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Tired of pulling out solar post lights every time you mow? I tried flush-to-the-ground solar disk lights that sit below the grass line.
I bought six Tomshine flush solar ground lights (a 2-pack plus a 4-pack) to line my sidewalk. Here’s the build, how the stakes go together, install tips, and how they look at night.
- Sit lower than the grass, so I can mow without pulling them
- Mark the path well in real darkness
- Warm white blends with other warm lighting
- Well hidden during the day
- Light sensor turns them on automatically
- They mark a path rather than light it up
- Wide stakes are hard to push into dry ground
- A mower blade at an angle could still nick them
▶ Watch the full review on YouTube
Why flush solar lights instead of post lights?
My solar post lights have held up great, but they’re always in the way when I do lawn work. Pulling them out over and over, the plastic spikes can stick in the ground or break.
My mower cuts at about an inch and a half, so lights that sit flat to the dirt should be below the grass, and I can mow right over them. Be careful near rolls in the lawn or a sidewalk edge where the mower dips, because the blade could nick them. I’m not your mama, you can do what you want.
Build and features
The top is a thin pressed metal ring. Underneath, the electronics are in a plastic housing with a bump in the middle, held together with Phillips screws. A clear plastic cover sits over the solar cell, with 4 LED elements.
They come in clear white and warm white. I got warm white to match the rest of my outdoor lighting. There’s also a power button, so they won’t keep lighting up a closet if you store them inside.
Assembling the stakes and installing
The two stake pieces slide into each other to make an arrowhead-shaped blade, and the holes line up with little spikes on the light. Push it on and you’ve got a post to press into the ground.
Those stakes are wide. It was a hot, dry day, so I watered the grass first to loosen the dirt, and that really helped. After a rain is the easiest time to put them in. The bump on the back turned out to be no big deal; they sit pretty flush, well below where the grass gets cut.
How they look at night
As it got dark, the sensors turned all of them on. They do exactly what I wanted: mark the path, which really matters out in the country where it gets really dark, so nobody rolls an ankle stepping off the path.
The trade-off is that post lights actually light the path. For a smooth sidewalk, marking the edges is enough. For a dirt path or steps, you’d want light on the ground itself.
FAQ
Can you mow over flush solar lights?
That’s the idea. Mine sit below my mower’s cutting height, but watch out where the mower dips at an angle.
How many LEDs do they have?
Four per light.
Warm white or clear white?
I chose warm white to blend with my other warm lighting.
How do I install them in hard ground?
Water the ground first or wait for a rain. The wide stakes go in much easier.
Do they light up the path?
They mark the path more than they light it.
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