cfl question

[utexas420]

i was planning on getting a few 4-light 100w cfl fixtures but lowe's only has 60w max fixtures at the store. im still in school (living off parents financially) and i need to find something locally rather than buying online with credit card, since itd be hard to explain buying massive lights. tube flouro's aren't outta the question but the 4' and 8' lengths are. if anyone has any suggestions or out of the box ideas feel free to shoot them this way. id prolly only grow 2 plants

 

[hazewarrior]

utexas420, did you search for local hydro stores in your area? That's usually the best way to go. If you have the space, go with a HID light. If you are limited to space or want to keep things stealth you might want to look into a micro box or something of that nature. There are plenty of micro box projects on this site that can help you get started. The amount of light you will need is relevant to the amount of space you have to grow in.

This is a micro box that I am working on now.
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14744

 

[Mutt]

You can also go to local electrical supply companies. Located in the phone book. Just ask. They carry HID floods and CFL lights and most accept cash on the barrel head.
Pay a lil more, but cash and no names might be worth it to you.

 

[Capone]

go to Wal-mart light isle get a four pack of Daylight CFLs (7.99) get some shop light socket fixtures with the aluminum reflector(5bucks each)...this will do for a small grow area along with saving money..also invest in alittle fan...it worked for me..dont let any1 tell you otherwise..ofcurse your yield will not be so great compared to HPS Hid ETC.these lights use alot of energy like 150 200 amonth hike in your bill..so thats why i go CFL.. but if you want to grow stealth and at low cost its the way to go..

 

[hazewarrior]

Capone is right. HID lights can be much more expensive. Try to calculate the energy usage before you select your light source. Digital HID lamps will be cheaper to run than conventional HID lamps. CFL's will be cheaper to run than HID's depending on the size of the grow space. It might be more feasible to run one 250 watt Digital HID lamp than 4 - 60 watt CFL's.

I was running a 320 watt MH and a 400 watt HPS and it only cost about $100per month, which including the hydro equipment (pumps, fans ect..) In my area I pay 8-10 cents per kilowatt on average.