Mars Hydro TSL 2000 Review

When the TS series hit the market, it changed the industry. These lights have exceptional photon efficiency and distribution at an entry level price. The TS series are Quantum Board style fixtures which use Epistar 3030 chips.

When they were released, the TS series quickly earned our top recommendation for entry level high-efficiency LEDs. Over the past year plus, hundreds of growers have taken that advice and almost all of the feedback is incredibly positive. These are great lights that produce great results.

I know these TSL 2000 fixtures very well. I used them for three of my personal grows. The units that I tested for this report came out of my personal grow. The unit I tested for the individual test had been burned for 1600 hours prior to testing. The second unit that I ran in the array test had been burned a total of about 4000 hours. We normally only test new fixtures because there is some performance lost through time. I would expect a brand new TSL 2000 would perform slightly better than the units in this test.

I am a huge fan of the TS series lights. They have incredible performance in creating and distributing the light. The photon efficiency is elite, but more than just the photon efficiency, I am impressed with the distribution. The Mars Hydro TSL 2000 is designed for a 4’ x 2’ space and it can cover all of it in high density light. The excellent distribution is made possible by the fact that the lights themselves are large. The fixture is only slightly smaller than the space it is designed to cover.

In my test, the Mars Hydro TSL-2000 produced an average PPFD of 727.2 µmol/m² across the 4’ x 2’ test area. It drew 286 watts and converted them into a Usable PPF of 523.6 µmol. This gives the TSL-2000 a Usable Photon Efficiency of 1.83 µmol/w. This is lower than the top-of-the-line fixtures, but significantly better than any HPS or CMH fixture. We rate the 1.83 µmol/w as “elite”.

When I put the two of them together and tested in a 4’ x 4’ space they performed even better. The average PPFD went up to 750.6 µmol/m². The Usable PPF went up to 1080.9 µmol, which meets our goal for fully lighting a 4’ x 4’ grow space. You can see the PAR map from this array test below.

The Mars Hydro TSL-2000 is an excellent deal! The purchase cost is only about $0.50/µmol. That is among the best prices you will ever find for any light. With the TS series, you get High Efficiency, excellent distribution, and a proven track record.

The two TSL-2000s in my 4’ x 4’ tent produced my best indoor harvests in terms of quality and quantity. The Grow Light Calculator estimates the benchmark harvest for one TSL-2000 is 14 ounces even. Based on my experience it is certainly achievable.

I appreciate that Mars Hydro provides plenty of cable. This allows you to choose whether to mount the drivers on the lamps or keep them separate. I ran them separate and set the drivers outside of the tent to save heat. The fixtures themselves do heat up, but removing the drivers keeps it very manageable.

The Mars Hydro TS series is a winner. If you are looking for an entry level light, but you want something that is worthy for a real grow, then I highly recommend them. The TSL 2000 is perfect for 4’ x 2’ coverage. I ran the array test with two of them and they are absolutely ideal for a 4’ x 4’ tent. 2 TSL 2000s is the best deal to fully light a 4’ x 4’ grow space. The TSW-2000 is best for 3’ x 3’ spaces and the Mars Hydro TS-1000 is ideal for 2’ x 2’. If you want to upgrade from the TS series, my current top pick in the 4’ x 2’ category is the Mars Hydro SP-3000.