Small LED Work Light with no fru-fru
- Thread starter Ralf11
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FuzzyTiger
Well-known member
I just got an astro pneumatic 65sl. I love it. Best work light/flash light I've ever used.
It's rechargeable with a standard USB charger.
It has a magnetic base that is strong. When they say 20lb magnet, they're not exaggerating. You stick it some place and it'll stick even if you bump it or try to tilt it's base. Also has a hook if needed.
It has only two options. One big dial on the back positioned perfectly by your thumb. Turn it one way and it gets brighter, turn it the other and it dims or turns off. It also has a button above that for a standard point Flash light. Press it and it comes on, press it again and it turns off. No blinking nonsense.
The work light is both incredibly bright and covers a huge area so it's not an annoying point light that ends up making it harder to work or needs to be perfectly pointed at the spot. The point light on the end is also super bright.
The light color is also really easy on the eyes. It's white but I find it's a lot closer to Sun light. Not the super white that a lot of LED flashlights put out which end of straining your eyes after a while.
It's rechargeable with a standard USB charger.
It has a magnetic base that is strong. When they say 20lb magnet, they're not exaggerating. You stick it some place and it'll stick even if you bump it or try to tilt it's base. Also has a hook if needed.
It has only two options. One big dial on the back positioned perfectly by your thumb. Turn it one way and it gets brighter, turn it the other and it dims or turns off. It also has a button above that for a standard point Flash light. Press it and it comes on, press it again and it turns off. No blinking nonsense.
The work light is both incredibly bright and covers a huge area so it's not an annoying point light that ends up making it harder to work or needs to be perfectly pointed at the spot. The point light on the end is also super bright.
The light color is also really easy on the eyes. It's white but I find it's a lot closer to Sun light. Not the super white that a lot of LED flashlights put out which end of straining your eyes after a while.
plinker
Well-known member
I have several of these at work, ATD saber light 80340A, they hold up well, decent battery life and the magnet is actually worth a darn unlike most and they are fairly inexpensive at 25-35$ from most places (a truck brand light that is similar would be at least 50-75$ or more). They have a low-high setting for brightness. They can be easy to lose given the pocket size.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ATD-200-Lumen-COB-Pocket-LED-Saber-80340A/154087400044?hash=item23e053226c:g:nQoAAOSwZw1briMz
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ATD-200-Lumen-COB-Pocket-LED-Saber-80340A/154087400044?hash=item23e053226c:g:nQoAAOSwZw1briMz
Azzkker
Well-known member
I have switched to these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BR79CPC/?tag=atomicindus08-20
They are coming cheap, 39 bucks, last a long time on a charge and are bright. They also have a cheaper unit that is a conventional led array that is 24.99.
I have been using this brand for over 5 years professionally with over 6 on hand at all times for the shop.
I used to use the saber lights but the last 3 I bought for 79.99 didn't last a year before failure of the batteries.
They are coming cheap, 39 bucks, last a long time on a charge and are bright. They also have a cheaper unit that is a conventional led array that is 24.99.
I have been using this brand for over 5 years professionally with over 6 on hand at all times for the shop.
I used to use the saber lights but the last 3 I bought for 79.99 didn't last a year before failure of the batteries.
Wrench97
Well-known member
$19.99 @ Lowes 400 lum, rechargeable, hook, magnets(not the greatest but it has them)
I use the every day and they have outlasted every other rechargeable LED I've bought including the steamlights(well except for the one I ran over with the drive tires of a tractor)> https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cat-Caterpillar-400-Rechargeable-Work-Light/1000500789
I use the every day and they have outlasted every other rechargeable LED I've bought including the steamlights(well except for the one I ran over with the drive tires of a tractor)> https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cat-Caterpillar-400-Rechargeable-Work-Light/1000500789
fru-fru?
worthless eye-candy "features" that don't add value to the product
term may have been coined by a guy who made mountaineering backpacks
FuzzyTiger
Well-known member
Those ones have the stupid strobing feature! I would literally pay more money to NOT have it on a flash light. Its so stupid and utterly useless. I'm not convinced anyone anywhere has ever used it.
