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Disabling LED Lights on Power Tools? I Dislike Them

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oldschoolcraft

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Dec 31, 2017
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Bay Area, California
First world problems for sure, but I these days I'm a casual home gamer that rarely uses tools. About 20 to 30 years ago, I used tools more, growing up with my dad doing various construction and remodeling projects.

I bought my first "modern" power tool about 5 years ago, a lithium ion Makita drill driver. And it was the first tool I used that had an LED light on it. And man, I've always hated that stupid light!

I wind up blinding myself with it when I'm loading a bit in it. I have always just used a small headlamp to get light on the thing I'm doing.

Well now I picked up some M12 Fuel this morning and they also have LED lights on them and I'm wondering if I should take it apart to snip the wires, cover it with tape (that will probably fall off), cover it with epoxy, paint over it, or...

Maybe I'm a dummy and the lights are amazing and I just have to get used to it?

If most people here say the lights are great, then I'll keep them functional for now and try to see what my specific gripes are. Maybe I just need to not look at the chuck when I'm inserting a drill bit and powering the drill to tighten the chuck. I don't remember how I'm blinding myself, because I only use my drill a handful of times each year.

And maybe it's only going to be a problem on my drill, because with the multi tool and impact driver and impact wrench and whatever else I buy, I probably won't be pointing the LED anywhere toward my eyes when the tool is in motion. And I can probably change how I'm holding the drill when I tighten the bit.

Maybe it's reflecting brightly off white walls I'm drilling into, and blinding me that way. I'll be intentional with how I use this new drill and see what's happening.

Maybe it's if I'm holding the drill 90 degrees to my face. Like I'm standing on a step ladder and for whatever reason my body is facing 90 degrees from the wall I'm drilling into and I hold the drill pointed to my right or left, and now the light is in my eye. Looks like the M12 Fuel drill has a small shield on the side of the lights, but I can still blind myself if holding the tool to the right or left.

But please tell me I'm just an idiot and these lights are great, if that's the case! I want to like them! I'm a casual home gamer and it's far more likely that I'm using my tools wrong then every power tool company has implemented a crappy feature for the last decade.
 
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moab11

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Nov 22, 2015
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Thunder Bay, Ontario
I really like the lights on most power tools, especially when working in a dark/cramped space.

As for the drill, maybe just try holding it at 90* to your body when tightening or loosening the bit, no need to be staring directly at the chuck.

Either way, give it some time and I'm sure you'll grow to appreciate the light. I definitely wouldn't recommend opening the tool and snipping the wires. Just about guarantees a voided warranty that way.
 
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CoogarXR

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Jan 11, 2016
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Ohio
I find the light to be helpful at times.

Like you, if I am working in a dark area, I come prepared with my own light source, so I rarely NEED the little light on the drill, but there have been times where it's come in handy.

Believe me, I live an unfortunately Seinfeldien existence. If something can annoy a person, it usually annoys me. But I can't say that little light has ever annoyed me. And I guess that's saying a lot, lol.
 
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bob15

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Dec 8, 2011
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Northeasten, CT
oldschoolcraft said:
But please tell me I'm just an idiot and these lights are great, if that's the case! I want to like them! I'm a casual home gamer and it's far more likely that I'm using my tools wrong then every power tool company has implemented a crappy feature for the last decade.
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You're "just an idiot". :lol_hitti

Seriously, I think you will get used to the light, just don't look directly down on the chuck when changing something out. If you still find you don't like them, cover the bulb with a piece of electrical tape or maybe a paint pen or magic marker.
 
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Jeff

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Sonova Beach
A cordless drill w/ a 1/16" bit will solve your LED light issues. Of course, you'll need an LED light to guide your drill bit. Next solution? A BFH will make quick work of any LED you don't like.
 
