Solar lights

I get a catalogue that I usually don't even open because I find it a bit too pricey. This time I opened it and found a set of pathway solar lights for $99.00. Ten lights in all.....I ordered them. What have people experienced with solar outdoor lighting?

They're getting better, but don't expect too much. It's nothing like full voltage, or even low-voltage lighting, in general. I have two sets I use for my pond which are not bad. Each one has one collector and three lights. They do a nice job on the falls and the JM, but they are very close. The quality of the light on these is very nice - very white. How strong they are and how long they stay lit depends on the voltage and the battery quality. Good luck!

Interesting, the cat says 10 hours of light on a full charge, but I'm only interested in 3 hours. The 9pm to 12 hour zone. I'm not looking for a lot of light, just enough so you can see where you're walking and hopefully a bit to stand out the plants in front. I like the pathway lights, they seem to bring out just enough.

Please give us a report when you get them!

I deinately will, especially since it's from a cat that I usually ignore. A great deal from the expensive vendor is always the most fun!

Solar lights...

Totally hooked on them. I have them on my driveway, pond and recently purchased some solar spotlights, which are in back order. I highly recommend them.

Gardenia, do yours throw the white, yellow or blue light. If I like these I will look into the spots

I have a bunch of solar and low voltage lights... if you have a full sun spot they usually do well... in my back yard the lights will stay lit all night if they are fresh batteries.... but only for a few months... on the side of my house which is sunny most of the day they stay light all night and those have been good for over a year... but i have to say i like the low voltage much better.... the solar i have are just really for accent .... they change colors not good for lighting a path or anything like that

Hi Venu 209,

Mine have the white light. If you shop around a bit you can find them at reasonable prices. I bought mine roughly a year ago and have not changed the batteries yet. They are still as bright as the same day I bought them.

We're on our second set for the driveway, the first were amber, these are white. I like them for the outline. They lasted 4-5 years.

Louise - which catalogue was it?

Had mine for over 5 years and I need to replace them. DH ran over one and cut the stake in half. I stuck it in a flower bed and this winter could still see it glow at night. Well at least until the we reached the 2 ft. of snow mark then they were buried for the rest of the winter. I use them to light a path to our back yard so I can take night shots. LOL

I've had eight of them along a path for four years, and only three are still working. One cheapie I bought from a discount store as a test conked out after one cold winter. The replacement "batteries" (if you can find them) seem to cost as much as the original lamps. Even though they are not very bright, they do a fair job of showing visitors where to walk, so I am thinking of just taking out the batteries, and running wires to them from a low voltage supply on a timer.

By the way, get them on long stakes. The short ones are heaved out of the ground by frost.

We also have solar lights along the front walk. We purchased about 4-5 years ago and last year needed to change some batteries in a few. Ours are lantern-like and the light looks like a soft, flickering candle. They hang from small posts and we purchased them from Sharper Image in Danbury. Not cheap, but nice. We take them in during the winter and it's about time to replant them!

We had some along our walkway when we moved into our place about 3 years ago. They were a metal type with long stakes. Not sure how long the previous owners had them but they broke about a year later. We recently bought a new set of 12 really nice ones from the Home Depot here for apprx $60 or so.

Pirl, the catalogue is grandinroad. Sounds like a mixed bag as far as everyone's results with them. But since they're not wired it would be easy enough to overwinter them inside.

Thanks, Louise, and thanks to all who posted so I'm better prepared when I do buy them.

Usually these run on NiCad batteries which the solar cell charges up during the day. The batteries last about a year or so and CAN be replaced.

Tom

I have solar lights, quite a few in my back yard. I have from 2 - 6 on the perimeters of each of my gardens. The small gardens have two and the big long garden across the back of the yard has 6 lights. They don't give off a bright light for walking in the dark but I like the effect as it is getting dark and the lights come on. It is so pretty to look out over the yard and gardens with the lights shinning. I love to sit on the deck when it is a nice night and listen to the night sounds and my fountain, and watch the lights (and the bats flying overhead)!! Very peaceful and relaxing. Eleanor

Here is a pic from last year of one of the gardens at night iwht the lights on. Eleanor

I bought some from Home Depot and they are nice and bright. I plan on buying a few more. Hey, it's my small step toward being green.

Which ones, Anita? Was there a name on the box that I could check out?

we had the cheapie plastic ones we bought three years ago. Did not hold up well to the abuse of where we had them. One got wacked (never stopped lighting though) and two others got broken from neighborhood kids tripping over them. They were yellow light and good light for the place we had them. We replaced them with the metal abd glass copper colored ones from Walmart at a good price and they light white with led lights and are much brighter. We only have two of those where we had six of the others. We moved the remaining plastic ones to the back gardens.

I saw a floating water solar light from HD. I think Victor needs it for his pond.

I have solar lights for the pond already!

here you go Arlene - http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100026060

Those lights look like the same ones I own! Bought them about 5 years ago and they would still be working if DH hadn't run over a few.

sounds familiar Pixie

Those are the ones I have Anita. They came in boxes of four when I got them.
They use 1.2v recharageable batteries.

Thanks, Anita and Don. Should I buy extra batteries when I buy the lights?

I would wait for the batteries to give out before buying replacements.

Are the replacement batteries generic?

I think so - I got them at home depot. They were right by the solar lights. I need to replace a few on my older ones that aren't as bright.

Ah ok Anita, I was wondering if you had to get replacements for the exact model oringinally purchased.

I got them today and I really like them......and I feel a little foolish. I now understand the battery thing. It's just a double A that may need to be replaced. It was just a little too easy....gardening is never as easy as these lights :~)

Louise - photos please!

Night-vision goggle photos!

Ok, give me a minute or two cause I'l need the tripod.

Give me a day...battery dead (in camera) not new lights

Thanks.