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LED trouble lights

P

PeterT

Ultra Member
Premium Member
My 30 year old corded light bulb trouble light has seen better days, even with LED bulb retrofit. I was looking at modern LED based equivalents. Apparently corded cost as much as battery powered these days & really, why do I want to drag a cord around anyways. But I'm not really keen on yet another battery format, charger etc. I have Milwaukee tools already, so M12 batteries, charger etc. Anyone have any user experience with this one? 200 lumens doesnt sound like a lot. Isn't a regular 100 watt bulb like 1500 lumens? Am I missing something fundamental here?
www.kmstools.com

Milwaukee M12 12 Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless LED Stick Light - Tool Only

The Milwaukee M12™ LED Stick Light delivers best in class light output and unmatched versatility in a compact and durable design. The stick light utilizes 3 powerful LEDs to provide optimal brightness and light coverage while the multi-position hook
www.kmstools.com www.kmstools.com

The bigger 18v is only a bit more, 300 lumens
www.kmstools.com

Milwaukee M18 18 Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless LED Stick Light - Tool Only

Versatile and tough, the M18 stick light features two light settings with three powerful LEDs. The High setting provides 300 lumens for maximum coverage and light output, while the Low setting provides 150 lumens for interior work where a brighter light m
www.kmstools.com www.kmstools.com

And for bonus points confusion. I have this little flashlight which is pretty bright. They say brightness = 1600 and 'high lumens'.... whatever that means. Is it because it has a focusing lens it seems bright?
 
Those Milwaukee ones seem pretty dim & expensive to me. 300 lumen? Because I’m a cheap Bstrd I bought this: $15. 1000 lumen.

www.homedepot.ca

Husky 1000 Lumen LED Utility Light | The Home Depot Canada

This Utility LED Light features a unique design with durable plastic construction. Ideal for camping or emergency use, it's equipped with super bright LED lighting offering up to 1000 Lumens, 4-hours of run time and 30 m of beam throw. A 180 foldable handle is easy to carry. Can be powered by...
www.homedepot.ca www.homedepot.ca

I put it in the truck. I might get another one as a trouble light.
 
Yes, that's what I was thinking. When I look at typical 'mechanics' lights or whatever they are called, seems like lumens are all over the map

2880

AVJONE LED Rechargeable Work Light, Super Powerful and Durable, 16 Hours Working Time. 6 Modes LED Flashlight for Car Repair, Household and Outdoor Use, with Emergency Strobe Function, USB Charging, 2800 Lumens : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

AVJONE LED Rechargeable Work Light, Super Powerful and Durable, 16 Hours Working Time. 6 Modes LED Flashlight for Car Repair, Household and Outdoor Use, with Emergency Strobe Function, USB Charging, 2800 Lumens : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement
www.amazon.ca

250
 
This seems like a simple thread but there can be more to it than lumens, at least for me. I struggled for years with task lighting, going from incandescent trouble lights decades ago to fluorescent, then to LED, but every year I seemed to think, "this isn't good enough." For me the problem wasn't just lumens, but positioning. What I discovered was that no matter how good the lumination, I could never position it the way I wanted. Car repair is a minor issue for me, so a hanging light wasn't as critical as one that could be positioned properly in the shop. Because I do a lot of fabrication, I was always wanting light to shine up from the shop floor to the underside of a steel frame I was welding, for example.

LEDs are a must of course, but I ended up buying a few different Milwaukee versions. The smaller M12's can be pointed almost anywhere, and have the benefit of working as a flashlight as well. They are comfortable to hold and stand upright. The downside is they don't point downwards as much as I would like. But they can be placed on their sides and do come with a hanging hook (can see the black thing projecting from the back of middle light in pic). The next one I use is the six sided M18 one that can be angled or stood on end or hung (but it has no hook). It can be painfully bright, but fortunately has a dimmer setting on it. It's great underneath things, and because of the six sides you can project it along floors, or even downwards. It is a little heavy though, especially with a bigger battery. Lastly I have a tripod M18. It's blindingly powerful (but has three brightness settings). This is the MOAB light that solves all illumination issues because you can position it to be above you and project downwards. The bad thing is it is super pricey. Having said that it has never let me down. It also runs off 110V if needed.

These three approaches solve all my task lighting issues. Once I determined positioning/placement was the real problem and not lumens, I'm never frustrated anymore. I may at some point buy Milwaukee's rechargeable headlamp with strap, but I'll wait for a sale on that one.

That's my two cents worth Peter. Perhaps your needs are different, but my Ah Ha moment related to positioning, not brightness.

P.S. Apologies for the crappy pics. I really do need to go back to decaf.

