Recommend a flashlight for a farmer

[bigredcornhead]

Don't bother with a flashlight, get a headlamp - it's like having someone else always there to hold your flashlight. I've got a Fenix HM50R, it's USB rechargeable and easy to turn on/off with gloves. If you sign up for email at https://www.fenixlighting.com/, they'll send you a 20% off coupon.

I'm just going to go with this guys assessment, go to amazon, buy three or four cheap head lamps to toss in the combine, grain truck, tractor, and truck. then get some decently priced flashlights for personal use. Amazon has some decent deals on head lamps lets be honest you wont use them all the time so not entirely necessary to have the best of the best in some situations, after all, all batteries go bad. Just my two cents. GO BIG RED btw!!!! lol

 

[Shiftless]

I like my little Fenix that is small enough to carry attached to my keychain. As others have said, if it’s not with you at the time of need, you can’t use it. E05. 85 lumens, single AAA powered.

Another favorite is my Milwaukee M12 LED flood light. It has a strong magnetic base and also a very strong clamp to attach to a step ladder, tree limb, metal pipe, whatever is nearby. The base is angled so you can just lay it on the floor or ground and the light is angled upward. It has a 3 stage brightness control too. Max is 1000 lumens.

That should definitely be more than enough to light up the area for working on farm equipment at night.

But as others have already said, get a good headlamp for strong directed light.


.

 

[Ton ton]

I got a primelite from the local Napa. Napa lets you play with the worklights b4 you buy. It has a nice rubber grip. Very bright.$13.46+ tax.

 

[Alaniho]

do a bit of farming myself and the reality is a few different types are needed;

what i have are these;

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FFKJVT1/?tag=atomicindus08-20
this one is my EDC, it works off 1 aaa so not crazy bright. The bendy head and magnet i find very handy poking around machinery.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0763F43WV/?tag=atomicindus08-20

This Olight M2R is great for levels of brightness and lives in my car. This feels a great quality product and the magnet charging system is great, no need to worry about moisture or muck getting into charging ports.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052MILZM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

If you have power tool batteries for any 20V system its worth getting one of these type, super bright and can be put on the ground for light a job or area. All the major powertool brands have these.

headlamps are a good shout, i tend to leave a few Aldi / Lidl type headlights around the place

 

[Eric Essen]

I'll echo that a headlamp is the best by far for those types of situations. Even when it's not dark out, can be very handy working under vehicles and hoods, I used one all the time as a mechanic.

I love the basic Petzl models. Anything that takes AAA not button cells, and has a simple on-off interface, not a push-button in patterns multiple times for different lights.

I have given up on rechargeables. They don't hold a charge when they are stored and are never ready when I need them in an emergency.

I've owned and tested tons of tactical and fancy rechargeable lights, was directly involved in the Hexbright Kickstarter, and have seen some of its features show up in Maglights etc since. Small and simple still always wins out for me in the end.

For a flashlight, a bright LED penlight that takes 1-2 AA or AAA is hard to beat. Something like the Coast G10 or G20, which I have a few of and love. I keep a giant cop-style Maglight near the front door, but rarely grab it because of its size.

Also - if your dad wants to keep fixing his own equipment legal, please come join us at Repair.org !

 

[aczr2k]

Skip the head lamp it won't get used, every time you turn your damn head the light goes away and its a PIA, try working with someone else and blind them when you look at them.

Get a good magnetic based light like an Astro Pneumatic 65SL, 70SL (I have the snap on version) or a 52SL those are the ones I grab the most for any project on the farm. The 30SL which is NLA but it is by far my favorite.

 

[SilverDeck]

I've been using a Streamlight Protac 1L-1AA for ranch/farm use daily for several years.

Plenty of great LED light on the market these days. I use the one mentioned above daily and it has performed well.

For hand-free situations, the Petzl Tactikka+ for many years now. Small, but very bright for situations where you are trying to work on something with both hands and illuminate it at the same time. Runs on 3 AAA batteries.

