Turn The Switch To On Makes All The Difference! By Joan Young on - Updated Oct 15, 2011
These are very inexpensive solar lights. I wasn't expecting great things, but I certainly got one small surprise.
These lights have been out in our yard for six weeks waiting for me to return them to the store because they didn't work. But it was out of my way, so I hadn't managed to get there yet. I decided to look at them one more time because I could hardly believe that all four of them didn't work, and the store was selling cases of them after all.
Guess what! There is an on-off switch on the bottom of the battery compartment. Well, duh! This makes a lot of difference.
So how are they? Well, I wanted inexpensive lights because things down by the road here tend to disappear or be run over. The number of tire tracks through our lawn is astonishing! As you can see, these cost less than $4 each. The post is a stainless steel tube, and so is the edge of the cap. The point of the post that goes in the ground is plastic, and so is that clear “cup” that disperses the light.
In one picture where the cap is upside down and the solar panel is covered you can now see the small lights glowing.
The caps twist on the cups and hold by means of two small clips. They don't fit very well, but if you are careful you can get both sides to engage. The clear cups are brittle. One of them has already split. This allows it to collect rain water, but that doesn't seem to create a problem. I think it would be a problem if the water filled the entire cup.
These lights are bright and give off very white light, not that yellowish light that some solar lights do.
That all said, there is a full satisfaction guarantee from the True Value company. It says “if you are not completely satisfied... return the product to your place of purchase.” They are from the “Four Seasons Courtyard” series of products.
What can I say? They are simple and attractive, and I think that I got $4 worth of value out of each one. Will they last for years? Probably not, but I'm unwilling to pay a lot of money for things that may likely be damaged before they have lasted their useful lifespan.
I forgot to say that these are 4 lumens in strength. Also, this morning I saw some in a yard with groupings of rocks at the edges of the flower beds. They looked very, very nice, and didn't call attention to themselves, just lit up the rocks.
These have not lasted well. Three of the four are not working. I'm sorry because I like the bright white light.
About The Author:
True Value Company Four Seasons solar lights Purchased at: Briggs True Value Hardware Price: $3.97 each - sale
I've been eyeing ones in copper from this Co., and wasn't certain I'd like them but your lights look great! Now, I won't be so hesitant to just purchase them. Thanks for the info and for the tip about the switch ;)
I had some of these lights for years and only had to change the battery once. They don't put out a whole lot of light but they do give you just enough to find your way plus they look very nice.
Thanks for the info on the switch definitely sounds like something I would do, lol. I will have to check these out, have been wanting to get some more lights for our backyard to light up the landscaping.
We have been looking for some solar lights to put in our flower garden. I will have to look for these and see if they would look ok. Thanks for the review.