Steinel FL300W - 300 Watt Dual Flood Light Motion Sensor, White Review

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Firstly, I want to state that this floodlight was purchased after considering many others.

The concern that we had with other lights sold in Home Depot or Lowes is the number of complaints from folks who say that they have failed after a year or so.

The Steinel FL300W was rated well on other sites and we were also impressed by the way in which it was constructed.

For instance: it is rain-tight and has built-in surge protection.

We installed the floodlight 20 feet or so above the backyard where there are trees toward the back.

It is meant for security and for any time when we would like to see such as when our dog is outside.

It is mounted just below the eave at the back of the home, at the top of the second story.

We did not want to pull new wires from the second story down to the first but wanted access to a switch on the first floor for a manual on/off.

In order to accomplish this the light was installed via an existing electrical line in our attic and connected using a Leviton 15A Fixture Relay Module (Catalog # 6375).

Downstairs, we installed a Leviton Decora Switch Controller (Catalog # HXC10-1TW) which was wired for power in conjunction with an existing standard wall switch.

This provides us with remote on/off switching over existing electrical lines without the need for complicated wiring.

With a normal motion sensor any amount of wind could trigger the light unnecessarily by trees swaying in the breeze and we wanted to avoid this problem.

Thankfully, this unit uses infrared to detect heat.

Because of this there is no need for sensitivity control, range control or seasonal adjustment.

It only has two settings:

1) timer setting to determine how long the light should stay on after turning on

2) twilight setting light threshold for turning on between full daylight to darkness

The twilight setting works as expected but the timer setting is bit difficult to correctly adjust.

The threshold is between 10 seconds and 15 minutes and the light seems to stay on for a considerable amount of time (12 minutes) when set directly between these two values.

It takes time to adjust and test correctly based on your needs and can be quite annoying if you are doing so on a ladder.

The shoulder and elbow joints are difficult to move according to the instructions and feel like the unit will break if forced too hard.

The shoulder joints move after pulling them out-of-socket whereas the elbow joints just snap when twisted.

A few successful turns before you install the light will help you determine the right threshold.

It is recommended that you adjust the direction close to how you would like it before installation.

As far as the sensor goes the unit seems to have no problem picking up a person from 20 or so feet above.

However, our dog doesn't seem to trigger it at all.

In this casewe just manually override the light by turning it off and then on from the switch on the first floor before we let her outside in the evenings.

The sensor is easy to move up and down and swivels from left to right.

Also included in the box are clip-on shrouds for covering certain areas of the sensor to avoid detection in different areas.

We don't use these as we want total coverage.

Lastly, we were wondering if the floodlight could accommodate Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) but this isn't mentioned on the box, in the manual or on their website.

We called their main number and they provided us with a direct 800 number to a technical contact.

He stated that the light may not work with some CFLs as their screw caps and electrical contacts are sometimes of different length than that of normal bulbs.

Otherwise, he stated that he has a light that has been working for a year with CFLs.

But he also said that some customers have stated their lights have stopped working after a year and that it was typically not a problem with the fixture itself.

At the end of the call he recommended against using CFLs as there was not conclusive evidence that everything should work as expected with our particular setup, including the Leviton relay module.

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When first installed, we called Customer Service because the lights wouldn't come on. The rep was very helpful, identified the problem immediately (the small plates at the bottom of the socket which must connect with the light bulb had bent too far into the socket to make connection) and when we followed her simple directions, we were in business. It took a couple of tries to get the motion detector aimed exactly right, but once we figured it out, it operated perfectly. I have a narrow front yard, and we were able to zone in on the driveway, lawn and walkway. Passing cars, tree shadows, small animals, or people on the sidewalk do not light up the night However, one step onto the property, and the lights are on. If you want to cover a larger area, aiming it becomes even easier. We have it set to operate only at night and to stay on for ten minutes after all motion stops, but the light offers other options on its menu. We have a very high roof line, and the less expensive light we first purchased only triggered if we jumped up and down and waved our hands in the air. We wanted to mount the light high enough that a prowler couldn't just reach up and unscrew the bulb. We were able to mount the FL300 under the peak of the eaves and it operates flawlessly even in driving rain.

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Had previously bought motion lights at my local "big box" hardware stores for my current and prior houses. I had trouble with both. Both were overly sensitive and turned on with strong winds and often failed to turn on in bad weather. My most recent one was so unreliable, that I had it switched off most of the time. After some bugging of the wife, I did some research and found this light.

All the reviews that I found (both here on Amazon and elsewhere)were positive. I installed it a few days ago and it has worked well so far. It is built well and appears to be designed well also. An example of this are the nice rubber gaskets encasing the light sockets, to keep them water tight. Much better than my prior motion light.

So far, I have had no problems with it turning on due to wind. It also works fine so far in cold weather (low teens). The only nuisance so far was setting the length of time that I wanted it to remain on, after being activated. That took several tries, but now is fine. I also like that it uses regular flood lights, instead of the often used halogen bulbs. The floods are cheaper and I have more options for how many watts I want the bulbs to be.

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I bought this Fixture because it was rated so well on Amazon & elsewhere. Mine has a range of only about 15 feet and doesn't detect quite so well from straight in front (Middle of driveway). Also, be careful when tightening screws holding unit to back plate..... That said, Steinel really has offered to stand by their product and has offered advice and a direct replacement for faulty motion detector. Steinel has really shown a great customer service commitment with my issues.

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I have never had good luck with motion lights in the past. They work for a while, then for some reason or another they wont turn off or

just quit working all together. When I checked the FL 300W I found mostly good reviews. It took me a little while to figure the proper

assembly (Im getting up in years and dont comprehend like I use to) However the light went up, the power turned on and the light seemed to work just fine. I changed no settings. It is factory set for daylight and cycle 15 to 20 seconds. It came on and went off, on and off over and over again with no motion causing the problem. I checked the wireing and it was OK. I even added a dedicated line. But long story short, I contacted the Steinel Company and they promptly sent me another light. Its up and working just fine. Steinel customer service was just great. I really hated to write this somewhat negative review, but I'm trying to be completly honest about what happened. I would't hesitate buying a Steinel product again. I am still giving the product 5 stars.