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I am not a gardener.
I kill succulents. I once drowned a cactus. My lawn has bald spots that look like a map of Australia.
But last year I decided to get fancy. I wanted my little patch of dirt to look nice at night. So I drove to Bunnings on a Saturday morning. The parking lot was already packed. I walked inside and headed straight for the lighting aisle.
Big mistake number one.
The cheap pack that broke my heart
I saw a 12 pack of solar lights for $24. Two dollars each. A bargain. I grabbed them without reading the box. Did not check for battery size. Did not look for an IP rating. Did not even shake the box to see if anything rattled.
Got home. Ripped open the plastic. Stuck them in the ground like a madman.
That night I sat on my back step with a beer. Watched them glow. Felt like a proper adult.
Three weeks later, one died.
A week after that, another one stopped working.
Within two months, half were dead. The ones still alive glowed so weak I had to squint to see them.
My wife looked at me and said “I told you to buy the expensive ones.”
She did not actually say that. She said “I told you so” with her eyes. Which is worse.
The return trip
I pulled the dead lights out of the ground. Put them in a shopping bag. Drove back to Bunnings.
The woman at the returns counter did not even blink. She asked “The cheap pack?” I nodded. She processed the refund. Then she pointed to a shelf behind her.
“Those ones,” she said. “The $12 each ones. People almost never bring those back.”
I looked at the price. $12 for one light. I could buy six cheap ones for that.
But I had just returned six dead cheap ones. So maybe she had a point.
What I learned about the $2 lights
I asked her why the cheap ones die so fast. She shrugged and said three things.
First, the batteries are garbage. They work fine for a few months. Then they lose the ability to hold a full charge. Your light turns off earlier and earlier each night until it stops completely.
Second, water gets inside. The cheap ones have bad seals. Rain gets in. The metal parts rust. The circuit board corrodes. Dead light.
Third, you cannot replace the battery. The cheap ones are glued shut. When the battery dies, you throw the whole thing away. That is how they get you to buy another pack next year.
She was not mean about it. She was just tired of explaining the same thing to people like me.
The lights I actually use now
After returning the cheap pack, I bought four of the 12 lights costme 48. It hurt.
But that was fourteen months ago. They all still work. Every single one.
They are not fancy. No colour changing modes. No remote control. No phone app. Just a warm white glow that turns on at dusk and turns off at dawn.
I cleaned the solar panels twice. That is it. No other maintenance.
The cheap ones needed constant babysitting. These ones I forget about. Then I look outside at midnight and they are still glowing.
A different kind of cheap
My neighbour saw my lights and asked about them. She did not want to spend $12 each. Fair enough.
She bought a different cheap pack from Bunnings. Not the 2ones.The6 ones.
Hers have lasted eight months so far. She cleans the panels every Sunday. She pulled them out of the ground before a big storm. She brings them inside during winter.
She treats them like houseplants. And they keep working.
Her secret is simple. She spent a little more. Not a lot. Just $4 more per light. And she actually reads the instructions.
I never read instructions. That is my problem.
The one tool you need from Bunnings
Go to the hardware aisle. Buy a small Phillips head screwdriver. The one with the yellow handle. Costs $3.
Keep it in your kitchen drawer.
When your solar light dies, do not throw it away. Flip it over. Unscrew the back. Look inside.
You will see a battery. It looks like a normal AA or AAA battery. Pull it out. Walk to the battery aisle at Bunnings. Buy a pack of rechargeable NiMH batteries. Costs about $8 for four.
Put the new battery in. Screw the back on. Leave the light in the sun for two days.
Your $2 light works again. For another year.
I learned this after throwing away three lights that were not actually broken. Their batteries were just tired. $2 worth of battery would have saved them.
The fairy light trap
Do not buy fairy lights from Bunnings unless you plan to hang them under a covered patio.
I made this mistake too.