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Legion Prime

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Sep 5, 2018
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Leelenau County MI
The lights come in quite handy I find and LEDs draw minimal current. The only thing I hate is when they do stuff like they did with the X5 tools I got from Ridgid. They inexplicably moved the lights from three around the business end where they illuminate what you're working on to the base where the battery attaches where they might get some light where you need it if they're not blocked by something except they only light from one side at an oblique angle so it's not actually usable light 80%+ of the time and 1 or 2 times out of 10 actually shine directly in your face while you're trying to work. Whoever greenlit that idea is a complete *****.
Liquid electrical tape as mentioned above or plastidip are probably your best choices for a nonpermanant option. Otherwise I'd recommend a centerpunch or a drill bit to take out the diode.
 
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plinker

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Feb 28, 2007
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Northern Wi
ChevyEFI said:
By the OP username, black electrical tape has been around a long time and works well.
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The only power tool light that has given me issues is the one on my M18 2767 1/2 impact, tended to blind me if I would happen to look down. Electrical tape can do amazing stuff. Otherwise the lights can be helpful at times I find.
 
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bwringer

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Jan 1, 2013
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Indianapolis
Two Speed said:
Got to break yourself of the habit of looking down the barrel of the gun (drill) when loading it...
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Yeah... if I'm being honest, I've never seen or heard of anyone pointing a drill or driver straight at their head and activating the trigger to load or unload a bit. It seems super-awkward. I'm not saying the OP is weird or something, but...


It's a little like the old joke:

"Doctor, it hurts when I do this!"

"Well, don't do that."


99.9% of the time I don't even notice the lights, but once in a while they're a little bit useful when dealing with something in some dark crevice.



That said, bright indicator LEDs (especially blue LEDs) you can't turn off are an unwanted distraction on a lot of computer and A/V equipment. You can get sheets of round stickers to dim or entirely block problematic LEDs:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CLVEQCO/?tag=atomicindus08-20
 
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bushmechanic

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Mar 17, 2014
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I just use mine as a flashlight when it's the closest source of photons. :D

Free flashlight with a drill, and it lasts a very long time. I can dig it.
 
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zendriver

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Dec 10, 2014
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Indiana
:lol:

Probably since man fashioned the first tool out of stone he probably thought -

“damn wouldn’t it-be great if this had a light on the end of it!”

Here we are, 3 million years later and we have lights on our tools.


Now we don’t want it.




Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
 
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Milton Shaw

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Feb 11, 2011
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All of them that I have the light turns off is you don't use the trigger for 30-60 seconds. I first noticed this at battery change out as the lights came on and then went off in just a little while.
 
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MikeF2316

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Dec 29, 2012
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Thornhill, ON
I find the lights to either be helpful (in a dark area) or unnoticeable (when there's adequate ambient lighting). I've never thought it was annoying when loading a bit.
 
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HenryAZ

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Sep 18, 2012
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South Congress AZ
The newer Bosch drill/drivers have a Bluetooth module available, and using it along with the Bosch iOS app is the only way to contol the LED and a couple of other settings. I used it on my new drill to change how long the LED stays on after you release the trigger (you can also disable it entirely), and the "break-off" clutch setting for when the tool releases its drive train due to a sudden stop in the operation (such as a drill bit breaking through the other side when you're drilling metal). IIRC, the module was about $18. I took it back out when I was done so I could use it on future tools that take the module.
 
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gnpenning

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I have more questions than answers.
bwringer said:
Yeah... if I'm being honest, I've never seen or heard of anyone pointing a drill or driver straight at their head and activating the trigger to load or unload a bit. It seems super-awkward. I'm not saying the OP is weird or something, but...


It's a little like the old joke:

"Doctor, it hurts when I do this!"

"Well, don't do that."


99.9% of the time I don't even notice the lights, but once in a while they're a little bit useful when dealing with something in some dark crevice].""



This^^^^^

I use mine pretty much all day everyday and never looked down the barrel or been blinded by the light and I change bits a lot. 90% if the time I don't even notice it, the 10% I do is because I need it and use it intentionally.

No clue why anyone would need to look down the barrel to put a bit in. You know what you are putting in and where the hole is........ Might be a problem in other areas for you....


SMH.
Click to expand...
 
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