Sunday, 1 May 2011
Makita - rechargeable flashlights
I got this work light as a bonus when I bought the reconditioned cordless drill package 6233DWBEL (a great buy!). It's a good work companion and I can't complain about its convenience and performance. It uses the same batteries as the drill and many other 14.4V Makita products. But, this light just doesn't have the same feel of sturdiness as my PorterCable 19.2V work lights. The body and the swivel head mechanism don't appear to be as durable as the PorterCable model. Don't get me wrong. Makita is one of my brands, and I love the drill, but I would not buy this flashlight by itself at the price being asked. Maybe I'm partial to PorterCable, but the bodies of their work lights seem to be better quality. Makita ML140 14.4-Volt Pivoting HeadFlashlight
Being able to set this light where you need it and rotate the head to the correct angle is a great help. I work on computers a lot and am constantly using this to get that necessary bit of extra light. It's nice and bright, and you can't beat being able to recharge it just as you'd do any of your power tools. I highly recommend it.
I just worry that someday the head will snap off, or become loose on it's detents. It creaks and squeaks when you try to adjust it. I also wish that Makita made an LED conversion for this light, as it would make the battery last at least three times as long.
On the plus side, the switch feels reliable, and is thankfully not a plastic slide-type, but is instead the rubberized push-button type with a distinct "click," similar to the type you get on a D-cell Maglite. The bottom-heavy light stands up reliably to light up ceiling or under-desk jobs (installing CPU holders), and would also light up a night-time tire change (if you happened to have your toolbox in the car).
All in all, it does what it's supposed to do, but feels like it should cost half what it does. It feels like it's made in a Harbor Freight Tools factory with little quality control. It's still working, though.
A lot of the people I work with use similar Makita lights so I got one too. It uses the same battery as my drill and still works after I've dropped it a couple times. Well illuminates hard to see areas.
Great flashlight! I have never had a flashlight that uses the same battery as the drill, but it is the most used flashlight i ever had. I am not using my drop light at all since getting this light. The light is very bright and handy. You can adjust it to shine where you like. If you own a 14.4 volt drill and don't have the flashlight you are cheating your self! They are a little pricey but worth it.
This flashlight fits in the case with the drill as well as uses the same battery. The flashlight is hard to find a retail outlets so this vendor was a real find. The flashlight can hang from a string or stand alone. It has many different positions to direct the beam of light onto most jobs.
I have a few different battery-powered Makita tools and I thought that all that battery storage from those battery modules would be a great Hurricane supply. I have tried it with both amperage 14.4volt batteries and it works fine. As a bonus it also works with my Makita 12V battery packs as well! (It is not listed as supported but it DOES work just fine) This means I have hours and hours of flashlight time if the power goes out. Also note that It also has an extra bulb behind the reflector assembly. The big battery on the bottom means you can turn the lamp assembly 90 degrees and place it on a flat surface and it won't tip over.
I gave it 4 stars because I have not used it over an extended period of time so I cannot vouch for the longevity of the bulbs or switches.
It is a very nice tool and very bright -- also very convenient if you own other Makita 14.4V tools as you can share battery packs. The price is a little high for just a flashlight (doesn't include a Makita rechargable battery). Minor complaints -- heavy battery at bottom can make it a bit clumsy to handle; only 4 detent positions means that occassionally you can't get the flashlight pointed where you're working if you're in a confined area (a bungee cord can be quite useful when you need to position it in an awkward/unstable location). If you like Makita, and you have a number of 14.4V batteries from other Makita tools that make sharing convenient, you'll probably appreciate this tool. - Rechargeable Flashlights'
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