Lighting up the backyard fence: solar, wired, or something else?

I totally get the appeal of solar, but yeah, those tree canopies are brutal for charging. I’ve had better luck mixing things up - solar where it gets sun, plug-in LEDs for the shady spots. Low-voltage wired is solid if you’re willing to put in the work, but honestly, sometimes I just zip-tie battery puck lights for parties and call it a day. Not everything needs to be a forever solution, especially outside.

I hear you on the temporary fixes, but have you ever tried running low-voltage wire along the fence and just tacking it up with staples? It’s a bit of work upfront, but honestly, it’s way less hassle in the long run than swapping batteries or dealing with dead solar lights. Plus, you can get those dimmable LED strips now - super flexible for parties or just regular nights. Curious if that’d work with your setup, or are the trees just too dense everywhere?

Running low-voltage wire is tempting, especially for reliability, but I keep wondering about the long-term costs - like, how much does it bump up your electric bill if you leave those LEDs on every night? I’ve got a bunch of trees too, so solar’s a pain, but I’m not sure if I want to deal with trenching or hiding wires. Have you had any issues with critters chewing through the wire, or is that just me being paranoid?

Have you had any issues with critters chewing through the wire, or is that just me being paranoid?

Honestly, critters can be a pain, but it’s not super common unless you’ve got a lot of squirrels or rabbits around. I’ve seen more trouble with weed whackers nicking the wire than animals. As for the electric bill, low-voltage LEDs barely make a dent - think pennies a month unless you’re running stadium lighting. Have you looked into those hybrid solar/plug-in lights? They can be a decent workaround if your trees only block some of the sun.

I’ve actually had mice chew through low-voltage wire before, especially if it’s buried shallow or near mulch. Not super common, but it happens. Solar/plug-in hybrids are interesting, but honestly, I’ve found solar output drops a ton under tree cover - even partial shade. Sometimes old-school wired is just less hassle in the long run.