i bought some very similar lights off CL. as long as the ballasts work, youre in business (theyre the most expensive part of lighting kits). the reflectors really arent suited for growing, since the bottom of the bulb doesnt really shoot off any light. what i ended up doing is making my own reflector out of a mailbox (laugh if you want, but money is tight and it works amazingly well). i also wired the ballasts to be remote and the bulb/reflector just plugs into the ballast. they are pretty heavy and i didnt want them to have any chance of falling. the ballasts do get a bit warm, so make sure they arent on anything that will burn or melt. maybe even run a fan? i didnt...mine sit on my grow room floor (bathroom) and i havent had any issues. best investment ive ever made. saved myself a TON of money. im also pretty sure they wont be 5 bucks...seems like a typo. your only issue ios that MH isnt good for flowering. see if he has and high pressure sodium ones laying around. even if he just has an HPS ballast...you can get the bulb later on....