Just got my first set ( 8 x 4' ) of 6500K LED lights. I see that I will be replacing all of my 24 (?) T5 HO fixtures. New lights do not have reflectors so I am working on solutions for that. New LED fixtures with reflectors cost way more. Then there is some engineering involved for mounting and elec. cords. But, the lights are super light weight so a bit of tape and/or twist ties might suffice. The 2' foot long lights coast nearly what the 4' ones do. I will get some of those anyways. I have already offered the used T5 HO fixtures to two members who live within driving distance. Not sure I want to ship them but I guess it might be a possibility. Tree mail me to put your name on my list. Advantages of the new LED fixtures? Initial cost I am not sure about. Bulb life is a big one. T5 HO are great but the bulbs only last 2 -3 years if you are lucky. LEDs should last 10 - 15 years depending on hours per day use. LEDs are roughly 2 - 3 times more efficient in elec. usage. Heat output? LEDs win big time even though T5 HO are better than most former alternatives. IT might take me a winter or two to determine how the plants like them. I am starting this project now in hopes I will have it done by the time I Have to bring all my plants back inside. Gene

Out of curiosity I weighed one of the new LED 4' lights - 5.9 oz.

Gene, I am using 4' LEDs as well along with my many T5HOs. I have one shelf that is a commercially built light shelf, the others are wire shelves. I installed some of the 4' LEDs right beside the fluorescents under the reflector on the commercial light shelf.
The cost of the 4' LEDs on Amazon is to me quite reasonable and they are easy to put up.
The plants seem happy, the African Violets are blooming.
But I am not going to complete the changeover until I see the results a little more long term, right now the cacti/succulents still are under sunlight and T5HO exclusively.

What type LEDs are you using? They are trying to sell some full spectrum ones that do not appeal to me at all. I use 6500K LEDs. My larger cactus and some succulents are wintered over in my "cold" rooms where they go dormant. Do not need light. Gene

My plants are inside all the time, I live in a tiny apt. now. I think mine are the 6500K, I remember researching about light a year ago but don't remember the details now.
The light in the living room benefits everyone, it is a bright and happy room even in winter gloom (not that we have much of a winter where I live in Texas).

Texas? Hey, you need to Winter over in Wisconsin. Having rooms full of sunlight and being surrounded by green, growing things is special.

gasrocks said:Texas? Hey, you need to Winter over in Wisconsin.

When I retired years ago I actually thought of moving to Iola where a family friend lives because Wisconsin is so beautiful and I was tired of the heat here in Texas. I stayed here because of the kids and have a little grand daughter in Houston. She is beautiful, Houston is ugly.

My 4' T5LEDs are lightweight and don't get hot, so the ones on the wire shelves are held in place by just zip tying them to the wire shelf above. I shopped for metal reflectors but they are expensive, if you have T5HOs you are not going to use, could you just use your reflectors from them?
I bought, just to try, two of those plastic covered 30 foot LED ropes. Because they have LEDs on only 1 side one must twist them from shelf to shelf to get the LEDs pointed at the plants. For the first one that is what I did. For the second I just looped it back and forth over a large area beneath the cactus table and didn't worry about twisting them, I figured it was enough if half of the LEDs gave usable light (the ropes are difficult to twist and zip tie into place).
I also bought a few of those clip on plant LEDs with the purple alien light which I've used in combination with regular white light for a few of the plants like the African violets. I can't tell if they really help.

I am keeping some of the T5 HO reflectors to use on the LEDs but they are not quite the right size, depth. Perhaps better than nothing? If the wire shelf is up against a wall, the wall is white. So I can mount a light at the back of the shelf and it does not need a reflector as much. A bit of clear tape and some blank, white index cards are serving as reflectors on some fixtures. Gene

Of course there is always cheap reflective film but I don't like the way it looks at the back of a plant shelf. I might get some and install it on the underside of the wire shelves when I move next winter. Too much of a job to do that now with all the plants on the shelves.

Last place I lived I bought 1 foot square mirror tiles and had them on the walls as reflectors. Now it is mostly matte white wallpaper. Gene

New coat of white paint on part of the walls. New LED lights. Front Hallway. I do not use the front door ever. Big sheet of 1.5" pink Styrofoam jammed into the doorway = insulation. Old mirror standing in front of that. On the floor to the left is where many of my taller Sansevieria will reside for the winter. I have too many that just will not fit on shelves anymore. I estimate I have 20 pots of Sans. that are 5' or taller. Brighter than it was with the older T5 HO lights. Less heat. Used to run a small fan in this tight space but will not now. 120 watts compared to 324 watts previously. I like it. I would call this a very efficient use of lighting, space, to grow more plants. Gene

Very nice, I like how the painted walls brighten the area. I use rolls of 10" burlap to shield the lights from the front.

Burlap absorbs light. You are losing efficiency. Get some white poster board instead.

Gene, this is my living room we are talking about. lol.

What difference does that make?

The burlap is pretty.

Quick before all the plants arrive. Got the last light hung. Stating with north wall of my office, front door hallway and then living room. One thing I really love about doing this is that my living room is the largest room in my house and for the first few years I lived here it was empty and dark. Unused. Serious waste of space. I do have a few more lights in other areas but I think this is enough to give you some idea of what is going on here. Gene

Another change for the better. With some added wiring I am able to get it down to just 4 timers on plant lights. And, they are out where I can see them and reach them. DST and power outages.

You're seriously set up for the plants, Gene!

Wisconsin winters and SAD go together, unless you surround yourself with sunlight, green plants and my huge collection of crystals.