Grow Gadgets Heavy Duty Lighting Timer with Contactor - Safe Control for 600W HID Lights
Best for: single-light growers running a 600W HPS or HID setup who need a timer actually rated to switch that kind of load safely.
Our thoughts
A standard mechanical timer isn't built to switch a 600W ballast reliably over months of daily cycling - the contacts just aren't rated for it, and it's a common way for timers to fail or even melt. Building the contactor in solves that properly instead of you having to buy and wire a separate one. It's the right way to run a single HID light, not a corner cut.
The Grow Gadgets Heavy Duty Lighting Timer with Contactor is built to safely control a single 600W HPS or HID grow light directly, with the contactor built into the unit rather than needing a separate add-on box. This matters because HID ballasts draw an inductive load that standard timer contacts aren't designed to switch repeatedly - a heavy-duty timer with an integrated contactor is rated to handle up to 600W directly without extra hardware.
It offers up to 48 on/off settings across a 24-hour period, giving flexible control over your lighting schedule, and comes with a socket and dust cover included for a tidy, protected connection. Simply plug your light into the timer and set your schedule.
How it compares
The key distinction is between this and lighter-duty timers that aren't built for HID loads.
- Grow Gadgets' own 24hr Mechanical Timer is fine for smaller loads but isn't contactor-rated for a 600W HID ballast directly.
- Green Power's Commercial Contactor Box scales the same safe-switching principle up to controlling multiple lights from one unit, where this is built for a single light.
- Generic budget timers sold for domestic use often aren't rated for inductive loads at all, and repeated use with an HID ballast can shorten their life or create a safety risk.
For a single 600W light, this timer is built specifically for the job rather than being a mechanical timer pressed into service beyond its rating.
Usage guidance
Setup is straightforward, but it's worth understanding what makes this timer different from a standard one.
Wiring in your light
Plug your 600W HPS or HID ballast directly into the timer's socket - the built-in contactor means no separate contactor box is needed for a single light.
Setting your schedule
Use the timer's up to 48 settings to program your lights-on and lights-off times across the 24-hour cycle.
Dust cover
Use the included dust cover over the socket connection to protect it in a humid or dusty grow room environment.
Scaling up
If you move to multiple HID lights, a commercial contactor box is the better tool than running several of these single-light timers side by side.
Technical specifications
- Rated load: Up to 600W HID/HPS, direct connection, no additional contactor needed
- Timer settings: Up to 48 on/off settings across 24 hours
- Included: Socket and dust cover
- Compatibility: Any plug-in HID/HPS light up to rated wattage
- Contactor: Built into the unit
Who this is for
- Single-tent growers running a 600W HPS or HID light
- Anyone currently using a standard mechanical timer directly on an HID ballast and wanting a safer, properly rated alternative
- Growers who want reliable long-term switching without wiring a separate contactor themselves
- Budget buyers who don't need a multi-light commercial contactor box
Built for a single HID light up to 600W - for multiple lights, a commercial contactor box is the better fit.
Our take
This is one of those "do it properly the first time" purchases - running a 600W ballast off a timer that isn't rated for it is a false economy the moment it fails or wears out early. Having the contactor built in keeps things simple without sacrificing safety.
Proper kit at a price that makes sense for anyone running a single HID light. Worth picking up rather than risking a standard timer on a load it wasn't built for.
