Cost of DIY vs grow tent?

[piestasher]

Hey guys new member here. I. Was just wondering from people with experience of they found the gorilla tents as good or better than a custom built box? I want to start growing and learning but I need to figure out if I should buy or build.... I'm thinking 4x4 maybe 7 or 8 ft tall, thanks


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[VladimirPutin]

Do what makes most sense economically.

I grow my plant under my desk. During 12/12 I simply close the tarp at the end of her daylight cycle.
I put her to bed around the same time sun down hits and she gets lights again when sun is up, approximately 12 hours.

I close the door and don't use the room during dark, it's an office.

I'd rather spend the $500 on lights, meters, nutrients instead of a tent!

The only positive of the tent option is housing more than one plant.

You didn't say how many plants you wanted to grow at a time...

My under the desk plant 10 days into the 12/12

Vlad

 

[JuanCarlos]

I would advise spending quite a bit less on an Apollo grow tent and the rest on good equipment. I cannot see the Gorilla being worth 4 times the price.

 

[piestasher]

I'm looking for 4 at a time. I just need a structure for it as I live in an apartment. So it will need a carbon filter too.. Thanks Juan I did not know that! Do you use the Apollo? Any suggestions? Thanks both of ya!!


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[TanR]

Hi piestasher,

I would love to hear the story behind that name some day! Welcome to 420 Magazine and community of folks that gathers here.

I have to agree with Vlad with respect to the economy of it all. And perhaps woven into your thinking re: costs should be your needs. Tents are great at providing some level of stealth. (Even though it might be difficult to explain what the heck that giant square or rectangular thing is.) Do you require stealth? Would something that looks like a custom made cabinet require less explanation?

They also help with lighting efficiency by providing a non-burning reflective surface. But flat white wall paint runs a REALLY close second in reflectivity or a box could be lined with the same mylar or panda film used in tents.

I read a lot of tent reviews before purchasing mine, and the consensus was that the premium charged for the Gorilla line of tents (over others) wasn't worth it. They are great quality and have really nice features, but my needs didn't require all that. Just simple, basic semi-stealthy, reflective enclosure was all I required. I think you'll find Amazonia to be your friend. Just look for the product reviews!

Be well and happy growing!

 

[piestasher]

Thanks I'm just getting into it was trying o keep overall cost under 600 for a set up. I can have it inside I just can't have the smell (Dulles style house)


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[Kingsnake235]

i had similar thoughts in the beginning (diy vs tent) and my calculations priced a pvc/poly tent at equal or more than a tent of similar size; i have since ordered a tent, and i wish i had've done that from the beginning instead.

Mars Hydro sells a 3'11x3'11x6'7 tent for around 115+shipping+tx and thats what i ordered; its been great so far, good quality material, no light leaks, plenty of ports that light seal up. I currently have 6 plants in there with little trouble, but a bit crowded, 4 would be perfect.

They also have the mars II 900 that lights a 3.5x3.5' area for $348 but i ordered a 600w HID system on ebay for ~250 instead.. that being said, after getting ducting and a fan that could cool the light as well as vent the space (6" inline 160cfm), i didnt save that much; could i do it over again, i might just bite the bullet on a decent LED instead; lots of people have great results with their lights. And i have plans to buy one with a veg tent in the future, for what its worth..

from my experience so far i'd say asses your wants/needs of your crop as well as your required discretion levels and define your priorities appropriately; my budget went from 300 to 600 to whats now over 1000 so i wish you good luck in staying within your budget hehe

 

[piestasher]

So after a quick Amazon search, I found theApollo Horticulture 48"x48"x80" Mylar Hydroponic Grow Tent for Indoor Plant Growing. It isn't hydro only correct? And it has all the stuff for lights and ducts and fans and stuff yes? Sorry I'm super newb.