1640893561337.png


1640893592271.png
 
Good points. Yes the hang-up or positionality is for sure a worthwhile shopping fixture. In that regard the newer lights are better than the old school coat hanger style.

@CalgaryPT if you had to qualitatively compare the Milwaukee M12 to old school 110v trouble light with 100 watt bulb, is it anywhere as comparable illumination wise?
I like the standup profile of the M18 but amazingly I have dodged that voltage format these years. Just have M12 for now.

I wonder if lumens is one parameter but lux (lumens / m2) is what's meaningful when it comes to focusing that light power in trouble light or flashlight mode (vs a 360-deg radiating type light bulb in a ceiling or wall fixture). Sheesh, how did I get this far in life without knowing how to rate a flashlight properly? LOL
 

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I have two of the smaller snap on ones, one at 400 lumens and one at 700 lumens. Great little lights, the head swivels and the bottom has a magnet. The big girl is from Grote at 1100 lumens, but it will dim to a lower setting. Also magnet base.
 
PeterT said:
Good points. Yes the hang-up or positionality is for sure a worthwhile shopping fixture. In that regard the newer lights are better than the old school coat hanger style.

@CalgaryPT if you had to qualitatively compare the Milwaukee M12 to old school 110v trouble light with 100 watt bulb, is it anywhere as comparable illumination wise?
I like the standup profile of the M18 but amazingly I have dodged that voltage format these years. Just have M12 for now.

I wonder if lumens is one parameter but lux (lumens / m2) is what's meaningful when it comes to focusing that light power in trouble light or flashlight mode (vs a 360-deg radiating type light bulb in a ceiling or wall fixture). Sheesh, how did I get this far in life without knowing how to rate a flashlight properly? LOL
Click to expand...
I think comparing the two could be misleading, as they are designed for different purposes. The M12s in my pic are more work lights—(not as focused as spotlights), but can illuminate a wide circular area pretty well. Trouble lights just seem shower everything in light, resulting in good general lighting but lots of shadows. Trouble lights I find are better compared to floodlights; lots of light scattered over a wide area and tough to focus on a specific area precisely. There are applications where this is what you want, but these are unusual in my case. A worklight such as the M12s in my pic uses much less power (even if you adjust for LED vs incandescent), but because it isn't wasted on the surrounding area it appears dimmer. A quantitative measurement would be a light meter on the nut or bolt you are working on I suppose.

I have two of the M12s in the pic because I like them the most for what I do, but as mentioned your needs may differ. I do give top marks to LEDs and Milwaukee specifically. All the products I have from them so far have been great. I do have an old 100W Trouble light hanging in my shop still. I haven't used it in years, but it reminds me of my dad so I keep it around.

I also purposely glossed over a huge feature because I need to eat some humble pie on this topic—but the portability aspect of all these LED products is bloody amazing. I was no fan of many rechargeable tools until lithium packs came out, but now I feel foolish for damning them (well at least the NiCd ones). It's pretty rare for me to run out of juice these days before I finish a project. Even if I do, they charge really fast. I sure don't miss dragging a 100 foot vinyl cord across the street at -40C to help someone start their car in the middle of the night.
 
Janger said:
Milwaukee gear in general is good. I like everything in that brand that I have purchased. Power and handtools.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I was grumbling a bit about the ones I have, but the manager at the bolt store suggested I upgrade batteries first. He said the 1 and 2 amp sizes aren’t even sold with the tools anymore, I’m pretty sure he said 3 amp is the new standard, you can get 5 and 8 too (going from memory). Haven’t had a chance to really see a difference yet.

However I just got a Milwaukee bit set from a secret Santa exchange, it’s from the USA and has square bits not Robertson :rolleyes:
Those sneaky Americans
 
I have 2 of the rechargeable ones that Costco sells, 1 in the shop and 1 in my basement shop. Bright enough to blind you when under a vehicle, actually 2 brightness levels. Seems tough enough around equipment and was reasonable priced.
 
