“Low-voltage wired feels like more work up front, but I’ve seen some installs that haven’t needed a second thought in ages.”
That’s been my experience too—wired setups are a pain at first, but once they’re in, you forget about them. I’ve put in a couple hybrid systems for clients, and honestly, the batteries seem to be the weak link. They’re better than they used to be, but still not “set it and forget it” territory. If you hate maintenance, wired’s still king. Solar’s fun if you like tinkering, though.
Wired’s definitely the way to go if you want to just forget about it for a decade or more. I’ve ripped out plenty of solar lights from fences where the panels got grimy or the batteries just gave up after a couple winters. The install’s a hassle—digging trenches, running conduit, all that—but if you’re already doing other work, it’s not as bad. Funny enough, I’ve had one client who insisted on solar just because they liked swapping out the batteries and cleaning panels... different strokes, I guess.
I get what you’re saying about wired being the “set it and forget it” option. I’ve seen solar lights just fade out after a couple seasons, especially if folks don’t keep up with cleaning. But I wonder—have you ever tried those low-voltage systems? They’re a bit less invasive than full 120V wiring, and you still get reliability without as much trenching. Curious if anyone’s had long-term luck with those, or if they end up being just as much hassle down the line.
Low-voltage is kind of the sweet spot for me. Did a run along my fence about five years ago—just a shallow trench and it’s been solid since. The transformer’s the only thing I’ve had to mess with, and that was just resetting after a storm. Way less hassle than dealing with solar batteries dying or full 120V permits. Not totally maintenance-free, but pretty close.
That’s awesome to hear it’s held up that well. Low-voltage really does seem like the practical middle ground—enough reliability without the headaches of full wiring or the unpredictability of solar. I’ve been debating solar for ages, but the battery thing always trips me up. Your experience makes me think a simple trench and transformer might be worth the effort.