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[Kingsnake235]

yes that tent has everything you would need, it is identical to the one i am using with the exception of the colour on the edging and the brand name

 

[piestasher]

Hey King snake what led light would you recommend? For the tents we have? I'm on Amazon and plan on buying the tent and light tonight. Then a few more pieces next week. Thanks


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[uptheholler2]

Hey Piestasher! I am currently building a new room from Structural Insulated Panels. Check them out on line. Think insulated garage door panels. Routed out so they fit together like tongue and groove. two white fiberglass panels with an inch and 3/4 of foam insulation in between. They are about 24 inches wide by 5 to 7 feet long depending which size you buy. They go together with self tapping screws. They require very little framing. They are totally washable inside and out and are bright white. Being insulated they keep a very steady atmosphere inside even when in an unheated space like a garage or cool basement. They are also very good at odor control. Each panel costs from 5 to 6 busks depending upon the size. Check out your area locally and you maybe surprised what you find. So far I am really impressed and was considering building grow boxes out of them to sell. But I noticed on line someone else has already beat me to it! Best of luck in all you grow!

 

[Kingsnake235]

Hey King snake what led light would you recommend? For the tents we have? I'm on Amazon and plan on buying the tent and light tonight. Then a few more pieces next week. Thanks

to be honest, since i went with HID, i can't say one way or the other with any decisiveness, as I have never used LED, only seen others using them; so my research on that subject would be as unsure as yours.

since we know you're gonna use a 4x4 with 4 plants,
the first thing to consider for me would be;
how far out of your budget are you able/willing to stray, and how much the rest of your setup will cost, after your tent. So that raises the question, do you have anything together already, or are you buying everything with that budget?

were it me, i'd do some more research on the mars II 900 and mars II 1200, check peoples journals for results, thoughts and comments, and look around for what info you can find, because they seem to be the most "affordable" led lights around right now. that being said, i've also read of many people who end up stripping their mars lights to build better lights, so if you're handy with electrical you could try that route - this is probably what i will do when i eventually go led for a veg tent, but its not so simple as just order and assemble if you're not confident in your handyskills and dont have the tools laying around.

edit to add: keep in mind you could also use 2 smaller lights, like the mars reflector 96, which is 178 each

check out the "sponsors" tab here on the website, and look through the options available there as well, there are several sponsor companies with LED lights for sale, but i havent price checked them all.

edit to add: you might consider starting a thread specific to your light queries to get advice from people who are currently using LED lights. It will be worth putting the purchase off for a day or two or more to make sure you get something thats going to be right for you.

 

[Kingsnake235]

also, if you dont mind me asking, what reasons are you growing for, what do you hope to get from your plants?

i ask, because if you plan to use the setup to grow for recreational use only once or twice a year for 3 months at a time you may not necessarily need the same quality equipment as if you were planning to grow perpetually for medicinal use all year round.

but if you're planning to grow year round, and you buy something now for cheap, it may crap out on you in 8 months and cause you to buy another one, at which point you will likely upgrade, so it may be more economical to get the more expensive unit now to reduce the chance of having issues with it.

there are many things to consider when purchasing equipment; try to avoid rushing if you can. Its something I tried and failed to do

 

[Capn Kush]

Hey Piestasher! I am currently building a new room from Structural Insulated Panels. Check them out on line. Think insulated garage door panels. Routed out so they fit together like tongue and groove. two white fiberglass panels with an inch and 3/4 of foam insulation in between. They are about 24 inches wide by 5 to 7 feet long depending which size you buy. They go together with self tapping screws. They require very little framing. They are totally washable inside and out and are bright white. Being insulated they keep a very steady atmosphere inside even when in an unheated space like a garage or cool basement. They are also very good at odor control. Each panel costs from 5 to 6 busks depending upon the size. Check out your area locally and you maybe surprised what you find. So far I am really impressed and was considering building grow boxes out of them to sell. But I noticed on line someone else has already beat me to it! Best of luck in all you grow!

Love it! Sent you a PM!

 

[JuanCarlos]

Apollo 4x4 with a 600 watt dimmable ballast, air cooled reflector. $25 duct fan with a $20 router speed controller. It would be hard to go LED and keep your grow budget under $600. If you went with the odler style Mars Hydro 300 watt panels, I would want at least 4 of them in your tent and that's $252 just on the lights.

 

[ZARBU]

Grow tents make life so easy, especially if you use HPS.

Can't recommend them enough, they are definitely worth every cent.

I use a Jungle Room grow tent ....its great, and it was cheap.

