Echo Valley 4185 Checkers Solar Gnome In Full Color, 10 Inches Long and 9.5 Inches Tall

by Echo Valley

Product Features

• Statues are made of sturdy, cast polystone resin and are hand painted in a durable, weather-resistant finish
• 9.5 Inches High and 10.5 inches Tall
• Solar-powered, rechargeable Ni-Cad batteries are included
• A photo cell turns the LED light on at dusk and it will stay lit for 4 to 6 hours
• Rain-proof solar panels on the back side of each statue base will re-charge the batteries during the day

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 11 x 7 x 9.5 inches ; 5.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000HZFZO4
• Item model number: 4185
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,272 in Patio, Lawn & Garden (See Top 100 in Patio, Lawn & Garden)

Product Description

Solar-powered, rechargeable Ni-Cad batteries light these whimsical gnomes from Echo Valley. A photo cell turns the LED light on at dusk and it will stay lit for 4 to 6 hours. The rain-proof solar panels on the back side of each statue base will re-charge the batteries during the day. Statues are made of sturdy, cast polystone resin and are hand painted in a durable, weather-resistant finish. However, the statue should be moved indoors during freezing weather.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Cute but cheaply made, June 17, 2009

By 

DYM "Just my opinion" (California) - See all my reviews

I thought this product was very cute, however, I only give it two stars because of the workmanship related to the solar panel. The first day I received it, I followed the instructions to let the battery charge in the sun for 10hrs before turning it on. The gnomes lit up the first time I turned it on, but it wasn't very bright & didn't stay on the 4 to 6 hrs as advertised. After the second night, it never turned on again. Customer service sent me a replacement battery to try, so I unscrewed the panel & I noticed that the plastic chipped off very easily around the screw hole. Thus, I couldn't screw the panel back on. Furthermore, I discovered that the connections of the wiring weren't secured very well and was the ultimate source of the problem & not the battery because when I jiggled it, the light would come on. But when I let go, it turned off again. I called customer service again, and they sent me a replacement right away & didn't even ask to return the bad one. The new one wouldn't work at all. While they have great customer service in terms of replacing items quickly, response time, etc., the bottom line is that the product isn't made very well. I gave it two stars instead of one because the gnomes are still cute & the fact that I now have two of them. While neither lights up, I guess I feel a little better that I have two instead of one to make up for some of the money I paid, plus customer service was very nice & responsive. I'm sure they would have sent a third one, but my time was more valuable to put anymore effort into resolving the problem.

I think anyone else would have given it only one star because of the poor workmanship and quality of the wiring & panels. I can see one not working, but two seems like the start of a bad trend. Even if the 2nd one had worked, I couldn't see it working for very long, especially if you have children or pets who may accidentally trip over it, etc. as it is so easy to break. I'd be curious to hear whether or not the other two reviewers' gnomes still light up.

Furthermore, I noticed that it was very difficult to tell whether it was in the on or off position basically because of how the solar panel was aligned with the plastic switch underneath. With the panel off, you can clearly see whether or not the on/off button was up (off) or down (on). However, once the cover was on, there was barely a difference in height because of the rubber protective cap that goes over it. This isn't a big deal as you can figure out on vs. off by whether the light goes on or off. However, it's a pain in the neck when it's not working and you are trying to troubleshoot the problem unless you keep the cover off which means you need to get out your screwdriver, etc. as the cover doesn't simply pop off or have a release button, and you need to be very careful to not chip the plastic around the screw when tightening it back on. Just another example of the poor workmanship.

Finally, when the gnomes did work on the first/second day, I noticed that as soon as the shade began to cover the gnomes, the light was already going on. This is a problem because the light is on during the late afternoon/dusk. Therefore, by the time it really gets dark (which is not until late in the summer) when you really want to see it light up, the light is already weak and dying out, since the majority of that 4 or 6 hrs happened during the late afternoon to sunset.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Known Gnome, June 18, 2009

By 

S. Conarroe "gnomenooker" (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

It is cute...sat in my office for months...with lots of positive comments. Took outside...light worked sometimes. Paint coming off after 12 days outside...these gnomes now live back inside....without any solar glow!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars gnome solar light, May 12, 2008

By 

Gregory S. Amano - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Echo Valley 4185 Checkers Solar Gnome In Full Color, 10 Inches Long and 9.5 Inches Tall (Lawn & Patio)

Some people may think it's odd. I think it's very cool. Very unique product compared to those standard looking solar lights.