Quick 'n' Dirty review of Craftsman 4AA and 3D tool lights.

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Quick \'n\' Dirty review of Craftsman 4AA and 3D tool lights.

Craftsman 4AA Rubber Tool Light. Battery indicator. Faceted reflector. Easy but not too easy switch.

Stock (grabbed AAs out of two lights in my truck) it throws a pretty wide and sorta bright smooth beam with one noticeable artifact (a streak away from the smooth center).

With 4 fresh Alkys and the first KPR103 I got out of my spares box it got somewhat brighter but still a big area beam. I already had one rubber 4AA (Rayovac I think - got it CHEAP at Big Lots a while back) with a KPR103 and some Belkin film on the lense. It is MUCH brighter and quite a bit tighter.

I give the 4AA a 6 on a 10 scale.

Craftsman 3D Rubber Tool Light. Battery indicator. Faceted reflector. Easy but not too easy switch. With three fresh Alkys it is a fairly tight (at least 30% tighter than 4AA) quite bright beam. Brighter even than the 4AA with KPR103. Brighter than all but the center spot of my 3Cd 2D Mag.

Compared to my Rayovac 3D Industrial with a standard KPR103 and pretty low use Rayovac Max Alkys it is slightly brighter, about the same size at the same distance, and WAY smoother and nicer.

I give the 3D a 9 on that scale. A momentary on switch would make it a 10!

Craftsman. Guaranteed forever!

I highly recommend the 3D Rubber Tool Light.

 

[Empath]

Re: Quick \'n\' Dirty review of Craftsman 4AA and 3D tool lights.

Originally posted by PlayboyJoeShmoe:
Craftsman. Guaranteed forever!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Well... guaranteed as long as Sears lasts. I understand this Christmas season will be a make it or break it event. If they do poorly, they go the way of Montgomery Ward.

I use a krypton 3D lamp in my Sears 4AA along with 4 NiMH cells. With the faceted reflector the light is diffused to the point that it doesn't have a pronounced hotspot, but it is indeed bright. I've compared the reflected light from it and my Surge by aiming it at the ceiling. I can't tell much difference in output.

It's not a very scientific method of light measurement, I suppose. But it satisfied me.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Re: Quick \'n\' Dirty review of Craftsman 4AA and 3D tool lights.

I have a tackle box of bulbs and such. The bulb I put in the 4AA came from the 3.6v space.

I too use the ceiling as a comparison of one light to another. I guess what I get is percieved brightness.

But I am telling you that the 4AA is not as bright as I think it ought to be. And the 3D is brighter than it should be (given what I already know).

It'll be a very heavy bummer if the Sears Hardware store near me fails. Because you just can't get everything they have at Home Depot.

 

[KartRacer31]

Re: Quick \'n\' Dirty review of Craftsman 4AA and 3D tool lights.

Try the 4aa non-rubber version of the Craftsman tool light with battery life indicator. It does not have the faceted reflector (smooth with the magnifying dot in the center of the lens). It easily beats my 3d cell Craftsman light (especially when I overdrive a KPR103 in the 4aa).

 

[hokiefritz]

Re: Quick \'n\' Dirty review of Craftsman 4AA and 3D tool lights.

KartRacer31 wrote: "Try the 4aa non-rubber version of the Craftsman tool light..."
This one throws way far. Beam quality is not that great but it's surprising how far away it will light things up.