SICK strains to work with. skywalker seems awesome. can get great smoke and weight there. hope you get to stay in that house too man. sounds great. would die to have my own home.
and hey smoking gun: i got a "cheap" 4 foot 4 bulb t5 that's keeping up perfectly with my friends hydrofarm. not all gear needs to be top notch. got my fans there to and they are working perfectly as well for 1/4 the retail price from any regular store. just gotta know what is made FOR cheap and what IS cheap, i say. but there's always more security in name brands that stand the test of time. i'm only applying this information for people that don't have the budget to go all out on brand name stuff like myself. i also shop at thift stores and wear nicer clothes than most of the people i know. lol!
As I said before I have seen plenty of people have success with products from e-bay. However more often than not I have seen junky products come from e-bay. I am glad you were able to find good gear on e-bay, but I would consider you the exception to the rule. Another serious advantage to buying name brand products is the technical support available. When purchasing a no-name product on e-bay should something go wrong, should you have a product question, or just general horticultural questions you cannot usually contact a no-name brand, whereas you can easily call a well known company and get the answers to your questions. Parts are also an issue; often the cheap Chinese made products have components that are not compatible with brand name gear, or equipment manufactured by American or European companies. If a part fails it is not as simple as replacing a single part, but replacing a whole unit.
It is still quite possible to purchase equipment inexpensively and get brand name gear. People do sell gear on e-bay that they either never used, used only a bit, or bought in bulk to sell and can be purchased for less money than a traditional hydroponic store. Another option would be to inquire about used gear at your local hydro store. So it is not impossible to have quality, brand name gear and stay on a budget. I live by the motto "you get what you pay for" and it has served me well.
Stilwell, I hope you are able to stay in the house you are in now too. I have moved plants as well, I just do not like to do it. While on the surface it may seem as though the plants come through the move fine, I still worry about stress from the move effecting the health of my plants, especially babies like that. The babies are very fragile and the slightest slip may kill the plant. There are also stressors we do not often account for when moving plants. Simple things like change in barometric pressure, gravity, or air quality may be the difference in optimal plant health and a sub-par plant. These are not things we often take into account because they do not dramatically effect you or I. However our plants experience these environmental differently than we do and can have a greater effect on the plants then they would on people. Personally, if I know I am moving I finish up what I have going on and then start fresh in my new location. Again this is just me, I have moved plants with no problems, I have known plenty of people who have moved plants with no problems, I just prefer to take no chances; I have seen a simple move stress plants to the point of killing them also. Whether you are able to stay where you are or have to move I hope all goes well for you. I would really like to see what those babies will produce.
