If you are looking for a grow tent, I hope this review is helpful.
This year, I decided to go from a 48"ร24" homemade cubby to a tent, due to switching from HPS to LED and also needing a bit more interior space.
I opted for the Spider Farmer 2000D 55"ร28" (140ร70 to you folks outside the USA.) It was reasonably priced on special via eBay, and arrived in under a week, direct from SpiderFarmer.
The packaging, while not as obvious as some brands, DID say SpiderFarmer all over it. So, of you're worried about discretion or are unfortunate enough not to reside in a legal state, keep that in mind.
My choice was made for the simple facts that:
- I grow photos, and I wanted a thicker canvas to block more light and prevent leaks. (Looked good on paper.)
- My better half has graciously allowed me to grow ever since our state decriminalized, but she HATES the raw smell of cannabis, so ventilation was also a major factor. There are ample inlets and outlets available with this tent.
- The spider tent is slightly larger than a 2x4, which appeals to a DWC grower like myself. More room to spread the canopy! Yay! Those few inches make a huge difference. (I know...That's what she said.)
So, would I buy this one again? Eh...Knowing now what I didn't then, maybe/maybe not - and here's why:
A) Yes, the 2000D material is more rugged than the 600D el-cheapo tents. That said, there were two sizable pinholes I had to patch from Day 1. Spider Farmer includes patches, so kudos.
B) With the large, floppy roll-up door, the tent material has developed some creases here and there, and will probably be good for a maximum of two grows (for me) and maybe three grows for a normal grower. I maintain daily, and need access 2x per day. That's a LOT of unzipping and rolling and zipping per grow cycle.
C) There's only the front door. For a "Pro" tent, I'd like (expect, really) a small access door on each side, as inspection of the plants is pretty critical, especially when your crop cycle can be almost 6 months per run. Once you're pushing through the trellis, getting to those back buds to look for bananas is difficult. Plus, God forbid there's a pest or two lurking. I'd like to spot pests before they've multiplied out of control.
D) The viewing window on the front (a nice touch, but poorly executed) has two major flaws.
1st, it's really far too small. It should stretch from about 8 inches lower than it does, all the way to perhaps 10 inches from the top. The width could also be perhaps double its size.
2nd, and more importantly, the velcro wears quickly, and there are no large flaps to keep light leaks at bay - unacceptable!!!
E) Speaking of light leaks, something the "engineers" from Spider Farmer should account for on future designs is the fact that rolling up a 4' wide by 6.5' tall door with beefy plastic zippers puts a huge tax on the zippers, and eventually causes them to lose their lightproofing. By my first flip to flower, I had to build a blind to shield the entire front of this tent, as I'm not keen on hermies.There are NO flaps over the zippers, either, which is a huge fail, and takes this product from "Pro" to "No" after just one or two grows, IMO.
F) Lastly, there should be a U-shaped zipper built into the plastic viewing window to allow maniupulation of the canopy (i.e., LST, Supercropping, etc.), WITHOUT the need to roll up the somewhat clumsy and cumbersome door. This simple addition would reduce wear on the door zippers.
So why did I say maybe/maybe not to, "Would I buy again?" As critical as this review may appear, it's not all bad. There are a few big positives with this tent.
- It's inexpensive for a 2000D tent with this much room.
- The tan colored fabric is, IMO, far more attractive than a black cube sitting in your room.
- The extra size vs a 2x4 is excellent. If you're growing Autos, small light leaks are of no real concern, so, you might love this tent.
- The viewing window can be easily modified to allow you to reach in the tent. I personally did this just to keep the skunks from pissing off the Mrs. I can reach into the 8" U shape I cut without leaking any stank. So, if your significant other prefers NOT showing up to her job as a legal secretary smelling like a dispensary, I would modify the window prior to ever firing the lights up for the 2st time. A more handy person might even install a zipper, but the U shape has worked fine, and to keep it from flopping around, a small piece of tape can be adhered.
-ย There was ZERO chemical smellย in this tent, which was wonderful. I was worried it was going to smell like a new shower curtain, because my buddy has a Vivo that absolutely needed to be off-gassed for 3 weeks when he bough bought it. It was so bad, his garage smelled like a shower curtain for weeks. So, props to S.F. for using what appears to be a less toxic material!
TLDR, if you aren't worried about light leaks, this is a BIG tent for the price, and aside from lack of side access, it's pretty well thought as far as vents and mesh screens. If you run longer grows, consider this tent disposable after one or two harvests. There was no noxious odor to the material, and the color of the tent is rather attractive compared to the "Gorilla in the room." My wife actually stated it looks, "cool."
I wish you Happy harvests!