ChrisB Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 So...8 years ago we bought a high-end artificial Christmas tree with lights from an online company. The first year it was beautiful. The next few years I had to replace hundreds of bulbs, but started having problems getting good replacement bulbs due to the company having been sold and our tree style being discontinued. A few more years later, a strand went out. Now the company does not sell individual strands of lights, so DH went to the store and bought a replacement strand of LED lights at ACE. Well, I hate the LEDs because they are so sharply bright that they hurt my eyes to look at them. So after a few more strands went out today, I'm on a quest to find high quality replacement strands that have rich basic colors (they are multi colored lights), stay lit for a long time, and aren't the sharp LEDs. Where should I start looking for new light strands? The tree itself still looks great, but the lights need some help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 I just look for any light that isn't an LED. They are still out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Chiming in to share my distaste for LED lights. I think the light is sad. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 I find the reds are more of a pink . I keep looking for the old, classic colors too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 I just bought 10, 100 light strand packages at Target for under $3 each. I threw out a lot of lights, several thousand, because they were so tangled and had areas that wouldn't light, no matter what. I actually own a Christmas tree light tester -- looks like a glue gun -- but, really, it took so much time. So I decided to stop putting strands of lights outdoors and just put them on the tree inside. (I do have some icicle lights and other bits and pieces outside.) i decided to think of lights as relatively disposable. YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 Thanks, ladies! Well, I went to Target and bought some incandescent lights, which are so much better than the LEDs that we've been using. And, frankly, the same price as buying replacement bulbs for the original strands on the tree. I'm leaning towards thinking them as disposable, too. The colors aren't as vibrant and less of the traditional basic colors, but it'll do in a pinch. Don't really know if the "perfect" light exist, but I'll keep an eye out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in NY Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 We bought a nice pre-lit tree a few years ago, too, and this year my husband decided that this was the year he was no longer playing the replacement bulb game. Literally 3/4 of the tree would not light this year when we put it together. I spent a couple of hours ripping the lights out of the tree (wasn't too hard once I figured out how they had wrapped the wires at the factory!) and I am very pleased with the result. The tree weighs a LOT less now that it's just a simple, old-fashioned, artificial Christmas Tree. I went to the grocery store, bought two extra-long strands of soft-white LEDs, applied them to the tree, and voila! Perfect. Seriously, I will never buy a pre-lit tree again. The time we spent wrestling with those lights!! Oy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 I'm sorry, I have to laugh... I totally know what you are saying! Not playing the replacement bulb game... When we first had our tree, it was gorgeous. Now, I want to kick the thing...lol The tree itself is beautiful, but these lights will be the death of me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I'm laughing too about the disposable lights attitude. Me, too! But, of course, I CAN'T toss them at the end of the season. I hope a set of lights will last a couple of seasons these days. As for the tree lights...on ours when a strand goes out, we just put a new strand or two on. There are layers of lights in our tree....but you can't see them. I think it's holding the tree together. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 It wouldn't be so annoying but trees are so stinking expensive! My washing machine cost the same as a new tree and I use it every day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 Seriously, I will never buy a pre-lit tree again. The time we spent wrestling with those lights!! Oy. No kidding. I won't either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 I'm laughing too about the disposable lights attitude. Me, too! But, of course, I CAN'T toss them at the end of the season. I hope a set of lights will last a couple of seasons these days. As for the tree lights...on ours when a strand goes out, we just put a new strand or two on. There are layers of lights in our tree....but you can't see them. I think it's holding the tree together. :) Too funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 Yeah, the amount of $$ we've spent on that tree makes me cringe. But I love a beautiful tree. In our city we have special Christmas lanes, and we happen to live on one of them. Seriously, all Advent we see limos, tour buses, and lines of cars come down the street to view the Christmas lights and our special decorations. Ours are 4 ft. specialized churches. Many years ago a man on our street made one for each house on this three block street section. Now it is included as one of the Christmas lanes. When you buy/sell a house, the mini churches stay with the house. So, our tree in our window is part of our light decoration. It stays up from after Thanksgiving through Epiphany, our choice. We burn through lights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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