Some years ago, I met someone who was trying to sell me their services. They used the phrase “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”. In the landscape lighting business, this statement is very appropriate.
Time and time again, we see projects done by homeowners, irrigation companies, landscapers and some who pretend to be in the outdoor lighting business who have little (if any) skills in landscape lighting design, and the design that they did for the customer (if they did one) shows it. Not only is poor design common (i.e., lighting up the wrong objects), but poor quality landscape lighting fixtures are also prevalent. Also quite common is the end result of yellow light output instead of the white light output from Halogen bulbs, or the harsh, bluish-white light that comes from using the improper or cheaper LEDs. The trouble is, most of the time the homeowner or consumer does not know the difference between good or bad quality in landscape lighting.
Cheaper fixtures, which are either painted or copper-dipped aluminum can be purchased, but they will peel or fade long-term, as opposed to real solid copper or solid brass fixtures, which will not. Improper LED selection will also result in a poor lighting effect. One must pay attention to the Kelvin rating on most, if not all, LEDs. For a natural lighting effect, be sure to use LEDs with a Kelvin rating of between 2700˚ – 3000˚K. LEDs in the 4000˚-5000˚K will result in a cooler or bright bluish-white light. And try to use LEDs that are properly designed (heat sync wise) and rated for 50,000 hours average life. Generally, all cheaper versions lead to longer term problems and a lot more maintenance and cost for the homeowner in the long run.
I use the analogy all the time, that there is a big difference in price between a BMW 7 series and a Chevy Impala. Both are good automobiles that will get you to wherever you are going in roughly the same amount of time. But the quality of the BMW, the drive, the comfort, the finish, the status, all warrant a much higher price than the Chevy.
Consider this if you are thinking of having a garden lighting or landscape lighting system installed: “The bitter taste of poor quality lingers far longer than the initial sweetness of the cheaper price”. And so it is in almost all things. Cheap versus more expensive, you decide. But remember, you get what you pay for.