Mars Hydro FC-1000w Review

The new Mars Hydro Smart FC-1000w is a giant yet flexible LED bar fixture with significant power and incredible performance. Like the other Smart fixtures from Mars Hydro, it is Bluetooth enabled and can be controlled by the Mars Hydro App. The FC-1000w is the largest and most powerful fixture in the FC series. It is also the newest addition to the line, and it features several great improvements!

The Mars Hydro FC series is among the best-selling LED grow lights of the last several years. They feature LED bars on a light aluminum frame with detached drivers. I have tested most models in the line, and they have excellent coverage and performance for a great price. They have been popular with home growers and also been embraced by many commercial operations. When the FC product line first launched the largest fixture was the FC-6500. Growers asked for more power, so they added the FC-8000 and now the FC-1000w.

The Mars Hydro Smart FC-1000w comes with two optional diode packages: Samsung LM301b or Samsung LM301h EVO. I tested a unit with Samsung LM 301b diodes. They include both 3000k and 5000k Full Spectrum Samsung LM301b diodes along with Osram 660nm Red diodes. In total there are 3710 diodes. With a maximum power draw of 1000 watts, that is 3.7 diodes per watt or only 0.27 watts per diodes. This is the power level that will allow the diodes to be most efficient.

The FC-1000w has 10 LED bars and two optional configurations. It has standard mounting rails that are just under 4’ long like many LED grow lights. However, the FC-1000w also comes with rail extensions that can be attached to the standard mounting rails. With the extensions in place, the rails are just under 6’ long. Along the rails, there are two sets of alignment indicators. If using the standard rails, all 10 bars are arranged closely together in the 4’ span. With the rail extensions in place, the 10 bars are spread out more along the nearly 6’ span. I tested it in both configurations.

The Mars Hydro FC-1000w is marketed as a 1000w grow light. According to the published statistics, it will pull 1000w +- 5% when connected to 240v AC power. However, the listed power draw at 120v AC is only 900w +- 5%. It comes with a 120v plug and there is no plug adapter. I tested it at 120v AC which is how most home growers will run it. The unit that I tested drew 870 watts which is within the range of 900 watts +-5%. Unfortunately, I was not able to test it at 240v AC. Most grow lights can be driven at either voltage. However, it is unusual that there are different power draws at different voltages.

I run both PAR tests and ePAR tests. I use an Apogee SQ500 sensor to do the PAR tests. PAR is “Photosynthetically Active Radiation” and it is defined as light from 400-700 nanometers. Recent research has shown that far-red light from 700-750 nanometers is also photosynthetically active. The new “ePAR” includes light from 400-750 nanometers and I measure it with the Apogee SQ610 sensor.

First, I set it up in the standard configuration and tested it in a 5’ x 5’ space. At 41cm, about 16inches above the sensor, the FC-1000W delivered a maximum PPFD in the PAR range of 1400 µmol/m². This is safe for growers with elevated levels of carbon dioxide.

These 5’ x 5’ tests at 41cm/16in are impressive. The power draw was 870 watts at 120 volts, which falls within the published range of 900-watts plus or minus 5%. Despite the lower-than-expected power draw, the FC-1000W delivered an incredible 2291.6 µmol of usable light to the canopy. That equates to a Usable Photon Efficacy of 2.63 µmol/w which is exceptional. The FC-1000w is the most efficient production model fixture that I have tested!

Although the top line numbers are excellent, the distribution of light in the first set of tests was less than ideal. There is excellent density for elevated carbon dioxide grows in the center, but the edges and corners drop off considerably. That said, the entire map is still above the 500 µmol/m².

The drop off from center to edge is to be expected with a fixture that is about 4’ x 4’ trying to cover an area that is 5’ x 5’ from a relatively low hanging height. Furthermore, 5’ x 5’ is not the coverage area that Mars Hydro recommends. However, before changing the coverage area, I ran a test with the Maximum PPFD at 1000 µmol/m².

To get the maximum PPFD from 1400 down to 1000 µmol/m², I had to raise and dim the FC-1000w. I raised it to 56cm (22in) above the sensor and dimmed it to about 78% power (698w at 120v). Raising the fixture helps more light to spread from the center out towards the edge. Therefore, raising the fixture lowers the PPFD where it is too high and raises it where it is not high enough. However, there is a limit to that. I do not think that I could raise it high enough to keep it at full power and get the maximum PPFD down to the 1000 µmol/m² limit. 56cm or 22in is relatively high, but reasonable for tent-based growers.

I used the PAR sensor to set the test up with the maximum PPFD at 1000 µmol/m². Then I ran a complete ePAR test. The ePAR numbers are higher than the PAR numbers because ePAR includes far-red light.

This is an excellent distribution of light for most growers in a 5’ x 5’ space. The densities are excellent from the center to the edges. The entire map is in the prime photosynthetic range and the vast majority of the map has densities above 700 µmol/m² which we define as the maximum production zone. The efficiency is incredible, 2.59 µmol/w!

It is interesting that the densities in the corners and around the edges are basically unchanged from the first set of tests. However, the density in the middle of the map is now up to 400 µmol/m² lower. In the center, raising and dimming the FC-1000w both lowered the density of light. However, around the perimeter, raising the FC-1000w up 15cm actually improved the density of light. The improvement was almost exactly canceled out by lowering the power to about 78%, which kept the edge densities about the same as the first test.

