Decent solar-powered garden lights - do they exist?

TheVoice · 25 Jun 2014 at 12:00

Asking on behalf of my parents here. They want some solar-powered lights to line their driveway, front path and some areas in the back garden. They've been through dozens of the damn things over the years but can't seem to find any that are actually any good. Some are reasonably bright but don't last long, some are too dim to even notice, some just die after a few weeks or months.

A lot of these seem to just be powered from a re-chargeable AA battery (or two) and have a pretty crap LED in them. Are there any that are a bit beefier or is the only real option for good garden lights to have them mains-powered?

Thanks.

Haze · 25 Jun 2014 at 12:02

think your best bet would be mains powered ones, on a timer or something ?

bitslice · 25 Jun 2014 at 12:24

Products are made to suit a market

Old people want stuff they don't have to wire in like solar lights, solar alarms, solar gnomes.

All of it is tat because they don't want to spend the money to do it properly.
Mains or low voltage is the only way to get decent kit.

Monkeynut · 25 Jun 2014 at 22:07

I'd say get the ones that are bright but don't last long, crack 'em open, stick an eneloop in inplace of the AAA already there.

arknor · 25 Jun 2014 at 22:14

you can mod the solar power AA ones into battery charges

just smash the led

Lisapete · 26 Jun 2014 at 06:46

Make ya own. Maplins have 12v 2.4w solar for £10. Ment for
Charging your car. Can get a cheap 12v lead acid battery from eBay, ups etc, get some low powered bulbs and mod it all into a box. Done.

TheVoice · 27 Jun 2014 at 18:49

Thanks guys, pretty-much what I thought. Not sure whether they're keen on the hassle of wiring stuff in but I'll pass it on.