Best Super Spotlight For The Money...?

Over the years I've had a few dozen 5 million this, 10 million that and 20 million candlepower spotlights. They all tend to have a few things in common.

1. The output is never what the claim is, though many are bright.

2. They usually have a short battery life (sometimes 20 minutes or less).

3. They start out recharging ok but you can't leave them plugged in to charge or you overcharge them and if you charge the battery to full charge and don't use it, it loses it's charge over time.

4. Over the course of recharging them, the battery becomes less and less effective.

5. No matter what the brand, they are typically made in China.

So I'm trying to wean myself off of the $30 "disposable" 10/20/25 million candlepower super lights that barely seem to last a year.

Now I'm not trying to get into a military grade Maxabeam system for $2,500. But I would be willing to spend say $100 for a decent light with high output (and here I'm more impressed by Lumens than candlepower) with a decent run time that isn't Chinamart crap and is made well.

I want to buy ONE light that holds a charge that can be "ready to go" for emergencies and performs like the disposables when they are new but actually lasts.

Could use some more detail on what you're looking for, i.e. size, throw, runtime, weight, ruggedness, ect.

Lumens are a way of describing the total light out put. Lux at 1 meter, or cd, is a way of describing the light that can come back to your eyes after hitting something.

For flashlights, spot lights, etc...the cd is primarily used to describe how FAR the beam can light something up at, while the lumens are used to describe how MUCH light was sent out there.

So, if mostly interested in lumens...it won't tell you the range of the light.

Of course, neither did the candlepower really, etc.

The hand held spot lights typically have short run times because they need a lot of power to run a halogen or HID light. The LED lights have relatively longer run times as they are a lot more efficient.

A spot light typically has an enormous reflector, which helps it to have very good range...and a small very bright emitter source that also helps a large reflector focus a very concentrated beam.

In comparison, an LED flashlight will have a MUCH smaller reflector...and, uses an LED that has a larger surface area...so the beams will be less focused/less concentrated, and not throw as far.


So, it all comes down to how far you need the beam to be able to reach...and, how large a spot of light you want it to have at what range.

After that, its about how long it can do it for...etc.

FRITZHID said:

Could use some more detail on what you're looking for, i.e. size, throw, runtime, weight, ruggedness, ect.

Click to expand...

Gotcha.

The MIC spotlights I currently have can light up the street for about 2 blocks for up to 20 minutes.

I'm basically looking for something that can give me the same amount of light for a bit longer (perhaps an hour) but the real important upgrade I need is something that can hold the charge while not in use.

I don't need it to be bombproof. I'm not gonna throw it off the roof or take it to Mogadishu. Just so long as it's not a piece of junk that is essentially disposable.

The Stanley HID: 3500 actual lumens (roughly three times brighter than the store-shelf "million" spotlights), throws a hotspot half a mile, ~40 minute runtime, $70 and sometimes found at your local Wal-Mart. Not the most rugged design, but if you want to light up an entire street on the cheap, this definitely does it..

SteyrAUG said:

Gotcha.

The MIC spotlights I currently have can light up the street for about 2 blocks for up to 20 minutes.

I'm basically looking for something that can give me the same amount of light for a bit longer (perhaps an hour) but the real important upgrade I need is something that can hold the charge while not in use.

I don't need it to be bombproof. I'm not gonna throw it off the roof or take it to Mogadishu. Just so long as it's not a piece of junk that is essentially disposable.

Click to expand...

If you want an hour or longer...the halogen/HID or Stanley's, etc...are not going to work...unless you get two of them, and use one when the other runs out, etc.

If you use the lights somewhat regularly...the modern lithium ion rechargeables hold a charge for over a year, and the primary lithium ion cells can be good for up to ~ 10 years.

If you only use it once a year, rechargeables won't save much $, but if you use it a few times a year, especially for an hour at time or so, then they start to make sense.

The Crelant 7G9 for example is ~ $80, can throw ~ 500 yards+, and is built like a tank. It takes 18650's, which hold their charge about a year.

Another option, which is a bit pricey if you don't already have the batteries, is the Ryobi one+ HID light.
it will easily light a football oval, runs 30-60mins on a charge (depending on battery type) and the Lithium battery's hold a charge quite well.
The battery's are removeable, charge quickly, and seem to hold a charge ok, I have one battery in my car all the time, and charge it once every three months, it tops off quickly, and is normally fully charged in 10 mins.

The added advantage is there is a bunch of other tools that take the same battery, a 120lumen area light, which runs 5-8 hours on a battery (depending on battery size) an inflator for both airbeds and car tyres, cordless drills, reciprocating saw, circular saw, jigsaw, angle grinder, impact wrench and others, and having a bunch of different tools will encourage you to keep the battery in use, and topped up after use

Keep in mind that lipo's have an average life span of 500 charges.
Is there no way for you to keep your light on a maintenance charger when not in use?
If you can, am AGM cell would work just fine, has excellent charge/discharge cycles, is FAR cheaper then lithiums and safer then multi cell lithium setups. They are what I use in my Handsun mods.

Echo63 said:

Another option, which is a bit pricey if you don't already have the batteries, is the Ryobi one+ HID light.

Click to expand...

I have one of theses a great way to get away from the usual cheapo lights that use Lead-Acid Batteries. Lead based batteries far too heavy, the Ryobi takes two different size Li-ion packs and weight is not a problem even with the large pack. Far better construction quality when compared to Stanley and it takes two seconds to chang a battery pack.

A pic. of the internals from the linked thread.



Ryobi 35W, 18V HID

Norm

The Stanley is ok if you want to run it with the included power cord to your lighter outlet in your car, but if running on
it's own power you will probably be under 20 minutes from my experience. The reviews for it aren't encouraging for longevity.
That being said mine is awesome bright.

Starting to think the move is to get both the Ryobi 35 and the Stanley.

Thanks everyone, you have been extremely helpful.
[h=2][/h]

SteyrAUG said:

Starting to think the move is to get both the Ryobi 35 and the Stanley.

Thanks everyone, you have been extremely helpful.

Click to expand...

Just be aware the ryobi doesn't come with a battery, you have to buy the battery and charger seperatley.
I wound up buying a drill that came with 2 batteries and charger, it worked out cheaper than buying the batteries and charger seperatley

IIRC, member Phil Ament was very impressed with his Ryobi HID

Echo63 said:

Just be aware the ryobi doesn't come with a battery, you have to buy the battery and charger seperatley.
I wound up buying a drill that came with 2 batteries and charger, it worked out cheaper than buying the batteries and charger seperatley

Click to expand...

I'm hoping my DeWalt 18 volt batteries might work.

De Walt batts won't fit the ryobi

There are some powerful LED lights out that may fit your needs for a bit more money. "You'll need batterys and a charger to go with them." The L-35 is going to be hard to beat for a handy long running spot light.
Billy

SteyrAUG said:

I'm hoping my DeWalt 18 volt batteries might work.

Click to expand...

They wont fit without some serious mods.
it will be doable - but will require tou to graft a dewalt battery plate to the bottom of the ryobi light

The Ryobi stuff is a battery and charger system that can run accessories...including drills, lights, etc.

The accessories are often the least expensive part.

If you think you'll want ryobi power tools, sure, it makes sense...as long as you didn't need to use more than one at a time. (You use the SAME battery and swap it from tool to tool)

For a contractor with a crew...that makes no sense. For one guy doing chores, as long as he doesn't need the work light accessory to see what he's doing with the drill or sander, etc...it makes more sense at least.