Beware Home Depot and maybe Lowes

[BilboBaggins]

My lawyer has apprised me of a case in NJ wherein an aerial infra-red search was done on a home based on the fact that the homeowner purchased some HID lighting from Home Depot, who tipped off the pork. The case was eventually thrown out due to the fact that HID lighting doesn't necessarily have anything to do with cultivation of cannabis. But still...it's a scary scenario. Not only in terms of the bacon's willingness to go so unconstitutional, but also in terms of HD's complicity. The war on cannabis has evidently gone way mainstream.

In a perhaps related development, I have noticed that a half-dozen or so local HD's and Lowes have petered off stocking MH and HPS bulbs in the last few months, roughly coinciding with the recent LEO debacles in the cannabis community. My advice - PAY CASH.

BB

[Carpet Muncher]

Bilbo.. HD stopped stocking hps bulbs (over 400watts) yrs ago beause of their cooperation w/leo.. so that would make sense.

regarding HD stocking hps bulbs.. check around.. each store, (and each dept head of ea store,) has total control of ordering. i bet you'll find the next store over (or 1 or 3) carries them. in fact, you can still order 1k's.. though they're expensive as hell that way.

good to see you here.. take care.. CM

[LordOvertoke]

thanks for the heads up Bilbo.

LO

[hydrorascal]

Electrical supply houses are a great place when you are helping Aunt Mary get her security light working again. Ballasts, sockets, bulbs and often if ya ask.. they will show ya how to hook it up.

Cash ?? yep .. sure works as do money orders for places like ebay

[BilboBaggins]

I'll have to widen my search perimeter. I've noticed that the local stores have even stopped carrying 400's, 250's and 175's.

BB

[Glass Man]

Always purchase them with CA$H !!

Btw, 400s are always easy for me to find.

[dert]

I have had good success with electrical supply houses (as hydrorascal mentioned) like Grainger and Graybar. Good source for bulbs and ballasts, the prcies are generally reasonable too. I think they are a little more under the radar as well.

[ViRedd]

So, if your neighbor works at Home Depot and he/she drops a dime on you, :call: is that considered being a good little citizen and worker, or just a fu**ing Nazi? <Sheesh!>

Vi

[joe6pack]

So, if your neighbor works at Home Depot and he/she drops a dime on you, :call: is that considered being a good little citizen and worker, or just a fu**ing Nazi? <Sheesh!>

Vi

good little citizen and worker, brainwashed by the fu**ing Nazi

now I gotta say first and foremost things are very much regional. I've been to mom and pop hardware stores in agricultural areas that carry everything a grower could ever want....

However I'm pretty sure nationwide HomeDepot used to carry all wattages of HID flood lights and highbays even 400's and 1000's right on the shelf back in the early 90's. then that stopped, you can still get them, but you have to order them and provide your personal details and probably explain why you're buying (4) 600 watt HID's...

For a long time you could not get more than a 70 watt HPS at HD and no MH. Recently they began carrying the 100 watt HPS but that's it. Mercury vapor's are however available up to 175 watts indicating an understanding that this lamp is use less for growing. I haven't seen a bulb bigger than a 250 or 400 in a while.

Lowes has 150 HPS, and usually 100 HPS but even that can be hit or miss. Not sure on bulb selection.

Graingers was always a great place to pick up cheap dayton's. However back on OG there were reports that they won't sell cash and carry anymore. They tell you they only sell to businesses and then if you say you're a business they try to pressure you into giving an account # or setting one up which requires a business name, address, phone number, etc.

Yes there are still places like electrical supply stores and HVAC places, but won't you stick out like a sore thumb buying just a few key things at a time, never really having a good story as to what you're going to do with it? "I have a tennis court I want to light..."

It sure would seem if there has been a concerteded effort in some regions to prevent the average joe from walking into any place but a hydro store (hmm...) to get a big wattage HID or a proper in-line fan.

So you're left with the internet or the hydro store. internet is convient but there have been instances of hydro companies being targeted and people getting busted with cooperation of the shipping company. I think the story was that there was a CD distributed to local PD's with the lists of people who had made recieved orders from such and such on-line hydro store. All suposedly confirmed through a lawyer during discovery...

ebay is dominanted by a few on-line hydro stores, it's not like people are selling equipment to eachother on ebay on a regular basis. So you basically are ordering from an on-line hydro store.

do you go the extra step and order with money order to a "safe" address?

anyways I ramble. they really don't have enough resources to investigate the average closet grower. But me personally I prefer cash and carry and I'll go to the hydro store if I must.

-joe

[HellBoy]

I can still get 1K HIDs in Texas for about 30 bux at HD... I use the 400's and they don't bat an eyelash... but 99% of the time I use cash.. I don't believe in PAYING for credit...it's a losing proposition.

...besides... I'm not aware of even ONE instace of aeriel detection in Texas... I don't think they even DO that here... WAY, WAY too much ground to cover..

HB

[kazzy1]

the HD here you can only get 400w MH bulbs but no ballasts. 70W hps security lights are just about it as far as hps is concerned.

[HellBoy]

yeah.. I only get bulbs there. I buy ballast KITS and make my own refelctors from metal mailboxes! :D ..less than 10 bux plus the mogul fixture and wire.. cheap lighting for sure ... about $90 bux for a FINE 400!!

[meloyelo]

joe6pack you are right about Graingers. At least the ones over here where I am. You cannot buy anything from them unless you have an account which you must set up with either your business letterhead, business card, or business check with telephone# and addy. So paying cash becomes irrelevant.
-melo

[bigsur51]

the lowes here sell 50/70 - 400w both mh and hps.....no ballasts..and they accept cash

[Kurious]

joe6pack you are right about Graingers. At least the ones over here where I am. You cannot buy anything from them unless you have an account which you must set up with either your business letterhead, business card, or business check with telephone# and addy. So paying cash becomes irrelevant.
-melo

Hey meloyelo, when you go to Graingers tell them that you work for a large company in your area and are making a cash purchase. I do it all the time. Some of the counter people recognize my face and don't even ask. They don't give a rat's ass. All they want is my cash.

edit: Before you shop at Graingers you should know the approximate cost of what you are buying. Once I bought a fishtape from them and saw the same piece at Home Deepshit for half the price. Buyer beware.

Kurious

[meloyelo]

Thanks Kurious but I got an account, I just don't use it for the goodies.
-melo

[Ed Larkis]

Ever notice the big signs by the front door of every HD stating that all prospective employees must first pass a drug test? Tells you something about the corporate mindset.

Ed

[bigsur51]

the 400w mh and hps are under $30 bucks each...biggest ballast they carry is for a 150 hps......

[Silent Soldier]

i used to work there...konow alot of people there in different places....home dumpo did get pressured about grow lights but they do order what they wish...hence why some stores have them and some dont....another reason why (somer stores)they dont carry big numbers(watts) is because they had a high return rate on those...either cause they get damaged in transit or people buying a good 1 then returning there old 1 passing it off as the 1 they just bought.