why are these so much better? I don't get it

ok so I'm growing a plant with 180 watts of cfl (bout 12000 lumens)all placed around the plant and it's growing just fine but a lot of people I notice are bashing on these lights and saying they aren't that good...

but then I see that people are having really good success using the t12s and I looked at them at lowes and the lumens were like 900 for a bulb and it's holds 4 bulbs in the fixture that would fit my closet so that's only 3600 lumens with huge bulbs and more space conpared to more than double the light with smaller cfls.

I'm just wondering how that can be possible?

I want to see someone who runs T12s matching a proper HID grow.

Simply, flourescents produce less lumens than HID that spread in the distance and don't penetrate anywhere near HID lights.
The tops gets more light with those CFLs (or T12s or T5s) but the lower branches grow much better with HID. Unless you actually cover your plant with CFLs.
Using a lot of CFLs around the plant will give a great result if done properly BUT it costs more to get the same lumens (300CFLs usually costs more than a 150HPS. At least around here, counting the moguls and splitters) and takes MUCH more work on working them to a good distance from the plant.

People usually use the T12 because their heat is close to nothing. With a fan blowing on them the plant can touch them without burning. When the distance is zero they get much more.
People usually use a wall of them, much more than 4 tubes. And I've never seen something in that area that beat a HID grow at the same wattage and same growing skills.