Prudent or Paranoid?

[SmokingBull]

I'm gonna be helping my buddy work with his grow, enabling me to learn from his experience and earn duckets for my own equipment so I can get my own grow goin.

I want to start buying gear on Craigslist, because there's always gear on there for cheap. My buddy won't have any of it, though, and insists equipment only be bought new. He's super wary of cross-contamination, and worries about bugs getting in and causing problems. He says there's molds (I think he said "PM") that can lie dormant and and spring up when conditions are right that can cause all manner of problems.

So does he have a point or is he just paranoid? What steps can I take if I get some stuff second-hand to make sure someone else's problems don't become my problems?

 

[JayJammer]

Well, he does have a bit of a point but it's really not that common. As long as you don't buy any containers that once help plants or used medium you don't really have to worry. Just make sure to clean any used equipment you do get with a mild bleach solution. I started growing with gear I bought through craigslist and have never had any problems. Just use common sense.

 

[DeeTee]

As far as containers and such as long as you clean it good and steilize it say with bleech you should be ok, as far as equipment like lights and hydro equipment I'd be a little leary at someone elses problems, I'd have to buy new equipment.

 

[Warlock1369]

Bleach the shit out of everything you fine. Never get used filters or bulbs.

 

[crashbog127]

i actually am looking at craigslist right now for equipment.. i never thought about doing it before. lol

i just came across an amazing hydroponic system for a steal... im wondering if i should switch from soil now.

 

[PeyoteReligion]

A bleach spray will remove all that crap. On the other hand I would still reccomend new gear, just for reliability.

 

[Warlock1369]

Craigslist is full of 1 time wonders. They ether realized how hard it is or didn't make the money and gave up.

 

[PeyoteReligion]

Craigslist is full of 1 time wonders. They ether realized how hard it is or didn't make the money and gave up.

Bunch of rich kids tried to grow while living at moms house and got busted.

 

[unohu69]

Used gear is great. take advantage of it is my thing. im leery on digital ballasts tho. fans and magnetic ballast are tanks, reliable as all hell. used bulbs, no.

A lot of people go out and drop top dollar at hydro stores cuz they think its gonna be so easy. Then they give up.
Iv got a few years under my belt, and still run into new issues, or old issues with different symptoms. Theres always something new to learn.

 

[thehole]

The only thing bad with Craigslist other then buying possible damaged second-hand equipment is law enforcement. Now it's not illegal to buy said equipment but both us and them know why we buy it. Here where I am in a city of over 200,000 under half million, just this spring and summer the cops were posting grow equipment that had been confiscated from busts on Craigslist. They were targeting growers of course. They also had a small local grow store where they would sell soil and equipment and take down plates and gather info. FoxFarms even had that grow shop on their local sellers listing.
So my main point is I'd avoid Craigslist just for the law enforcement threat. Especially if you are living in a state where medical isn't even legal. Even though I hate Ebay that would probably be safer. But I myself buy only by phone, usually a few states away, UPS or FedEx.
But that's just me.
Just like any other hobby, you wanna play you gotta pay.
It sucks to because I've seen great deals on equipment on Craigslist, but the site is so heavily monitored now fro this and that, and the chances of buying shit equipment is medium to high so I just buy new from actual grow stores with a history.

 

[Warlock1369]

The only thing bad with Craigslist other then buying possible damaged second-hand equipment is law enforcement. Now it's not illegal to buy said equipment but both us and them know why we buy it. Here where I am in a city of over 200,000 under half million, just this spring and summer the cops were posting grow equipment that had been confiscated from busts on Craigslist. They were targeting growers of course. They also had a small local grow store where they would sell soil and equipment and take down plates and gather info. FoxFarms even had that grow shop on their local sellers listing.
So my main point is I'd avoid Craigslist just for the law enforcement threat. Especially if you are living in a state where medical isn't even legal. Even though I hate Ebay that would probably be safer. But I myself buy only by phone, usually a few states away, UPS or FedEx.
But that's just me.
Just like any other hobby, you wanna play you gotta pay.
It sucks to because I've seen great deals on equipment on Craigslist, but the site is so heavily monitored now fro this and that, and the chances of buying shit equipment is medium to high so I just buy new from actual grow stores with a history.

I almost live at my hydro store. I even help with the costumers questions. It's a friends shop. And when the cops come by looking at our plates I fuck with them. I dont reg my cars to my grow house. Hell I only have 1 car in my name and it hasn't ran in 8 years.

 

[thehole]

Ya, one never knows who's watching who for what and when. I try to support all local biz that deals in the grow trade but that grow shop operation the cops had here kinda woke me up to the fact that what I see isn't necessarily what is. The Craigslist operations have been going for years in many locals I'm sure. The last one in the news here was just last month, it was a guy that bought a larger ballast/reflector setup on Craigslist, they just kept track of him and eventually got a warrant somehow to search his residence for evidence of a grow op, in which they found 50+ plants.
I guess if you are going to choose to use local grow shops it a good idea to use cash and not have a auto in your name. The war on marijuana is definitely still in effect.

I could spend all day talking and helping people in a grow shop, it's so sad we have to keep our love under wraps because of some dumb fucking laws still on the books.

 

[unohu69]

Thats all good for the states that dont have a medical program, but if your legal, then who cares? get your shit wherever you can for the best price possible. if your kool with no warranty, then go for it. you will be taking your chances with the product no matter what.

 

[polyarcturus]

Bleach the shit out of everything you fine. Never get used filters or bulbs.

i follow the same general guidelines although i do use a 200cfm filter thats 1 year old that i got from a guy he said he only used it a month and threw it in free (bought about 500 dolars worth of other stuff; ballasts hoods; he had) and its still going strong so there exceptions but like warlock said bleach the shit out of everything. more often than not if they are a good seller like me they will clean it with bleach b4 selling it.

 

[RollupRick]

Its better to be too paranoid than too complacent.

I buy new for everything, these days can get gear new, delivered, for good prices.

Also get everything delivered to a third party address, never the grow address.

 

[SmokingBull]

MMJ is legal, so law enforcement isn't a concern. Actually, having been a criminal for the last 20yrs because I smoke the 420, actually living without the everpresent fear of going to jail because I have a freaking joint in my pocket is a HUGE reason that I'm moving out there.

Thanks for the replies guys. This'll help me save $$ and benefit from people who got into it thinking it'd be an easy way to get cheap bud and found out how much work is actually involved. Hell, its even eco-friendly from a recycling standpoint.

I'll just avoid containers, nutes, and medium, buy all that shit new. Probably buy ventilation stuff (except fans, those get expensive quick) new too.