Temporary lighting is all over jobsites around the country. From high bay lights and low bay lights, we move to string lights. We’re not talking Christmas lights, though I’m sure someone has tried to use them before. This time it’s all about the new Southwire LED String Lights. Whether you’re planning for commercial or residential temporary lighting (or maybe even a Super Bowl party) Southwire offers a compelling solution. Let’s take a closer look.
Keep Stringing Me Along
The Southwire string lights come in two lengths, either 50′ or 100′. Southwire has spaced the lights out every ten feet, which means that the 100′ model comes with 10 lights or 5 on the 50′ strand.
Each light produces 800 lumens – 700 down and 100 up. That’s one of the things that makes Southwire LED String Lights better than some of the other options out there. That upward light helps fill the entire space you’re lighting.
The 100′ string delivers 8000 total lumens. This should probably seem obvious, but the 50′ model delivers half of that. However, if one string doesn’t do it for you, the Southwire string lights can be daisy-chained together for even more coverage. You can connect enough string lights together for 1000 total feet of light strings.
These lights are also IP65 rated, meaning that they feature enough water and dust protection to be used outside. The housing on the back of the module provides hooks for hanging the lights around the site. You can also wind them around rafters or use cable ties to keep them in place.
Southwire LED String Lights meet UL 1088 safety standards. They have been FCC/ICES certified, and are RoHS-compliant. They have a max electrical input rating of 120Vac, 0.68A, and 60Hz.
Enough Already, Tell Me How Well They Work
We are finishing out a rafter space to convert it for storage in our shop. Until Southwire LED String Lights showed up, we were using a variety of cordless lights. Cordless is convenient, but when the job lasts longer than a few days, it’s nice to be able to set it and forget it, assuming there’s some form of jobsite security. So when Clint called it a day, I swapped out his lights for Southwire’s and what a difference they make!
For rough work like what we’re doing right now, the lights stand alone. The 5000K color temperature gives you an accurate picture of what’s going on around you with color-coded materials. When you start getting into more detail – wiring boxes, pulling wire, etc. – you’ll likely still want a work light or headlamp to help out.
I like Southwire’s option from a safety standpoint since all I have to do is find a standard 120V power supply to plug into and my area lights up. There’s no running around to find power switches on the cordless lights.
There aren’t many LED string light options running around, and Southwire’s seem to produce the most light output from what I’ve seen. Traditional string lights with incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs can put out more, but have to expose the bulb to more damage risk and aren’t as energy efficient.
Final Thoughts
The truth is that these LED string lights from Southwire will provide a safer, more durable, and weather-resistant solution to your jobsite lighting needs than your old incandescent light strings. They’re a lot more convenient lighting solution than carrying cordless lights in and out every day on longer jobs. Plus, unlike your outdated light strings, you won’t have to screw around with replacing bulbs (get it? Like, screwing in bulbs?…I’ll show myself out…).
Southwire LED String Lights Features
- Delivers Total 8000 Lumens with 100′ String & 4000 Lumens with 50′ String
- Daisy Chain 10 Strings for 100′ & 20 Strings for 50′ Version
- No bulbs/lamps to replace
- UL 1088
- FCC/ICES Certified
- ROHS Compliant
- IP65 Rated
- Uplight to give an overall lighting effect
- Price: ~$220 (100′ string), ~$124 (50′ string)