2014 video review & maybe older model but maybe 'sheds a bit of light on the illumination' <lol groan>

 
How can this 29$ Amazon unit make 2800 lumens on 2x Li-18650 cells (assuming series = 2*3.7=7.4v) vs the Milwaukee does 200 lumens on 12v. That's 14x the lumens. I'm sure they are being selective about run time on which intensity mode, but I'm just talking about light power. The Amazon has kind of a sucky USB charge. I'm doubtful the unit has onboard smarts to properly charge a Li cell off fixed output like USB. I'm always leery of these gizmo's for this reason. I probably could rig up one of my RC chargers, but.... pita

AVJONE LED Rechargeable Work Light, Super Powerful and Durable, 16 Hours Working Time. 6 Modes LED Flashlight for Car Repair, Household and Outdoor Use, with Emergency Strobe Function, USB Charging, 2800 Lumens : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

AVJONE LED Rechargeable Work Light, Super Powerful and Durable, 16 Hours Working Time. 6 Modes LED Flashlight for Car Repair, Household and Outdoor Use, with Emergency Strobe Function, USB Charging, 2800 Lumens : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement
www.amazon.ca
 
since my cordless tools are Bosch I have 2 different lights from them. the 1900 lumen one is super blinding but very versatile and has a 5/8-11 threaded hole in the handle that I use to mount it on a tripod. I paid about $75 for it in a moment of weakness but it has proved to be worth every penny.

https://www.amazon.ca/Bosch-GLI18V-...locphy=9001414&hvtargid=pla-423505727198&th=1

The 300 lumen light works well under the hood of a vehicle and is not so bright that it blinds you. A 4 AH battery can run it all day with no problem where the 1900 lumen light kills the same battery in about 3 hours. Both are very rugged and have been dropped a few times without damage other than cosmetic scratches.
 
PeterT said:
How can this 29$ Amazon unit make 2800 lumens on 2x Li-18650 cells (assuming series = 2*3.7=7.4v) vs the Milwaukee does 200 lumens on 12v. That's 14x the lumens. I'm sure they are being selective about run time on which intensity mode, but I'm just talking about light power. The Amazon has kind of a sucky USB charge. I'm doubtful the unit has onboard smarts to properly charge a Li cell off fixed output like USB. I'm always leery of these gizmo's for this reason. I probably could rig up one of my RC chargers, but.... pita

AVJONE LED Rechargeable Work Light, Super Powerful and Durable, 16 Hours Working Time. 6 Modes LED Flashlight for Car Repair, Household and Outdoor Use, with Emergency Strobe Function, USB Charging, 2800 Lumens : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

AVJONE LED Rechargeable Work Light, Super Powerful and Durable, 16 Hours Working Time. 6 Modes LED Flashlight for Car Repair, Household and Outdoor Use, with Emergency Strobe Function, USB Charging, 2800 Lumens : Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement
www.amazon.ca
Click to expand...
Presumably it's measured by the same standards association that says my 110V Shop Vac that draws 5 Amps is 1HP.
 
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Maybe the answer to how a fixed voltage/current via USB charging can work without damaging cells is that you require the correct (protected) cells. Assuming that's what's packaged. I am aware of other lithium cells that work this way.

commonsensehome.com

Everything You Need to Know About the 18650 Battery

What is a 18650; protected versus unprotected cells; best 18650 battery, charger and flashlight; and top picks for best 18650 battery.
commonsensehome.com commonsensehome.com
Protected vs Unprotected 18650 Batteries?
18650 protected batteries have an electronic circuit. The circuit is embedded in the cell packaging (battery casing) that protects the cell from “over charge”, heat or “over discharge”, over current and short circuit. A 18650 protected battery is safer than an 18650 unprotected battery (less likely to overheat, burst or start on fire).

Unprotected 18650 batteries are cheaper, but we do not recommend their use. Unprotected batteries should only be used where the load/draw and charging is externally monitored and controlled. The protected batteries normally have a “button top”, but check the specifications to make sure. Generally 18650 flat top batteries do not include the protection circuit.
 
PeterT said:
Maybe the answer to how a fixed voltage/current via USB charging can work without damaging cells is that you require the correct (protected) cells. Assuming that's what's packaged. I am aware of other lithium cells that work this way.

commonsensehome.com

Everything You Need to Know About the 18650 Battery

What is a 18650; protected versus unprotected cells; best 18650 battery, charger and flashlight; and top picks for best 18650 battery.
commonsensehome.com commonsensehome.com
Protected vs Unprotected 18650 Batteries?
18650 protected batteries have an electronic circuit. The circuit is embedded in the cell packaging (battery casing) that protects the cell from “over charge”, heat or “over discharge”, over current and short circuit. A 18650 protected battery is safer than an 18650 unprotected battery (less likely to overheat, burst or start on fire).

Unprotected 18650 batteries are cheaper, but we do not recommend their use. Unprotected batteries should only be used where the load/draw and charging is externally monitored and controlled. The protected batteries normally have a “button top”, but check the specifications to make sure. Generally 18650 flat top batteries do not include the protection circuit.
Click to expand...
I'm going to have to learn more about building power packs. At some point I'll need to replace the ones in my RC Lawnmower. Have you built any from scratch?
 
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