It is a pretty good product with some minor flaw. I purchased 4 of these lights for work.
I have used them for more than a month and used them almost daily.
At brightest setting, it lasted about 2 hours, so I ended up buying 4 of them. Bring 2 to work at a time.
This light will automatically turned itself off when power is low, which I believe is a design flaw. I understand light will be dimmer when power is low. But do not turn it off without any warning. I almost return the product because the light just keep turning itself off. Also, it can be a safety problem if someone taking the light out for camping and walk outside with the light for a bit. The light just won't keep on because the power is low, people might get lost. So I think it not exactly suited for camping.
Although this light uses rechargeable batteries, but it is not easily switched at all. You have to undo screws to replace batteries. It would be way easier to carry 2 replace batteries than carry a extra light.
At last, the manual is quite basic. It doesn't state how long light will last at high and low brightness. No stating how long it take to fully recharge and rating about water proofing.
So I think this light is water resistant but not exactly water proofing, so used it in rain at you own risk.
I was gonna give it a rating of 3 stars but at $20 a piece, you can ask for too much.
Any mechanic knows those little lights they sell from Snap-On that are 80$ and are supposedly the best you can get. I'm here to tell you these are better. Why? Let's go over a few things, starting with light output.
These are incredibly bright, they can light pitch black areas with ease and they have an incredible battery life. I opened mine up to find it had two 18650 cells in parallel, each were 2000 mAh. So it has a true 4000mAh capacity. That's more juice than most phone batteries on the market. As for how long it lasts, I had it on high for over 4 hours with no issues, and it charged right back up in a few hours.
Now, as for use. As a mechanic I can certainly say that this is invaluable. It makes working on anything look like it's in full daylight if it's within 10 feet of it, which is incredible for any job. Also, it fits in the palm of your hand and has a very strong magnet on the back which again, is great. As for durability, it's great because it has shock absorbing rubber surrounding the sides and the edges. It also uses a metal hook instead of a plastic one like most of these cheap lights, so that's not going to break easily.
Also, one last thing. If the lithium cells in these ever go bad, you can simply order any 4000mAh cell that will fit into the case, and just throw it right in. It charges the batteries using a simple positive and negative wire with no balanced charging (because they are in parallel) so any battery, maybe even a bigger one, would work!
Well, so much has been written on these so I won't tread over old ground too much. Light output is excellent -- approximately equivalent to a 75W incandescent lightbulb. In a totally dark room this unit supplies enough light to read, work on a project or do most anything you would normally do in a lighted room with a single light source. Because they are so bright I've found they work best laid flat on a surface ABOVE eye level so that the light can reflect off the ceiling and light more of room. The 5000*K color temperature is probably accurate because it is not blue (like cheap 'white' LEDs often are) but is more like 'daylight' in color -- very nice!
In testing I did, I fully charged the units (I have two). I didn't want to fully discharge them because some batteries don't like that and though Li-Ion usually don't mind that, I don't know what protections may be built into the charging and discharge circuits, if any, so I decided to do parallel 5-hour tests. After a full charge both were turned on high and left face-up for 5 hours. While light output did decrease SLIGHTLY during the first hour -- still VERY bright but enough that you could now distinguish the 12 individual LEDs within the COB array -- it did remain near that same level for the remaining 4 hours of the 5 hour test. And at the end of the 5th hour was still VERY bright and useable and both appeared to be at identical brightness.
I then put both of them on charge using a USB capable of delivering up to 2.1A to each unit (I suspect the circuitry in the unit limits draw to 1-1.5A because most computer USBs have a 1.5A (@ 5 volts) rating. MY intent was to assure that the supply was not the limiting factor. So after 5 hours of on-high one unit full recharged in a tad under 6.5 hours and the other in about 7.25 hours. Not sure why the difference in charging time since the starting point was identical for both and, presumably, any charge-control circuitry in the light (if any -- I have not disassembled them) would be identical too. Possibly there is variation in charge-control components or possibly variation in the Li-Ion cells or a little of both. In any event, while charge times might seem a bit long this is to be expected since the charge USB charge rate is limited (and the unit may assure that) but the draw down rate of the light can be higher -- and clearly is. So I don't view that as drawback in this price rage because faster charging would require some other external power source that USB and may well shorten battery life without a sophisticated charge controller and/or parallel charging (for example, as in some expensive high-voltage Li-Ion power tool batteries) that would increase expense and eliminate the convenience of USB charging.