Between the Petzl and the Streamlight, I haven't had a need for any other lights.

 

[Max]

I have several headlamps and I love them in the attic or in the crawlspace. Outdoors usability kind of depends on where you live. If you live in a place that has lots of bugs - and I do - then it’s not so useful to have all of the flying bugs swarm your headlight. In those cases, a good magnetic light (like the Astro) or your favorite cordless tool light is a much better way to go.

 

[visionguru]

For a farmer, the following specs should be useful:

• High brightness (above 1,000 lumens)
• Beam Focusing (allows to look far)
• Weather proof

I have a Coast HP550, which I paid about $90 years ago, seems a good fit.
1075 lumens, 1,150 ft distance, weather proof, lifetime warranty.



My favorite is Coast HX5 pocket flashlight ($20 from Home Depot). The Coast headlamps from Costco are super handy as well. Very high quality made.

 

[nafterclifen]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the Convoy S2+. They come in a variety of colors so that you can find it easier than traditional black flashlights. They're all less than $20. They use (1) 18650 battery, which are free if you can get your hands on some old Li-ion cordless tool battery packs and laptop batteries. They have customizable "Biscotti" firmware that lets you control a variety of modes (low/med/high, high/med/low, high only, strobe, etc). Using the Cree XML2 LED in the U2-1A color (6500-7000K) and 7135x8 (7135 is the driver chip, 8 of them for maximum power/output - about 2800mA on high), it puts out about 1000 lumens. Not a focused beam but a flood. Obviously not good for looking into a 1/2" hole or similar.

I've linked each of the colors below direct to official Convoy store. Yes, they do come from China. Black has a rubber button/switch while all of the other colors have a metal one. I prefer the metal over the black because of the better feel/control when switching modes.

Orange - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32886884532.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.55.3cda622ewtTbM0
Grey - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1614328969.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.1.61665c4089VK52
Red - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32252638688.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.37.61665c4089VK52
Black - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1614309086.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.43.61665c4089VK52
Blue - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32445361280.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.9.3cda622ewtTbM0
Violet - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32889603019.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.29.3cda622ewtTbM0
Cyan - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32889603019.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.29.3cda622ewtTbM0
Green - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32564860692.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.33.63946d6c8B5Amz

 

[sk farmer]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the Convoy S2+. They come in a variety of colors so that you can find it easier than traditional black flashlights. They're all less than $20. They use (1) 18650 battery, which are free if you can get your hands on some old Li-ion cordless tool battery packs and laptop batteries. They have customizable "Biscotti" firmware that lets you control a variety of modes (low/med/high, high/med/low, high only, strobe, etc). Using the Cree XML2 LED in the U2-1A color (6500-7000K) and 7135x8 (7135 is the driver chip, 8 of them for maximum power/output - about 2800mA on high), it puts out about 1000 lumens. Not a focused beam but a flood. Obviously not good for looking into a 1/2" hole or similar.

I've linked each of the colors below direct to official Convoy store. Yes, they do come from China. Black has a rubber button/switch while all of the other colors have a metal one. I prefer the metal over the black because of the better feel/control when switching modes.

Orange - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32886884532.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.55.3cda622ewtTbM0
Grey - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1614328969.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.1.61665c4089VK52
Red - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32252638688.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.37.61665c4089VK52
Black - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1614309086.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.43.61665c4089VK52
Blue - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32445361280.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.9.3cda622ewtTbM0
Violet - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32889603019.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.29.3cda622ewtTbM0
Cyan - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32889603019.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.29.3cda622ewtTbM0
Green - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32564860692.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.33.63946d6c8B5Amz

yea....no thanks. every time i click on you links it goes to an alibbab search engine with "*** toys" preloaded in the search box.

 

[Mithridates]

Agree completely with you on the usefulness of the milwaukee searchlight. It is perfect for most types of work you might have to do outdoors with the flood mode, and it cast a beam pretty far too.

