Low-Voltage 300-Watt Landscape Transformer

Great transformer. Easy to use, easy to install.

I am replacing the steps and a landing to my front porch. This area gets limited sun so I opted to install low voltage lighting (as opposed to solar lights) on the risers. I needed a 300 watt transformer because of the number of lights I am planning to install. I especially like the fact that there are options for timing of the lights. I can have them on from dusk to dawn or preset times. The transformer is heavy (metal, not plastic), with an LED clock, reset button and three sets of terminals.

With a major manufacturer of landscape lighting transformers discontinuing much of their product line it was good to find this replacement Hampton Bay unit that directly replaces a discontinued product. Seems to be well-made, is generally easy to install and operate, with simple programming instructions. Wish that the cover were hinged and provided protection for the display and buttons to increase their life, and wish that the power cord could come out the bottom at the rear (a simple trim of the enclosure by the manufacturer could have done this) but otherwise excellent and recommended.

The Hampton Bay low voltage transformer provides an excellent option to supply power to outdoor lighting scenarios. It comes with an easy to follow installation manual, which covers the transformer and assistance in planning the lighting scenarios. Regarding the transformer, please note the height above ground distance. If your snow fall accumulates up to the wiring connection posts, you have the potential to short the transformer out. As I found out the hard way, please ensure you mount the transformer high enough to preclude it getting buried in the snow. With aide to your lighting solution, the correct wattage draw for the lights and correct wire gauge are outlined. I have several Hampton Bay transformers in my out door lighting solution. I found the 300w product seems to balance the price point per Watt, capacity for the lights used and sufficient reserve capacity for future growth. It offers multiple options for managing the lights. I use the dusk/dawn photocell option for my nite time lights. While I would like an option to turn on the lights at dusk and turnoff at a set time, the photocell works well, especially considering all my lights are LED - not much power usage as compared to the older filament bulbs. As with other Hampton Bay products, I find the warranty and product support numbers to be very good.

I installed this yesterday. Very easy installation and setup. The wiring connections are easily accessed and secured. It has taps for 12V and 15V. I am currently running 4 walk lights and 6 floodlights off of it. I am going to add 6 more floods. With a 300 Watt capacity, there will be no problem with exceeding the rated load. The digital setup and lighting options are excellent. It has an option that none of my previous transformers has had. You can select the lights to come on at dark and go off at a set time. Usually, the transformers will let you select on at dark and stay on for a set number of hours. You constantly have to adjust the number of hours to match the daylight hours. But with this one, my lights come on at dark and go out at 11:00PM winter and summer. It has several other options for you to choose from as well. I also like the fact that the photocell is remote from the transformer. You can hide the transformer if you like and place the tiny photocell where it gets good light. This is a heavy unit. You will need to mount it securely.

Spring project success. I've been eyeing doing some yard lighting. After trying numerous "long life" solar based lights only to be utterly disappointed when they fail after a few months, I decided I would go wired. This way the one to break them will be me with the trimmer or a squirrel. The transformer is the heart of the lighting setup. I have about 7 lights total including one that is in a pond. With this transformer I have a handful of options to select lighting. Personally I went with the timed darkness sensing option. So when the light detector gets dark enough it will turn the lights on for 5 hours. I have a hand full of 360 down lights around my garden edge and then one in the upper part of a waterfall and it looks great at night (especially now in the spring). I did have an issue with my original install of the transformer. I had it connected to some wood on my house, but the transformer HUMMS when on. A low but rumbling hum, which when connected to the wall of the house was horrible. That was not going to suffice. I removed it and added some rubber padding on the back and on the screw heads. Then connected it to the fence instead. Sadly this means I need to run an extension cord. This issue made me drop it 2 stars. I am frustrated that it had the hum and that I needed to patch my house and move it. For those still looking at this thinking it may be that I have a bad one - this could be true, I suggest just plugging it in first and seeing if it hums before you make holes in your house. I expected more from Hampton Bay. Especially because I have other transformers that do not exhibit this hum. All in all, my yard looks great now. I can find the dog at night and gives me more hours outside in my outdoor living room.

This 300 Watt transformer is a power house for your outdoor lighting. The average person will never exceed this limit if you're using LED lighting and having the ability to add lights due to the high power is reassuring. First, this transformer has the sane footprint as the rest of the transformers in the Hampton Bay line. If you're replacing a lower-power transformer, this will line up perfectly. Next, the ease of install couldn't be easier. There is an included template for your wall mounting screws - though I used heavy duty wall anchors and not the the included ones. The wiring couldn't be simpler as the contacts are clearly labeled and well separated to prevent shorting out. You can use this for 15V or 12V applications and that makes this even more flexible for most applications. The photocell is wire mounted so you can install this inside (I installed mine in a garage) and then run the photocell outdoors. There is also a cap for the photocell which is great for testing purposes. The menu is very user friendly and intuitive but the instructions are clear on how to set it up. All and all, a good product and this is my third Hampton Bay transformer I've installed (different properties) and they last a long time. I've had no issues with any of them.

Bought this to replace an older transformer I use for my back and side yard lights. I like that this transformer can be used with a photo sensor or timer. For my backyard area, I use the photo sensor. Provides the right amount of power for the number of lights I have installed. I have this transformer mounted on an outside wall. A high quality item.

I received this transformer to upgrade a smaller one because I wanted to add more lights to my landscaping. The instructions say to calculate the number of watch you need and don’t go past 80% of the capacity of the transformer itself. Since most landscape lighting is now LED you can add many lights to transformers that put out relatively low number of watts. This transformer has a photocell that will turn them on at dusk and off at dawn. I plan to double if not triple the number of path and other landscape lighting.

Great quality product, very easy to install. I would recommend all Hampton Bay low voltage lighting fixtures. My installation turned out great with their 20watt spot lights and pathway lights.