Mars Hydro FC-E3000 Review

The Mars Hydro FC-E3000 is an adjustable LED bar grow light designed for 3’ x 3’ coverage. It is the smallest fixture in the FC-E product line. I have previously tested the FC-E4800, FC-E6500, and the FC-E8000. They are all great fixtures at excellent prices.

Mars Hydro makes two lines of LED bar fixtures: the FC series and the FC-E series. The biggest difference between the two lines is that the FC series features the popular Samsung LM 301b diodes whereas the FC-E series features Bridgelux diodes. The Samsung diodes are higher rated, but the FC-E series use a significantly higher quantity of the Bridgelux diodes. As a result, the performance of the two lines is nearly identical. I have tested the FC and FC-E versions of the 8000, 6500, and now 3000. In each case the FC-E version performed as well or better than the FC version. However, the FC series fixtures are considerably more expensive than the FC-E series. I think the Mars Hydro FC-E series are among the best deals on the market.

The Mars Hydro FC-E3000 has a total of 1184 Bridgelux diodes among four LED bars. They include 3000K and 5000K full spectrum diodes along with 660nm diodes and a few 730nm far red and 380nm UVA diodes. They declined to provide the quantity or power proportion of each type. The diodes are driven by a “Mars Hydro” driver which is manufactured by LG LED Solutions. As with all Mars Hydro fixtures, there is a continuously adjustable dimmer knob.

I ran PAR (400-700nm) and ePAR (400-750nm) tests with the FC-E3000 in a 3’ x 3’ test area. I set up our official test at the hanging height where the maximum (PAR) PPFD was 1000 µmol/m². For the FC-E3000 that height was 32cm (12.5in) above the sensor. The quantity and distribution of light is ideal for a 3’ x 3’ space. All of the corners are safely above the 500 µmol/m² threshold. In the PAR range, the PPFD values range from 1000 to 514 µmol/m². In the ePAR range, the values are about 6% higher.

In the official tests, the Mars Hydro FC-E3000 delivered an average PPFD of 760.1 µmol/m² and an average ePPFD of 808.7 µmol/m². Those averages convert to a Usable PPF of 615.7 µmol and a Usable ePPF of 655.0 µmol. I measured a power draw of 284-watts during the tests, which gives the FC-E3000 a usable Photon Efficiency of 2.17 µmol/w in the PAR range and 2.31 µmol/w in the ePAR range.

Although the distribution is excellent at only 32cm above the canopy, I decided to run a second set of tests 10cm higher. In a fully reflective space, very little light is lost by raising the height. At a higher hanging height, the maximum PPFD is lower, but the distribution and PPFD along the edges should be better. The FC-E3000 followed this pattern and produced excellent PAR and ePAR maps at 42cm (16.5in) above the sensors.

Mars Hydro fixtures come with a dimming control box that is mounted with the driver. The FC-E3000 includes brackets to mount the driver on top of the fixture, but there is no need to do so. The dimmer is continuously adjustable which offers great adjustability, but it can be hard to know exactly how much power you are providing. In my dimming tests, the setting was accurate at 25% and 50%, but there was significantly more light and power than expected at “75%”. I do not think most growers need to get quantum sensors, but I do think that you will benefit from a power meter if you plan to accurately dim these fixtures.

The operating temperatures for the Mars Hydro FC-E3000 are slightly warm, but within reason. The LED bars hit a high temperature of 56.9C (134.4F) and the Driver hit a high of 60.8C (141.4F). We measure the operating temperature because it affects efficiency and longevity. However, operating temperature is not directly related to the amount of heat that a fixture adds to a grow space. The added heat in terms of BTU is a function of the power draw. The difference between different fixtures is not how much heat they create per watt, but rather how much light they create per watt. With 285 watts of power, the FC-E3000 will have a heat impact of 972 BTU/hour, which is the same as any other fixture that draws 285 watts. Removing the driver from the grow space will reduce the heat impact by about 75 BTU/hour.

Because of its price and performance, the Mars Hydro FC-E3000 is among the top picks for 3’ x 3’ grow lights. It has excellent performance in terms of both efficiency and distribution. It stands out from several other fixtures because of the low price. Use our discount code, CCFC, on Mars-Hydro.com to save even more. With our discount, the price is less than 40 cents per micromole, which is among the best deals on the market.

The Mars-Hydro FC-E3000 is a great option for a 3’ x 3’ grow space. If you have a larger space, check out my reviews for the FC-E4800, FC-E6500, and FC-E8000.