I'd say the reason your friend is able to make little tree clones is because it looks like he takes tops or well branched cuttings. I like that method myself, although they can sometimes take a little longer to root than smaller less "woody" cuts. I'm curious as to how you're irrigating. I see a black tube circling the tray, but I don't see any additional lines? I'm running also the identical setup myself, but I'm using 2 3X6 trays, and use two 1000 lights on an LR5 mover. I'm a big fan of moving the lights, so that you don't get shady spots, and have more tolerance when it comes to dealing with heat issues- mostly during summer months.
Lookin' great man!