll be talking mostly about the differences that these two series have.
• Very similar to the SP lights, the TS series lights also have an excellent broad-spectrum, great for any growth stage, but it still is a little different.
• One thing that the TS series lights lack is they don’t have IR and UV lights. Now, although this might not be a big deal, it may still be a point of concern for some people.
• Although not proven, it is said that the IR and UV diodes help in increasing the quality of the yield. Everything else aside, we would probably go for a light that does have IR and UV diodes and hence, the SP series.
• Alternatively, you can also get an extra light that provides UV and IR, as both of these are mostly only required in the final weeks, and the plant is in the flowering stage. On the other hand, you can also get a UV fluorescent bulb as that will be very cheap.
• All in all, both these lights have a fantastic spectrum, and that is possibly their most significant advantage. With the absence of IR and UV diodes, there’s more room for white diodes to be fitted in, and that ultimately means more power. Even more energy than the SP Series light itself.
• Losing UV and IR and gaining more power is always like a trade-off, so you got to choose.
• Another significant difference comes in the form factors of the lights. The TSL 2000 light has a rectangular form factor similar to the SP series, but the other three variants are different.

Disadvantages

• Although the SP series have names that match their function, like the SP 250 using about 250 watts, the Mars Hydro company, like most other Chinese manufacturers, did the misnaming technique with the TS series.
• By naming the lights ‘1000’ or ‘2000’, they’re putting out the impression that they’re talking about the wattage when they aren’t because the lights are not even closely related to 1000 or 2000 watts. And they are fully aware of that.
• They do this so that their sales don’t get jeopardized, and they can maintain their overall sales volume because the misinformed, unaware, naïve customers don’t know what they’re buying. They tend to judge by the names at first, rather than diving into the minute details.
• Even though it’s a widespread market practice, it’s not right on ethical as well as moral ground, and that is why this tactic will always end up as being a direct disadvantage of the product itself, even if it may not influence the overall ratings of the product.
• The SP series make use of Meanwell drivers, while the TS Series lights don’t. Other than the 3000 light, which makes use of two Meanwell drivers. It’s a significant disadvantage that the different lights run on Chinese branded drivers and not the Meanwell ones as they are of far better quality compared to the Chinese ones.
• The Chinese ones aren’t that bad though, they do work well, and they’re also dimmable, which is another plus.
• So as you can see, the only major disadvantage that the TS series have compared to the SP series is the fact that they don’t have the IR and UV diodes, but then again, that space can be utilized to give your lights more power by adding more white diodes.