SL90107 Covington Outdoor Post Lantern, Black

Bought this light to replace a solar lamp that I just wasn't having any success with. It arrived in it's own retail-style box, which had been placed inside a plain brown shipping box. Just a bit of added protection, and the light arrived intact with no damage at all.The light has a matte black, slightly textured finish which is fine for me. The lamp post it goes on has more of a smooth, semi-gloss finish, but I expect it will dull somewhat over time so they should match up closer then.The light is fairly light in weight, but seems solid in construction. The glass panes were all tight with no rattling, and the dome top has a small lip that fit over the lamp perfectly. A good rain-tight seal to keep out the elements and small bugs. It fit my 3" lamp post very well and the three set-screws have a decent amount of thread to work with. The lamp also included a metal strap in the base allowing you to hang it on the lamp post while you complete your wiring. A nice touch, and it made that process much easier & simpler.I wired this lamp to a remote-mounted Thomas and Betts HS535 dusk-to-dawn photocell and installed a PacLights Omni100 17w LED Bulb. This lighting system works great, and puts out a great deal of light - in a way, it's almost too bright for a yard light. I wanted more of a bright "accent" light, but I'll probably get use to the extra brightness as time goes on.My one very minor issue is the top is held down with two small screws that have to be threaded in. I would prefer having threaded studs sticking up from the lamp that you place the top over, then use acorn nuts to hold it down. Not a major concern - just a personal preference. Might change it down the road.Hopefully this light will give me many years of service. Time will tell.

This was my second attempt to repair a non-functioning front yard post lantern. The first attempt, I had tried to purchase a replacement from local brick and mortar stores and ended up with a cheap plastic replica of a post lantern that was looking sad from the beginning.The Thomas Lighting SL90107 arrived in a broken but patched corrugated cardboard container. However, much to my surprise, it was OK! There was no damage to the glass or metal.This post lantern simply slides on top of a pre-existing 3" outdoor post with the existing wiring in the post. The base has a bendable metal strap attached to the inside of the base that permits hanging from the edge of the metal post while attaching the wires. That was very handy, making installation a one person job.I installed the lamp at the same time as a new photo-sensor and without any wiring diagram. It would be nice if the item's instruction pages included such a simple diagram, but it only had a text description of which wire goes where for a direct connection to supply power. Fortunately, the photo-sensor had good instructions stamped on its side, next to the wires. [Be certain to throw the circuit breaker in the off position before starting, and test the line with a multimeter.] The black incoming power wire goes to the line wire on the photo-sensor only. The incoming white wire goes to the light fixture and the photo-sensor's white wire. The black power wire on the light fixture goes to the red Load wire on the photo-sensor only. If there is a ground (green) wire coming from the breaker, it goes to the fixture wire (green) only.I'm very pleased with the results. The lamp immediately looks like it has been there all along. It is of the correct proportions for a 3" post, where the plastic one appeared too small, even though it fit. The wiring job was easy, even though mosquitos were persistently after my blood. I worked from a 6' fiberglass ladder. Three wire nuts are included, but they were too small for the gauge of solid copper wire used to wire my post, so be prepared with larger wire nuts. If done properly, no electrical tape is needed, but best to have it ready, just in case. You'll need a #1 phillips screwdriver, side cutters (for example dykes, or lineman's pliers), wire strippers if you have to clean up the existing wiring, larger wire nuts, a multimeter (for safety) and the ladder.The first night after installation, I was disappointed when the light didn't come on at dark. The sky was cloudy, so it got way dark. Still, no light. I thought I might have made a mistake, or had a faulty bulb. I was using a PacLights Omni100 17w LED Bulb, as suggested by G. Langlois in another review, for the first time. However, within an hour or so, the light came on. Since this is a function of the photo-sensor, no points off the fixture for it, and it actually may get better and come on sooner as it breaks in.I'm very happy with this purchase!

I bought this in 2016 and although it looks great, It has a pretty major flaw. During Heavy rain, it leaks and shorts out! I have gone through 3 auto on/off light bulbs in 3 weeks due to the heavy rains this season. I noticed it happening after a few heavy rains in the past but the bulbs were a year old or so and said must be a faulty bulb. This year (2020) we've had a lot of rain. The bulbs are literally dripping water out of them when I pull them. If you don't get hard driving rains, this could work for you, otherwise buyer beware.

I was wishing that I could get electricity out to the old lamp post in my front yard but there wasn't a line out to it. The electrician said it would cost a lot to get the thing connected. Then I saw this solar model. It was very easy to just take off the old lamp from the post and put this one in its place. The roof of this lamp has 4 solar panels so it catches the sun from all angles. That first day, I could hardly wait until dark to see it lit up, and it was just lovely. It stays lit for 3-4 hours after a sunny day, but that's ok. I don't really need it to light up my front yard or to have light there all night long. I just wanted it for the effect. It's also a quality item; well made of sturdy materials that will probably last a very long time. You can change the setting for more or less light. If you choose the higher setting, it will shine brighter but for a shorter time. Either way, I like it very much! Such a nice addition to my front yard.