Initial set up is higher. Maintenance is much lower, No EC adjustments needed, no pH adustments, no watertop offs, no root root. Higher yield, higher quality, 1/3 less time in budding. His system requires 56 square foot to produce 1 pound per-square feet per every three weeks. Mine requires 36 square feet to produce 1.5 pounds per every 3 weeks. His energy costs and nutrients costs are higher. My system is cheaply expandable, his is not.
His system does not work just fine unless you like high maintenance, root rot, low yields and low efficiency (high energy and nutrient cost per gram produced). The increased yield of just one or two harvests will easily pay off the difference in set up costs, plus you have the energy savings and the nutrient cost savings plus much less daily maintenance, plus the plants are always getting fresh balanced nutrients at a correct pH correct not unbalanced nutrients from a recirculating reservoir or a dwc cess pool reservoir.
It is about ease of use, and cost of production dude. mj is a high value crop, initial equipment investment costs for a better system repays very, very quickly. Why grow bud at a cost of dollars per gram when you can grow for a cost of cents per gram.
If your happy with so a "just fine" performance that is your choice Dude, but many people want better than "just fine." IE I like to eat good steaks, and fresh sea foofd, real lazanga, french cookng, not settling just for hotdogs and McDonalds burgers at a higher cost then the steaks and seafood. I would rather cook a $10 steak on the grill with a potato and some butter then spend $10 at McDonalds.
Any other lane questions you want answered?