Grow light test

Ok not a very fair test... But then its more about my obsession to grow different varieties than anything. This year, I planted 3 cells of each type of pepper and each type of Tomato seed I had (well maybe I skipped a few). I then pot these up once most show first set of true leaves into pots I hope to grow in till I plant them out.

192 watts of Shop lights

When I first started growing from seed in the basement, I started with 1 x 4' shop light and 2 x 20" x 10" trays under the cold white tubes. The next year I found shop lights on sale for $16 and bought 2 more. These I then attached to each other with a metal strip. 4 trays fit comfortably and I had 6 x 32watt a few inches above the plants on and Ikea stainless steal table. 192watts of growing power and my tomatoes and peppers loved them.
Here are 4 trays each with 18 dollar store  (larger ones fit 18 perfectly in a standard tray) square pots for 72 tomato and pepper plants. Whats unique this year is every one of those 72 plants is different variety of tomato or pepper. I hope I have the garden space. Because of the greenhouse, I started things a bit earlier this year in hopes of extending the season and usually these will just be started.

60 Watts LED Grow lights

So what happened to the other 2 plants if I planted 3 cells of each before potting up? Well another 4 trays is on a second table. This table has some new LED lights I bought on ebay from china for $20 a piece (sure he priced them wrong as they $40 on amazon.ca. I cant remember the claim, but they draw 30 watts each for a mega 60 watts or a third of the power the shop light. These "pink" lights don't distribute the light as well, and I have to move the plants around a bit to give them time in the "sweat spot". I only finished potting up this weekend and its still a bit early to tell, but there does not seem to be much of a notable difference.  A few more weeks should tell. Can one third of the power grow them just as well? Are LED's really that much better than 6500k cold white shop lights for seedlings?

The 3rd cell had  a few duds, and I have less than a 4 full trays, but these I have scattered about in windowsills and in the greenhouse. Its a bit cold for them to flourish, but the seem to be happy, although noticeably leggier.

7 weeks till I usually can consider planting out here in the city.

Update: 

After 3 weeks, the plants under the LED's are a little more stretched than those under the fluorescents. Both are lush and green, but the stems are thinner and the space between nodes a bit longer. Noticeably though, their are small unopened flowers on the LED plants - more than the fluorescents. Probably 1 addition 30 watt LED light would make them equal, but use less power (half) and more flowers (possibly earlier fruit?). At $20 the LEDs are clearly the way to go. At Amazon prices (twice if not on sale) perhaps not.