Equipment Bargains Thread

cadillachydro · Feb 22, 2007

Hello all, Caddy here with the Equipment Bargains thread...

This is a thread for those lucky items you found on the fly... Those special little items that do what they do really well. Things that were just too good of a deal to pass up. Kick-ass quality stuff you found for a good price, or just got a kick-ass deal on.

I started this thread because of a fan I bought at Walmart over 6 months ago. I was very hesitant to buy it because it was made in China. If you knew me, youd know I dislike supporting chinese economy, but thats another story.

Anyways, I needed a fan and I'd always had my eyes on those larger industrial style fans with steel blades... So heres this "mini" one so to speak at walmart for $10.99... I pull it out of the box, check it out...(yeah I'm that guy)... So i see that it looks pretty solid, screw it, its 11bucks. Throw it in the cart.

Man, this little fan has been so good. Its perfectly balanced, blows like a freakin tornado and is relatively easy to clean. Its rather basic, but the blade is rigid and the motor is strong. Shes got a 3spd tranny, and a steady base that could easily be wall mounted.

Its been used at least 8hrs a day for the last 6 months. It doesn't skip a beat. I highly suggest you look in to one of these.

I went back to get another a few months ago and gone! Not even a trace. So i check the internet and found online stores were charging as much as $50bucks for the same fan! Honestly, for 30 it would be a good deal.

Check it out, heres a pic.
http://www.lakewoodeng.com/fanimages/hv9c.jpg
So anyway, if you've got anything similar feel free and post it up. Keep it easy ~caddy

marx2k · Feb 22, 2007

Something makes me think I should've picked a few of those up when i saw them a few years ago. I'm sure they'll be around in the summer again though.

What I would ALSO like to see in this thread are items that people have spotted and used that are not meant to be used for our hobby but fits perfectly (like pantyhose for DIY scrubbers, rubbermaid totes for hydro, bake-a-rounds for DIY cooltubes, etc)

It's like since I started the hobby a few years back, any time I'm at a store now, I have the "grower's eye" and am looking for alternate Macguyver-like uses for all items in any store.

marx2k · Feb 23, 2007

The thrift store is a treasure trove of great hydro items. From submersible water heaters to air pumps to rubbermaid items to timers to flouro reflectors.. almost everything under $5.. even 100W water heaters and 10 gallon pumps Ive found!

MTF-Sandman · Feb 23, 2007

Petsmart has some nice 15a timers that do 15 minute intervals (up to 48 on/off's a day)...almost identical to the $25 grasslin's, but alot cheaper @ $9. They're in the aquarium section and are for use with lights, so they oughta be fine for almost all grow uses.

minds_I · Feb 23, 2007

Hello all,

As for fans, I got these last summer at Wallyworld. I was so impressed withthem I bought 8 total so I would have sojme for a few years. At like 5 bux a piece- good investment as they are a perfect size for my cab.

minds_I

pico · Feb 23, 2007

I found that Dairy Queen sells used buckets. 5 gallon buckets for $1. Sometimes they have hundreds of buckets.

I have around 30 or 40 diary queen buckets. I use them for everything.

cadillachydro · Feb 23, 2007

Yeah Marx, the thrift store is a good place for certain things... especially "static" stuff like glass curing jars and whatnot...but I'm a little weary of used electrical stuff, because of its age and the fact that electrical failure in the growroom could be catastrophic. Dont think I'd rock any used timers if you know what im sayin'.

As for timers, good call on the cheap ones at petsmart MTF, I'll have to check that out. I wanna put my inline fan on a timer, its on 24/7 now.

Damn Minds, you gotta better deal than I did...these fans are great, I mean its been a while since i was so impressed with something so small and cheap. I cant imagine how well their 18" fan would work.

Pico, nice one on the buckets... no shit huh? I have a dairy queen in town, and 4 bucks a bucket at the hardware store gets expensive. Thats a sweet deal and exactly what this thread is about.

