I'm thinking of adding a few lights to my backyard garden - the little ones
that stick into the soil and stand a foot or so above the ground. I'm
interested in the solar powered version (laziness factor) - are any of these
lights any good? Are they dependable? How much light do they throw in
comparison to their hard-wired bretheren? Any brands better than others?

Thanks in advance.

Bob P.

If you're looking for some light being thrown off get the hardwired ones
installed.

The solar rechargeable are decorations or path markers. They work for
that purpose.

2 cents.

Fred.

AuralFeast wrote:

I'm thinking of adding a few lights to my backyard garden - the little ones
that stick into the soil and stand a foot or so above the ground. I'm
interested in the solar powered version (laziness factor) - are any of these
lights any good? Are they dependable? How much light do they throw in
comparison to their hard-wired bretheren? Any brands better than others?

Thanks in advance.

Bob P.

AuralFeast wrote:
I'm thinking of adding a few lights to my backyard garden - the little
ones
that stick into the soil and stand a foot or so above the ground. I'm
interested in the solar powered version (laziness factor) - are any of
these
lights any good? Are they dependable? How much light do they throw
in
comparison to their hard-wired bretheren? Any brands better than
others?

It partly depends upon how much sunlight they'll get each day.

I'm near Portland, OR. In the summer, the solar lights I have in full
sun for most of the day will glow past midnight. Those in partial sun
don't make it too far past sundown. I did have one in mostly shade,
thinking that the ambient light would charge it, but it wouldn't stay on
more than 10 or 15 minutes. In the fall, winter and spring, they're all
next to worthless. None of these lights give off enough light to be
useful for anything other than decoration. I will never waste my money
on solar lights again.

On the other hand, I also have some inexpensive hardwired low-voltage
lights. I believe they're just 4 watt bulbs, but they put out enough
light to outline pathways. The higher wattage lights can actually be
used for highlighting things.

They're really not that hard to put in. Nearly all of my wiring is
laying above ground, somewhat covered by the mulch. (I just need to be
careful if I rake in these areas.) I have two circuits. One runs through
the beds next to the house, and pass under some deck steps so not to
trip people. The other runs along the outside of the property, and is
powered by the existing outlet for the water feature pump, and crosses
no paths.

I found that the most work involved assembling the fixtures, not
installing them.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.

You didn't say where you live but here in South Texas my solar lights are in
full sun and last until around 2 or 3 in the morning.
Cindi

"AuralFeast" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of adding a few lights to my backyard garden - the little
ones
that stick into the soil and stand a foot or so above the ground. I'm
interested in the solar powered version (laziness factor) - are any of
these
lights any good? Are they dependable? How much light do they throw in
comparison to their hard-wired bretheren? Any brands better than others?

Thanks in advance.

Bob P.

On 27 Jun 2003 19:17:34 GMT, (AuralFeast) wrote:

I'm thinking of adding a few lights to my backyard garden - the little ones
that stick into the soil and stand a foot or so above the ground. I'm
interested in the solar powered version (laziness factor) - are any of these
lights any good? Are they dependable? How much light do they throw in
comparison to their hard-wired bretheren? Any brands better than others?

Thanks in advance.

Bob P.

If they are always in bright sun and you don't need them all night
long, go for it, otherwise, don't waste your money and time running
those suckers from their shady spot to the sun and back again when the
sun sets.

On 27 Jun 2003 19:17:34 GMT, (AuralFeast) wrote:

I'm thinking of adding a few lights to my backyard garden - the little ones
that stick into the soil and stand a foot or so above the ground. I'm
interested in the solar powered version (laziness factor) - are any of these
lights any good? Are they dependable? How much light do they throw in
comparison to their hard-wired bretheren? Any brands better than others?

Thanks in advance.

Bob P.


As to how much light, I have some hanging, and I can just barely read
a newspaper from the light they give.
--

- Charles
-
-does not play well with others

(AuralFeast) expounded:

I'm thinking of adding a few lights to my backyard garden - the little ones
that stick into the soil and stand a foot or so above the ground. I'm
interested in the solar powered version (laziness factor) - are any of these
lights any good? Are they dependable? How much light do they throw in
comparison to their hard-wired bretheren? Any brands better than others?

I've got them out in my garden, bought them from Home Depot. They
don't 'throw light' at all, they just glow, and add a nice touch to
the garden. We've had one fail, I think it was one of the Hampton
Beach ones, but they're cheap enough, I just replaced it. Four for
$17.99, I think.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

Ann wrote:
(AuralFeast) expounded:


I'm thinking of adding a few lights to my backyard garden - the little ones
that stick into the soil and stand a foot or so above the ground. I'm
interested in the solar powered version (laziness factor) - are any of these
lights any good? Are they dependable? How much light do they throw in
comparison to their hard-wired bretheren? Any brands better than others?


