There are several different types of LED mini lights available for your installs. Mini lights come in all different shapes and sizes as well as a variety of different colors. Here are the most popular LED mini lights that you will most likely encounter;
Mostly used for trees, bushes, fences, arbors, columns and flower beds, Mini lights are very durable but be careful about pulling wire. Commercial Grade 1 piece mold. Co-axial or Standard connections. Most popular spacings are 4” and 6”. Most brands connect up to (45) 4″ spacing, 25 foot strands.
Things to look for when purchasing mini lights;
Length
Most popular sizes are 17′, 24′ and 33′. It is important when purchasing mini lights to keep it consistent in the lengths you purchase. 24′ is our recommendation. They are not too long and not too short. Perfect for making light balls.
Bulb Spacing
4″ and 6″ spacing on mini lights are the installers choice when choosing the right mini lights. It is again important to stick to one or the other when purchasing.
End to End Connections
We talk more about this in Power and Electricity section but a good rule of thumb to stick to is a max of 45 strands end to end.
Coaxial vs Traditional
Mini lights are available in 2 different types, Coaxial and Standard. Standard plug is the good old fashioned Edison plug that can plug directly into the receptacle. We will discuss more about these two options in our Coaxial vs Traditional Lesson.
Pre-Balled
Most vendors these days are selling their mini lights Pre-balled with no tags. Buying them this way will save you time and money. When decorating trees, having a pre balled light will make the decorating much easier and your installers will thank you for it.
Coaxial vs Traditional
Coaxial Mini Lights
Coaxial plugs have a water tight seal at each connecting point which will limit the amount of water exposure and help prevent GFCI’s from tripping, this is great if you live in a damper climate.
You can also buy coaxial splitters allowing you to split off if you are hitting your threshold of lights connected end to end. We will discuss more about limitations on connecting strands end to end in the Power and Electricity section.
.
Traditional Mini Lights
Standard or a “Traditional” plug is the good old fashioned Edison plug that can plug directly into the receptacle. While being the most popular route for installers, they do have there downside. Water and electricity do not mix and the amount of exposure they have to these outside elements is much higher than the Coaxial strands.
Many installers like to tape their connections which we DO NOT recommend. While you feel it will keep the moisture out, it does not and has the opposite effect and traps the moisture in. When the rain or snow subsides, the water is now trapped and does not have the ability to dry out.
The example below shows you the amount of exposure each will have to the elements when decorating a tree with 10 strands of each.
Other types of Mini Lights
When it comes to LED mini lights, there are several different options available. One thing to remember, if you are offering these different options to your customers, you need to make sure they are readily available. All the above light sets come in a variety of colors.
5mm LED mini lights are by far the most popular brand.
G12 is a globe shaped mini light with light that offers a brilliant light disbursement through diamond faceted bulb design
T5 has a candle tip cover giving it the older look of Christmas
M5 also has a candle tip shell with a faceted diamond design.
The C6, C7 and C9 are the larger style mini light that will give off the vibrant illumination.
4″ vs 6″
4″ spacing on mini lights is slowing becoming the more popular choice. While a tad more expensive, when decorating trees and bushes, there is a noticeable difference in the amount of lights on the subject when using 4″ spacing. Here is an example when working with different bulb spacing;
24′ Strand 4″ Spacing=70 Lights
24′ Strand 6″ Spacing=50 Lights
As you can see, each strand has 20 more lights when using 24′ Strand 4″ Spacing. On a bush that takes 10 strands, that is 200 more lights to make that bush shine.
4″ also comes into play when decorating trees. When using 6″ spaced mini lights, depending on the circumference of the branch, it will sometimes force the bulbs to line up on the backside of the branch making the branch look like its not decorated. Using 4″ spacing mini lights will diminish this issue in most cases.
It is important to make sure you stick to one or the other. It is difficult to tell them apart when they are balled in are mixed together.
RGB Lights
For new installers, RGB use to be the next level step, with technology advances, it has now become the thing of the present. Dynamic RGB strands are the light set you’ve been waiting for…full color control with a simple to use remote. No Apps, No Hassle. This set has all the functions and features you will need, with eye popping effects to boot! Each light set has a cap on the end. Maximum connect 20 sets end to end or 1,000 lights RGB lights.
HUB Lights
HUB Lights are a new technology of lights that allow you to connect right into a C9 bulk strand. These HUB lights are great for building trees of lights or utilizing in large trees. There are several different types of HUB lights available giving you a variety of installations to offer to your customers.
They are also available in an icicle light which can be used to mix in with your regular roof line lights or in trees giving them that extra added affect.
Specifications
- Connects to C9/E17 cord
- Functions: Steady, Fade, Flash Out, Flash WW, Chase, Flash Opal, Color Change
- Color Options: Red, Green, Blue, Harvest, Berry, Aqua, Opal, Warm White, Multi
- RF Remote control range is roughly 50 feet
- Clear RGB LED 5MM lights Warm White Function