 

[1320stang]

My SS last year sent me a Armytek Wizard Pro Magnet USB Cool White Multi-Flashlight that is insanely bright, like 1800Lm on full. 18650 Li-on battery, at it's lowest setting it says it'll run for 200 days. Base is magnetic, but it's a 90* flashlight, oh, the magnetic base is the charger connection too. Impact resistant to 10 meters, waterproof for 2 hours to 10 meters. Made in Canada, 29mm x 108mm, hard anodized, IP68, 11 modes, comes with a headlamp mount, also a pocket clip. They're pricy, $75 on Amazon for the new v3 which is 2300 Lm.

https://www.armytek.com/flashlights/models/wizard/armytek-wizard-pro-magnet-usb/

 

[NUTTSGT]

If it was to be one flashlight, I'd recommend a Streamlight Survivor.

https://www.streamlight.com/products/detail/index/survivor

Rechargeable via 12V or 120V base and adapter or 4 cell AA battery pack. Rugged, reliable and lifetime warranty.

Other than that, I would say get a rechargeable light, one that uses tool brand (of your flavor) battery or a standard and easily available battery. . . . AA, AAA, C or D. If you get an odd size battery, it'll never get used once the battery dies.

If you want a multitude of lights, Coast makes some decent lights for the money and can be found at Menard's.

https://www.menards.com/main/lighti.../g32/p-1496730122149-c-6314.htm?tid=-1&ipos=9

 

[3jakes]

You need 2 flashlights (just like you always need 2 chainsaws)
Headlamp.
It is looking where your eyes are pointed.
Then whatever cordless platform you have (dewalt milwaukee) get one of their led spotlights for directing traffic around your broke down combine in the middle of the road.

 

[Ton ton]

You need a strobe light for the combine even when it's not broken down.

 

[mdnelson86]

I’m a big fan of most streamlight products. For getting good light pointed wherever you want it, my go-to light is the rechargeable streamlight knucklehead with the magnet and hook. They make several different versions of this light in either rechargeable or regular battery power and different mounting options I believe. But the strong magnet and rotating head that you can put in any position makes it the most useful light around for me.

I also carry a streamlight stylus pro in my pocket at all times. Great light for quick access.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I have this one on green. Used one like it in a mechanic shop when i helped on a race car one day. High and low flood light and a flashlight. Got it after some snow melted and dripped on my hf braun light that was my previous favorite. https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...ight/sl360bu/6104359?pos=69&manufacturer=true

 

[Mgdoug3]

A head lamp works great. I also have an Astro 4SL light with a magnetic base that I use most days. The only downside to the magnetic base is that a lot of newer equipment is using more fiberglass.

 

[johninct]

As a one-man-show, I can vouch for the headlamp option. HERES THE PROBLEM: If he isn't used to carrying one around, or having it handy, getting him one won't do any good. I have friends who swear by them, and keep one in their EDC loadout in cargo pockets or hanging from the rearview mirror, but if its not on your person, chances are high that he'll just grab the cellphone light again. Trust me, Im that guy. I own a couple headlamps stored in open, easy-to-get-to locations, and I almost never end up using them. Headlamps are a habit that needs to be learned.

Now, Im a Maglite guy and keep them around. Love em, but don't need em very often anymore. I have moved to my magnetic rechargable LED light from SnapOn. Its fantastic. Several hours of runtime, and easy to stick/position to light up a large work area. It would turn the side of a combine at midnight into a daylight work zone. There are plenty of options besides SnapOn, but this one has a great battery, strong magnet, and is durable. Most of the others Ive played with have a weak magnet or sloppy positioning ability.

I have the old style Snap-On one and this one would be perfect for work. Also, a small AAA one for his pocket would be a perfect companion.

