Ideas on What Type of Yard Lighting to Buy

When I finally decided to buy yard lighting for my backyard, I was concerned with quality first and price last.  If you read my first impression when my wife decided we needed back yard lights, I was primarily concerned with price and easy installation.  Well easy installation is still a top concern, but after researching I’ve learned that spending a little bit more on solar garden lights is worth it compared to getting outdoor lighting that can’t stay charged, doesn’t light up at night, or gets beaten up by the weather.

Think about it, how much will it cost you in terms of dollars and peace of mind to replace the patio or backyard lights you just bought with another set a month after you buy them.  If it’s over the price of the second set, just get the quality yard lighting to begin with and save yourself money later by spending it now.  Of course, if you can get a quality outdoor light for less, you want to.

One yard solar light that I thought was a great value was the Seaton Stainless Steel Solar Light from Wal-Mart. Sold in sets of 6 for only $30, these look great, have good brightness, and come out to only $5 a light. Overall, these yard lights were a solid 4 of 5 rating from customers and they’re easy to install. Plus, all you need to do is go down to your local Wal-Mart and get a set. If something is wrong with them, Wal-Mart is good about exchanges or refunds.

Now some of my neighbors have asked me why I never break the spikes on my garden lights. The answer is simple – I don’t try to stab them into the ground. Look if you try to drive a plastic spike into the ground, you’re asking for it to break. If the plastic isn’t of high grade, it almost certainly will crack. So one rule of thumb is I don’t drive the stake in. Secondly, I try to avoid this situation altogether by buying garden lights with metal spikes. (See the Seaton Stainless Steel above).

Still, even then I don’t drive the stakes into the ground. Instead, I dig up the ground and place a holder such as a pipe for the yard light inside. Once the holder is in place, the spike slides right in and nothing breaks, is damaged, or harmed in the process. So many people just don’t get this and it results in them breaking their lights as soon as they try to install them.

Here is a YouTube video that shows you exactly what to do: