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Post by workingclassdog on Nov 26, 2023 18:33:13 GMT
Uggggg I get so irritated… I plug in pre-lit tree and 1/2 the lights work… top 1/2 is partly on then middle is off and part of bottom is off.. no logical order. Looks like every other bulb is black. Fuses don’t look broken.
I HATE stringing lights but now I sit here and just get irritated. Me and lights just don’t get along.
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Post by ecvnj58 on Nov 26, 2023 18:41:12 GMT
I’m down to like one small row of lights. Probably 6” of my 9’ tree. And I just ran out of strings of lights so I had to run to the store. I do think I put on more lights than my husband usual does and it looks beautiful but I am over prelit trees falling apart
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moodyblue
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,264 
Location: Western Illinois
Site Supporter
Jun 26, 2014 21:07:23 GMT
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Post by moodyblue on Nov 26, 2023 19:24:20 GMT
I love pre-lit trees - when all the lights work. I got rid of the one we’d had for years last year because I had been stringing extra lights on for several years, more every year. And it was a pain when taking it down if the light strings went across sections, usually because I threw them on in a hurry.
I just got a new one, not very expensive because I just couldn’t find one at Balsam Hill or King of Christmas that was exactly what I wanted, and I wasn’t going to spend a fortune on one that wasn’t totally right. I just took it out of the box and tested the lights before I started to assemble and fluff it. As much as I dislike fluffing a tree, I HATE stringing lights even more. I hope this one lasts at least a few years before I have to replace it.
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Post by 950nancy on Nov 26, 2023 19:37:55 GMT
We've been lucky with our trees. I haven't had to string lights in over 20 years.
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Post by smasonnc on Nov 26, 2023 19:43:05 GMT
I got a tip from a floral designer and it works. I use green icicle lights and you don't have to wind them all around the tree. I always add some strings to my trees.
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Post by leannec on Nov 26, 2023 20:05:13 GMT
This is why I will never own another pre-lit tree! Ours only lasted four years!  Now I have a gorgeous regular artificial white tree that I string so many white lights on (white cables) ... it looks awesome!  |
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Post by workingclassdog on Nov 26, 2023 20:15:12 GMT
Stringing lights is something I absolutely hate.
So this just happened. I decided to unplug the tree and I had two brand new boxes of lights (not even sure where they came from) I strung one set in white LED type and grabbed the other IDENTICAL box and pulled out completely different type lights.. BLUE lights … boxes show the same lights.
I’m out. Done. Ended up in tears. I feel like burning it in flames ….
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Post by dewryce on Nov 26, 2023 20:21:09 GMT
Oh I’m sorry, that’s the worst! You’re ready to get something taken care of and it seems like nothing goes right so you’ve got a half finished project and tons of frustration.
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Post by Zee on Nov 26, 2023 20:26:47 GMT
Our Martha Stewart tree has been going strong for 10 years. Once, one of our kittens climbed up in the tree and chewed the wiring so half the tree went out. My husband repaired it by splicing the wires together and it's still working 7 years later.
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Post by workingclassdog on Nov 26, 2023 20:29:48 GMT
Oh I’m sorry, that’s the worst! You’re ready to get something taken care of and it seems like nothing goes right so you’ve got a half finished project and tons of frustration. Exactly and the family is not much help. 🙄🙄 |
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Post by Zee on Nov 26, 2023 20:31:30 GMT
Oh I’m sorry, that’s the worst! You’re ready to get something taken care of and it seems like nothing goes right so you’ve got a half finished project and tons of frustration. Exactly and the family is not much help. 🙄🙄 Throw it away and get a tiny prelit one and put presents to yourself under it 😁 |
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Post by dewryce on Nov 26, 2023 20:32:07 GMT
Oh I’m sorry, that’s the worst! You’re ready to get something taken care of and it seems like nothing goes right so you’ve got a half finished project and tons of frustration. Exactly and the family is not much help. 🙄🙄 Which just adds to the PITA of it all. Time for some coffee…with some Baileys  |
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Post by dewryce on Nov 26, 2023 20:34:18 GMT
Exactly and the family is not much help. 🙄🙄 Throw it away and get a tiny prelit one and put presents to yourself under it 😁 I’m glad im not the only one to have these kind of snarky thoughts. The very first thought that came to mind was to get a new small one for her craft room and let everyone that’s not helping deal with the old tree! |
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scrappinmama
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,050
Jun 26, 2014 12:54:09 GMT
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Post by scrappinmama on Nov 26, 2023 22:55:34 GMT
My husband and I were just talking about this because a section of lights stopped working on one of our trees. I think we're going to replace that one next year and I'm seriously thinking of not getting pre-lit. But that particular tree needs to be 10'. Do they make trees that big without being pre-lit?
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Post by calgaryscrapper on Nov 26, 2023 23:06:20 GMT
A couple of years ago our Son in law bought something at Canadian Tire that easily checked the lights. It is called a LED light keeper. You could buy a new tree and cut yours into the gnomes. Google: gnome made from Christmas tree. We picked up a free artificial tree and dh made two gnomes. Mittens and beard (replacement mop end” from the dollar store and we had an ornament around for the nose. Also a red hat from the dollar store. He braided the mop end on one to make it a female gnome with braided hair.
