Working At Night? Try These Milwaukee Tools Lighting Options To Brighten Up The Worksite
Darkness is the enemy of efficient work. You can't see what you're doing in the dead of night, which is less than ideal when you're waving hammers and power tools around. In the olden days, the only solution would be to simply stop working when the sun goes down, but in the modern age, we are masters of our own work schedules. If the work needs to be done in the late hours, it's time to bring out the lights.
Multiple major hardware brands offer all kinds of portable lighting solutions, from handheld spotlights to steadfast emplacements, each designed to give you the kind of high-clarity light rivaled only by the light of day while you're working. The Milwaukee Tools brand, in particular, has several excellent options to fit whatever kind of lighting snafu you find yourself in, each backed by recommendations of hardware users and reviews from professional workers.
M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Rocket Dual Power Tower Light
Whether you're working in a large job site or an enclosed space with lots of dark nooks and crannies, you need a light that can really glow up the entire place. A full-scale spotlight would be nice, but such a thing can be a bit cumbersome in size. That is unless you're using a Milwaukee spotlight.
The M18 Rocket Dual Power Tower Light starts out as a compact package and, in just five seconds of setup, expands outward into a 7ft. beacon of illumination. Whether you power it up with one of Milwaukee's M18 battery packs or a regular extension cord, this tower light provides 2,500 lumens of TRUEVIEW light output on its highest setting, lighting up your worksite with clean, white light. It may look skinny, but this tower's reinforced legs and low center of gravity ensure it won't be easily bowled over.
The Rocket Dual Power Tower Light is available at Home Depot for $229. It comes highly recommended by Eric Jopp of Tools in Action, who gave it a score of 4.5 out of 5. Jopp quite liked the adaptability that comes with both battery and cable power and especially enjoyed how long the light was able to run continuously off of a single battery pack.
M18 ROVER 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless 1500 Lumens LED Flood Light
As the old saying goes, great things come in small packages. While a larger light is great for a larger workspace, compact is the name of the game if you're working in more confined quarters. You need a light that can squeeze into a small corner, whether on the ground or hanging from a hook. Milwaukee has just the thing.
The M18 ROVER LED Flood Light packs a mighty 1,500 lumens of TRUEVIEW light, 30% more than you'd get out of a 250w Halogen flood light, into a mere 6.25-inch bundle. Thanks to its tightly packed LED lights, you can create a clear spot of illumination in precise locations. The light is encased in a roll cage, which is sturdy enough to be placed right on the ground, though the built-in hook loop also lets you hang it from hooks and walls. Don't worry if it falls; it's impact-rated for up to 12-foot drops.
The M18 Rover LED Flood Light is available at Home Depot for $99. Clint DeBoer of Pro Tool Reviews spoke highly of this light, appreciating the modularity that comes with its octagonal shape. As an experiment, DeBoer attempted to deliberately kick the light at a wall to test its durability, and it came out no worse for wear.
M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless PACKOUT 3000 Lumens LED Light with Built-In Charger
If you're unfamiliar with Milwaukee's proprietary line of PACKOUT storage solutions, the system is built around a set of LEGO-like interlocking connectors, allowing you to create a secure stack of containers. However, toolboxes and bags aren't the only things included in the PACKOUT line; there are also plenty of interlocking gadgets, including some excellent lighting solutions.
The M18 PACKOUT LED Light provides more light than you'd ever expect to come out of a rectangular box. This humble package features a trio of rotating light heads that, when combined, provide a mighty 3,000 lumens of TRUEVIEW action. Using the included PACKOUT locks, you can mount the box onto an existing PACKOUT stack to create your own hybrid lighthouse and toolbox. The light can run for up to 31 hours on one M18 XC 5.0 battery pack, though you can also use that battery power to charge up small USB devices.
The M18 PACKOUT LED Light is available at Home Depot for $199. This device comes highly recommended by Stan Durlacher of Tool Box Buzz, who gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Whether he kept it on his PACKOUT stack or used it by itself, it provided ample lighting for jobs both large and small. He especially liked the small compartment for device charging, allowing him to charge his phone without covering it in workshop dust.
M12 ROVER Service and Repair Flood Light with USB Charging
The best kind of work light is one that you can set up absolutely anywhere to provide lighting at all conceivable angles. This is usually accomplished by sturdy bodies and mounting hooks, but if you really want to have your light wherever you want, the answer is simple: magnets.
Milwaukee's M12 ROVER Service and Repair Flood Light features a powerful magnet, allowing you to stick it to any metallic surface firmly. There's also a built-in keyhole for traditional hanging if you're working somewhere without metal. Once mounted, the 110-degree pivoting light head provides a hearty 700 lumens of TRUEVIEW lighting wherever needed. With one M12 XC 4.0 battery pack, you can get up to 24 hours straight of runtime. As a bonus, this light features a 2.1 amp slot for charging USB devices.
The M12 ROVER Flood Light is available at Home Depot for $79. Chris Boll of Pro Tool Reviews experimented with the light's mounting and found that whether the magnet or the keyhole was used, the mounting would always be nice and firm. The light's particular shape also made it easy to use as a handheld tool. Boll said this light is a great add-on for anyone already using M12 lighting solutions.
M12 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless 750-Lumen TRUEVIEW LED Handheld Spotlight
Sometimes, a stationary light doesn't quite work for what you're trying to do. If it's especially dark and you need to get a really good look at a tiny spot, that's when handheld lights come in. The usual choice for this kind of situation is to just use your phone, but that's not a reliable solution. You need a proper handheld spotlight.
Milwaukee's M12 LED Handheld Spotlight fits the bill perfectly, packing 750 lumens of illumination into a powerful and precise LED beam, rated for up to 700 yards. The light features multiple modes for different illumination needs, plus a strobe light for safety purposes. The lens cover is impact-resistant, while the body features an IP54 water and dust resistance rating, so you can safely bring this spotlight into even the dirtiest jobs without worry for its safety.
The M12 LED Handheld Spotlight is available at Home Depot for $69, where it has a user rating of 4.6 out of 5. Users enjoy this device's lightweight and compact body, making it easy to carry around. One user had high praise for the beam's efficacy, as it could illuminate all the way to the far side of their large backyard with no loss in fidelity.