I have a slope in my backyard. It is about 10 feet high and has a few trees on it.

I want to get about four solar floodlights to put at the base of the trees.

I know they won't be as bright as if I wired it, but I guess I am just being lazy.

Anyways, does anyone have any? Do you have any recommendations of brands/models?

 

Save your money.

You're better off going the low voltage route. Very easy to install and will give off the light you're looking for. I went from solar to low voltage, and it's a very nice addition to the landscaping.

Solar flood light is an oxymoron if you ask me.

 

Scrib - can you tell me what kind you went with? I too was contemplating solar cause the wire run just looks like a pain - but for the low voltage wired, what did you use - easy to do?

Thanks!

 

I simply went with individual lights from Malibu. The kits are OK, but of course my wife liked the designer lights... So the kits weren't really an option. Everything should be on clearance now... I got mine just as shit started getting cleared out, so I got a pretty good deal on everything.


There's really not much of a science to it. The transformer takes 110V down to 12V, so there's zero risk of shock, etc. Each light has a connector on it... One piece goes over the top of the low voltage wire, the other on the bottom. You slide the piece together, and the connectors puncture the wire, and make the connection.

The trick is to make equal runs of cable and don't stack all the lights on one run. You'll end up with a large voltage drop across the cable, with the light closest to the transformer being the brightest, the furthest being the dullest.

Make a diagram of where you want lights and what kind of lights they will be. From that, add up all the voltages on the lights. The sum of the voltages can not exceed the transformer voltage.


That's about it... Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Sounds like I am not going to be able to get away with being lazy

 

I got a buddy with solar lights with no complaints. However it's the ones you put along the walkway, not pointing at something in particular.