Lightkiwi U2184 75 Watt Heavy-Duty Stainless Steel (12V-15V) Multi-Tap Low Voltage Transformer for Landscape Lighting

This unit appeals to me greatly. It's a good one. made, and the stainless housing isn't magnetic, so it's made of a rust-resistant stainless steel alloy (BTW: It's also a good test for stainless steel grills). A handy feature is the integrated analogue timer. Although I would strongly advise purchasing one, I do have two engineering suggestions. The first is the terminal block, which could be "beefed up" to accommodate heavier gauge wire (I had trouble fitting two X 12 gauge wires into the block). However, unlike another reviewer, I did not experience any issues with the screws stripping out. The design of the knock-off is the second issue. out of the cracks If you're going to use conduit, the two knock-outs in the back will be necessary. The openings are so close to the bottom of the internal transformer housing that they are almost useless. They might be useful for push-up bars, I suppose. These rear knock-outs could be used in place of plastic wire grommets for romex or line cord if the housing was made about 1" longer. Conduit or 1/2" romex strain relief connectors can be inserted through the holes. Blanking plugs for the knock-on effect The 3/4" opening size also causes the outs to separate. Overall, I am pleased with the unit and would buy it again. The two issues mentioned above are more of a bother than a deal-breaker. breakers. br>br>Recent changes: br>br> I recently installed a second of these units and am very pleased with its design and performance, subject to the limitations I mentioned in my original review.

Justice Green

| Sep 23, 2021

The good. It works. But only after a tumultuous assembly process. The bad. Where do I begin? Make sure you have a super narrow blade screwdriver to tighten with before you begin. Are you familiar with the term "molex connector"? Do you know how to get rid of it when it refuses to go away? Make sure you have some spare electric wiring nuts that are the right size and made of steel on hand. If you try to tighten the cheap aluminum one that came with the unit properly, it will split in half. Additionally, because the molex connector is too large, you'll need to modify the steel one to allow it to slide over the photo cell jacket sideways. When you try to remove a knockout, it will fight you so hard that the entire box will bend to the point of distortion. To remove the large plastic snap-in plug, I had to manhandle it. br>br>I purchased three of these because the stainless steel drew me in. Let's hope the seller fills in the blanks for the flaws I identified.

Ivanna Randall

| Jun 18, 2021

Lightkiwi provided me with a 300W Transformer, which is excellent. This one isn't quite as good as the others. To begin with, the terminal lugs are extremely difficult to get a wire into, especially if you're using thicker gauge wire and combining multiple leads on a single lug. Furthermore, if the lugs are unscrewed too far, they may fall out of alignment in the plastic lug terminal block and will never screw back in. Because the terminal lugs were no longer functional, I had to remove the wires coming into them and simply hand-solder them to the outgoing wires. After a week of service, the transformer's timer failed. I couldn't return the item because it was one day past the return window. It'll be thrown away, and I'll replace it with something better. There are better, more powerful units for the same price, so don't waste your time on this one.

Pearl Francis

| Nov 09, 2021

It's a waste of time. When my electrician finished wiring it, it was completely dead. It was a complete failure. I attempted to return it, but the return window had passed and they would not accept it or issue a refund. Because I was constructing a new home, I needed to order it ahead of time. As a result, I now own a $75 paperweight that is completely useless. The transformer appears to be Chinese junk, according to the electrician. I have faith in him.

Maci White

| Oct 01, 2021

I ordered one for my previous home, and it worked so well that I ordered another when I installed my landscape lighting at my new home. I'm not sure what other people are whining about when it comes to the installation process. A) adjust your lighting wattage and check the gauge and distance of your lighting run to ensure you don t go over 80% of the rated capacity of the transformer rated capacity The connection space is a little tight, but it works fine for 12 gauge landscape wire, which can be stripped and bent at 90 degrees to fit right into the connector. Yes, a small screwdriver is required to tighten the terminals. If you need to run multiple home runs, I recommend connecting a transformer to a distribution block with a lead. Don't try to splice your connections inside the transformer. (I use the VOLT Pro MAcro junction connectors because they're rated for direct burial. ) I have no problems running 12 x 3 watt LED lights (a total of 36 watts) with about 250 feet of 12 gauge wire for the supply lead. I'm going to add two more of these for other lighting I'm installing around the yard that I'd like to control independently (rather than using the timer).

Grayson IQBAL

| May 25, 2021

The output wires are held in place by junk screws. When I tightened the second one, the wire came loose before it was firmly attached. The connection block as a whole is made of thin plastic. I needed to use a crimp connector to join the 12 volt wire. I'd send it back, but I'm sure it wouldn't be accepted because I "modified" the wiring.

Harris Ryan

| Mar 03, 2021

I needed a new timer for some new walkway lights, but the only ones available were digital. I didn't want digital because I'd have to reprogramme it if there was a power outage. I came across this small mechanical timer with a stainless steel waterproof case, which was exactly what I needed. The only criticism is that the back cable knockout is difficult to access.

Celine Torres

| Dec 06, 2020

I'm hoping it lasts a long time.

Aliya GODDARD

| Jul 10, 2021