Tent VS Cabinet

I was contemplating my first grow setup.

which would be in a spare bedroom.

and i was bouncing back and forth between a grow tent, and converting a large IKEA wardrobe, that i would build myself.

i could start with something like this $130 wardrobe

Or maybe a $200 sum dollar grow tent.

At first i am of the type of person that dosnt like doing anything half ass, and rather spend the money to do it right. so originally i was thinking a 600watt HPS with a hood an the whole bit. but after thinking it over, i think i want to go CFL at least for the first grow.

I live where it is very hot most of the year. there really is no winter. just fall and summer.
Heat is an issue even without a grow operation. and high electricity bills from air conditioning is the norm. (110* days all summer)

So. . .
If i start off with a CFL grow. (i think the cost lost from upgrading would be nearly nothing in the future)

Would i be better off just buying a grow tent designed for the task, rather then converting a wardrobe?
Would i save myself heartache?
What do you think?
(did i give enough information?)

(thanks for your input in advance.)

I would have to say the tent , less headaches all around .. no need to cut holes, worry about light leaks , etc. Cfl's are ok if you get decent ones .. dont cheap out too much , seen some great plants growin with them but they still give off a little heat so be aware of that, and dont forget air circulation ...


happy growin

tellno1 said:

I would have to say the tent , less headaches all around .. no need to cut holes, worry about light leaks , etc. Cfl's are ok if you get decent ones .. dont cheap out too much , seen some great plants growin with them but they still give off a little heat so be aware of that, and dont forget air circulation ...


happy growin

Click to expand...

Thanks! yeah i was anti-CFL at first. and i think i might still be Anti-LED (i dont think the cost could be worth it)
But after doing tons of CFL research. i think i can get some that have good lummen per watt ratio's which i could have pretty close to the plants.

and after i get all the ventilation and cooling and other issues down. then i can switch to a HID grow with less problems.


Im thinking u guys are right. a tent would be "the right tool for the job"

I have no full growing experience yet, just to get that clear, but in my personal opinion I would prefer to convert that closet. IMO you could get a really nice setup in there with some maintience shelf at the top perhaps and some storage at the bottom for nutes ect. line it with mylar, add a couple of fans, then some CFL's with a way to lower/raise them. You'd need quite a few CFLs in a case like that and they wouldn't produce too much heat, You would definitely want to add a fan just to move around air inside of the wardrobe though. You could get quite a few plants in there and have some BIG yields! Like I said, just my opinion with no full growing experience.

zer0ed said:

Thanks! yeah i was anti-CFL at first. and i think i might still be Anti-LED (i dont think the cost could be worth it)
But after doing tons of CFL research. i think i can get some that have good lummen per watt ratio's which i could have pretty close to the plants.

and after i get all the ventilation and cooling and other issues down. then i can switch to a HID grow with less problems.


Im thinking u guys are right. a tent would be "the right tool for the job"

Click to expand...

Hi, zer0ed and welcome to the µgrowing forum.

The answer to your question has a couple different factors involved.

Consider these points:

What are you looking to get out of this grow?
-If you're growing for personal smoke, a DIY project could yield much more personal pleasure than a tent. Also, an upgradable space could be used; so when your needs change, you can change with them.
-If you're growing for profit, a tent will provide the quickest and easiest way to attain this. Combine a tent with an HID bulb and you will maximize your return on investment.

How much total money are you willing to spend on this project?
-DIY projects tend to be expensive, you well likely end up spending more than you originally thought. If you're DIY inclined and a good planner, write down every last detail and include the costs; to be on the safe side, round every purchase up $5. However, you can often find excellent grow boxes at garage sales for $10-20! Speaker boxes, cabinets, dressers, etc.
-Tents can be less expensive but keep in mind what you're buying, a tent - metal frame with fabric walls.

What are the environmental factors in the spare bedroom? Hot/Cold, Low/high humidity?
-DIY projects work best in stable, mild climates where environmental variables are low. These should be avoided in higher temperatures as more ventilation will be required to evacuate any extraneous heat. Also, untreated wood paneling can be susceptible to problems in environments with higher humidity.
-Tents work well in just about every growing situation, especially higher temperatures and humidity. However, they fall short in colder temps as they are not easy to insulate.

Is electricity consumption an issue? How's the wiring in your home?
-Bad wiring can cause problems in any growing situation. If all that's available is the original, circa 1960 wiring, the best option will be to minimize any possible electrical consumption. CFLs or T5s run at a lower wattage and do not need as much power for ventilation as they produce less heat that HID.
-If you live in a relatively new home with inexpensive electrical costs, this will not be as much of an issue and this opens up your lighting and ventilation options.

