Help with picking new work light

[Mac1]

Hi Guys
Need some sugestions for a led torch for work .I install water purification system under kitchen sinks, has to be compact, throw a flood light for general work under sink and a beam for when looking for leaks. Good quality , reliable, lumens ? ,should be rechargeable Lions, price is open, waterproof or resistant would be good but not a deal breaker

Mac

 

[mcnair55]

Mac,

I would move this to the Led flashlight section,here you will get all the budget light stuff from DX etc.A workhorse needs to be dependable day in day out and as you say money is open bigger choice over there.I use a light often for looking into engine and auto areas because of my job and I am just about to order a Fenix LD10+ or more than likely the PD20+ because they will suit me better than what I am using now.(Itp A3) great light but twisty is a pain in the butt with oily hands sometimes prefer to be a clicky.

 

[Zatoichi]

Maybe a Zebralight would be a good idea, as they're small and the angled head might help shine it in awkward places. And of course, it can be worn as a headlamp which might also be handy in that kind of work, for hands-free stuff. They do floody versions too. They're well made and have some level of water resistance. I'm unsure about rechargeable lithiums in them though.

 

[Mac1]

Thanks Guys
I'll look into the ones you suggested and post this in LED section
cheers Mac

 

[DM51]

Welcome to CPF, Mac1

I've deleted your other thread - cross posting is not permitted (Rule 9). FYI, the procedure is to ask a moderator to move the thread for you rather than have a duplicate.

I'll move this to LED Flashlights for you; however as Zatoichi suggests, you might want to consider a headlamp for this. If you decide that could be the answer, post here to say so and I'll move the thread again, to the Headlamps section.

 

[jhc37013]

Hi Mac1 :welcome:

A Zebralight headlamp sounds like something that would be suitable for your tasks. If you want a hand held light only or both their is the also the Zebralight hand held light's.

I noticed you said price is open so I would also suggest you look into the light's that use 18650 rechargeable Li-Ion battery's. You can run a light much longer and brighter on a single charge vs. AA light's and some the 18650 light's are still small enough to easily carry them in a holster or even in your pocket depending on your tolerance.

Have a look around use the CPF search box, ask questions and do all the research you need before buying. This sounds like your going to be using this light as a tool almost daily so I think you have done the right thing in coming here and joining us, don't be surprised though if you get hooked hang around here long enough and it's bound to happen.

 

[joe1512]

Even the biggest lights are relatively small by MagLite standards so I want to discuss how compact it really needs to be.

One of my favorites for new people is the itp A6 Polestar. It uses 6xAA batteries and sounds large, but it really isnt. It fits nicely in your hand and is about as long as your hand extended. You have great runtime and it tailstands, which I could see being really useful.
Youd tailstand it and it will light up the whole sink area for you. It is a very floody beam and will give a lot of light without a really glaringly intense hotspot.
It has 3 well spaced brightness levels.

The nice thing about the AAs is that you may already have an AA recharger. In any case, AAs and charger is much more useful than 18650 chargers! The 6xAA is about 90% of the capacity of 2x18650s and is shorter too.

Link for informational purposes:
http://goinggear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_19&products_id=287


Another nice choice would be a floody 1x18650 light with multiple brightness levels. A good budget choice would be:

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-182/**NEW**-MG-P-dsh-Rocket-SST-dsh-50/Detail


I would recommend the multiple AA or a 1x18650 for what you are doing. A CR123 light or 1xAA will do, but it will require frequent charging and swapping which can be a lot of trouble.
I love my itp A1 or A3, but it is an occasional usage light, not a daily usage tool.

 

[Mac1]

Thanks guys
I think the headlamp style is more suited to my needs if DM51 could move to the headlight section that would be great. Sorry about the double post I did read the rules, memorizing them may take a bit longer, beer consumption not helping there. And Jhc37013 your right, I have see some really cool light on this site, dont think I will be stopping at just buying one light
Mac

 

[DM51]

Moving it to Headlamps now...

 

[Brian321]

I would have to recommend the Zebralight H501W. It is my most used light for up close tasks. Has a pure flood beam and can be use with multiple battery types.

http://www.zebralight.com/H501w-Neutral-White-w-new-UI_p_13.html

Brian

 

[Mac1]

Hi Brian
What setting do you use the H501w at when doing close work high or medium, I thought the medium would be more usefull around the 40 lumens.But Im not sure how bright 18 lumen is being a noobie

mac

 

[Brian321]

Hi Brian
What setting do you use the H501w at when doing close work high or medium, I thought the medium would be more usefull around the 40 lumens.But Im not sure how bright 18 lumen is being a noobie

mac

Hello,

It depends on what I am doing. But I usually use it on Medium the most (which is plenty of light for up close tasks) and sometimes on low depending on how adapted my eyes are to the dark.

I use high if there is other light around or if my eyes are not adapted to the dark at all.

Hope this helps,
Brian

 

[fixitman]

I do a lot of up close work inside machines. My favorite lights are the Zebralight H501w for headlamp and utility light duty, and I positively adore my Quark tactical 2AA tactical neutral tint.

I set up my H501w with the clip, and clip it to a magnet that also has a strong clip on it. The magnet base swivels, so I can point the light anywhere I need it, and can either clip it or stick it pretty much anywhere. Plus I can still use it as a headlamp. Did I mention its a really great utility light?

My Quark Tactical neutral has a really nice beam profile for general work. A wide hot spot, with a really smooth transition from spot to spill. The tactical interface allows me easy access to my 2 favorite modes, without having to click through a bunch of unwanted modes. You can program the brightness levels of the 2 modes, so you get what you like. I really can't say enough about how much I like this light for work. You can also get different battery bodies, so your not just stuck with AA batteries.

The quark preon has a decent beam profile for work too, but not quite as nice as the regular quarks. Plus it starts in low, so you might have click a couple times to get to the mode you want.

 

[Mac1]

Thanks Fixitman
These h501w seem to be a very popular work light and I think it should do the job for me too but might go for the h501 as I perfer a white light as to a neutral tint. What battery type are you using and what run times do you get out of it
cheers Mac

 

[fixitman]

I just run eneloops in it. I havent kept track of run time, because my use is sporadic. I just put in a freshly charged cell weekly.

 

[cistallus]

...
I set up my H501w with the clip, and clip it to a magnet that also has a strong clip on it. The magnet base swivels, so I can point the light anywhere I need it, and can either clip it or stick it pretty much anywhere. Plus I can still use it as a headlamp. Did I mention its a really great utility light? ....

Where did you get that magnet clip, or how did you make it? Can you post a pic?

 

[fixitman]

The clip comes from an office supply store I think. We have tons of them here at work. I think they are for clipping documents to metal cabinets.
The clip's base is a round flat magnet with the clip riveted to it.
Found a link to one at Staples
http://www.staples.com/Staples-1-Magnetic-Bulldog-Clips/product_393383?cmArea=SEARCH

 

[cistallus]

Thanks, I actually have an old one of those, but it's so weak I never even thought of using it with a light - there must be better ones now.

 

[fixitman]

The clip I am using at work clamps tight to anything up to about 1/2 inch thick. The magnet isn't super strong, but more than strong enough to hold the H501.
I find it really nice to use when the machinery is to tightly spaced for me to use a headlight. I can set the H501 wherever I need, and aim it.
You could probably get some functionality with almost any small floody light, the clip, and a rubber band. probably not as convenient as the H501 though.