Customer Reviews

Paradise GL22680RB2 Low Voltage Cast Aluminum 11-Watt Walk Light, 2-Pack, Rubbed Bronze

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We bought these lights to border the walkway leading up to our cabin in the woods. There is way too much shade for solar lights and we did not like the typical, plastic landscaping lights as they look so "ordinary". Plus, birds are always knocking off the tops to get at the bugs that gather in the caps. These are metal, electric, no place to gather bugs and fit real well in a woodsy environment. The downward glow of light keeps the light down on the pathway where it is really needed and greatly reduces the light glow in the woods making it possible to still see the stars at night. Just perfect for our particular application. Well-made, easy to install, attractive and reasonably priced. What's not to like?!!

I was really pleased with the lights that I ordered to make the path from my car to the door feel safer. They look great and do the job, providing just enough downward focused light. (only 10 w) The problem I had was the installation; It was not possible to close the connection box around the low voltage wire ( a fairly heavy gauge). I had to cut off the box and strip the wires and use wire nuts to attach them to the wiring. Not a big problem, but good to know about in advance.

I ordered six of these along with a Malibu ML88T 88-Watt 12V supply (with timer) Malibu ML88T 88-Watt Power Pack with Timer and Ground Shield and 100' of 14 gauge cable Coleman Cable 09504 14/2 Low Voltage Direct Burial Garden Light Cable, Black, 100-Feet rated for underground use (note: in contrast to UF cable this type of cable uses stranded wire and has the form factor of lamp cord, which is necessary for being able to install the lights - it is a tad pricy for what it is, but presumably you are paying for insulation suitable for burying in the ground). These are very attractive, well-designed lights that use halogen bulbs (supplied), producing a soft, downward projected light that is ideal for sidewalks. In my case, I wanted lights along my front sidewalk to emphasize the contour of the walk as well as assist anyone using it at night. The effect is startlingly beautiful, with pools of light highlighting the walk's S curve. I couldn't be more pleased with both the aesthetic and the ease of installation.

Each light comes with a screw on post, a screw on stake, and a short electrical lead with a "clip connector" that fits across the power cord. You simply run the power cord (in a shallow trench) to within a foot or so of where you've installed each light and attach each light's clip connector to it. When you press the sides of the clip connector together, thin blades penetrate the insulation on each side to make the electrical connection and latches on the connector keep the connection from working loose after you've installed it. I did as suggested by the manufacturer and also wrapped each connection tightly with electrician's tape (which adds some more insulation). The 12V supply is designed to be wall mounted where it can be plugged into a nearby outlet (it hangs by a single screw). It is suitable for exterior use with a GFCI protected outlet but needs reasonable protection from the elements (e.g., under a bit of overhang and far enough off the ground to avoid splash or immersion). Since my closest supply is a good 50' from my first light, I took the extra step of burying 1/2" PVC conduit for the wire from the supply to the first light in the string (to avoid accidentally slicing into it later in some miscellaneous yard project that involves digging). Most of the installation time is for getting the wire in the ground. I probably spent less than 30 minutes installing the actual lights and supply. If you can handle putting one of those clip on plugs onto a lamp cord, you can handle the electrical aspect of this system.

For the more technically minded: keep in mind that each light draws 11 Watts (so my supply won't support more than 8 lights); i.e., the power supply used needs to have enough capacity for the number of lights on the string. Also, wire gauge matters since thinner wire has more voltage drop (a problem with DC circuits over a distance). Thicker wire is needed for longer runs to reduce voltage drop (lower gauges are thicker). For example, over 100 feet the voltage drop for 16 gauge is 3V whereas for 12 gauge it is < 1V. In my case, 75 feet with 14 gauge wire has a voltage drop of 1.4V. If you are thinking about doing a lot of lights I suggest doing some homework about how to organize the layout so that the variation in distance of each light from the power source is within 20-25 feet (and you might possibly need multiple power modules as well as techniques such as "spidering"). If you really want to do the math, the formula for voltage drop is load x length / gauge_constant where the gauge_constants are #16=2200, #14=3500, #12=7500, #10=11920, #8=18960. "load" is the total Watts drawn by the fixtures and the length is the distance from the source to the last light on the run. If my run had been any longer I would have needed 12 gauge wire. You can always err on the side of caution; it will just cost a little more for the wire.

