Spider Farmer SF-1000 Grow Light Review

The right lighting will make all the difference in your ability to successfully grow food indoors. We started our indoor gardening adventure using inexpensive shop lights to stay within our budget. When Simon from Spider Farmer asked us if we would like to try the Spider Farmer SF-1000 (SF-1000) grow light, I was thrilled.

In this post, we will review the Spider Farmer grow light and share how we feel it performed in our indoor survival garden.

Spider Farmer Grow Light Performance

The most important characteristic of a grow light is its ability to produce strong healthy plants. The next, is how much it costs to operate. The SF-1000 performs well in both categories.

Testing the Spider Farmer Grow Light

We harvested all the peppers, pruned, and dug up the pepper plants in our outside garden just before the fall frost killed all our warm weather crops. I potted them hoping that we would be able to overwinter them and get a jump on the garden next spring. We also hoped to be able to have them produce food for us through the winter.

I brought the potted peppers into the solarium and tried to find places for them. Some of them are lining a south facing window, others are under inexpensive shop lights, and the remainder were put on top of the shelf because there was no space left anywhere else.

I was thrilled when the SF-1000 Grow Light was delivered because I knew exactly where I wanted it to go, right above those peppers. It is a nice little light system requiring only about 100W to power it.

We have been using the SF-1000 for almost a month now. Quite frankly, I am impressed with how well the plants have done under this light. They have filled out with a lot of beautiful dark green leaves. The pepper plants are flowering and now have set fruit.

The plants look healthy and strong, which is a big change from the sad-looking pepper plants that were on that shelf before the installation of the Spider Farmer grow light.

Spider Farmer Grow Light Energy Consumption

Energy consumption is an important consideration for both cost and for providing backup power. Spider Farmer has done a good job of creating a grow light that is energy efficient.

Dimmable Lights

Spider Farmer designed the grow lights to be dimmable. We have been using them at full strength because we are hoping for a bumper crop of peppers in another month. There is a dimmer switch on the back of the unit that turns the dimmer function on and off. If the dimming knob is not working, check that switch to make sure it is on.

Daisy Chain Capability and Dimming

Spider Farmer grow lights are designed to accommodate a multi-light connection that enables multiple chains of grow lights to be dimmed.

Energy Consumption

Our Spider Farmer grow light consumes about 96 watts on the high setting and only 10 watts on the low setting. The low energy consumption is a little bit surprising when you look at the amazingly bright lights. Low energy consumption translates into lower power bills.

Spider Farmer Provides Full Spectrum Light

The Spider Farmer is a full spectrum grow light with white, blue, red and infrared. It includes 3000K for red light and 5000K for blue. To accelerate flowering time and increase yield it also includes 660nm red and infrared light.

The SF-1000 provides a vegetation lighting footprint of 3 feet x 3 feet. Blooming plants need to be closer to the light, so that flowering footprint is only 2 feet x 2 feet.

Spider Farmer SF-1000 Notes

Shipping

The grow light arrived quickly and in sturdy packaging. I was impressed with how nicely it was tucked inside thick rigid foam to protect it in transit.

Quality Components

When I took the grow light out of the box, I was immediately impressed by the quality of the grow light. Everything appeared to be sturdy and built to last. The aluminum heat sink is thick and heavy. The cables are strong and secure. I was expecting a cheap grow light but the Spider Farmer is pretty impressive.

Grow Light Temperature

The Spider Farmer Grow Light warms up during operation. The unit gets warm, but not too hot to touch. Make sure that there is space all around the fan and this will not be a problem. My peppers like the little bit of extra warmth.

Quiet Operation

The Spider Farmer is an incredibly quiet grow light. It does not contain a noisy fan.

Spider Farmer Grow Light Installation

It was simple to install the grow light. The unit does get warm so be sure to allow space to ensure it is not touching anything.

We wanted to suspend the grow light from the ceiling so that it would give light to the pepper plants that we had placed on the top shelf.

Jonathan located the trusses in the ceiling and installed a couple of hooks.
Next, we attached the 4 small hooks in the hanger kit to the holes in each corner of the grow light.
Then, we connect the adjustable rope rachets to the top of the hanger
Last, we secured the carabiners on the end of the rope to the hooks in the ceiling and adjusted the straps to the right height.

Grow Light Operating Time and Distance from Plants

It is nice that the height of the light is easily adjustable because it allows you to vary the distance between the grow light and the plant based on the circumstances. Spider Farmer recommends the following lighting times and distance.

Germination Lighting

For ideal germination conditions, hang the grow light 24 to 30 inches above the plant. Keep the light on for 18 hours and off for 6 hours.

Seedling Lighting

Seedlings work well when the light is hung 24 inches above the plant. Provide light for 18 hours and let the plant rest for 6 hours.

Vegetation Lighting

Hang the grow light between 18 and 24 inches above the plant. Give the plant 18 hours of light and 6 hours of dark.

Bloom or Flowering Lighting

Hang the light 12 to 18 inches above the plant. Provide a lighting cycle of 12 hours on and 12 hours off.

Caution – Avoid Looking Directly at Spider Farmer Grow Light

Quite frankly, I am incredibly pleased with the performance of the Spider Farmer grow light. My only concern is that you need to be careful not to look at the light. It is incredibly bright and can temporarily cause visual disturbance. The dimming feature on the light can take care of this if it becomes a problem.

I usually leave my Spider Farmer on high because I love how the light accelerates the growth of the plants. I just avoid looking directly at it. I work for hours in the room without any issues unless I stare at the light.

Spider Farmer Warranty Information

Spider Farmer backs their grow lights with a 3-year warranty at local maintenance centers. You can return the grow light for an exchange for 30 days.

Contact Spider Farmer here. My experience with Spider Farmer has been great.

Where to Purchase Spider Farmer Grow Lights

Spider Farmer makes a good quality grow light for indoor gardening. The Spider Farmer SF-1000 Grow Light retails for $159. You can learn more or purchase it at either of the following websites.

You can purchase it directly through Spider Farmer. If you use the promo code: PROVIDENT to receive 3 percent off your entire order. You can also purchase Spider Farmer on Amazon here.

To learn more, read the Spider Farmer SF Series User’s Manual. You can find it here.

Indoor Gardening Adventure

Indoor gardening has become my new favorite hobby. I can work in my little garden anytime and never have to worry about the weather or daylight limiting my activities. I find my indoor garden to be quite therapeutic as well as productive.

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I can produce food for my family every day and make sure they are fed in a survival scenario. My new little Spider Farmer grow light has been a great addition to my garden.

Thanks for being part of the solution!
Jonathan and Kylene Jones