What about stealth? Are fan sounds/lightleaks be an issue?
-Stealth isn't tough for an apt DIYer; ICmag has a whole list of DIY cab builds if you need some suggestions. In general, tents fall short in the stealth department.
-Ventilation is the key. People often skimp on their air exchange, especially in DIY cabs and this includes myself. The key is to use a CENTRIFUGAL fan; for example, a stanley blower. For $50 and a few modifications it will ventilate almost any grow space with enough power to handle resistance on the airline. Further, it provides speed control and thus, sound control. Axial fans (PC fans/Duct boosters) are not strong enough to push or pull air through a carbon filter and usually end up creating problems if not properly installed.


Just food for thought.


Finally, I'm surprised no one has seriously mentioned T5s; perhaps this is the happy medium you're looking for? Low heat, high output, controllable spectrum. If experimentation is your thing: https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/358190-led-without-leds-my-first.html. Read the first few pages but avoid the newer posts, there are a couple trolls.

[Edit] RRain brings up a good point too. If you're pro-DIY, converting the entire closet would be a great idea. Run ventilation lines to the attic, insulate the walls with Reflectix (HomeDepot/Lowes/etc), build a false bottom to keep stuff off the floor, install the lights, and you're done! [/Edit]

Hope some of this helps. Whatever you decide, keep us posted! Looking forward to seeing the results.

The tent is better if you aren't worried about being stealth IMO.

I would have a tent if I wasn't stealth.

Thank you for your replies

another concern was in my head i was thinking of 4x4 or 6x6 or 4x8 or anywhere in there.

but the cabinet is only 1.5x4.5

Another thing im worried/confused about is the Veg area vs the Flower area

ive been having trouble designing the veg area in my head, because i need to account for full blown mothers. and also account for small clones. and im not sure how to organize that. do u think i could organize my veg area into the cabinet? with space for both a few mothers, and clones?

in which case, maybe i should get a tent for flower? and do both?

(since the cabinet wouldn't have to be completely light proof, but the tent will be?)

i was thinking about T5's too. (i heard they were good for clones)
are they that much better then CFL's?
how are t5's vs cfl's for flower?

Maybe this thread can provide some inspiration. https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=31172

Also, that link "leds without leds" has a ton of good info on t5s. Check it out.

overTHEman said:

Maybe this thread can provide some inspiration. https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=31172

Also, that link "leds without leds" has a ton of good info on t5s. Check it out.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the links oTm im going to read them both.
im already 4 pages into the t5 grow.

Dude if you want your veg chamber/flower chamber in the same spot, go with the IKEA cab. If your worthy of the task, in the end you'll be much more satisfied knowing you put the work in to turn something into something it isnt. You can easily leave one section of that cab for your mother and clones. Maybe try and find a deeper cabinet if the size of the one your looking at doesnt suite your fancy. Theres A LOT of different size cabs out there, just gotta look. But if stealth isnt a problem for you, you dont have the knowledge or tools to flip the box, or your just lazy lol, then buy a tent...

i disagree i have a cab inside my tent to flower in both have there advantages cab is stealth and tent is quality prebuilt room so you dont have to learn how to work with wood. i work with both depending on where and what im doing i can build a cab that is the same quality as a tent but not the same size(lose your stealth) so you ,pick which one is more advantageous to you. stealth or space

im not sure how stealth a cab will be with vent tubes coming out of it.
ha ha ha

Have you looked at my thread? I can't hear my fan, only thing noticeable is the large extension on the back, and it was so i could run a large t5 hood

i'm thinking tent too..

Buy a tent....so flexible and easy to move.

either or...both do the same thing... i personally like growing in cabinets.. fun to build, and easy to make look like a normal piece of furniture...never used a tent before but ive seen plenty of sick grow tents around these threads

I went to a used appliance store and bought one of their broken dryers fro $10 they had that was laying around waiting to be scrapped...
I took it home, gutted it, did some mods, and VOILA! I had a nice little stealth grow chamber....

Added bonus is nobody suspects the 4" flex ducting that vents the danky smell to the outside and the door is usually already light-tight, so no need to
seal up the door with a buncha weatherstripping...

I had it cooking with a 24" 126 watt 4 bulb T5 flouro and it worked great.
Gave it to my cousin in 2007. ....He still uses it....

I don't have any photos of it, but let your imagination take over...