Thread: Solar lights - Candles

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I posted about solar lights that I found at Big Lots, today I went back there and they had a few more in stock, $8.50 a piece, they are very cool, I bought the three they had.

Today I went to Lowes and they had there candle outdoor lights clearanced about 75% off.

They had some different ones, some were solar and came with the solar batteries.
Some were battery operated, they took 2 D batteries, did not need sun, and turned on when it got dark.


I bought a couple total originally $100, with a coupon I had for $10 off a $25 purchase - $15!!

Did you buy any of the battery operated ones? I'd be interested to know what the battery life is on them.

Has solar technology improved enough? Mount Carroll, Illinois is in the tippy-top of solar zone 7, Miami is in number one.
This measures the amount of usable solar rays your part of the country recieves each year.
The value of the dollar spent diminishes the higher the number ladder you climb.
UNLESS! Technology has improved alot? Maybe it has?
My shady backyard could sure use some lights like this...but?

Ricki I did not get the battery operated ones, and I am kicking myself now! I will probably go back if I can't get a friend to stop by the store as it is about 45 minutes away.
But the box said they lasted for 6 hours after they turned on after dark.

Gym, not sure of my Zone, but I am in Southern Wisconsin, we should be the about the same, the lights work in some areas of my yard but not the real shady ones. I know you are open year around but for what I want to use on Halloween my plan it to get them lit in the middle of the yard and move them to the place I need them the night of.

Thanks Natascha! I'll have to check into them!

I just bought some new solar batteries to replace some bad ones in our landscaping lights. According to the battery package you can charge them on a battery charger. These are niclad batteries by Malibu. This would take all the hit and miss sun out of the equation. these batteries are 900mAh and state that" A charger giving a constant current of 90mA for 14 hours mat also be used to charge batteries". So I would think you can charge these taht way or get some niclad rechargable batteries that are 900mAh and use them Ray-o-vac makes a charger and batteries that take a full charge in 15 minutes.

You could even get a set of nicads that have 2500mah rating which would last even longer.. Initially charge them with a charger and then allow the trickle charge of the solar panel to recharge them once they start to wear down

Thanks Rick & Scream VERY helpful info!!!!

I didn't even think of folks that live up north having issues with solar lighting. How intriguing. Something I never thought about (my solar path lights run all night).

That is all.

20 yrs ago when I was leaving the Heat & cooling profession People would take a class in solar stuff and the last day of class the teacher would then tell them how ineffectual everything he had been teaching them (for $, of course) would be if they tried to locally apply it in almost zone seven. (Then maybe he ducked and ran out the back door?)
Some spent alot of money on the equiptment to see very little practicle return.