Always end up grabbing a dead flashlight at the most inconvenient time. I am going to setup a charging station for flash/work light solutions was looking to the Hive for any recommendations so I can keep them on charge full time and unplug them when I need them.
Only cheap options considered due to proximity to Christmas.
I have 3 of these I have used for the last 4+ years (I bought them on a Black Friday sale in 2017 or 2018) and have been very happy. However they do get used a lot and are starting to show their wear and batteries don't hold a charge quite as long as they did.
I have recently bought some of their "premium" Icon lights and am impressed with the difference. Better magnets, brighter, USB C charging, and will likely phase out the older ones and move them to house/junk drawer duty instead of fixing car duty.
I used to be a big flashlight guy but solved the whole thing by getting better shop lighting.
If you do find yourself occasionally needing additional task lighting, the Streamlight Flipmate is 100% recommended.
93gsxturbo said:I used to be a big flashlight guy but solved the whole thing by getting better shop lighting.
If you do find yourself occasionally needing additional task lighting, the Streamlight Flipmate is 100% recommended.
Good point. I need to up my shop lighting game in a bad way but have too many project right now to finish up.
I have various Milwaukee M12 and M18 lights I use regularly (my favorite is the M12 underhood light), but I've gravitated more towards headlamps as my main source of light, and so supplement with the other lights.. I'm solidly in my mid 40s, and find I need more light right in front of me (well that and cheater glasses)!
I have the Milwaukee USB rechargeable 600 lumen model headlamp and like it. It's the single version of this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-600-Lumens-LED-REDLITHIUM-USB-Low-Profile-Hard-Hat-Headlamp-2-Pack-2115-21-2115-21/312781496
The rechargeable batteries are a big help, but they don't last a long time, especially on the highest brightness setting. So I've bought a few of the 3.0 USB batteries (they come in different capacities but they're all the same physical size), and I also bought the separate pack so I can recharge one battery while I'm still using the headlamp.
After months of watching their FB ads, I also broke down and bought a Odelfi headlamp. I don't have a lot of time using it, but I like the swipe on/off ability, the light is decent (I prefer the light color of the Milwaukee), it's lightweight, and it doesn't have the giant battery pack on the back like the Milwaukee headlamp. That's especially helpful when I'm working for hours under the car on a creeper!
The link to the Odelfi is here: https://odelfi.com/products/striplamp-pro
I paid $30 for the first one, $20 for the second one, and $3 shipping (offset by a 10% coupon I found online that I'd be happy to share. Again, I can't speak to durability like I can for the Milwaukee, but so far I'm a fan!
I have the Harbor Freight Bauer light and love it. It's bright, the battery lasts for a while, and the battery is easily replaceable with a standard 18650 cell.
But I also love head lamps and have a couple. None stand out as my favorite though. I'd recommend trying a good one with a rechargeable battery. They're a game changer.
Mostly I use a Barrina LED light that I haven't gotten around to hanging from the ceiling yet, but when I need something battery powered or more portable, I grab the LED head light. You look like a dork when you're wearing it and you have to remember to turn it off if you want to have a conversation with someone without blinding them. But it's almost always exactly where you need it. I have this one from The Hammer Store:
It came with two battery packs - one is a rechargeable with a USB port and the other takes four AA batteries. When I forget to plug in the rechargable one - or when I'm using it for so long that I run it down - I can slap that on the charger and grab the regular battery pack and be back to work.
The one downside is that the clip for the battery broke a little bit so the pack is prone to falling off. I don't know if that's a common thing or design flaw or if I just managed to do something dumb and break it. I think it comes with a cable so that you can attach the battery pack to your belt instead of to the strap, though, so options? It's not particularly cheap, but I think it's worth the thirty bucks.
I had a banana looking light that bends in the middle, lasted forever BUT the charge cord broke just inside the molded plastic where I couldn't get to it. I bought another one and used one cord for both, eventually the 2nd one broke the same way. Now I know what to look for.
I bought a set of little guys, little smaller than a pack of cigarettes; rechargeable, magnetic and bright. At the time on sale for $24 for a 2 pack.
Headlamps only for supplemental lighting. When I need extra light, I usually already need three hands. Can't dedicate one to holding a portable light. Buy a 2-pack from Amazon and rotate them on the charger. I usually get an hour or so of life on a charge. Any headlamp can be a flashlight, but you can't wear any flashlight on your head.
93gsxturbo said:I used to be a big flashlight guy but solved the whole thing by getting better shop lighting.
If you do find yourself occasionally needing additional task lighting, the Streamlight Flipmate is 100% recommended.
Me too. I got a bunch of those florescent looking LED sticks from Amazon and mounted them to the ceiling. I also had my garage floor epoxied white. Even though the guy tried talking me out of it because it would always look dirty (it is kinda hard to keep clean) it's worth it because of how light it makes everything in the garage.
For flashlights now I get one of those 10 packs of AAA LED flashlights. They feel more maneuverable than a shop light, too.
The lights I added to my garage:
You'll need to log in to post.