Bought a $15 string of fairy lights. Wrapped them around my tree. Looked beautiful. Three weeks later, a storm came through. I forgot to bring them inside.
The next morning, half the bulbs did not work. The solar panel box had water inside. I opened it up. Rust everywhere.
Fairy lights are for dry spaces. Under an awning. Inside a gazebo. On a covered porch.
Not on a tree in the middle of your yard. The rain will kill them. I learned this the hard way.
The one light that surprised me
Bunnings sells a giant security light. Solar panel on a stake. Bright as a car headlight. Motion sensor. Costs about $45.
I bought one after someone tried my car door handles at 2am.
The installation was easy. Hammered the stake into the lawn. Pointed the light at my driveway. Left it alone.
That was eighteen months ago. It still works. The motion sensor picks up possums, cats, and the delivery guy. It scares away anyone who should not be there.
My wife stopped complaining about the cheap dead lights. Worth every dollar.
What I would do differently
If I walked into Bunnings today, here is what I would buy.
For pathway lighting. The $10 to $12 each lights. Metal housing. Glass panel. No plastic crap.
For security. The $45 floodlight with motion sensor. Do not bother with cheaper security lights. They are not bright enough.
For fairy lights. None. I gave up. I use a $20 extension cord and normal LED string lights. Plug them into an outdoor power point. No solar. No batteries. No disappointment.
For the DIY person. A $5 terracotta pot and a $6 solar light from the craft section. Make your own. It looks ugly but it works. And you feel proud.
The honest truth
Solar lights from Bunnings are not magic. They are cheap electronics in a plastic box. They break. They get water inside. Their batteries die.
The expensive ones break slower. The cheap ones break faster. That is the only difference.
Do not expect a $2 light to last. That is not how the world works. Your phone charger costs $15. Your coffee costs $5. Why would a solar light that sits outside in rain and sun cost $2 and last forever?
Spend $10 to $12 per light. Replace the battery after two years. Clean the panel every few weeks. Bring them inside during winter storms.
Do those four things and your lights will last. Ignore them and you will be back at Bunnings next year. Like I was. Like thousands of other people.
FAQs
Are the $2 solar lights at Bunnings worth it?
No. They die in months. You will return them or throw them away. Then you will buy better ones. Skip the middle step.
How do I know which Bunnings lights are good?
Flip the box over. Look for a number with mAh. That is the battery size. 1000 mAh or higher is good. If you cannot find that number, put the box back.
Can I leave Bunnings solar lights out in rain?
Check the box for IP44 or IP65. IP44 handles normal rain. IP65 handles heavy rain. No IP rating means do not get it wet.
Why do my lights turn off at 2am?
Your battery is weak. Replace it. Or your panel is dirty. Clean it. Or you put the light in shade. Move it to sun.
How long do Bunnings solar lights last?
Cheap ones. 6 to 12 months. Mid range ones. 2 to 3 years. Expensive ones. 3 to 5 years. Battery replacement adds two years.
Do I need to turn solar lights off in winter?
No. Leave them on. They will still charge on sunny winter days. Turning them off for months damages the battery.
Can I use normal AA batteries from Bunnings?
No. Normal batteries are not rechargeable. They will leak and ruin your light. Buy NiMH rechargeable batteries only.
Does Bunnings take back dead solar lights?
Yes. Keep your receipt. Return anytime for faulty products. But do not be that person who returns a $2 light after a year. Just buy a new battery.
What is the best solar light at Bunnings?
The $45 security floodlight. It works. It is bright. It lasts. I recommend it to everyone.
Should I buy solar lights from Bunnings or somewhere else?
Bunnings is fine. Just avoid the bottom shelf. The same lights cost the same everywhere. At least Bunnings has a good return policy.
Summary
I bought cheap solar lights from Bunnings. They died. I returned them. I bought better ones. They still work. Spend 10to12 per light. Clean the panel. Replace the battery after two years. Bring them inside during big storms. That is it.
