Don't buy lights from hardware store?

i have another thread asking for some help and someone replied saying not to buy hps lights from a hardware store. was planning on getting these or these, placing them in these, and then plug those into a power surge. am i doing the wrong thing? please help, would have picked the bulbs up today but ran out of time having so much fun in the hydro store.

i don't kno about anyone else but i am a first time grower and have been doing fine with daylight simulating cfl's that i bought at walgreens, (they were on sale). i may not know very much about all this but why would it matter if the lights came from a hardware store???

I use T12 bulbs for germinating and then I put them under T5 bulbs once they've grown at least 3-4 inches tall. Once they've reached 12-18 inches tall I put them under a 400 watt MH until they are ready to be flowered. Once they're ready to be flowered I switch over to 400 watt HPS.

It works.....

Why the surge suppressor? They really are useless after 6 moths anyways. The bulb is gonna take the hit. The ballast will fair fine.

Go for it! I have the Lowes specials myself and all seems just fine.

(though the HTG stuff look almost too good to be true)

HTG is affordable and i would recommend them for your kits, light/ballast/hood, but if you're purchasing extra bulbs i would probably buy them locally.

really though, you can make your own shit up and still grow some chronic, its more of a preference/money/amount of space issues.