Thanks for stoping by and posting

Guest · Feb 23, 2007

For those with rooms the wall mounted air king 3 speed oscillating fan really pushes some air and is heavy duty bigtime with pullcord for 3 speeds.Not really cheap but the best I think they make some shitty wall mount oscillators believe me I shopped.The only drawback is when mounted it points slightly downward,this kinda sucks with co2 enrichment they say you want the fans blowing upwards through the plants,I dont think its critical though.Tried an ingenious upside down mounting attempt that failed miserably lol

SomeGuy · Feb 23, 2007

Heres some fans that might be of interest to the cabinet growers,
Business Supply

I got one of each, the oscillating is less than $20 and the fixed is around $7 and they work really well.

I also like the 1/4" soaker hose that I got at Walmart for around $6 for 50' and a pack of 10 TEE's for $1.50. Makes a great cheap replacment for airstones. Works great with cheapo airpumps too.

BennyBlanco · Feb 23, 2007

I got a 400 watt light for 130 shipped from inside sun I thought this was a great deal

Guest · Feb 24, 2007

hey benny, i hope you have good luck with the light. but, inside sun is a site to avoid. the guy sells alotta junk and does not stand behind anything he sells. he bills you and then ships out products 5 and 6 weeks later claiming that the stuff is out of stock. all the guy is doing is floating the cash from you to pay for items he should have shipped a month before.
i dont think the guy will get any more of my dough.

holla@yoboy · Feb 24, 2007

mdhydro.com has 60$ cool tubes, and the cheapest lights ive seen

Haps · Feb 24, 2007

Stock up time on fans at walmart starts in late August - through september - that is when they reduce prices on all in stock fans. Some years I buy a dozen for 2 bucks each, sometimes it is bigger fans for 5 bucks, worth stocking up anyway. Also, for soil growers, some of the walmarts sell out their soil at down to a quarter a bag, it is very much a feeding frenzy at that point.
H

beaner · Feb 24, 2007

marx2k said:
The thrift store is a treasure trove of great hydro items. From submersible water heaters to air pumps to rubbermaid items to timers to flouro reflectors.. almost everything under $5.. even 100W water heaters and 10 gallon pumps Ive found!

I agree with this, goodwill/salvation army ect are just fantastic places for little items. A few days ago I found items for my microgrow including a cooltube for my HPS for $1. Unfortunately the crowds in these places make me uncomfortable so I always smoke a bowl or two before my hunting (it also helps me see past everythings intended use and get creative.

Guest · Feb 25, 2007

Here is a mechanical type float valve . Available online or at a farming supply.
Around 10 $ US.

m@rg · Feb 25, 2007

Found a unused factory and got 10 400w and 15 250 w hps units complete
Had to do a bit of climbing 40 ft on thin gurders .
get all my flex and cable and fuses free from work
Got given my fans
so all i gotta do is buy new bulbs and soil
£20 complete set up

Chronic Newfie · Feb 25, 2007

I bought the Mills Pride c22 cab at HD for $50. They were clearing them out and I got the last one. I was going there just for it too and it just happen to be on sale and the last one..

topwater · Feb 25, 2007

At Wal-Mart, where they make cakes, you can get free 2,3 and 5 gallon buckets. Just ask the nice lady decorating the cakes.(you have to clean the gunk out though)

NiteTiger · Feb 26, 2007

If you're handy, htgsupply.com has some really good deals on ballast kits. Picked up a 400w MH for $45, and a 1kw for $109. Comes with great instructions, and even includes the high temp wire nuts and mogul socket. Only thing you're missing is a housing, a power cord, and however much wire you need if you're going to remote ballast it.

mtnjohn · Feb 26, 2007

hanna checker 1 ph meters $25
hm tds3 tds tester w/3yr warrenty $19
http://sunstoneherbals.com/

i have experience with the hannah checker
i have had one for three years and the electrode just 2 weeks ago went bad
it was $20 when i bought ...but still a bargain for 25

mj

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