Best and Worst buys

[Rookie]

Hi everyone. New grower. Wondering what everyone’s Best Buy was and also worst purchases have been. Maybe you put off buying something and when you did pull the trigger it made all the difference. Maybe you bought something then later wish they had a refund policy. Right a list of your equipment. Maybe inspire some people and also maybe save some people some cash also.
my current setup 2 cheap LED’s for vegetative and a 600w hps for flowering. I’m in a 4x4x7 tent. Have a 6 inch inline fan connected to light reflector. With a 4 inch carbon filter and fan exhaust. 2 medium fans inside tent. I have a cheapish ph digital meter for my hydro plants. Also have a ph meter for my soil. Don’t know if I trust it. It’s saying I have almost 8ph but my water is just under 7. Bought a self watering pump from amazon to run as a top feed my hydro. Ran for 2 days and pump seized. Don’t recommend Aihihome automatic watering system. Also bought a lux meter then realized it doesn’t work with my LED’s. Might actually see some use once I break out the hps light. Have to say my best purchase i feel is the tent. Was trying to grow in a cold basement just wasn’t working for me. It’s a Minerva. Pretty decent quality. I wasn’t exactly gentle putting it together but it didn’t rip. Has a couple light leaks. Wouldn not recommend in a room with windows. Anyways let’s hear some of your best and worst buys.

[alltatup]

Hi Rookie:

Best buys: 2 BCNL RoomMate grow boxes, Future Harvest Nutes; blackout curtains for grow room; large dehumidifier; large humidifier

Worst buy: Superbox grow box. Total waste of money.

[NickyChicks]

Those grow boxes look pretty sweet. Do you mind me asking what you paid for them? It doesn't look like their site lists any pricing

[alltatup]

NickyChicks I can't remember exactly, a few thousand, but they gave me a good deal on the second one. Call em and ask; I'm curious what they cost now.

[NorthEuropeanGuy]

Hi Rookie,

I'm a first time grower so this is all new to me. My best buy has been a Mars Hydro TS 600 light. It was fairly cheap but has done the trick for me and doesn't generate a lot of heat. Humidity is a big problem for me so I needed a dehumidifier. I bought a Pro Breeze evaporative one and it just wasn't powerfull enough. I returned it and got an Inventor compressor one. Works a treat so humidity no longer a problem

[JDU]

I like the Mars Hydro too. I have a tsw 2000 & 2 sp 600s blazing my flower tent.

[WeirdWiredWolf]

Best buy: 300W silent (fanless) LED panel. The light is a tad yellower than I would prefer, but there is no increase in temps; the electricity and sanity savings has been noticeable. No noise means it's a lot easier to disguise the tent if we need to.

Worst buy: Small dehumidifier for the grow tent. Completely useless, wound up donating it on our last Goodwill run. Luckily it wasn't that expensive.

[alltatup]

I think we all wasted $$ on the small ones first...

[WeirdWiredWolf]

Right now I have a bunch of those silica-bead pouches that you can dry out in the microwave. Now that I've dialed my grow cycle in properly (flower in winter to control temps) they seem to be sufficient.

[Canuck147]

Good topic you picked Rookie - should get responses.

My worst buy was a light by G8 - can't even remember the wattage cuz I've totally forgot about it - also bought a G8 red flower booster to go with it - don't know and don't think it made a difference.

Best buy is 6 inch fan by - Vortex - really quiet and made a big difference - especially with variable speed controller.

[9fingerleafs]

i guess my best buy was very recently, i bought potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate and mono-potassium phosphate, 1 kilo each (2lb) for $15 including shipping, imma be able to make my own "bloom" nutrients for over two years just adding water

worst buy was spending $100 bucks making a DIY CFL light when i could have gotten a way better light for just a bit more money, now i got a shitty light that i dont want to invest into but the bulbs keep going out

[RFheavy]

My worst buy was a colloidal silver generator. All you need are wires and some batteries. My best buy was a five gallon bucket. I feel like cultivating cannabis is just as therapeutic as consuming it and hydro always gives me a reason to be in the garden.

[starramus]

On the subject of colloidal silver generators build your own as it is very easy. However be aware of some of the silver rods sold on ebay as they are not pure silver. I bought some one of my worst purchases. Vivosun products that i have purchased are some of my best buys 5 X 5 X 80 grow tent, grow bags, and a very reasonably priced exhaust fan with excellent ratings. Great Chinese products, and one of the best deals. tRump isn't going to get you a better one.

[Jordann]

Some of my best have been most of philzons higher end lighting and well and an opulent systems tent 4x4x 80. So good I got a second one...on the bad side, years ago I went with a CFL closet when I was just starting, was endlessly adding bulbs and 2way splitters and wiring, when you look at what you spend over a year I could of got a very decent light on Amazon, went with double ended 1000watt HPS for a few years loved them when I had my big room. No room now, yet. Also bad purchase, anything off wish.

[quietlybinary]

A lot of my purchases have been awesome. I tried using welding goggles as eye protection. The sides were made of rubber and the visibility was really limited so it did not work out! haha and the loupe I purchased, I never could get the hang out using very well.

[SoOrbudgal]

My 3 450vipraspectors cheap good LEDs best buys worst even not growing enough prior to needing it, having to purchase it now LOL it's that bad

[Sledrock]

I love my Vipar 450's too! SoOrbudgal Probably, IMO one of my better choices,alng with my Triplet Jeweler's Loupe that @Allatup recommended!]

My worst choices? I bought 3 different (Chinese-made) digital microscopes. I sent All 3 back to Amazon. (The install instructions were confusing to say the least! One even had a Virus on the "Install" disk from the factory :-( Junk - all 3 of them. (Gong back to my Jeweler's Loupe - now that I have a good one!

[WeirdWiredWolf]

I invested in a purpose-designed loupe by a company out of CO. Beats the hell out of the jeweler's one I was using.

[JDU]

My best was definitely the My Urban Greenhouse tent. 4x6x7.5 for $110. High quality. Local & met me at Lowes parking lot. Worst was the little pocket microscope that wouldn't even pass as a kids toy. 2nd best & a CLOSE 2nd was the Mango clones last yr.

[Booger789]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00318D7K8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

that pump and a five gallon bucket sure made feeding and watering time much easier for me.

[quietlybinary]

I was also going to say that! My 5 gallon bucket is essential for bringing water in and out and also to let it de-chlorinate over night.

[Booger789]

And Lowe’s sell the measure right bucket which has gallon and 1/2 gallon markings on side and liter measurements as well. Makes mixing nutrients a breeze. And with a 36 inch piece of 3/4 pvc I can feed the 4x4 tent without removing plants.

[homegrown]

Best value - 15 yr old ice fishing hut..was expensive as hell back then-$400. Used $25 worth of white/black to line it. been a perfect grow tent for last three grows. 2 650 viperspectra LED.. will upgrade eventually but these keep producing. 2 grows-2Lbs. 6" Fusion Breath Fan/Filter-awesome! Big,but awesome. When its running on low, super quiet and odorless. Worst..probably vivosun 6" oscillating clip on fans..one just crapped out after 3 months and vivosun 4" inline fan(very noisy) compared to 6" Fusion Breath.

[SoOrbudgal]

I'm super pleased with my lights the more I grow with them the more I learn about them and the distances to challenge the plants.

[stump]

my mars ts 3000 and infinity cloudline t-6 inline duct fan. I cant believe how great my plants are growing under that mars light. worse buy are those 50 dollar loud ass fans.