If you’re running wire, I’d suggest mapping your route first and renting a trenching tool if you can—makes life a lot easier than hand-digging every inch. Roots are always gonna be a wild card, though...
Couldn’t agree more about the trenching tool—saved my back when I did the garden path lights last year. Here’s what worked for me: I sketched out the cable route on paper first, then used spray paint to mark it on the ground. When I hit roots (and I always do with these old trees), I just nudged the line over a bit rather than fighting them. For sealing connections, heat-shrink butt connectors and a dab of dielectric grease have kept mine dry through two winters. Wired is more hassle up front, but I haven’t touched them since. Solar’s great for quick fixes, but I got tired of cleaning panels every month—just not worth it for me.
Wired lights are definitely more work up front, but I’m with you—once they’re in, you can basically forget about them. I tried solar on my fence last summer and half the lights were dead by October, plus the panels looked like they’d been through a dust storm. Trenching is a pain (my shovel still has PTSD), but at least you only have to do it once. Roots are the boss out there... I just surrender and reroute too.
Trenching is brutal, but I totally agree—once you’ve got those wires in, you’re set for years. I tried to shortcut with solar too, thinking it’d be less hassle, but the panels just couldn’t keep up once fall hit. One thing that helped me with the roots was using a mattock instead of a shovel. It’s heavier, but it slices through roots way easier. If you’re worried about future changes, running conduit gives you options down the line without digging again... learned that one the hard way.
Running conduit is the way to go if you’re thinking long-term. I’ve had to dig up old lines before because someone just direct-buried wire—total pain, especially when you hit roots or rocks. I usually use a trenching shovel and a pickaxe, but yeah, a mattock is a beast for roots. Solar’s fine for accent lights, but if you want real brightness year-round, hardwired is just more reliable. Learned that after a few call-backs when solar lights started fading in October...
Hardwired definitely wins out for reliability, especially if you’re after consistent brightness. I’ve run into the same issue you mentioned with solar—looked great in July, but by late fall, half the lights were barely a glowworm. That’s fine for ambiance, but not if you actually want to see where you’re walking.
Running conduit is the way to go if you’re thinking long-term. I’ve had to dig up old lines before because someone just direct-buried wire—total pain, especially when you hit roots or rocks.
Couldn’t agree more here. Direct burial always seems like a shortcut until you have to fix something. I learned that lesson the hard way when a section of my backyard went dark and I had to play archaeologist for an afternoon. Conduit’s a bit more work upfront, but it pays off every time you need to swap out a line or add another fixture.
On tools, I’m with you on the mattock. It’s not glamorous, but nothing else gets through roots like it. Sometimes I’ll use a digging bar too if I hit a stubborn rock—just depends on what’s lurking under the grass.
One thing I’d add: if you’re running conduit, don’t skimp on depth. Local code here says 18 inches for low-voltage, but I usually go a bit deeper if I can. Makes me feel better about mowing or planting later on.
Solar still has its place for quick installs or spots where running wire is just too much hassle, but for anything permanent, hardwired is just less headache in the long run. You’re definitely on the right track thinking about future maintenance now instead of waiting for something to go wrong down the road.