Mars Hydro recommends the FC-1000w for 4’ x 4’ or 4’ x 6’ flowering coverage. The 4’ x 4’ space is significantly smaller. I think it would only make sense to run this light in that space if you are trying to deliver ultra-high PPFD for plants with supplemental carbon dioxide. With 1200-1500 PPM of carbon dioxide, plants can process up to 1500 µmol/m². The FC-1000w hit a maximum PPFD of 1500 µmol/m² at a height of 49.5cm or 19.5in above the sensor.

The Mars Hydro Smart FC-1000w has an incredible distribution of light in this set-up. The PPFD values in the PAR range run from 1223 to 1500 µmol/m². This is ideal light density for growers looking to maximize production with the use of supplemental carbon dioxide. However, be aware that in order to actually elevate your carbon dioxide to the required levels you will need to supplement carbon dioxide and control climate in a sealed space without exhaust. If that sounds like your space, this is what you want in a grow light.

The 4’ x 6’ configuration requires adding the rail extensions and repositioning the LED bars along the now nearly 6’ long rails. 4’ x 6’ spaces are not particularly common, but they exist, and growers can also assemble arrays with multiple FC-1000w fixtures to cover larger areas. The 4’ x 6’ area is 24 square feet, which is similar to the 25 square feet of the 5’ x 5’ area. However, the FC-1000w has a much better fit in the 4’ x 6’ area with its extended frame than it did in the 5’ x 5’ area with the standard frame. It extends almost wall to wall in all directions.

In the 4’ x 6’ test area, I hung the Mars Hydro Smart FC-1000w 41cm or 16in above the sensors. The maximum PPFD in the PAR range was 1062 µmol/m², which is slightly above our recommended limit for growers without supplemental carbon dioxide. However, getting the PPFD down to 1000 µmol/m² without dimming the FC-1000w would have required raising it significantly. The distribution of light at 41cm in this area is excellent, so it would be better to simply dim the fixture slightly if the density of light at this height is too much for your plants.

The FC-1000w has an excellent fit to coverage area in the 4’ x 6’ space, which leads to excellent density of light from corner to corner. At 41cm, the lowest corner in the PAR test was 824 µmol/m² while the maximum PPFD in that 24 square foot area was 1062 µmol/m². That is a uniformity score of 0.78. With excellent uniformity, growers looking for even higher density light may lower the FC-1000w and not suffer a drop off along the perimeter. I ran a final ePAR test with the FC-1000w in the 4’ x 6’ area at only 30.5cm or 12in above the sensor.

Comparing this map to the ePAR map at 41cm, we can see that lowering the FC-1000w in this space led to an increase in PPFD basically everywhere. The increase is greatest in the center. The corners on the left ticked down marginally, but the density almost everywhere is higher at the lower height. This is only possible because the fit to coverage area is so tight. The ePPFD in the center is now up to 1161 µmol/m², which will cause issues for most growers running exhaust fans. But if you have elevated levels of carbon dioxide it could be perfect.

The statistics from this test are jaw dropping. The Average ePPFD is 1049 µmol/m², the Usable ePPF is 2266 µmol, and most impressively, the Photon Efficacy is 2.61 µmol/w. Until running these tests, I would not have thought such numbers were possible from a production model light aimed for the mass market. The fact that Mars Hydro is hitting this efficiency with excellent distribution is impressive. A Photon Efficacy of 2.61 µmol/w while getting ePPFD values in the mid-800s in the corners is incredible.

After running the 4’ x 4’ tests, I measured the surface temperatures on the Mars Hydro Smart FC-1000w. The LED bars ran relatively cool at only 47.6C (117.7F). The Mars Hydro branded driver reached a surface temperature of 69.2C (156.6F). Contrary to popular belief, the surface temperatures do not determine how much heat that the fixture adds to the space. With 870 watts of power consumption, the FC-1000w will generate about 2,967 BTU/hr. Less than 10% of that heat will come from the driver. The surface temperatures are relevant because cooler diodes and drivers run more efficiently.

I tested the dimmer with the FC-1000w set up in the 5’ x 5’ space. You can see that the dimmer ran a bit strong, but like most dimmers, there is a consistent relationship between the power draw and the PPFD. Measuring the power draw with a simple power meter is a reliable way to gauge dimmer power. If the power draw is about half, then the expected PPFD will be about 53%. The PPFD percentage is always just slightly higher than the dimmer percentage because the diodes are more efficient as the power goes down.

I am impressed with the even distribution and incredible photon efficacy of the Mars Hydro Smart FC-1000w light. The fit to coverage area in the 4’ x 4’ space is incredible for growers running supplemental carbon dioxide. If you are growing in a 4×6 space, it may be the best light out there. I love the improvements that they have made for connecting the LED bars to the rails and the flexibility provided by the rail extensions. Regardless of the space, there are very few lights that can touch the photon efficacy of the FC-1000w. You get more light per watt than any other comparable option.

The Mars Hydro FC-1000w has a list price of $899.99 on Mars-hydro.com. They often run sales and whether it is on sale or not, you can add Discount Code CCFC. The price is about $0.40 per micromole. You can find slightly less expensive lights, but not any that match the power and performance of the FC-1000w. Be sure to check our Deals and Discounts page to see if there are special sales.