 

[Milton Shaw]

I like the Nebo lights. The long model has a magnetic base, a LED for distance and a LED panel for broad working lights. One model also had a magnetic pickup tool also. Great light and easy to carry. I remember my uncle back in the 50's and 60's had the first 5 cell flashlight I had ever seen. He needed it to look into the fields to see cattle, sheep etc. He would have been amazed at how much light a MagLite 5 cell puts out now compared to that 5 cell he had.

 

[bushmechanic]

It ain't the brightest thing in the world, but a C. Crane Trek Light is hard to beat.

It was the first consumer LED flashlight, and it's still manufactured. I remember picking up the first one right as the designated REI opened for the initial release. That's one of only two products I've ever showed up early and stood in line for.

An LED flashlight? I wanted in before anyone else.

Took that one all over the world, and beat the ever-living snot out of it. I've had a couple more since. Eventually, the rear cap will give way, but it takes a very long time.

 

[Shiftless]

Nobody has mentioned the fact that an old school 3 or 4 cell mag lite Is a very effective club.
A friend was walking her dogs when they were attacked by a pack of coyotes. Luckily she was carrying a big maglite and used it.

 

[bushmechanic]

Nobody has mentioned the fact that an old school 3 or 4 cell mag lite Is a very effective club.
A friend was walking her dogs when they were attacked by a pack of coyotes. Luckily she was carrying a big maglite and used it.

Yeah, but every time I buy a Mag, it fails. The only one I've got that's worth a damn is the Solitaire, and it's probably close to 25 years old.

 

[weatherby460]

Streamlight rechargeable penlight 350 lumens for $50. Its small and amazing and will work for 90 percent of your needs. For $30, the smaller 250 penlight they have is great also.

 

[Wakefield]

One thing about most of the tiny superbright flashlights is that (because of the tiny reflector?) there is not a good throwing beam but more of a floodlight effect so that spotting something in the distance isn't so easy in spite of the huge lumen number.

Do the expensive fireman's lightboxes throw a good distance beam?
Full size Mags usually have fairly good throw,the smaller ones not as good even if higher brightness rated.

 

[nafterclifen]

yea....no thanks. every time i click on you links it goes to an alibbab search engine with "*** toys" preloaded in the search box.

If that is true then you 100% have a computer problem. And I'm not joking. All of the links are legitimate. I've purchased many of these lights from the manufacturer's official store on Ali Express without any issues.

 

[pistolpete1313]

I have the m18 searchlight and love it. If he has any other brand tools, looking into that brands light may be good

I’m a fan of handheld flashlight, the work you’re describing doesn’t necessarily lead me to think something I will keep in the door of my truck. I bought a M18 search light and it is one of the most underrated M18 lights out there. Growing up I was always a fan of the stream light light boxes, like you see fire departments and EMS use. I have used this light to put brakes on cars in the dark, light up entire rooms in a power outage, the search feature to look for animals in the dark around my property, and tons and tons of other uses for a larger flashlight like this. In the form factor I can’t think of any other light I’d rather have in a farming situation. This is something you can toss in the truck, tractor, or hang up in the barn anything you need lit up to do some work on.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Lighting/Handheld-Lights/2354-20

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Indexmill]

Don't buy a headlight that uses button cells. And, why would anybody want to keep buying AA alkalines when you can harvest 18650s from laptop batterypacks for nearly nothing? A real headlight that uses the 18650 is the best solution.

 

[Marctrees]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X61AJYM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Ya, $7 for a pair, shipped.

Have had them few months.

Tie a paracord 28" neckloop for them.

Check these out on your own, figure them as Stocking Stuffer backups , then go spend the big bucks if you like,

Marc

 

[pizza]

+1 on 18650-powered headlamp

imo zebralight is simply the best. top build quality and best drivers in the industry. efficient. great, even runtime. the only reason to go with anything else is if you have a specialized application, you want something less expensive, or your don't like the UI.

get a zebralight h600w headlamp
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8237464#post8237464

more thoughts
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8284578#post8284578

if you want to get a flashlight too, consider sc64w hi (small, perfect for edc in your pocket), sc600w plus (medium), or sc700d (large, takes 21700 batteries, not 18650!).

don't forget to buy batteries: http://www.zebralight.com/Sanyo-NCR...Flat-Top-ship-to-US-customers-only_p_176.html

buy n+1 batteries where n = the number of lights you own.
number the batteries with a sharpie. rotate them so you wear them evenly.

also, buy a nice charger. Bt-c3400 is fine, but there are many others.

