Central Electric Solar Shed Light Review

Overall 3.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

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kid-kansas
Clearwater, KS

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To Wire or not to Wire, that is the question!

into making my yard look good, a do-it-yourselfer, have a big yard, noticing the details

Pros

No Electric lines, Easy Install, Solar panel tilts

Cons

Not very bright

DEC

2007

Having a big backyard is both a pleasure and a curse at the same time. It can get expensive to run electric lines to your out buildings, so solar lighting can be the answer.

Installation

You will need a wood drill-bit, ladder and a phillips(cross point) screwdriver to install this light. After determining where the light will go (must be within 10' of the solar panel) and where to put your solar panel. You need to drill a hole (approx 3/4" hole) and then run your wiring and plug through the hole. I used zip ties to secure the wire too the rafters on my shed. Then mount the light bracket on the outside of the shed (make sure it will get sunlight for at least 6 hours, 8 hours would be better) and slide the light onto the bracket.

Now go inside and mount your light and plug in the cable. That is all you need to do to install this light. Now take some caulking and fill in the hole you drilled around the wiring to keep it weather proof. Your done and you saved a couple hundred dollars in electricians fees and materials.

How does it work

The light is powered by the sun and needs 6 hours of sunlight a day(minimum, 8 hours is better) in order to stay charged up. There is an on/off switch right on the light, this light will not work during the day. As far as lighting up a dark shed goes, I give this only a 3 (average) Although you can see better at night with it I feel it should be a little brighter. It does help to use a flashlight to find things, but it gives enough light to where you don't trip over things. The picture (because of the flash) makes the light look brighter than it really is.

My shed is 16'x20' and the light will illuminate about 2/3rds of it. Although we rarely go in there at night it does help some. Was it worth $29? I say yes because my night vision is pretty good and after about 30 seconds my eyes adjust well( I have a bright light on my power pole in my back yard) My wife doesn't like it, but she is also partially night blind so dimmer lighting does her no good.

Bottom Line

For $29 at Harbor Freight this light solves a need for those without electricity to their out buildings. It is a green product and saves our resources as well as saving you money. It is not a bright light such as you have in your garage or home, but it helps. My light is now about a year old and still works as it did the first day. You do need to remember to dust off the solar panel about once a month to ensure you have adequate charging of the light.

Last edited on Dec 20, 2007