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Post by myshelly on Nov 26, 2023 23:59:56 GMT
That’s why I won’t do prelit trees. Trees that are a good shape are expensive - too expensive to replace the whole tree when some of the lights go out.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Nov 27, 2023 0:02:36 GMT
I got a tip from a floral designer and it works. I use green icicle lights and you don't have to wind them all around the tree. I always add some strings to my trees. That's a good idea! Do you have a picture of how this looks once done? We have a real tree so always have to do the lights. This year I tested all of the strings and got the lights wrapped around the tree, but then when we plugged them in, only half of two of the strings were working! I had gotten some boxes of sphere lights from Target that I had decided I would return but we ended up using them and I really like the look. |
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Post by Lexica on Nov 27, 2023 0:09:09 GMT
This is one of the reasons that I was afraid to buy a prelit artificial tree. Well, the lights and storage. I didn’t have anywhere to store a tree in California. There is plenty of room in this new house, but I don’t know that I will be putting up a tree again.
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scrappinmama
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,050
Jun 26, 2014 12:54:09 GMT
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Post by scrappinmama on Nov 27, 2023 0:20:02 GMT
Those LED light fixing things are great, except some trees are no longer using LED lights.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 27, 2023 2:11:10 GMT
Those LED light fixing things are great, except some trees are no longer using LED lights. I have one that works with the old fangled mini incandescent lights. It really depends on what kind of lights are on the tree. My light fixer gun won’t work on LEDs. I bought mine when the tree I had JUST BOUGHT had a third of the lights crap out less than two weeks after I’d set it up and already had all of the ornaments on it so there was no way I was taking the damn thing back. Bought the light fixer gun and 30 clicks later the tree was working perfectly again, replaced the one bad bulb and haven’t had a problem since. It’s good to know there’s one now for LEDs too. |
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Post by papersilly on Nov 27, 2023 2:15:07 GMT
I hear ya. We buy a fresh tree every year so we have to string up two sets of lights. It's back breaking when you have to go round and round, lower and lower. Well, I get to the last string, plug them in, and the last 4-5 get don't light up. Arrgghh.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 27, 2023 2:26:31 GMT
I hear ya. We buy a fresh tree every year so we have to string up two sets of lights. It's back breaking when you have to go round and round, lower and lower. Well, I get to the last string, plug them in, and the last 4-5 get don't light up. Arrgghh. I’m the one who was in charge of the lights too (although we have a prelit tree so I’m off the hook for that and now have the even worse job of “fluffing” it, ugh). When I did them I wouldn’t go around and around. I would zigzag the strings across the front so they meet at the back. You really can’t tell that the strings aren’t wrapped around and it’s SO much easier to get the lights on and off the tree. I usually add a few strings of specialty lights to my prelit tree this way and it helps to stretch them further by only putting them on the front of the tree. ETA: Also, pro tip, ALWAYS plug the strings in to test them before you put them on the tree. Learned that one the hard way. |
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Post by papersilly on Nov 27, 2023 2:29:04 GMT
I’m the one who was in charge of the lights too (although we have a prelit tree so I’m off the hook for that and now have the even worse job of “fluffing” it, ugh). When I did them I wouldn’t go around and around. I would zigzag the strings across the front so they meet at the back. You really can’t tell that the strings aren’t wrapped around and it’s SO much easier to get the lights on and off the tree. Interesting method! I've heard of the up, down, up, down method but never zig zag. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 27, 2023 2:44:25 GMT
I’m the one who was in charge of the lights too (although we have a prelit tree so I’m off the hook for that and now have the even worse job of “fluffing” it, ugh). When I did them I wouldn’t go around and around. I would zigzag the strings across the front so they meet at the back. You really can’t tell that the strings aren’t wrapped around and it’s SO much easier to get the lights on and off the tree. Interesting method! I've heard of the up, down, up, down method but never zig zag. Zig zagging them looks just like they’re wrapped around! 😁 |
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Post by KiwiJo on Nov 27, 2023 3:49:12 GMT
I don’t bother having lights on our tree at all; haven’t had any for several years now and none of cares at all.  |
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Post by 950nancy on Nov 27, 2023 4:50:38 GMT
I got a tip from a floral designer and it works. I use green icicle lights and you don't have to wind them all around the tree. I always add some strings to my trees. Our current tree has 3,000 lights. It is the reason I picked it. |
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Post by moretimeplease on Nov 27, 2023 5:38:51 GMT
I got a tip from a floral designer and it works. I use green icicle lights and you don't have to wind them all around the tree. I always add some strings to my trees. Our current tree has 3,000 lights. It is the reason I picked it. What brand of tree is it that has lasted 20 years? And what type of lights are they? I’m on the hunt for a new tree, but I’m super picky 😂 |
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Post by 950nancy on Nov 27, 2023 5:54:49 GMT
Our current tree has 3,000 lights. It is the reason I picked it. What brand of tree is it that has lasted 20 years? And what type of lights are they? I’m on the hunt for a new tree, but I’m super picky 😂 Our last tree was from Sams. It was nine feet tall. We had it for ten years since I had wanted a taller tree. We moved a few years ago and our ceilings are 8 feet, so I bought a tree from Lowe's. We don't save the boxes, so I have no idea of the brands. I've just never had lights go out that couldn't be fixed with a replacement bulb. Our current tree will go all white to all different colors. It will also do a slow blink or a quick blink in either color. I love all white and my husband loves the multiple colors. So we change it when we are alone in the room. |
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Post by smasonnc on Nov 27, 2023 11:22:32 GMT
That's a good idea! Do you have a picture of how this looks once done? You can't even tell there are more strings of lights. |
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Post by cakediva on Nov 27, 2023 12:30:56 GMT
I bought that clicker thing last year to restart lights on my prelit.
Thus year it came in very handy! I don’t an hour clicking various sections that started right away and a section that the bulbs were black and needed changing. That’s what took so long. But one I replaced the bulbs ta da!
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