Wrench97
Well-known member
I have apparently used it....................woke on night the inside of my truck looked like a disco had to go out and turn it off.......................
cpttuna
Well-known member
I switched about 1 year ago to STANLEY FATMAX led rechargeable spotlights. Walmart had them in the $34 range and all of a sudden I found them in the clearance section for $8. I traveled to 4 different Walmarts and came up with 7 of them. Try and buy a 2 D cell flashlight for under $8. Could not pass up the deal and have not been disappointed. Keep at least 2 on the the second floor for the wife for emergency use.
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
This is my own opinion, but factories in CN don't know the US market, especially not the US auto repair market. They try to jam pack a bunch of useless and annoying features into a light to make it check every box compared to a booth at a trade show/fair two spots down from them making the same Toys-R-Us grade products. Then a trading company or brand walking around (or getting an email) looks for the cheapest price and slaps their name on it with no refining of the product, no development, no tailoring it to their typical customer.
In the pursuit of price they skip the details like a protected UL listed lithium cell and a real capacity, real lumen output, use ABS plastics that melt away from brake clean and crack from dropping, lens that do the same, PCB's with no real brain that trickle charge the battery over and over. But put it on an online product page and it looks like the same thing as models that cost 4X as much.
I'm of course biased, but these details are easily checked with a small Phillips screwdriver and 10 mins.
FuzzyTiger
Well-known member
I completely and wholeheartedly agree... And it shows in the 65SL. Totally redefined my standards for what a good work light should be.
FuzzyTiger
Well-known member
From my experience at least when a light feels too bright, its not that its actually too bright; its usually that the lens isn't focusing/diffusing the light properly or the color of the light is irritating to the eye. I'm not an expert here but I think cheap LEDs are especially bad for this since they'll only output a specific color. Our eyes like a full spectrum light. Sunlight for example is probably much brighter than any artificial lights we'll encounter but rather than cause eye strain, it actually feels nice.
Ton ton
Well-known member
Does Stanley have an extreme version of this spot light?
I love work light topics. They are so crucial. I have two go to lights. My favorite is the Astro 70sl mini floodlight. It has three settings; 200,400 and 700. Don’t remember the stats on the battery but it’s good. Magnet is unbelievable! It got a little more expensive after corona but I would say it’s worth it. People compare it to the snap on mini floodlight. One downside I had with it was that the magnet was covered with what seemed like hockey tape and it came off the second time I used the light. Hope the rest of the quality isn’t like that tape lol. For those that have access to the EU, there’s a company called unilite that makes phenomenal lights and they have a very similar version of this floodlight, except that it’s 800 lumens on high and it’s usb c rechargeable which quickens the charging time. Hoping to get my hands on that one in a month or two.
My second is similar to the saber 200 lumen light mentioned above, but I went with the jnc version. It looks like the same light and this one was a bit cheaper so I went with it. A little smaller but the lumen output it’s less.
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My second is similar to the saber 200 lumen light mentioned above, but I went with the jnc version. It looks like the same light and this one was a bit cheaper so I went with it. A little smaller but the lumen output it’s less.
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That’s actually really fair point. The Braun is one of the brightest lights I’ve ever used but gets physically hot (not cool in tight places under the car) and also bounces bright light off parts it almost partially blinds your vision. Time to invest in higher quality work lights, for me at least.
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DugT
Well-known member
Of the lights mentioned here so far, only the Braun has a battery that is easily replaced. You can get a spare battery and keep it charged to use if necessary.
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
Wait another month or so
milwaukeephil
Well-known member
I have 4 or 5 Astro 40SL and SL Max lights and they've been amazing. At least two of them have made round trips around town under cars. One of them has a loose dimmer switch but I contribute that to... well, round trips around town under cars. The fact that it even has a dimmer switch, and its smooth action, has to be felt and used to understand how nice it is.
Another one I can highly recommend is the Light-N-Carry LNC1541, mainly because it fits in smaller spaces and can do tighter angles. Made by the company that makes the beloved Jump-N-Carry. Chris can chime in as to whether this is another trade show logo-slap job, but I've been using mine for about 5 months and it has held up.
https://www.amazon.com/Clore-Automotive-LNC1541-N-Carry-Rechargeable/dp/B076HXTMKY/
charge indicator
Charge Door
Rubbery overmold
Another one I can highly recommend is the Light-N-Carry LNC1541, mainly because it fits in smaller spaces and can do tighter angles. Made by the company that makes the beloved Jump-N-Carry. Chris can chime in as to whether this is another trade show logo-slap job, but I've been using mine for about 5 months and it has held up.
https://www.amazon.com/Clore-Automotive-LNC1541-N-Carry-Rechargeable/dp/B076HXTMKY/
charge indicator
Charge Door
Rubbery overmold
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
Not that my opinion matters, but i think the LNC lights are great.