 

[CTyankee]

Don't buy a headlight that uses button cells. And, why would anybody want to keep buying AA alkalines when you can harvest 18650s from laptop batterypacks for nearly nothing? A real headlight that uses the 18650 is the best solution.

I agree about the button cells...but you do know they sell AA and AAA rechargeable batteries right? I base every small battery powered device purchase today by their ability to be powered by either size. Over the years I've culled out any devices that don't use these sizes. Another plus is lots of older devices use these basic sizes too. My personal preference is eleloops

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JHKSMJU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Didn't know about the laptop battery harvesting, but I don't have any laying around nor the time or desire to seek them out.

 

[Rinspeed]

+1 on 18650-powered headlamp

imo zebralight is simply the best. top build quality and best drivers in the industry. efficient. great, even runtime.

I have three Zebralights and agree for a smaller light they practically have no competition. They are just on a whole other level and have been for several years.

 

[Rinspeed]

My personal preference is eleloops

If you like Eneloops take a look at GP Recyko. They put up very close numbers to Eneloops but are much cheaper. I have a boatload of both and have never had to throw one out in ten years of using them.

 

[briann898]

For farming and house needs - I would choose something like Streamlight 88065 Pro Tac HL-X 1000 lumen. It's one of the most universal flashlights. You can also look at these models of Lumen Bulb flashlights, where I could find two nice models for my home, travelling and simply backyard needs.

 

[duncan64]

I have a BYB light, it is tactical, rechargeable, rather cheap and water-resistant. Fits my needs for fishing. You can look it up on Amazon.

 

[duncan64]

If you like Eneloops take a look at GP Recyko. They put up very close numbers to Eneloops but are much cheaper. I have a boatload of both and have never had to throw one out in ten years of using them.

I'm planning to buy a GP Recyko one as well!

 

[Marctrees]

Just make damn sure you get one with "Tactical" in the name.

Everyone knows non tactical is for little girls.

Marc

 

[GeoBruin]

Wednesday, August 31st, 2022 - get your ERGO Power Pocket LED Pen Light and ERGO Power LED Headlamp with Sensor for one great price and start making your jobs easier with quality illumination: $69.99 for both: https://bit.ly/3RisV0f

Mr. Wurth,

I'm unaccustomed to what kind of affiliate program GJ has, and what kinds of perks come with being an "affiliate", if such a things exists. All that said, please forgive me if I'm way off base here and this post is totally acceptable to the folks who run the forum.

It seems you have woken up a 2 year old thread to advertise your products. Now old threads get woken up by new members all the time, but usually it is innocent enough and doesn't really cause any problems other than some grumbling in the comments. In this case however, it appears you simply searched all threads for something with the term "flashlight", and jumped in to post your "Ad". What makes this worse is that there are other active threads on the front page currently discussing flashlights, where your post may have actually been relevant, but it would have taken the extra step of actually reading the forum to realize that.

I generally don't find subtle advertising by members who own businesses but otherwise actually contribute to the forum to be distasteful, but this comes off as having an intern performing a low effort search and just spamming the forum. This is the kind of thing that can actually be counterproductive to your purpose if it leaves a bad taste in members mouths.

Thanks for listening!

 

[gahrajmahal]

Panther Vision, I bought one of these baseball type caps with LED lamps in the brim at Lowes, and have loved it since day one. I now have several plus a solar charge one. It is one of my favorite gifts to give as everyone wears a ball cap. The battery ones are really bright and the switch is easily accessible. They also have knit beenies, but I don’t have one of those.

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