“Let there be light…” Well, at long as you have got a charged M18 battery there will definitely be enough light to safely work.
Milwaukee introduced the M18 Trueview LED Stand Light late in 2015 and I’ve had it on and off job sites since last fall. Its impressive all around, here are some of the specs to get started:
- Sets up in 5-10 seconds
- Extendable range: 4’-7’
- LED head rotates and pivots for directional lighting
- Low Mode: 850 lumens for up to 10 hours with M18™ XC 5.0 Pack
- Medium Mode: 1,300 lumens for up to 6 hours with M18™ XC 5.0 Pack
- High Mode: 2,000 lumens for up to 4 hours with M18™ XC 5.0 Pack
My first exposure to the Stand Light was last summer while visiting Milwaukee Tool for a media event and I knew I wanted to try it on the job myself. The stand light is just one piece of what Milwaukee categorizes as its “lighting solutions” for professional contractors. The “solution” label best describes the application of this light; I’ve been working in the trades for nearly twenty years and have tried seemingly every work light out there. This one is in a class all by itself.
The Stand Light uses high quality LEDs with a neutral white color and a “high color rendering index” paired with a Milwaukee® designed reflector to produce an even beam pattern (Trueview system). The importance of that last sentence is this: red, black, brown and green wiring remains red, black, brown and green. A lot of LED lights on the market distort or change completely the color tones of critical components of the job, wiring being one of those critical components.
The M18 battery connection is at the base; a detail I hadn’t given much thought initially. The placement lowers the center of gravity and provides a wide, semi-stable base when using the light as is, not extended.
When collapsed, the light may be best described as a bazooka or the most comical flashlight. That’s by design though as the Team Red engineers have configured the fold & fit of the base and body together tightly and compact. The two carry handles are rugged and positioned appropriately.
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