CFL Lumen Differences?

Hi all, after lurking for some time, I figured I'd finally join, and it's a pleasure to meet you all officially!

My question is about CFL lights. I used to grow for personal use years ago, and just starting up again now, because my wife has an extreme case of fibro and the medication really helps her get by. Anyway, we lease, so I have to keep it ninja as possible, so I'm going to do a closet grow. I know MH is great, as are HID, but in a small jacket closet, I don't want all that heat, and above all...cost. So I went to Home Depot just now to get a few hanging lamps, and CFL bulbs.

Now, my problem is that before I went, i saw posts, and charts here that had the lumen counts MUCH higher on the cfl lights, by wattage output. I think I saw one post that said the average lumen output for a 125 watt was about 1700-2200 lumens. But I went through every brand they had at Home Depot, and every 125 equivallent (23used) watt "Daylight" grade light barely made it over 1000 lumens. The ones I got are 1100, the highest I could find. Is there a reason I'm not seeing the same lumen intensity as is chronicled here? Or are these charts and numbers based on specialized grow cfl's and not general use? I assumed they were general use, because they referenced daylight, soft, and bright white cfl lights.

I only have one clone now, so I'm not sweating it yet, it's on my stove w/ a clamp light 3" from the plant blasting the 125 watt directly at it (will probably have it on an 18-6 cycle), but I'll have more soon, and want to be prepared w/ adequate lighting when they come.

Thanks all for any help/advice you can offer.

Get a GE or other major brand cfl. It will be brighter and last longer. You need to look at actual watts and ignore the other.

A large(10 1/2 inch) clamp reflector with a y splitter will turn 2 27 watt bulbs into a light that will grow a foot or foot and a half tall plant.

I use 2700k or warm white from start to finish to save money and trouble. The lights will be good for a year of growing use, but still put off enough light to use for general lighting.

From what I remember, and been reading, lumens is the actual light that will reach your plant, is this right? Anyway, I bought daylight bulbs @ 6500K for the vegging period, and I'll buy the warmer lights when I plan to flower it down the line.

I used to work at a lighting supply store, commercial and residential. We sold Satco bulbs, 23w 1750 lumens, they last along time. A buddy of mine used them for his small closet and was quiet happy.

I only use a couple cfl bulbs myself to clone plants and that sorta thing. But from other threads I've read u usually want around 100w, now that's real watts just iggy the packaging it mean nothing, so figure u want around 4 of the 27w bulbs. Now that doesn't mean ur plants won't grow with less, also u should be able to find larger cfl bulbs like 85, 105, and 125. U can find the 125w or above at hydro store around $40, and I think if u check out some photography supply stores I think they carry like 85 or 105w that cost around $25 and u can get from 2700-6500k. Also T5 lights would be a good thing 4 u to check out, and idk what they exactly r but I've been readin a lil bout t5 leds.

daylight cfl's will have a lower lumen output than the 2700k cfl's
i use some older home depot daylights - 5000k - and they are very good for vegging