MUAHAHA who said i wasnt prepared to grow??

I'm curious as to your electric bill as well. The funny thing nobody seems to understand when they first start growing is that it doesn't cost that much to run an HID light. I ran a 600 watt HPS 12 hours a day for months and my bill increased 15-20 dollars and nothing more. On top of that, cfls don't compete with HID. It's just not the same. The first time you hookup a hid and turn it on, it's blinding and honestly unbelievable. So exciting the first time that you swear instantly never go back to cfls.

I used the same setup both grows. Nothing different, same nutes, room, time of year, temps, same seeds. Only thing different second time around was my hid light. At some point, having 20 cfls is using the same electricity as an HID with probably 1/8 the result. Your buds wont get as big, produce as much thc, smell as nice, or be as rewarding. The difference between hids and cfls is ounces and pounds.

It's essentially the same as having a full time job, 3-5 months long and getting paid with weed that is less potent than mids and only having an ounce or two maybe as payment for 3-5 months of work....Sure, there's the excitement of growing, sure there's the excitement of harvesting and then the high that you think is the shit cuz it's your first grow and you're proud of that. Good for you.

Then you grow up a little, buy some lights, do the exact same work as before and watch how your plants get bigger and dense and heavy (they'll never get that heavy with cfls, just airy) and surpass your last grows bud size and dankness and weight, and stink in the first two weeks of flower. Then at the end of your second or third grow, you're having to buy 10-20 mason jars for 3-5 plants. You end up having enough bud to last you a year and half instead of a month or two. You spend the same time, same power, same everything and get 10x the results. Plus, if you get a tent and plastic tub, you can fit it all in there to put away after you're done.

Nobody here is gonna tell you not to grow, not to experiment or try new things. More power to you for that. We're just trying to hook you up with information to discourage you experiencing the same disappointment many of us have. Go ahead and believe that cfls are the way. More power to you. Just keep in mind, when you say stuff like that, it's clear to those of us who've grown using better lights that you don't know what you're talking about and haven't "really" grown yet. But I'm sure when you've spent enough money doing it the wrong way and getting frustrated, you'll come around. They always do. Peace.

 

I didn't use ventilation at all when growing. I used a cheap fan to blow air in and out. Worked perfectly too. You don't know my situation and I didn't think I could afford it either, but there was no alternative. You can make all the excuses you want, but there's still no comparison between the two.

Kinda confused by your use of "too" as in also. What was your point? If you're bothered by my experiment, all I can say is, "truth hurts." No reason to get butthurt or take it personally.

Edit: My intention wasn't to offend anyone. My use of "then you grow up" was my way of saying, then you go big, I didn't mean to belittle those who are growing with cfls. I was just trying to offer advice based on experience, much experience in fact. If you haven't grown with hids, the first time you do, you will be utterly amazed, no doubt.

If you want to try a cheap alternative to cfls, buy some of those hids for car headlights on ebay and use those. I saw a grow where a guy used those instead of cfls and the results were comparable to an hid grow, using the wattage of cfls. I couldn't believe it at first, but it works, it's cheap. His experiment failed, because he underestimated the lights, thinking like cfls they wouldn't grow as fast. He went on vacation for a few days, came back and to his surprise, they had grown into the lights and burnt. Might be a better "alternative," for those on a budget.

Edit #2. If anyone is interested in the automotive hids vs cfls thread I bookmarked, pm me. I saved it from another forum from about 2 years ago. The results of the grow were remarkable tbh. I almost went with these in place of cfls because of the price.

 

Well honestly, I'm of the belief that common sense is not a common feature, or ever has been. Some have it, some don't. I personally think this has to do with one's own motivation. It wasn't so much a rant as an explanation imo, but you can take it how you want.