... Veg a plant for six weeks under t5 and flower it then do the same with a 1000 at hps then tell me how great the t5s are. In my experience the hps smokes the flouros...
To properly make that comparison you would have to veg the same type plants with the only variable being the lighting. In one room you would have the plants under the 1k HPS, in the other room or run you would use the same amount of plants under 18.5 54w 4' T5 flouros. Lets just call it 20 for easy of numbers and the added efficiency of the T5 HO lamps. That could be (2) 6 lamp fixtures providing a 4' x 4' pattern and the rest used for side lighting.
I'm not an experienced grower by any means, I have 0 grows under my belt. My experience lays elsewhere. I am using information I gather here to make my decisions. So I ask you honestly, in your opinion and under the conditions laid out, would the T5's used in this quantity and manner adversely effect the yield? And if concerned with stretch as the OP is, would this be beneficial, unaffected, or cause worse results if the T5's were used in veg and beginning stages of flower?
Sorry not trying to sound like an ass. And in my opinion having a different opinion from what many have does not mean that you are not a valuable information source for people like me. It means that there is more stuff to look into and evaluate.