Choosing a hydroponics grow box

How to purchase a hydroponics grow box

Purchasing your first hydroponics grow box can be a big decision. We have written this article to make it easier for you to purchase a hydroponics grow box that is going to be right for you. There are many things to consider before you buy your first grow box. Usually the grow box you want is best based on as much money you are comfortable spending on a grow box. Once you have a number in your mind, be prepared to spend at least this or maybe a little bit more to get a grow box that's going to last for many years. Try to think about expandability in mind. Get the best grow box you can afford at the time as it will serve you well into the future. Based on the price you have some idea as far as the features that you are looking for, or rather to say can afford.

Usually the more expensive the grow box is, the more plants you can grow, the more room you have to use as the plants grow fast, the more powerful the lighting system will be, and overall more technologies usually involved in the manufacture of that particular hydroponics grow. The cheaper or less-expensive grow box systems are often smaller than their larger counterparts and even use less light. For instance you may have an air cooled reflector on your higher end grow boxes versus the non-air cooled reflector on your lower end entry level grow boxes.

You simply get what you pay for. Usually the less-expensive grow boxes are minimal in terms of equipment included and will give you everything you need to grow and not much more. These boxes will usually start with a 400 watt high pressure sodium light, have the simple DWC hydroponic system, an air pump and a simple carbon filter to get you started. A more expensive grow box will usually have a higher wattage light closer to 600 watt high pressure sodium or metal halide lights, and some of the higher-end grow boxes will even include fluorescent lights on the side areas, these lights help to start seedlings and clones. Usually the midrange and high-end grow boxes will have a feature that is vertically mounted T5 fluorescent lights which some grow boxes will not have. The T5 lights make it a lot easier to start your seedlings and clones. Remember you need blue light during the vegetating stage and red light during the flowering stage. Personally I would not recommend purchasing any grow box that does not have vertically mounted T5 fluorescent lights. You really need these to grow small plant in the beginning stages, and there are no exceptions to not having these fluorescent lights on the sides of your grow box.

Often in the more expensive and middle to the road to high end hydroponics grow box systems will usually a more robust carbon scrubber. Usually you'll get a 265 CFM squirrel cage blower fan or a high-powered centrifugal fan to keep your hydroponics grow box cool. All of this air is going to be passed to a carbon scrubber to get rid of the odor. This is standard equipment on most midrange and high-end grow boxes. However somebody entry-level starter grow box systems will simply contain an axial fan with a simple carbon filter, which still works good to regulate the heat and also to get rid of the odor, but simply will not work as well as one of its larger counterparts with a much larger fan and a much more powerful carbon scrubber. Be sure to purchase a grow box with as many fans as possible. A lot of manufacturers out there will try to cheat you by offering minimal fans. Some high-end grow boxes are known to have as much as nine fans keeping cool. You're looking to purchase from a reputable manufacturer that spends more on fans to keep your system cool. Running a hot hydroponics grow box will kill the results over the long run your plants, you will never grow properly in a hotbox. Get a grow box with a sufficient number of fans, which are as powerful as you can get. Look for grow boxes that have as many powerful fans as possible. Some of the higher end machines will have between four and 10 fans, which is actually fantastic. Try to get a grow box with at least three fans if possible. The more the better. Avoid grow box manufacturers that have a history of running hot.

Some other differences you might see between a low-end starter hydroponics grow box and a mid-range hydroponics grow box is going to be in the material that it is made out of. Often the beginner level hydroponics grow box systems will be made out of plastic, or a combination of plastic and metal. The higher-end grow boxes on the other hand will often be made of metal and contain lockable doors and powder coated paint. On the entry-level systems locks are something that could be added, but on the midrange and high-end hydroponics grow boxes locks and a dual set of keys is always included.

The metal units tend to be more durable, and stand up well to the test of time. But regardless of whether your grow boxes of metal or plastic, the plants growing inside will grow exceptionally well. When purchasing a grow box try to buy the best one you can. Take a look at the light wattages usually the higher the better. Take a look of it's an air cooled reflector, often you'll want one of these to keep temperatures down. Take a look at the number of fans on the system that will be a good indicator of how cool a grow box unit runs. Try to always buy a hydroponics grow box from a reputable vendor.

Some other things to look for when purchasing a hydroponics grow box is the manufacturer itself. Take a look at the options they offer. Some high-end manufacturers will include stuff like air conditioning, green LED lights, ultrasonic foggers, and even total automation systems to keep the units running automatically. This is a sign that the manufacturer has their act together and is building the best possible grow boxes. These features make it so easy to use it becomes only child's play. Some manufacturers will try to rip you off by offering you a minimal amount of features and a minimal amount of upgrades. Look at the manufacturers that are willing to work with you to build a system that will work best for your needs. The more you can customize your grow box for your specific needs the better.

One last thing to mention is before purchasing any new hydroponics equipment we highly recommend you viewing as many video tutorials as possible and reading as many articles as you possibly can on purchasing a new hydroponics grow box before you jump right in and make that the decision. It should be a machine that's going to last you for many years and you want to choose wisely when purchasing your first hydroponics grow. When purchasing a grow box really break it down into its individual parts and see which ones offer the most value for the money. A lot of manufacturers of grow boxes that look very similar to the casual viewer, you really want to look beyond it at the actual features that you're getting such as the pumps, the velocity of the fans, the amount of lights offered in the grow box system. Also pay close attention to the wiring in the overall professionalism of the units built it. You are not looking for something that looks like it's been built in a shed or garage. You should purchase a midrange to high-end, professionally manufactured grow box for best results.

Some other things to look for in a reputable manufacturer of hydroponics grow boxes is how they ship their products. Many on in unreputable manufacturers will simply ship your hydroponics grow box with just bubble wrapping or light cardboard. This does not protect your unit during shipping. What you really need is to have a wood crate built around your grow box unit to ensure its safety during shipping. The freight companies are known to be very rough with freight and your grow box can get damaged easily. Try to find the manufacturers that will ship out the units in wood crates to ensure that your unit will be delivered in the same shape as it was originally built.

Just educate yourself properly before purchasing a grow box and watch as many hydroponic videos as you can. Good manufacturers will always have plenty of videos on their website so you really know the product you are getting. Be sure to stay away from manufacturers that only show you a few images of their products, as they can often be inaccurate or misleading. Videos are best. If the manufacturers only have short videos or images of their grow boxes, they most likely have something to hide, and maybe should not be trusted. Educate yourself on the company's product line thoroughly before making any big purchase a hydroponics grow box.

If you would like to read some fantastic articles on purchasing a hydroponics grow box, or check out some amazing videos talking about various features of hydroponics grow boxes, then check out the Homegrown Hydroponics website as linked here. They offer a huge amount of free resources for the new hydroponics grower that would turn anyone into an expert home gardener in no time. A hydroponics grow box makes it so easy to grow
and so much for anyone to do with minimal skill in a traditional garden.