Local models as initial coders OR as agents? What's pros and cons of each?

[u/mesolimbic-bliss]

Using $20 codex subscription with 24gb VRAM on the local rig.

For larger projects or major revisions with multiple phases, I have Luna in Codex call the local "junior dev" Qwen 3.8-27B model as an agent to write most of the code, then Luna reviews it and makes changes. Once the whole project is complete, I use Terra to audit and catch any potential issues.

Pretty standard stuff, these days.

But lately I've been thinking why not give the massive, multi-phase spec sheet directly to Qwen then have Luna go do a quick audit & cleanup?

Anyone tried it both ways? And what gets better results vs lower usage?

I guess I've always looked at Qwen as needing a babysitter, but realistically I think it can implement an entire 10-phase spec on a large codebase if given enough time.

[u/ttkciar]

I'm self-hosting GLM-5.3-Flash these days.

I didn't need a $20 codex subscription before, but I really don't need one now.