I've got them out in my garden, bought them from Home Depot. They
don't 'throw light' at all, they just glow, and add a nice touch to
the garden. We've had one fail, I think it was one of the Hampton
Beach ones, but they're cheap enough, I just replaced it. Four for
$17.99, I think.



Ann,

Most of the time when solar lights fail it is due to bad
batteries. Most of them use AA rechargeable cells that are
available from many places and are very easy to replace.
You can put higher capacity batteries in the units than the
ones that ship with them (usually cheap 600 ma AA cells).
This spring I put 1800 ma cells in a couple of mine and on a
day with full sunshine they will stay on all night.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)

Digital Camera: HP PhotoSmart 850

For pictures of my garden visit http://members.iglou.com/brosen

Remove NO_WEEDS_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail

Bill R expounded:

Most of the time when solar lights fail it is due to bad
batteries. Most of them use AA rechargeable cells that are
available from many places and are very easy to replace.
You can put higher capacity batteries in the units than the
ones that ship with them (usually cheap 600 ma AA cells).
This spring I put 1800 ma cells in a couple of mine and on a
day with full sunshine they will stay on all night.

Thanx, Bill, but this one failed out of the box, I want a new one!!
G I knew they had batteries in them, I've got rechargeable ones I
can try out if/when they go next time (I've heard they last for a year
or so). Mine do, however, stay on all night. Which isn't that
important, I'm using them more for decoration than lighting.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

Ann writes in article dated Mon, 30 Jun 2003 20:56:52 -0400:
(AuralFeast) expounded:

I'm thinking of adding a few lights to my backyard garden - the little ones
that stick into the soil and stand a foot or so above the ground. I'm
interested in the solar powered version (laziness factor) - are any of these
lights any good? Are they dependable? How much light do they throw in
comparison to their hard-wired bretheren? Any brands better than others?

I've got them out in my garden, bought them from Home Depot. They
don't 'throw light' at all, they just glow, and add a nice touch to
the garden. We've had one fail, I think it was one of the Hampton
Beach ones, but they're cheap enough, I just replaced it. Four for
$17.99, I think.

I have a few too. In the evening the glow enough to see where the path is,
not really enough to see the garden itself. How late into the night they
last depends on how much sun they get during the day -- shade, cloudiness,
and hours of daylight all come into play. In my old place (mostly trees),
I'd come home from work late in the winter and they'd barely be glowing.

--Thundermaker$yahoo.com (Spud Demon)
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

(AuralFeast) expounded:
I'm thinking of adding a few lights to my backyard garden - the little ones
that stick into the soil and stand a foot or so above the ground. I'm
interested in the solar powered version (laziness factor) - are any of these
lights any good? Are they dependable? How much light do they throw in
comparison to their hard-wired bretheren? Any brands better than others?

I bought one on sale. It was dead out of the box. I called the
manufacturer and they sent me two to replace the bad one. I placed them
on both sides of steps in the garden. The lights are a joke. They are
just for looks. They have a single low power led that, through the use
of a clever lens, looks like a small flame. It is visible but throws no
usable light. It's utility is in marking the stairs, not lighting them.
Since they are only about 15" high, you would think they would do more
good but they don't. They do last all night when it isn't snowy. Snow
covers up the solar cells and they don't work at all.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning/rhody.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://members.aol.com/rhodyman/rhodybooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning

Ann wrote:
Bill R expounded:

Most of the time when solar lights fail it is due to bad
batteries. Most of them use AA rechargeable cells that are
available from many places and are very easy to replace.
You can put higher capacity batteries in the units than the
ones that ship with them (usually cheap 600 ma AA cells).
This spring I put 1800 ma cells in a couple of mine and on a
day with full sunshine they will stay on all night.


Thanx, Bill, but this one failed out of the box, I want a new one!!
G I knew they had batteries in them, I've got rechargeable ones I
can try out if/when they go next time (I've heard they last for a year
or so). Mine do, however, stay on all night. Which isn't that
important, I'm using them more for decoration than lighting.


Ann,

I use them strictly for decoration too. Anyone that wants
lights for outside lighting should go with something other
than the solar powered light; they usually don't have very
high light output.

I have found that the batteries usually last about three
seasons if I take my solar lights down at the end of October
and put them back up early in March.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)

Digital Camera: HP PhotoSmart 850

For pictures of my garden visit http://members.iglou.com/brosen

Remove NO_WEEDS_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail

Thanks for the input - I ended up buying a solar set made by Malibu at Home
Depot - 8 for $37. I've put them around the garden where they get periods of
full sun / shade, and they light up nicely until dawn. Oh - I live in Chicago.
They don't throw any appreciable light, but they do add a nice accent around
the backyard.

Bob P.