Maxsisun MF-1000 Review

The new Maxsisun MF-1000 is a great little high-efficiency light. Although it draws only about 100 watts, it gets superior efficiency. It is a perfect option if you are looking to light a small space, add a little light to your current space or use it for clones, seedlings, or mothers. The MF-1000 is an ideal cannabis grow light from sprout to harvest.

Maxsisun is a brand that I feel good about recommending. I appreciate their transparency and honesty along with the quality of their fixtures. They have a history of pushing back against the deceptive trends in grow light marketing. When all the “Blurple” LED manufacturers used to only publish the “calculated wattage”, Maxsisun was the first to start publishing the “Actual Power Draw”. Publishing the actual power draw has now become a standard practice in the industry.

Maxsisun now makes full spectrum grow lights with superior efficiencies. They want growers to know what their lights can do but they are frustrated by the lack of standards and deceptive practices in the industry. They reached out to us because they appreciate our testing standards and transparency.

The Maxsisun MF-series are full-spectrum, dimmable LED grow lights. There are two new models for 2021, the MF-1000 and the MF-2000. They are quantum board style fixtures with top end Samsung and Mean Well components. The new models include remote controls, which is a fun way to control their dimming. See the results of my dimming test below.

At a glance, the Maxsisun MF-series fixtures look similar to the Mars-Hydro TS-series fixtures. The reflectors on both product lines look alike, but that is the extent of their similarity. We recommend the Mars-Hydro TS-series, but it is a lower priced product line. The Maxsisun MF-series has superior components, higher efficiency and better build quality.

The aluminum reflectors on the MF-series fixtures feel solid. Mounted on top of the reflector, there is a separate 15mm thick ribbed aluminum heat sink. The heat sink helps to manage the heat and the MF series fixtures maintain a cooler surface temperature. The highest temperature that I measured on the MF-1000 was 53C (127.4F) on the heat sink and 54.6C (130.3F) on the driver.

The MF-series fixtures feature top of the line Mean Well Drivers and Samsung LEDs. The MF-1000 uses a total of 350 Samsung LM281b+ diodes. For a 100-watt fixture, this is an excellent number of high efficiency diodes. They use both 3500K warm white and 5000K neutral white diodes along with a few 660nm deep red and 730nm infra-red diodes. It is an excellent spectrum for vegetating and flowering cannabis plants.

The Maxsisun MF-1000 performed very well in my PAR test. In a 60 x 60cm test area, it generated 194 µmol of Usable PPF with a Photon Efficiency of 2.03 µmol/w. For a fixture of this size, a Usable Photon Efficiency over 2 µmol/w is impressive.

The cost efficiency is even more impressive. The list price is competitive, but Maxsisun offered us 15% discount codes through Amazon. Use code: mf1000coco when you shop for the MF-1000 and use code: mf2000coco when you shop for the MF-2000. With that discount, the price for the MF-1000 is only $0.57/µmol. It is extraordinary to find a high-quality fixture that gets better than 2 µmol/w and costs less than $0.60/µmol.

With 194 µmol of usable PPF, the Grow Light Calculator rates the MF-1000 for 3 square feet. My PAR test was in our smallest testing area, 60 x 60cm (2’ x 2’), which is 4 square feet. As a result, the edges and corners in the PAR map show lower density light. The MF-1000 would be perfectly fine in a 2’ x 2’ tent for growers with modest harvest goals. Most growers will be able to hit the benchmark harvest estimate and get over 5 ounces per harvest in a 2’ x 2’ tent. However, if you want to be fully lit in your grow space, plan for the MF-1000 to cover 3 square feet.

I think the MF-1000 would be particularly great for sprouts and seedlings. The remote-control dimming would allow you to start each grow using only about 10 watts for light. During the first couple weeks you can ramp the dimmer up as the plants mature from sprouts to seedlings and then little plants. I tested the dimmer in each setting and include that data in the graphic below.

Maxsisun is offering a discount price, but the MF-series are high-quality fixtures. They have the name brand components that growers look for and Maxsisun is a brand that I trust much more than most. If they fit your needs, I highly recommend the Maxsisun MF-series fixtures.