LED lights

[jmraider]

I am finding out that I need to replace some of my LED C9 light sets that I have been using since about 2010.  Seems like there are a lot of websites that offer lights now.  Any recommendation.  I am looking for simple LED lights C-9 with a variety of single colors strands  (red, blue, green etc), that are somewhat bright that will last for another 10 years like my current sets. 

 

Thanks

[Orville]

It depends on what type you're looking for.   Replaceable L.E.D. bulbs like in the big box stores {Wal-Mart, Lowes, Home Depot, K-Mart, Sears, Target, At-Home: Formerly known as Garden Ridge, at least in my area.} or sealed {NON-Replaceable} L.E.D. strands which would cost quite a bit more and may/may not last any longer than the big box store brands, and these sealed strands are usually, in most cases, found only online.

All depends on what you're looking for, type, etc.  as well as cost.

Big box stores you may not find single color strands, usually either all blue, all white or multi-color.  You might luck out and find some single color strands of other colors, but in all my years of looking in the big box retail stores, it's very rare to find them.

Online Christmas Light sellers are where you would find strands of any single color you may want or need  Again, these will usually be sealed strands {bulbs are not replaceable} without cutting them out and splice a new bulb {pod} in, requires soldering skills, heat shrink and sealer to weatherproof the soldered connections if a bulb {pod} would need to be replaced in such a strand.  Also requires a strand that you would use to cut out a good pod and put in the bad pods spot in the strand.

Like stated, just depends on what you want to spend and whether you want easy pull out/push in a new L.E.D. bullb or have to exert a little more work in replacing a bad bulb in a strand.

Just check through the forums or look in the vendor area of this forum, there are quite a few Holiday Light Sellers around here.

For standard AC L.E.D. strands I usually used the big box stores for my display, but that was just my preference.

 

[TheDucks]

My experience with Retail store LED strings has been very sad. I have been lucky to have stings last 5 seasons,(some did not make it past 2) whereas my old incan C9's served me 20+, with just a few bulbs replaced. ( 💡 I remove all bulbs, before I take the strings down. The reverse at season start. this avoids banging the bulbs). LEDS may use less power, but they don't last, even as long as many mini-light strings. That is not $aving anything.

The reason: The leads on the LEDS rusted to the point of disintegration 😲. The strings were out in weather about 40 days a season, then brought indoors (living room), to fully dry out with power applied for 24-48 hours. That should have baked them dry. 😕 .

Next seasons pretest: fail. Not 1, but many lamps had missing leads when removed. OTOH the Mini's seem to have copper (clad) leads and survive in similar sockets just fine.

I have not had LED Bullets, so I have no real stats yet, but these are also Epoxy sealed (I think I have replaced/spliced in, 3 nodes in the last 3 seasons)

 

[Mega Arch]

I have Hobby Lobby LED's that still work after 7 years on my arches. A few strands have failed - but they were cheap enough that it's not a biggie. For Mega Trees and mini-trees, I only use full-wave sealed LEDs. Their dimming range is better - their colors are more vibrant - etc. I've purchased all of them from HLE &/or CLE. Both have good warranties which gives you a little peace of mind in spending the additional $$$. With the warranty though - I haven't tested it myself as I have never had a string fail - Mega tree LEDs are going on 5 years. Additionally - the full-wave sealed LEDs don't pop my GFCIs..... Sealed is sealed. If they do pop the GFCI - it's my connection wasn't off the ground, etc. 

[Orville]

11 hours ago, TheDucks said:

My experience with Retail store LED strings has been very sad. I have been lucky to have stings last 5 seasons,(some did not make it past 2) whereas my old incan C9's served me 20+, with just a few bulbs replaced. ( 💡 I remove all bulbs, before I take the strings down. The reverse at season start. this avoids banging the bulbs). LEDS may use less power, but they don't last, even as long as many mini-light strings. That is not $aving anything.

The reason: The leads on the LEDS rusted to the point of disintegration 😲. The strings were out in weather about 40 days a season, then brought indoors (living room), to fully dry out with power applied for 24-48 hours. That should have baked them dry. 😕 .

Next seasons pretest: fail. Not 1, but many lamps had missing leads when removed. OTOH the Mini's seem to have copper (clad) leads and survive in similar sockets just fine.

