My 3 Go-To LED Lights On The Jobsite
Milwaukee Rover LED Light
The Coronavirus has had me staying home a lot more than I’m used to. We’ve all heard the saying idle hands is the devil’s workshop. I could not agree more, so I went looking for projects to work on here at home. After doing some small projects I started thinking about how and why I do things on my remodeling jobs – and asking myself, can I be better, more profitable, or more efficient.
So that got me thinking about tools that I use but often get overlooked on how useful they are. And that my friends, led me to this video sharing with you how I used smaller portable LED lighting on my job sites and here in the shop reviewing tools. To be clear, I’m not talking about job site lighting, I’m talking about lights that fit in your pocket or tool belt, that are USB rechargeable.
There are three Milwaukee lights that I default to when I need more light than my cellphone.
- Rover USB Rechargeable Pocket Flood Light
- Rover USB Rechargeable Pivoting Flood Light
- USB Rechargeable Low-Profile Headlamp
Rover USB Rechargeable Pocket Flood Light
The Milwaukee Rover pocket floodlight is probably my favorite and it fits nicely in my tool bag or pocket. It’s also my estimating light.
This Rover pocket floodlight has two settings low which are 100 lumens and high at 445 lumens. You can get 11 hours of runtime on low, but who really runs lights on low. Me? Nope never! I run it on high and get about 2 hours of runtime. I use the light a lot, I simply charge it in my trucks USB port on the way home or to the next job.
A magnet on the end lets you stick this light on metal and a pocket clip is sometimes useful for clipping on a pocket or shirt. A small LED light at the charging port shows green when the light is charged and red when the battery is drained. The light has a 2-foot cord that I use to charge in a USB receptacle.
Rover USB Rechargeable Pivoting Flood Light
My second favorite light is the Rover Pivoting Flood Light. This light pretty much lives in my workshop and I use it mostly for photography here in the shop. A bottom magnet, three light setting modes, as well as a pivoting LED bezel, allow me to attach this to my machines in the shop and direct light onto projects. I’ve also used it to work on my electrical service panel and furnace… the magnet is awesome.
The LED head pivots 210 degrees and the magnetic base is also a carabiner, but I’ve never used it. I suppose it is great to clip on a tool bag for storage and quick access.
The Rover USB Rechargeable Pivoting Flood Light has three power settings:
- Low [100 lumens and 11.5-hour runtime]
- Medium [250 lumens and 4.5-hour runtime]
- High [550 lumens and 2-hour runtime]
The light has a 2-foot cord that I use to charge in my truck USB receptacle.
USB Rechargeable Low-Profile Headlamp
My least favorite light is the USB Rechargeable Low-Profile Headlamp. It’s my least favorite light because if I’m wearing this, then I’m in an attic, basement or crawl space usually crawling around on my hands and knees.
This headlamp has four settings:
- Eco [25 lumens and 25-hour runtime]
- Low [125 lumens and 10-hour runtime]
- Medium [350 lumens and 6-hour runtime]
- High [600 lumens and 2-hour runtime]
One thing that I’d like to mention is that all three of these lights have removable rechargeable batteries. You can purchase extra battery cells to have a backup to avoid downtime charging or replace when they start to lose they recycle life.
What about the Flashlight?
While I do have a flashlight in my tool bag, it’s a small rechargeable COAST flashlight. I like it because it is small and compact. I usually reach for it when looking into deeper dark spaces. Most of the time I’m working in an area where the other three lights excel and Franky is better. Plus the flashlight requires me to hold it, these three have hands-free options.
My Opinion on LED Technology and Rechargeable LED Lights
I definitely like having personal lighting options and LED technology has improved it tremendously for use on the job site. Add rechargeable USB capability to that recipe and you gotta agree it’s hard NOT to be a lover of lumens.
So that’s the story guys, you now have a personal, an inside look at my personal and favorite lighting options while at work.
Guys – leave me a comment and tell me what tools you bring to the job site that are critical but you take for granted.