Got the new barn built and horses moved in. This summer we plan on putting in solar lights as the barn is pretty far from the house. But until then I’m looking for temporary lighting that is battery operated. Any suggestions on battery operated lights?
[QUOTE=Fruitarider;8999318]
Got the new barn built and horses moved in. This summer we plan on putting in solar lights as the barn is pretty far from the house. But until then I’m looking for temporary lighting that is battery operated. Any suggestions on battery operated lights?[/QUOTE]
How large an area are you trying to light up?
There are many battery operated lights that turn on when someone walks by, that are good enough to see where you are going, but that’s all.
There are also some solar lights that are cheap and portable, that you can use right now by doors, we have some of those.
You could check under “solar and battery operated yard lights”.
Some of those may be just what you can use.
Since you’re in CO and have tons of sun, I think Bluey’s suggestions are spot on.
I’m in MA in the woods and have had very good luck with two solar “shed lights” from Amazon.com. They were about $80/apiece and lit my 2 stall barn enough to feed, do night check, etc.
For bright lighting, we have two rechargeable lights we keep in the house and bring out as needed. One’s a Black & Decker flashlight with . . . . many lumens – again, Amazon, about $30. The other is a shop light – a squarish LED about 10"x10" on little feet with a handle on top – $40, Tractor Supply. Both are super bright and when aimed at the barn ceiling do a nice job for the hour it takes for me to feed, muck, whatever.
What’s “barn is pretty far from the house” mean? My barn’s 800’ away through a rocky, hilly, forested property, impossible to run power underground to. I just got a Honda generator and put a string of LED shop-lights in the barn and you could do surgery in there. It’s not cheap – 1k generator – but it performs well, is quiet enough and has the world’s easiest pull-cord start.
Our dog club has a rather large old wooden garage to store our agility equipment.
It has electricity to it, but for some reason, the lady we rent the facilities from just has, best I remember, one two bulb spot light in there charged with a solar panel.
That is a very bright light, you can see the whole room in there with it.
It looks like this one, but the reviews are not that good?
There are better, stronger ones from all kinds of brands.
Maybe you could use one or two such?
How many people need light, and for how long?
If you’re just throwing hay or doing night check, instead of installing lights you might find that wearing a head-lamp works just fine, especially if you already have plans for a proper solar setup later.
-Wendy
I will second the headlamp. They are cheap, and the light always points where you want to see. Out by my horses, I have a switch on light and the headlamp… I use the switch on light almost never, really only if I have need for more than one of us to see things. The headlamp is plenty for feeding, checking, etc. It’s way more convenient to have the light where I am pointed, and I don’t have to flood the area with light this way… ie I find it actively nicer than permanent lights.
If you need to ride and groom, then lights are going to be more needed.
If you want battery, not on your head, I suggest getting some LED lanterns that are designed with nice hooky-bits on them so that they are easy to hang or otherwise position. I bought one of these recently which I quite like:
https://www.rei.com/product/106694/ultimate-survival-technologies-30-day-duro-lantern
What’s nice about a solution like this is that they’re multitaskers - good anywhere you need not-headlamp light, including power outages etc, which actually is what mine is for. It’s quite bright and the handle is nicely designed to flip up for hanging or down out of the way. There are lots of similar products - my preference is for one that’s fairly bright, since usually for lower light occasions the headlamp is what I use. Once you don’t need them for the barn, having them for power outages, or in the trailer, or in the car would certainly be an appropriate place to stash one and where you’d feel smug someday to have it.
OP, I find many battery operated devices stop working in frigid temps. JFYI.
I agree, a headlamp may be useful until it warms up in the spring.
