If anyone has one of those incandescent Makita work lights with the classic big heads laying around, there is a way to make it look like a stock big reflector LED light with the only power tool being a soldering iron. The Hitachi UB18DEL, which is the newer 500 luminous flux LED version of their classic incandescent kit light, is essentialy the same form as the Makita contractor kit light which never got a LED upgrade. It is also far brighter than a Milwaukie 18v LED Flange bulb replacement with the stock metal reflector which came with one of these lights that I got used. The parts can be made to fit the Makita with little effort, and it cost me less than $15 new, so it was cheaper than buying another light from Makita, or a drop in LED module. It also has a nicer, less artifacty beam pattern than the Milwaukee LED drop in. The Hitachi reflector is the same diameter, but has a slightly thicker/deeper support outer rim flange compared to the Makita's that will keep the cap ring from threadding on fully until cut. If you unscrew the two plastic plates inside the Hitachi light and stack them, then lay a hacksaw blade on top of them, then it will cut the flange to the correct depth to fit the Makita perfectly so that the cap threads on properly. Since the Makita is incandescent, it outputs the full 18V from its "authentic first party," full protection circuit board. I simply soldered the Hitachi board with it's driver and voltage reducer by the 18v battery terminal wires to the 18V output of the Makita board. I also carved out the circuit board holder brackets from the Hitachi donor and JB-welded them into the Makita shell to keep the two boards from touching, although you could probably just wrap one or both in electrical tape, and hot glue the new board to the side so it doesn't rattle. I also swaped the softer, textured Hitachi rubber button cover to the Makita.
Here are two unprocessed photos comparing the stock reflector with the Milwaukee LED drop in vs the Hitachi reflector bulb swap taken about 60 feet from a fence, with identical camera settings and a photo comparing the spot of each on a wall from about 6 feet. I made this a while back so I have no idea what happened to the original 18V incan bulbs, so I can't compare to those.
Here are two unprocessed photos comparing the stock reflector with the Milwaukee LED drop in vs the Hitachi reflector bulb swap taken about 60 feet from a fence, with identical camera settings and a photo comparing the spot of each on a wall from about 6 feet. I made this a while back so I have no idea what happened to the original 18V incan bulbs, so I can't compare to those.
