Looking for a decent outdoor solar lighting fixture for the outside of my shed(backyard). Just want something that will give me enough light to see where i'm walking, not something to blind the neighbors. Any suggestions? I've been looking on amazon which has a lot of choices but they all seem to have mixed reviews.... would like to keep the price under $50.
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Outdoor Solar Lighting
- Thread starter fiveoh
- Start date
gatchel
Well-known member
Most of what I have looked in to is all ****. It is hard to find LED solar lighting that has a good color light and is well made. I'll be following this to see what others say. Sorry I didn't add much.
VHF
Well-known member
I cringe to say this, but just buy a couple cheap solar landscape lights (<$10) and replace them every couple years. With some of them you can replace the AA ni-cad battery which is what goes bad.
I have seen a solar motion activated light advertised which might be a littlbe better quality (and have a bigger battery.)
I have seen a solar motion activated light advertised which might be a littlbe better quality (and have a bigger battery.)
Falcon67
Well-known member
Been looking for the same deal - sorry, nothing I've seen yet that I'd spend $ on.
Mmfh
MEMBER EMERITUS
We for years wanted something to light up our sidewalk going to the front of the house, solar would be great because of ease of install.
Tried several different kinds and most all of them were junk. When they lit up it was very dim and would not last all night. Then after only a couple of months they would be done altogether. Changing the batteries for a higher quality re-chargeable batteries help with how long they last during the night.
We finally found some we tried at Costco and liked. We paid about $50 for a set of 8 lights. Fairly heavy compared to others like you see at the depot and Lowes, nicer looking and much brighter than all the others.
Costco had two different brands at the time and we tried both, the ones you want are made by "Westinghouse". I think the other brand might have been Hunter Douglas. The box it green with a picture of the silver light on the box. This was a couple of months ago and Costco probably doesn't have them anymore but its a brand you might look for.
Good Luck!
Mm
Tried several different kinds and most all of them were junk. When they lit up it was very dim and would not last all night. Then after only a couple of months they would be done altogether. Changing the batteries for a higher quality re-chargeable batteries help with how long they last during the night.
We finally found some we tried at Costco and liked. We paid about $50 for a set of 8 lights. Fairly heavy compared to others like you see at the depot and Lowes, nicer looking and much brighter than all the others.
Costco had two different brands at the time and we tried both, the ones you want are made by "Westinghouse". I think the other brand might have been Hunter Douglas. The box it green with a picture of the silver light on the box. This was a couple of months ago and Costco probably doesn't have them anymore but its a brand you might look for.
Good Luck!
Mm
Teken
Well-known member
We for years wanted something to light up our sidewalk going to the front of the house, solar would be great because of ease of install.
Tried several different kinds and most all of them were junk. When they lit up it was very dim and would not last all night. Then after only a couple of months they would be done altogether. Changing the batteries for a higher quality re-chargeable batteries help with how long they last during the night.
We finally found some we tried at Costco and liked. We paid about $50 for a set of 8 lights. Fairly heavy compared to others like you see at the depot and Lowes, nicer looking and much brighter than all the others.
Costco had two different brands at the time and we tried both, the ones you want are made by "Westinghouse". I think the other brand might have been Hunter Douglas. The box it green with a picture of the silver light on the box. This was a couple of months ago and Costco probably doesn't have them anymore but its a brand you might look for.
Good Luck!
Mm
Not sure if its the exact same models of solar light fixtures. But, the Costco location around here sells a dual head motion light which is also solar powered. A number of people in my area have purchased them and seem to like them.
Can't speak to the long term reliability of the unit. They were running for about $35.** and was very solid and made of metal all around. The only portion that was plastic was the solar cell.
Teken . . .
Mmfh
MEMBER EMERITUS
I took a look around and found the ones we have that are the best so far. They are more money than what we paid and are at Sears and not Costco, these are the best so far of all the ones we've tried.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM6044405207P?mv=rr
Mm
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM6044405207P?mv=rr
Mm
Greatbear
Well-known member
I have a pair of lights that have a single Li-Ion battery in them and a panel that is about 4" square. Given enough sunlight during the day, these throw a decent light throughout the night. I think they are Westinghouse branded, but not sure.
The problem with these little lights is not so much the battery life, but the solar cell itself is undersized. Since it's the most expensive part of the light, it is what gets skimped on. Even with a long day full of direct sunlight there is not enough energy pumped into the battery to last the night. Adding a higher capacity battery only adds to the problem, as the battery will be perpetually undercharged, and its life shortened. That is the reason why the cheapass 500mAH NiCd cells are used. Even if the solar cell can give a full charge, having the light in any areas with shade during part of the day will leave them undercharged. Wintertime leaves even the good ones undercharged, the days are too short and the sun too low to hit the panel squarely for optimum charging.
The problem with these little lights is not so much the battery life, but the solar cell itself is undersized. Since it's the most expensive part of the light, it is what gets skimped on. Even with a long day full of direct sunlight there is not enough energy pumped into the battery to last the night. Adding a higher capacity battery only adds to the problem, as the battery will be perpetually undercharged, and its life shortened. That is the reason why the cheapass 500mAH NiCd cells are used. Even if the solar cell can give a full charge, having the light in any areas with shade during part of the day will leave them undercharged. Wintertime leaves even the good ones undercharged, the days are too short and the sun too low to hit the panel squarely for optimum charging.