Landscape lighting recommendations

[WTR&PWR]

What are the good brands for low voltage outdoor lighting? Doing retaining walls at the house and want to do nice lighting but there’s so many options but so few reviews. Any landscape/ pool guys have a go to brand or set up to use?

I don’t want to do solar as I want something with even lighting and that will last years.

 

[Travmon]

i have the same questions as above ?

 

[DWC]

Subscribed as well. I need to dial in the Havasu light program. They have some pretty nice “smart” timers and lights out now.

 

[HNL2LHC]

Layout the backyard final plan would like to know as well.

Was going to post something myself on hardccape. @Melloyellovector was going to be my take for answers.

 

[hallett21]

I like Corona lighting. They’ve gotten pricy though.

 

[paradise]

Volt is a great brand for direct to consumer. Very good quality and solid pricing

 

[1tonfun]

Just avoid what you find and home depot and lowes. Went down that road and ended up having to replace everything within a couple of years. I went with Kischler products and haven't had an issue since.

 

[DLC]

We took possession of our Hava house on memorial day weekend in 2015. We had ZERO anything but crap dirt and a few rocks. That weekend I hired a bobcat guy and dug trench’s for drains and irrigation lines - made a plan while waiting for escrow to close and started the day after.

I have 2 systems kinda split down the middle of our house and yard due to concrete - walks and drive way etc

Controllers are in the garage w/ photo cell on and timer off

I ran as much cable in 3/4 conduit as I could as a way to protect and preserve the cabling, I think that is HUGE as the cable gets old and hard dried out

I used depot 600w controllers
Kischker led lights

So 10 years later I have about 8-10 lights that need to be replaced, I’m in the process for doing that now

They don’t make my lights anymore and I’ve been looking around to just add a few here & there fill in the bad ones.


Site One has 3 different brands and you can get colors to add some impact

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwihk6G2vrWLAxVZ1cIEHd0_HoUYABADGgJwdg&co=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAnpy9BhAkEiwA-P8N4maxxIx7qaEB3pCN1Hrabwry2uRhJH2BGvrIXb-IUalvdb10yDfaYBoCZVgQAvD_BwE&cce=1&sig=AOD64_1fREIigrGaggIAgr0fbbL2ins1UA&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwjW65q2vrWLAxUsDzQIHeluIb4Q0Qx6BAgUEAQ

The controller I use & lights

 

[DLC]

My take away is -

Think 5-10 years down the road and you now have established plants & concrete walks & irrigation etc and need to upgrade or redo your lighting

It’s a complete system that works w/ everything so plan ahead

 

[Melloyellovector]

For the most part anything at siteone is good product. Corona and Focus are 2 most common we use. Kichler is good too.
It’s not like there is some advanced technology in 1 versus the other. The real difference is material thickness and finish. Connections and bulbs are all the same shit.
Home Depot and Lowe’s stuff is low to mid grade, but they do have higher end stuff you can get that isn’t in all stores, it’s online

up lights on trees and features
down lights steps and walls etc…
for led strip lighting we typically use aspect and trc for large drivers

wtrpwr I think we have step lights spec’d in your pool work. If you want same for wall - pre pool let me know I can get you down lights so they’re all the same

 

[WTR&PWR]

For the most part anything at siteone is good product. Corona and Focus are 2 most common we use. Kichler is good too.
It’s not like there is some advanced technology in 1 versus the other. The real difference is material thickness and finish. Connections and bulbs are all the same shit.
Home Depot and Lowe’s stuff is low to mid grade, but they do have higher end stuff you can get that isn’t in all stores, it’s online

up lights on trees and features
down lights steps and walls etc…
for led strip lighting we typically use aspect and trc for large drivers

wtrpwr I think we have step lights spec’d in your pool work. If you want same for wall - pre pool let me know I can get you down lights so they’re all the same

Thanks Tim! This is for my grout less walls in the front yard. I was looking for some to shine from the planters up towards the walls. I will talk to you and Eric before we buy any.

 

[Havasu blue label]

What are the good brands for low voltage outdoor lighting? Doing retaining walls at the house and want to do nice lighting but there’s so many options but so few reviews. Any landscape/ pool guys have a go to brand or set up to use?

I don’t want to do solar as I want something with even lighting and that will last years.

Are you in socal

 

[WTR&PWR]

Are you in socal

Yes

 

[Havasu blue label]

Go to j harold mitchell in San Gabriel talk to Raul give me a call tomorrow 562-841-2533 steve . It’s all in the bulb

 

[HPBoats83]

You can go to Ewing Irrigation and grab some Sollos fixtures that come with LED bulbs and wire nuts. They do have a very cost effective option if that’s something you’re interested in as well as an easy way to retrofit your fixtures to color.

They do have a good option for wall lights for the walls too, (LLA or SMSL). Let me know if you have any other questions.

https://hayward.com/media/wysiwyg/pdf/lighting/2024_Sollos_Product_Guide_LITSOLPGBRO24-D_DIGITAL.pdf

 

[BingerFang]

If you want something custom these guys are over the hill from us, everything is made in house. I can give you the owners cell.

https://traalite.com/mobile/mobile-index.shtml

I just ordered these off of houzz and they came out really nice.

https://www.houzz.com/products/24-pack-3cct-low-voltage-deck-lights-outdoor-2700k-3000k-4000k-prvw-vr~193976288?lid=132023894

 

[t-bag]

I’ve used volt and very happy with them. i installed them 8 years ago with zero issues.

 

[poncho]

Just avoid what you find and home depot and lowes. Went down that road and ended up having to replace everything within a couple of years. I went with Kischler products and haven't had an issue since.

Over 20 years I have installed and ripped out everything I ever purchased from, Depot, Lowes and Amazon. Might jump back in with some of the recommendations here but I will never spend that much time again on something that lasts 2 years.
Shame on me for not doing better research

 

[joecfd1]

Check out SPJ Lighting. Solid brass construction. Very nice quality.

Solid Brass Landscape Lighting | Outdoor Lighting - Spj Lighting Inc.

All outdoor lighting fixtures out of the SPJ Lighting catalog are both sturdy and artistic, made from solid brass and copper, a winning combination giving SPJ and Paul Lestz a reputation as the leader in the industry.

www.spjlighting.com

 

[Havasu blue label]

Check out SPJ Lighting. Solid brass construction. Very nice quality.

Solid Brass Landscape Lighting | Outdoor Lighting - Spj Lighting Inc.

All outdoor lighting fixtures out of the SPJ Lighting catalog are both sturdy and artistic, made from solid brass and copper, a winning combination giving SPJ and Paul Lestz a reputation as the leader in the industry.

www.spjlighting.com

Great fixtures last forever

 

[joecfd1]

Great fixtures last forever

Yes they do. We've had them in Havasu since we buillt our home in 2000. They still look as good as the day we installed them. I have changed all of the bulbs to LED though. One of my high school buddys builds their transformers.

 

[riverroyal]

Kichler. Under wall cap. Tim
Mellow yellow installed these

 

[poncho]

Kichler. Under wall cap. Im Mellow yellow installed these View attachment 1477820 View attachment 1477821 View attachment 1477822

Beautiful

 

[JasonB]

FX Luminaire is a great brand.

 

[jailbird141]

Check out VOLT. They are online.

 

[FreeBird236]

Not to hijack the thread, but those mylar cutting sheets that you can buy at the swap meet, make great lenses for the old Malibu lights.

 

[Hardly Satisfied]

Kichler. Under wall cap. Tim
Mellow yellow installed these View attachment 1477820 View attachment 1477821 View attachment 1477822

Backyard looks beautiful