I already had the real-McCoy Milwaukee M12 LED work light which is pricey but delivers the goods. I was truly impressed with its light output and beam pattern. This was after terrible performance from Makita's LED flash light which costs less than half. I wanted to upgrade another Makita flashlight which I use a lot to Milwaukee's LED technology.
In short, it didn't fit. See my customer image. I then put this LED "upgrade" into an M12 incandescent work light that I also had. It would be a perfect A/B comparison to the M12 LED work light that I mentioned above. See my customer images comparing the two as well as comparing the LED-upgraded M12 to typical Makita 18V work light. The light output of the LED "upgrade" is a joke.
In a nutshell, this product needs to go back to the drawing board. You are better off spending the money on Milwaukee's factory M12 LED work light or possibly on their factory M18 LED work light if you can use those batteries. The M12 LED work light is one of the best work lights I have used. Milwaukee 49-81-0090 M12/M18 Flashlight LED Upgrade Kit
I used this LED to replace the M12 lamp. It does work a little better and definately burns cooler than the original. There is nothing wrong with the lamp itself. The problem is in the reflector. When you compare the reflector on a LED light, it is deeper and designed completely different. I ended up painting my reflector white and now it gives a more even light but it does not project very far. Works nice for up close work. My opinion is to save your money and just buy the "M12 LED Flashlight". It is expensive but it works great.
Almost a year ago, I bought this as a bulb replacement for my Ryobi One+ 18V P703 Work Light. (because the first time I used it, I dropped it from just 4 ft, and it broke it's filament bulb.)
(1.) This replacement LED light is NOT a long distance "spot" light, it's more of an AREA WORK-light. If you want a spot light, this isn't what you want.
(2.) It's much brighter than my original bulb, and the battery lasts much longer. (and the head runs much cooler). The original bulb cast a wider ragged "spot", where this LED is more "even" lighting, with a tight "spot" in the center. I use it in areas where before I would have used a trouble light.
(3.) My Ryobi light using this LED bulb at 3 foot distance from the wall lights up a 9 foot diameter area with a 2.5" center spot. The center spot is brighter, but I find I use the broader main light area more because it has a more even light.
The broad-beam area on this light is actually bright enough to be usable, where with a regular spotlight, that area would be (or seem to be?) much dimmer.
I can usually set it about 2 foot distance away from my work, and it lights the whole area that I want to see, not just a tiny spot in the center. (I've used it for wiring circuit breaker panels, light switches, etc. when the MAIN power was switched off, and this was my only source of light.)
(If I need a distance spot light, I'll use another flashlight like UltraFire WF-502B "SST-50" 1000Lumens LED, but at the expense of reduced battery run-time.)
I've got three of the Milwaukee v28 flashlights that we use on our farm. They put out a lot of light, and the battery life is pretty good. After burning out a couple of bulbs, I decided to try this LED upgrade. It looks funny, and is pretty expensive, so I was a little hesitant.
It works great. The light is much brighter, and more white than the standard bulbs. It is, however, more focused. The beam has a bright center and a wide corona, unlike the more even illumination of the standard bulb. I wasn't sure I liked this effect, but I've gotten used to it, and the concentrated center beam makes it easier to illuminate distant objects. Overall, it's a great upgrade, and I'm very happy.
I have the Milwaukee V28 (cat 49-24-0185) light. The LED bulb works appropriately in this housing. Compared to the incandescent (original type) bulb, the LED gives a more consistent light (no modeling of light). Typical of LEDs, the light is more of a 'white light' versus having a yellow cast like incandescent... this is especially nice for doing work by it. I have not yet used it enough to comment on the expected increased battery run time (though this is typical of LEDs and probably the main reason why I purchased the bulb).
Negatives: there are two negatives... The light quality, as mentioned above, is good, but you should be aware that there is a more pronounced area of very bright light in the center and then the light intensity dramatically fades. Most of this, I believe, is because of LED bulb design (it's inherent). LEDs are very directional. This a single bulb design (versus if you purchase a household LED fixture or have LED tail lights on your car, they use multiple LED bulbs pointed in different directions for fuller coverage). I just want you to be aware that peripheral lighting for the beam is significantly weaker in intensity.
Second, pricing is obviously on the high side. $40 may still be too high to justify this purchase for many users. For comparison, you can purchase a 3-D maglite flashlight (housing and LED bulb) on Amazon for $23... and this is an excellent flashlight. I suspect that if you can wait a couple of years, like most LED bulbs, this will probably go down in price.
So, over-all, if you can justify the high cost, this bulb will enhance the quality of light and expected increased run time with a Milwaukee V28 housing.
Despite what others are saying this dropped right in and the light output is fantastic. Perhaps it is because I am using it in a 28V tool, which is is rated for and will fit nearly any utility flashlight out there as it was the same as my ridgid as well. I will post up some pictures when I get a chance, but a great upgrade for any work light. - Milwaukee - Led - Flashlight - M12'
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