Congratulations on your purchase!
I'm looking at one of these myself or maybe the mini-cab. The fact that it is a turn-key system is very attractive. I also need a lockable metal cabinet for security reasons. People will tell you you can save money by building it yourself, but they're invariably leaving out the cost of the tools and the value of your own time. If you add up the cost of all the individual items included in this system--complete 400W, two bulb digital lighting system, fully integrated cooling system, hydroponic system, cloning chamber, carbon filter, all the meters, nutes, ph testing and adjustment, etc--add on 25% for their manufacturing costs and profit margin, it's very difficult to convince me that I could make one myself for that price, let alone half that price.
When I said you could do it for half or a quarter of the price, I was including all of the hydroponic systems, nutes, meters, 400w system, carbon filter, ect. I have a system very similar to the ones they sell, and it only cost me about $500 or so to get, not the $2,000 + shipping they sell it for. Mine is also lined with FatMat, a sound reducing material, an S&P fan (much better than the ones they sell), & darkroom louvers. All of which they don't offer. Not to mention the DIY carbon filter and hydro system inside and 400w switchable. Oh yeah, and I have those TotLocks (the hidden magnetic ones, god I love those).
Of course the cost of the tools is an issue. Personally I did everything with a drill ($25), a package of drill bits ($20), and a cheap hand saw ($15), all of which I get to keep and use on future projects. So all and all, I guess it cost me about $560. If you want to add the time it takes you to do it all, well if 8 hours of your life is worth more than $1,400 plus shipping, yeah then it would make sense for you to order it. Other than that, it really doesn't make sense.
Of course, to each their own. I have nothing against everyone buying cabs, it just makes so much more sense to build them. For both financial reasons, as well as the fact that you can build it custom to what YOU need, not what someone else thinks you need.
That again means that you need experience to know what you need, so if you are a noob, and can afford to shell out $2,000 for a cab then go for it. Then, and only then, does it make sense to me.
Of course, if someone is offering, I would happily pay one of my RIU brothers 1/2 the cost of the cool cab ($999+shipping) for an equivalent system. Specs can be found
here. Payment due on approval, of course.
Come on all you Mr Fixits! This might be a nice little side-line for you!
Haha. Are you serious? Payment due on approval? Yeah, right. Like I'm going to shell out $500-$600 in parts, custom ordered all for you, to your specs, so that you can receive it in the mail, then say you don't approve? That makes sense.
Plus, I don't know about everyone else, but my cab is VERY heavy. It would cost an arm and a leg to ship it, even if I broke it down into it's components. But then you would probably complain that you had to put it together .... Even though all you would need is a screwdriver.