325 Lumens DeWalt Flashlight

Saw this flashlight here: http://www.maxtool.com/index/dw18v_acc.asp

Is it worth 29 bucks? I already have a bunch of 18 volt DeWalt batteries...

and the 18 volt, 325 lumen xenon bulbs are on the same page (I doubt their really 18 volt bulbs???)

But 325 seems like alot of light for 29 bucks, what do y'all think?

I think that this light is not regulated in anyway and is driven directly by the 18 volt battery pack. The description also states that it is a xenon lamp. The ROP puts out more than much more 325 lumens from much less than 18 volts. It would be nice if someone could run a test of the output of this light for comparison purposes.

If you already have the battery packs it sounds decent to me.

I have no idea how well the light is put together, but $29 is worth a gamble I think. Who knows maybe you can mod in a better bulb for more lumens. Osram makes a 15V 150 watt bi-pin bulb :devil: wonder how much voltage the bulb actually sees in that. Hmmm maybe I should go look for one.

Friar said:

But 325 seems like alot of light for 29 bucks, what do y'all think?

Click to expand...

I don't have any hard number on hand but those 10 million candlepower spot lights that's basically a car headlight bulb on a lead acid battery is on sale all the time for less than $30, I'm sure they put out quite a bit of lumen initially.

I've got the 14.4v version shown on this page:
http://www.maxtool.com/product/search.asp

I only bought the light because, at work, we use some of the 14.4v Dewalt tools and I thought it would be fun to have the flashlight since we have quite a few of the batteries around anyway.

It's a great light, but of course, quite heavy.
It throws very well and will put a large hot spot on a tree a couple hundred feet away, and the spill is brighter than a typical flashlight as well.
I honestly don't know the lumen count of this light, but it appears to me to be in the 350 range from what I can see compared to other lights I have.
Keep in mind that the Dewalt light has a much larger than typical center beam, so you really can't compare it to the current generation of pencil-beamed "throwers".

Bottom line; don't buy the light just to have it because you then have to use the proprietary Dewalt batteries at about $65 a pop. There is no other battery option for it. And don't forget that you'll need the charger as well for another $65 or so. What that means is that it's not a "$29.00 light", it's really a "$160.00 light".
BUT, if you use other Dewalt tools that already need the batteries, then by all means, get the light made for whatever voltage batteries you're using (18v, 14v like I have, 12v, or 9.6v). Dewalt makes flashlights for each of their battery lines.
I like mine so much that I bought a second light to keep by my back door at night for letting the dog out. I only have to charge it every three or four weeks or so.