I have not had LED Bullets, so I have no real stats yet, but these are also Epoxy sealed (I think I have replaced/spliced in, 3 nodes in the last 3 seasons)

 

To prevent that rust issue {my 1st year I ran into this issue}, go to your local auto parts store and buy some dielectric grease and coat the L.E.D. leads{use lightly on the leads} and inside the sockets before you ever put them outdoors.   After I started doing this, I now have L.E.D. strands that are 15+ years old with replaceable L.E.D. bulbs that are still working just fine.   I even coat the fuse ends and contacts in the pass through plug.  No GFCI trips, no issues at all with leads or socket contacts rusting out.  If I have to replace a L.E.D. bulb, I re-coat the socket and the new L.E.D. bulb leads before insertion.   Takes a little time with brand new strands {depending on bulb count}.  But this stuff works very well and has kept my store bought "cheapo Big Lots" L.E.D.'s burning bright for a very long time now {as well as K-Mart, Target, Lowes, Sears, At Home, Ace Hardware, Wal-Mart, etc. brands}.      Be great if replaceable L.E.D. strand manufactureres did this before they even put them in the box for sale.

This is the same grease used in automobile light sockets.

BTW: This  automotive dielectric grease also works on regular incandescent strands and bulbs as well, as they too, will rust away over time.

Just a suggestion on another step you can take to preserve the L.E.D. strand and the sockets integrity.   And it's well worth the little effort, time and work to add this to your L.E.D. strands, then you'll get many more years of use out of them.

 

 

Edited October 19, 2019 by Orville
Correct some typo's and misspelled words.

[TheDucks]

1 hour ago, Orville said:

To prevent that rust issue {my 1st year I ran into this issue}, go to your local auto parts store and buy some dielectric grease and coat the L.E.D. leads{use lightly on the leads} and inside the sockets before you ever put them outdoors.   After I started doing this, I now have L.E.D. strands that are 15+ years old with replaceable L.E.D. bulbs that are still working just fine.   I even coat the fuse ends and contacts in the pass through plug.  No GFCI trips, no issues at all with leads or socket contacts rusting out.  If I have to replace a L.E.D. bulb, I re-coat the socket and the new L.E.D. bulb leads before insertion.   Takes a little time with brand new strands {depending on bulb count}.  But this stuff works very well and has kept my store bought "cheapo Big Lots" L.E.D.'s burning bright for a very long time now {as well as K-Mart, Target, Lowes, Sears, At Home, Ace Hardware, Wal-Mart, etc. brands}.      Be great if replaceable L.E.D. strand manufactureres did this before they even put them in the box for sale.

This is the same grease used in automobile light sockets.

BTW: This  automotive dielectric grease also works on regular incandescent strands and bulbs as well, as they too, will rust away over time.

Just a suggestion on another step you can take to preserve the L.E.D. strand and the sockets integrity.   And it's well worth the little effort, time and work to add this to your L.E.D. strands, then you'll get many more years of use out of them.

 

 

I have a big jar of the grease. Way too much work to remove and grease 70-100 lamps a string. IMHO these strings should NOT be labeled for outdoor use.

[caniac]

We have Menards here and I always get a couple of boxes of LED C9's and C7's (for use in inflatables).  I keep a stock of them so I am not rushing out at night hunting them at WalMart, etc.

[Orville]

On 10/19/2019 at 1:27 PM, TheDucks said:

I have a big jar of the grease. Way too much work to remove and grease 70-100 lamps a string. IMHO these strings should NOT be labeled for outdoor use.

If it's not sealed, I'd say probably 99% of the "outdoor use" labeled lights {especially mini and L.E.D. lights will rust away, both their leads and the sockets}. 

It's also why I stated the manufacturers SHOULD add this grease when they produce the light strands for "outdoor use". 

All I was doing was giving folks an alternative, and I even stated that doing my method would be time consuming, but if one wants to extend the life of Big Box Store cheaper brands of L.E.D.'s and Lights for a very long use, that automotive dielectric grease is the way to do it. 

Like stated, depends on the end user, whether they want to spend the time taking out and adding the grease.  I did it and like stated, I have L.E.D. and incandescent strands now going on 15+ years of use and still function and no rust.   So in the long haul that has saved me a ton of $$$ from having to buy replacement strands every year or 2.