For the dial on your 40SL/SLMAX, if you pull straight up on the dial it pulls off with some persuasion. Under that is a very thin steel nut that can be tightened with a socket. Should tighten it up, add a drop of loctite.
For the dial on your 40SL/SLMAX, if you pull straight up on the dial it pulls off with some persuasion. Under that is a very thin steel nut that can be tightened with a socket. Should tighten it up, add a drop of loctite.
Tease.
Other than a replaceable battery, can you gives us any other 'sneak peak' details? Form factor, rough size, lumens, options (hopefully no disco strobe
), etc? I know you can't tell us everything yet, but I'm also tired of the 'cheap' LED work light frustration. Durability, flakey switches and operation, etc.
Great, yet MORE Astro stuff to buy.
Possible GJ deal Chris? BoGo, bundle, pizza?
milwaukeephil
Well-known member
Thanks! I'll give it a try.
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
Tease.
Other than a replaceable battery, can you gives us any other 'sneak peak' details? Form factor, rough size, lumens, options (hopefully no disco strobe
I know you can't tell us everything yet, but I'm also tired of the 'cheap' LED work light frustration. Durability, flakey switches and operation, etc.
Great, yet MORE Astro stuff to buy.
Possible GJ deal Chris? BoGo, bundle, pizza?
We just came out with the 52SL, so it won't be folding. Roughly the size of the 65SL. The entire design down to the screw and prototyping was done here at our headquarters in LA and we made all new tooling from scratch. We've been making it for a bit exclusively (as we tend to do), but we'll be making a new updated version of it Astro now too.
800 lumens. Adjust output as easily as 40SL. Takes multiple types of lithium cells, bought from us or from walmart or wherever you can find protected cells.
I'm sure we can do some type of pizza party or something for GJ when it comes out.
FuzzyTiger
Well-known member
Exciting! I hope a version of the 65SL with USB C fast charging is also on the road map for some day. Not too soon though I hope since I just bought mine a couple weeks ago and can't afford to buy another one right now.
Not really. You only get to red or red flashing by holding the button down for 5 seconds. I have never enabled it by accident. I was't even aware it was there until you mentioned it.
The push sequence is:
bright, less bright, narrow end, off.
Of these, only less bright is truly worthless.
pizza
Well-known member
i strongly prefer headlamps, but it's cool to see what others like.
these new mini work lights look nice, too.
these new mini work lights look nice, too.
JerryC
Well-known member
I have a few of the HF Braun folding stick lights. Sent all the others to the dustbin. High/Low flood and pinpoint setting.
When the power goes out I set it on pinpoint and point it at the ceiling and it will light a room enough to walk through without a problem.
Magnet is crazy good, I and a couple of others that I know have driven miles with one stuck under vehicle.
I've done it twice, derp...
As said you can remove the battery and charge it separately in a standard charger.
When the power goes out I set it on pinpoint and point it at the ceiling and it will light a room enough to walk through without a problem.
Magnet is crazy good, I and a couple of others that I know have driven miles with one stuck under vehicle.
I've done it twice, derp...
As said you can remove the battery and charge it separately in a standard charger.
Not recommending a particular model, however I got tired of rechargeables always dying at inconvenient times. LED or not. Went to a corded LED with a hook as well as a three prong outlet built in. No bulb breakage, no dead light when I'm on my back underneath a vehicle, handy connection for AC power. I did graft on an extended cord.
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I finally took some pics of the lights. My jnc is the lnc 1241 which is the smaller version of the one posted above.
And here are some photos of the Astro 70sl. I tried my best to get the 3 diff light levels in a pic. Also it’s important to point out that the setting you choose stays even if you turn it off and on again. That’s an amazing feature for me
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Attachments
DugT
Well-known member
The Harbor Freight light discussed in this thread is on sale for $25 until December 3, 2020. To get that price you need this coupon:
https://www.harborfreight.com/savings_coupons.html
https://www.harborfreight.com/savings_coupons.html