Evo15 Solar PIR Utility Light

Throw away culture I bought these lights to help being Green. They work well,I admit, but when the batteries fail, as they will, the only way to replace them, as the leaflet states, is to de solder and re solder in three AAA batteries. How many people can do that? They get thrown away. NOT good for the planet. By Ian

EVO 15 pir utility light A neat little unit and good value. Easy to fit, only concern is over the stability of the mounting for the light unit - I wonder if it will move slightly in the wind and the pir will detect this as 'movement' of the surroundings and activate the light reducing battery charge. By Mark Graham

Good in part... I've purchased 4 of these with mixed results. One quickly filled with water and only works when left switched off for a few days for the batteries to recharge. Once switched back on it stays on until the battery is flat. A 2nd light partially filled with water after a few months of normal use. It then went the same way as described above. The 3rd light is still working perfectly after about a year's use, so fingers crossed. The 4th light has not yet been fitted. As far as design is concerned, the clip that holds the light to the wall is very flimsy, so care is needed when removing and refitting, especially in cold weather. The solar panel quickly works loose on its ball & socket, so needs to be glued in place, as it is not possible to screw it up tight enough. As the batteries get older, they become less efficient, so the unit needs to be switched off for a few days to recharge. Perhaps it would be easier if a larger solar panel could be fitted or if additional sockets provided for small panels to be connected in multiple to boost charging during winter or when the panel has to be placed in less than perfect locations. When the lights do work, they are bright enough to illuminate garden paths, doors, gates etc but not so bright as to annoy the neighbours. By Matt Stribley

Working well after modification This light is now working well for me but I had two problems during installation: 1. The ball/socket fixture was too loose to retain the position of the light in windy conditions. I fixed this by removing the two screws and surrounding the ball with black insulation tape. 2. The clip fitting also permitted movement in the wind. When trying to remove, the clip broke off and I had to fabricate a plastic bracket to re-mount the light. So the light itself seems to be working well but the mechanical design needs some improvement By Brian

easy to install Easy to install however I should have read the reviews here first. I too was wondering about the second bracket. Light seems a bit loose so will see how it goes By Mctooni

Poor Thought we'd try one of these by our front gate to light the opening before path light comes on. Installation is easy build quality ok and pir is fine. But despite pre charging as per instructions the amount of light it gives is really poor. It's hardly worth having. We have another bought from another supplier that gives double the light. Sorry cannot recommend. By Martin d

Better than I thought I've had lots of bad experience with solar stuff so I bought this on trust from others reviews. It is good! The unit is 2+ metres up on the trunk of a tree, with the receiver panel facing west as instructed. It is slightly shaded by random thin branches but so far no problems. It is as bright as any mains light! And it detects approach 2m+ from the narrow walkway which it covers - in both directions. My only niggle is the light 'pool' shape which is more circular than the long oval which you expect from the shape of the led cluster. Because the light is so good you get a very bright circle, which is fine, but it's almost wasted in an outdoor area which needs a little more width / spread. But that is only a niggle, a higher mounting would widen the 'pool'. If your need is local brightness, or a long 'throw' of the beam, you wouldn't be disappointed buying this. As others have said, It does look and feel a bit flimsy in the joint area, time will tell, but a good DIY'er could sort if any problems. I'm not disappointed in its quality. By Jes Holmes

Evo15 Solor PIR light Very impressed with this purchase. The light unit is brighter than expected, it lights up the decking area outside the back door, and a good part of the garden too - without flooding the neighbours' gardens with light! The range of the sensor is somewhat impressive, I have the unit mounted just above the back door, and it comes on as soon as you step foot outside. The mounting bracket for the light is reported rather flimsy, but to get round this, make a small mounting plate out of plywood, then screw the mounting bracket to that, then screw the plywood mount to the wall. Would totally recommend this product. By Al B

Please be aware I bought this product from another seller - sharperedge.They sold it as waterproof and suitable for outside use.They also originally supplied it without the necessary connection between the lght and solar panel.The product suffered from water ingress and stopped working after 12 months.The company denied liability for misrepresenting the product but have subsequently changed its description to splashproof.So I recommend that the seam on the product be sealed if the light is used outside By clive Reply from SolarCentre:Thanks for the comments. Unfortunately we get a lot of our products copied and corners are invariably cut along the way. The Evo 15 has 3 seals on it that inferior copies do not so it's a case treading carefully with non branded stock that may look the same at a glance.

juries out I have left this product assembled but off in the garden to charge, two days later the light and battery assembly was full of water and ice had formed in the light unit. I have dried it out but I am not expecting it to work for very long. It is not sufficiently well manufactured to be rain proof. By Dave Durkin Reply from SolarCentre:Please contact: Returns@TheSolarCentre.co.uk It is unusual to have this unit fill with water so we would like to investigate this case and replace the unit.