I bought 4 of these lights for the front walkway steps of our home. I've looked around for lights that are good quality, and have unique styling. These fill the bill very well. They are made of aluminum, but have an 'aged' bronze finish. The stakes are metal and very sturdy. I used a rubber mallet and a wood dowel to hammer them into the ground. The connectors are much better than the type found on the Malibu-type lights. They are small boxes that have 3 knurled nuts that you can loosen/tighten with just your fingers. The lights cover a fairly wide area, yet you don't see the bulb, just the soft light. One of the bulbs was had a broken connector. Otherwise, they installed with no problems. I hope they will last for several years, but if they don't, the wire's already installed, so I could replace them easily.

These are really lovely landscape lights. Very well made, and price is great. Actually put out more light than I would have expected for 11 watts. Would definitely buy them again.

VERY PROFESSIONAL LOOKING LANDSCAPING LIGHTS FOR THOSE ON A TIGHT BUDGET. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE TO ANYONE! SELLER WAS ALSO EXCELLENT SHIPPING MY ORDER FAST THE VERY NEXT DAY!!

I got this light after reading rave reviews. The lights look great and highly recommended. You can't find anything looking even close to it for that price. However, to my amazement it came with no bulbs (the box says, two bulbs inside). I tried 3 difference wattage (all < 11W) and 2 different wire gauges (16/2 and 14/2) and the bulbs fuse as soon as I plug them in. After spending numerous man hours over the weekend, I called the 888 number, and tech support went to voicemail. I redialed and talked to customer support they asked for bunch of documentation and said it will take 2-4 weeks for them to ship bulbs. It should be as simple as: "What is your amazon order number. Oh yes, we see you ordered 7 days back. We are really sorry bulbs are missing, let me ship you bulbs and you will get it in 7 days." I would say know I need it like yesterday, can you expedite ship it, I am willing to pay expedite shipping fees.

I have a big holiday party coming Saturday and it is ridiculous to not get these to work after so much of frustration.

My wife and I put these in our front yard for our front walk. First, the positives:

1. They really look very nice and they feel well built. They're unique looking and are very attractive.
2. They're very easy to install; push in the spike, screw the stand into the spike, use the clip attachment to hook into the low voltage wire (easier said than done but still pretty easy), put the bulb in, and you've got light.

Now the negative, and it's a big one:

I can't keep them lit. As another reviewer said here they began going out almost immediately (within a few days). I went out and got some new bulbs (they were available at Lowes in my area) figuring that the ones that were literally taped inside the top of the box with the lights were probably just damaged in transit. That got them all back up and running...for another day or two, then suddenly two went out. A week or so later another went out. Right now only three of the six I ordered are lit. I've checked electrical connectivity with a multimeter, so it's not that, it just seems that either the bulbs are extremely cheap or the fixtures themselves don't provide a great connection (I've noticed that sometimes I can just take the bulb out and reseat it and it'll turn on).

I wish I could say better things about these, I really do. I really want to like them, but I can't give a postive review to something that I purchased only a few months ago and have no basically failed at a 50% rate.

I must say I have been waiting to write this review to see how long these lights would last! I have had problems with the lights flickering every since I had them installed. Not all of them but the first one the 6th one and the ninth one,. we had to go and find the correct bulbs, after going to 2 different places (Lowes did not carry them) we finally found some today. I love the style and the look of the lights if only the bulbs had lasted longer than 5 days I would be a lot more happy right now. It is frustrating to come home after work and see our beautiful lights around your home and 3 indiscriminate ones are not shining!