Would a single Farm XL be equivalent to 3 Bounty units?

[aerobob]

Greetings All,

Reading up the specs of the Farm units and Bounty units - On paper, it seems like a single Farm Unit would be roughly equivalent to 3 bounty units?  Is this true from your experience?

- 2x60w lights vs 3x45w lights
- Looks to be fairly close volume wise for the bowls (2 bowls on the farm vs 3 bounty bowls)
- Both have lamp heights adjustable to 24"
- 24 pods vs 27 pods - but you really wouldn't want to crowd either?

[Shawn]

I never really looked at it that way but I guess it can be.

Mostly I think it is preference on what each person wants.  Me, I would not get a Farm.  It would be too taxing on my back trying to do dump and refills.  Also I do not have a free wall to place it against unless I build a room or buy a larger home with an AG room LOL.

Many prefer the Farms, but I like the Harvests, Ultras and Bounty's.  Keep in mind, just because the Farm has all the extra pod holes, does not mean you will get a lot more real estate when it comes to peppers and tomatoes.  Now I would not plant more then two plants in a Bounty.  Maybe up to 4 in a Farm.  You would have to wait for a Farm owner to answer that one.

I am with Shawn. The water changing of the Farms, space in the home and placing are factors for me. I prefer to use the light of my AG Bountys,SS6 and Ultras on top of end tables, night stands and chests for a more decorative appearance than the Farm would give.I like the smaller machines for kitchen and hobby room.

Each person has their own reasons for different models..production,decor,physical limitations..

[nick]

I'm a big fan of the Farm models because I like the modular system and how easy it is to form a wall of units. I had a free wall in my dining room that's worked out well for it. For me I don't find the large tanks to be too much of a burden because I use the pump to pull the water out whenever I do a rinse/refill. I think the only time I've picked up one of the tanks when it was full was to dump it when I was in a hurry. Otherwise pumping them out in manageable increments works well for me.

For me it's really about having a neat and tidy modular system. I don't have counter/shelf/table space to put the free-standing units. I could have maybe found a spot for one at most.

If we move somewhere with more space then I'll definitely be considering spaces that might allow my wall of Farms to grow in size. 

[aerobob]

Thank you for your replies!

Aside from the stacking ability (stacking two or maybe three 12" farm units for herbs/greens seems very space efficient or maybe like this guy who stacked three XL units: imgur.com/a/2I2vCRu ), I was wondering what the advantages of the farm would be over 3 bounty units - it turns out maybe only aesthetics at this point?

The objective pros of the 3 bounty units as you pointed out:
- Easier to find room for three bounty units than one farm xl unit
- Easier to fill the bowls (assuming one stacked the farms, and one of them is on the ground)
Really I suppose there are no objective pros of one over the other as far as physical placement ... if you have the wall/floor space, it seems Farms are more efficient (may need a ladder ;-), if you have lots of furniture/counter space - you can stick bounty units in more places...


I was thinking some additional benefits of multiple bountys over a single farm
- In the event there was some sort of contamination in a bowl - there would be less impact (3 bowls vs 2)
- In the event there was some sort of infestation or disease, if caught early enough, it would be easier to physically move/isolate the affected unit (the farm you are stuck in a side by side setup)
- In the event one needed a bit more space for the plants to expand beyond the container - you can shift/move bountys around, but are stuck in the side by side setup of the farm
- Should something go wrong with one bounty, your other two are ok, the Farm looks to have a few single points of failure that could take out both bowls/lights....


Initially I was thinking pricing would be in favor of the multiple bountys, however looking more at it:
Pricing - I have seen more Bounty/Ultras for sale ($120-160 each) than Farms (Lowest I've seen is $390 on ebay: www.ebay.com/itm/Miracle-Gro-AeroGarden-Farm-PLUS-WITH-SALAD-BAR-SEED-KIT-Black-24/123556922041?hash=item1cc49102b9:g:gCQAAOSw8f9byScJ)
In this instance 3 Bounty Elites at $160 ($480) would be considerably more expensive than a single farm ($390)...but then could go into as aesthetics of stainless finish vs matte black, farms have wifi, these bountys did not, etc.....But I think if comparing by sales pricing to capacity - the Farms look to beat out the bountys.....

[Shawn]

In the end, it comes down to personal preference.  Space, affordability, even ones strength comes into play.

I like the looks of the farms and @nicks units look wonderful and neat.  However, for me the farm is not a good fit.  If I had a home with more room or walls it would be a maybe.  Plus I no longer have the strength to do the maintenance. 


I still want AG to come out with an updated wall holder for Bountys.  But that is not happening.

[nick]

Aside from aesthetics and physical limitations I really think it's a question of where you want the things to live. Either on the floor or on counters/tables/shelves. If I was in a home with a ton of extra counter space I'd have likely ended up with a few of the Bounty models. 

[kinik]

I think it depends on what you’re planning to grow too. Even though they can both reach 24” height, I think the Farm has more room for horizontal growth and space between things like tomatoes or peppers. But you may have more versatility with a Bounty since it has the grow bowl option that the Farm doesn’t.

[MaryL]

I want them both, lol.

[serri588]

I consider my Farms to be equivalent to maybe 2.5 Bounties as opposed to 3. More plugs per deck, yes, but there is less edge space, which I feel helps provide space for the plants when they are packed tightly together.

I like my Bounties and I like my Farms, but I like them for different reasons. As kinik mentioned, Farms don't (yet) have a grow bowl option, and I've just had more luck with peas in the bowls. The Ultra decks are also interchangeable with the Bounties. Currently, I have the bowls in the Ultras, and I've been experimenting with using either the Bounty deck or the Ultra deck in the Bounties.

The Bounty placement is more flexible, but the Farms stack. I've got a set of those wire racks and they allow me to have 4 bounties in the same footprint as 2 Farm Pluses so that is an option. I do think the Farms look nicer though.

I like having large plants like my cucumbers in the Farms. I think the larger grow deck does help there, and the larger water bowl means I don't need to water quite as often. I currently keep my lettuce in my Bounties, but that's mostly because they are up off the floor. Since I access them often, the extra height is welcome. Because of the edge space on the Bounty deck, I pack the plants a bit tighter than I do in the Farms. I haven't tried lettuce in the Farms since I got my fans, so that opinion may change.

I have 4 Ultras and 3 Bounties. I don't think I will get any more. I'm starting to consider whether or not I want to move, but if I was sure I was going to stay, my 3 Farms would probably become 8 (2 Farms, 4 Farm Plus, and 2 Farm XL).

[MaryL]

8 Farms is like a fantasy!

[wps]

The Farm XL actually has a grow height of 36 inches.  Think you are referring to the Farm Plus.

[thegrindre]

No one has mentioned cleaning the farm's tanks. R&R is one thing but I clean my Harvests and Sprouts in the kitchen sink once a month and they are dirty too.

I've never owned one but they look to be a hassle IMO. I don't want one.