Using indoor lights outside?

[Surfing4Dough]

I was wrapping some bushes yesterday, and in order to complete a set so that each bush would have the same number of lights I used a 50ct set of minis (rather than the usual 100ct sets). However, as I was getting ready to throw away the box, I noticed that the 50ct set was listed as being "For Indoor use" and the 100ct was listed as "For Indoor/Outdoor Use." Wonder if anybody can comment on the differences, and are indoor lights ever ok to use outdoors. These are Holiday Time Minis from Walmart (green boxes, purchased last year). The boxes are identical, other than the 50ct one is smaller. Same graphics and wording otherwise. The stings seem to have only minor differences. The male plug piggy-back outlet is rectangle on the 50ct and round on the 100ct. The fused Male plug on 50ct indoor set is imprinted "TS-77" whereas the 100ct is "TS-66"; Female plugs on 50ct is imprinted with "TS-88", 100ct is "TS-55". Obviously the 50ct set is only 2 wires, whereas the 100ct is 3 wires (two 50ct circuits).

Can anybody speak to the safety of using this 50ct set outdoors--both to me and my LOR equipment? Is this kinda like using indoor extension cords outside--it says not to but I am learning here that lots of people do. Am I better off using a half-dead 100ct set (only half of the string working) to achieve 50 bulbs, rather than using the indoor 50ct set? Thanks.

[iresq]

No, don't do it! And don't plug in more than three strings, and don't use indoor extension cords, and don't cut the tags off your mattress.

You should be ok. The wire insulation was probably not treated with a UL inhibitor (like the extension cords). Chances are the lights will fail long before the insulation deteriorates.

[-klb-]

Might also have not paid for the additional UL testing to get the outdoor part of the label...