Outdoor Christmas Lights PITA! Which Ones Last?

[DougGuy]

In search of Christmas Lights to put outside on the house and SO TIRED of digging them out after only a couple of years, and half light half dark. GRRRRRRRR!!!

Are there any brands that are worth investing in or should I just take that money and stick it in the fireplace and BURN it?

[Geezer in NH]

Don't take them down and you can also have Christmas in July!! :bigsmyl2:

[foesgth]

We have been using led lights for several years now. Haven't had a dead light yet.

[anothernewb]

Got 8 seasons on my sylvania LED set. no dead bulbs yet.

No idea the brand name that Target carries, but they've been good for me as well. Got about 3k of them. so far, so good. If you buy the kits that advertize "stay lit" they're more money, but wired such that individual bulbs can be out, the the string and any string attached to it stays lit.

[woody290]

We have used the LED lights for 3-4 years now. They are bright and none have burned out. I have gifted my old ones to the Kids!!!! [smilie=1:

[osteodoc08]

LED is the way to go if looking long term.

[DougGuy]

Ok I am going in search of some 5mm conical LED lights. These get good reviews and since you guys like the LED format they must work...

Edit: The conicals are in high demand. Lucky to have found a few at Home Depot and Lowes. Will find out how they look when it quits raining and I can string them out.

Edit #2: All conical LED lights are not created equal. Home Depot multi colored lights are TWINKLING and not steady lit, Lowes multi colored lights are not full wave rectified, and they flicker horribly. All going back tomorrow.

[Mica_Hiebert]

All over my neighborhood I'm seeing these projectors you set in front of your house and it makes a lazy laser show all over your house...

[runfiverun]

I just hung the lights that used to be on my wifes grandpa's house on my daughters house.
I was kind of doubtful about the home made star's wiring but it hasn't caught anything on fire yet and I'm sure it pre-dates WW-2.
I should probably keep an eye out for some more bulbs for her I don't know if they still make them.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I haven't put up lights for a couple decades.
Last week, while shopping at Walmart, I wondered into their holiday section.
They had a wall full of lights, and including samples that were lit.
They had some LED lights that had the shape of the old timey 7W incandescent Christmas lights (the size of an old night light bulb). The Brand is "Holiday Time". They are called "Ceramic Multi LED C7 Lights". There were some C9, but those were so bright, they were annoying...I don't light Bright lights. The C7 really mimic the old timey ones for brightness, they "glow" instead of "SHINE". I bought two sets ($6 each set) of multi colored (25 per string, 2.4W for whole String) 14' overal length. I have a Hop trellis that is basically a 25' long curved lawn Sculputure of a Fishing pole, standing on end. So I lit that up for Christmas... it is slightly reminiscent of Frank Costanza's Festivus Pole.

edited: added Photo

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/christmas%20lights%20II%202016_zpszacnoioj.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/christmas%20lights%20II%202016_zpszacnoioj.jpg.htm l)

[Bzcraig]

I put up lights Saturday. At 60 being on the roof is near the fun it used to be! Told my bride the lights might have to stay up year round. I got the look..................yeah, you know the one!

[runfiverun]

put them up with duct tape....:lol:

[foesgth]

I put up lights Saturday. At 60 being on the roof is near the fun it used to be! Told my bride the lights might have to stay up year round. I got the look..................yeah, you know the one!
Back when I was young and 60 I put up stainless steel cup hooks. I now put my lights up with a long pole. Keeps those looks down. Just some advice from an old geezer.

[Artful]

Back when I was young and 60 I put up stainless steel cup hooks. I now put my lights up with a long pole. Keeps those looks down. Just some advice from an old geezer.

I use the cup hooks as well but didn't see any stainless - then I laid ROPE light (LED's in a plastic tube) in the cup hook with mine being two color - white for regular days and green for Christmas at just the flick of a switch!

[rondog]

LED's for the win! Cost more up front, but way worth it in aggravation savings alone.

[DougGuy]

Finally got the exact right kind of LED lights, you have to hunt for them, not sold in Lowe's or Home Depot. After reading reviews, the best lights were said to be 5mm wide angle conical LEDs as these produce the most intense light and the colors are very strong.

If you want flicker free you have to get what they call full wave rectified. LED lights flicker at 60Hz, because they are half wave rectified. Full wave lights cycle but at twice the speed of half wave, and so they appear smooth to the human eye when in reality they are cycling at 120Hz, the same rate as good LED computer monitors, and this is why your LED computer monitor looks smooth because of how it's rectified.

So now the brown truck has brought the box, and I have been blessed with a warm day outside to install the new lights and yep, they are ALL they are claimed to be! Hope they last a few years!

Thanks fellas for your input as well!

Here's where I got mine, very reasonable shipping and can always get a cheerful female on the line to help with your order: https://www.christmasdesigners.com/product/70-light-multi-5-mm-wide-angle-conical-led-christmas-lights/


http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/dumb%20stuff/20161212_174044_zpszosyt0lf.jpg (https://www.christmasdesigners.com/product/70-light-multi-5-mm-wide-angle-conical-led-christmas-lights/)


Well, check this out.. Good Morning America says that the lights I settled on are the best outdoor LEDs in America!

http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/putting-christmas-lights-tree-stands-test/story?id=43760474

[CastingFool]

A friend we visited last Friday, has two of the Star Shower Laser lights projectors. They were cool. Makes it look like you have all kinds of lights on your trees. He said he got them at Target.

[skeettx]

Star shower laser lights
No ladders, no hooks, no mess
One extension cord
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j452/skeettx/MVC-065S.jpg
Mike

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Star-Shower-Outdoor-Laser-Christmas-Lights-Projector-As-Seen-On-TV-/332057506992?hash=item4d502b74b0:g:ysoAAOSw2xRYRwC r

[DRat-TN]

+1 on LED lights -- still going strong after 5 yrs.