Comments on: Reader Question: How are HF’s Garden Lights? http://toolmonger.com/2007/03/18/reader-question-how-are-hfs-garden-lights/ All tools. All the time. Your source for news, information, and reviews of hand tools, power tools, and tools of all kinds. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:33:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: John http://toolmonger.com/2007/03/18/reader-question-how-are-hfs-garden-lights/#comment-37229 John Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:36:29 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/03/18/reader-question-how-are-hfs-garden-lights/#comment-37229 Yeah, I guess we should be clear on a couple of things -- first, solar lights need sunlight during the day! Installing them under a hedge or at the foot of a pine tree will prevent them from doing anything at all. Second, they're no substitute for 110v lighting. These are ACCENT lights. They'll throw a little light on a footpath or walkway, but you won't be able to read a book with them. The 6 lights along our front walkway throw enough light that you can see if you're about to step on anything. They mark the borders of the walk just by their presence (like marker lights on a truck). You can see the light from the street, but they don't light the yard at all. OTOH, if we want to light the yard, we turn on the porch light. For security lighting, install a motion-activated floodlight. Yeah, I guess we should be clear on a couple of things — first, solar lights need sunlight during the day! Installing them under a hedge or at the foot of a pine tree will prevent them from doing anything at all. Second, they’re no substitute for 110v lighting. These are ACCENT lights. They’ll throw a little light on a footpath or walkway, but you won’t be able to read a book with them.

The 6 lights along our front walkway throw enough light that you can see if you’re about to step on anything. They mark the borders of the walk just by their presence (like marker lights on a truck). You can see the light from the street, but they don’t light the yard at all. OTOH, if we want to light the yard, we turn on the porch light.

For security lighting, install a motion-activated floodlight.

]]> By: Pete Hartman http://toolmonger.com/2007/03/18/reader-question-how-are-hfs-garden-lights/#comment-36828 Pete Hartman Tue, 20 Mar 2007 01:08:12 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/03/18/reader-question-how-are-hfs-garden-lights/#comment-36828 My own opinion is that I've never seen solar lights of any brand that put out worth a darn, but then I have a very shady back yard :) My own opinion is that I’ve never seen solar lights of any brand that put out worth a darn, but then I have a very shady back yard :)

]]> By: John http://toolmonger.com/2007/03/18/reader-question-how-are-hfs-garden-lights/#comment-36720 John Mon, 19 Mar 2007 16:32:21 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/03/18/reader-question-how-are-hfs-garden-lights/#comment-36720 We haven't tried HF's, but the set we got from Home Depot last summer for some $30 (for 6) are still going strong today. We got a second set for the backyard, but they're still in the box. We haven’t tried HF’s, but the set we got from Home Depot last summer for some $30 (for 6) are still going strong today. We got a second set for the backyard, but they’re still in the box.

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