Jungle Room -Full Range | Glandore Hydroponics | Hydro & Indoor Gardening Supplies - Online Store Australia

just $200 AUD for a 1.2m x1.2m x 2m Which is just $141 USD

This would grow 4 big plants easily

This size tent fits a basic 600 watt HPS and shade nicely and is easy to keep cool with a single 8 inch extractor fan, (mine runs near silent.) LED light fans can be noisy, so something to consider.

Id recommend a basic 600 hps myself over a Led light .....especially for those new to growing.

 

[uptheholler2]

to be honest, since i went with HID, i can't say one way or the other with any decisiveness, as I have never used LED, only seen others using them; so my research on that subject would be as unsure as yours.

since we know you're gonna use a 4x4 with 4 plants,
the first thing to consider for me would be;
how far out of your budget are you able/willing to stray, and how much the rest of your setup will cost, after your tent. So that raises the question, do you have anything together already, or are you buying everything with that budget?

were it me, i'd do some more research on the mars II 900 and mars II 1200, check peoples journals for results, thoughts and comments, and look around for what info you can find, because they seem to be the most "affordable" led lights around right now. that being said, i've also read of many people who end up stripping their mars lights to build better lights, so if you're handy with electrical you could try that route - this is probably what i will do when i eventually go led for a veg tent, but its not so simple as just order and assemble if you're not confident in your handyskills and dont have the tools laying around.

edit to add: keep in mind you could also use 2 smaller lights, like the mars reflector 96, which is 178 each[/.I]

check out the "sponsors" tab here on the website, and look through the options available there as well, there are several sponsor companies with LED lights for sale, but i havent price checked them all.

edit to add: you might consider starting a thread specific to your light queries to get advice from people who are currently using LED lights. It will be worth putting the purchase off for a day or two or more to make sure you get something thats going to be right for you.

Hey Piestasher! I just replied to your PM with some of these thoughts but I thought that I would share my ideas with the group also when it comes to light selection. Kingsnake is correct any thing that you do in any grow is about you and your specific direction....desires...goals...and of course budget. The selection of lights and grow spaces and varieties is highly a personal choice and shouldn't be a competition of mine is bigger or better than yours. This is an attitude encouraged by the marketing techniques of a lot of different marijuana growing vendors out there. Notice that I didn't say 420 Sponsors. Most of the sponsors on this site don't resort to those types of marketing ploys. They know that on this site most of the folks are educated growers who do their due diligence before they make purchases for their grows. Now having said all of that I'm going to repeat some of what I told you in my PM

Good weed has been successfully grown under 4 foot shop lights bought at Walmart, under HPS /MH, LED's, CFLs, Ceramic, COB's all and I'm sure more of these lights will grow good weed. There are a multitude of cultural training techniques available to the cultivator to enable you to maximize your harvest under any of these light sources. Most of these techniques have to do with exposing multiple flowering nodes to more light or to increasing these flowering points by breaking the plants apical dominance. Breaking apical dominance can be thought of as a leveling of the playing field competition between individual branches on a plant as they compete with them selves for available light. This is done by pruning, pinching or fimming. Some folks on here have taken these techniques to an art form. ( Come on you know who you are!!) The best part for a new grower like you is that....guess what?? .....unlike on other marijuana grower sites.......these folks aren't a bunch of know it all A holes who try to make you think that you are an idiot for asking a simple question! They are truly a helpful caring group of people who have been brought together by their simple love of weed. For what ever reason!! If you need me I'll be just Uptheholler. Best of luck in all you grow!

 

[Unknown91]

I read all kinds of reviews on tents..I ended up going with an apollo tent..quite a bit cheaper..I don't believe u can find a tent 100% lightproof..I'm happy with the apollo. Like any tent or diy..it's goin in a spare room or space anyways..just make sure you keep it lightproof

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[Lazarus13]

If you get the old style mars 300s on the bay they come 2 for $124 free shipping and they ship fast. So getting 4 would cost you $248 and you would have them in a few days. Check the seller tho and buy them from marshydro. The tent i bought from the other big online retailer cost me $74 and i have 0 complaints. Its 3x2x6. Maybe should have gone a bit bigger but its a good starter for the price and will be a nice mother tent when i decide to upgrade.

 

[piestasher]

Thanks guys! Purchased a 4x4 Apollo!


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