I then repeated the test the next day with essentially identical results -- a very good sign, I think.
I then contacted the manufacturer with some questions because of how I planned to use these lights as power failure standby units. We are in a rural area and get quite a few 'fried squirrel' short outages and several long outages (2-3 hours or longer) every year, so I wanted to leave these on-charge and ready to use with full power available. So my first questions to Warsun were 1) Is it okay to leave these plugged-in 'on-charge' after the green light comes on or will that harm the unit or shorten battery life and 2) if that's not oaky, how long will these units hold a full charge (so I can be sure to still have 4 hours, or so, run time on hand for an outage).
Their answer to the first was that it will, in fact, decrease batter life to leave it plugged-in after it's fully charged. This told me that the charge control circuit is either very simple or non-existent because most Li-Ion chargers literally shut off when batteries are fully charged to protect them from shortened life (virtually every Li-ion power tool does this along with high-speed parallel multi-cell charging). This was good to know! I will no not leave them plugged-in indefinitely. That said, 18650 Li-Ion battery packs are readily available on-line and though these units have them soldered-in, it's not hard to replace them as one reviewer noted. Sill, the longer they last, the better.
This leads to the second question of how long will these units maintain a their full charge once disconnected. For reference, most all Li-Ion tool battery packs that disconnect after fully charged (so you can leave the battery in the charger or remove it, no difference) specify that they will hold their charge for one year and my experience in my 40V Li-Ion trimmers is that this is quite true. A battery left for a year vs a newly charged battery give approximately the same run time. However, Warsun did not answer that part of my question, so I re-asked in a follow up-mail (through Amazon messaging) and the reply consisted in the title of the Amazon listing and a ling to feedback -- i.e. no answer at all.
So, my assumption is that they will hold a charge for quite a while (because Li-Ion has a long shelf life) but how much for how long is unclear. As a result I will wait about two month (unfortunately that is the longest we go without a power failure and when I would likely recharge these units after use) and, without recharging beforehand, I will test again to see if they will still run for 5 hours and at similar light output, and then how long they take to recharge. I will try to remember to update this review at that time. (see 4-2-2019 update below)
Okay, moving on... Overall I feel these units are an excellent value. Well constructed and really good light output, though I find it hard to believe that two 18650 Li-Ion batteries can put out the stated 30W for five hours -lol- but it's light output that matters not stated 'wattage' so I'm okay with that -- they are likely closer to 10 watts which is a lot of light for COB LEDs.
As far as usability goes, the flip-out stand is okay and the flip-hook and screw eyelet useful. The magnet is excellent -- quit strong and makes it easy to keep these units handy (think side of microwave or refrigerator, with a plug-in USB charger nearby) as well as for use under the hood of a car or wherever suitable metal surfaces are available. They also seem sturdily made with a good molded rubber surround that seems like decent and useful drop-protection -- I did drop one about 3.5 feet onto a vinyl floor with no damage.
What would make them truly excellent? 1) c charging circuit that manages the charge process and then shuts down (disconnects) the batteries from further charge current once fully charged such that you can plug them in to charge and just leave them after the green light comes on. This is how virtually all Li-Ion tool batteries work. Similarly, a third cell with parallel charging (one third the time) would be simply awesome! By the way, the red charging light and green charged light are easy to see because they are inside the units so light up a section of the housing vs an external light. This is both easier to see AND less annoying at night than an external light -- nice! Alternatively, a simple switch that disconnects the 5 volt USB input would be a nice convenience if a more sophisticated charge controller is too expensive. That way, once the unit is fully charged, the charge can just be shut off and the green light would go out -- identical to if you charged it and then unplugged it, but with no dangling wires because they are still plugged in until actual use. This is not as good a solution as a better self-shutdown charge controller but in this price range I doubt once could be justified, so I may just add a 'charge-kill' switch down the road assuming the units are still performing adequately.
So, to summarize: excellent price for great light output, really good run time, nice convenience features, apparent ruggedness and availability of replacement batteries (though must be soldered) should that become necessary. Overall, and in this price range especially, that gets 5-stars from me.
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4-2-2019: UPDATE as promised -- after 5-6 weeks of units just sitting (not on-charge).
Okay, after the above testing I fully charged both units as described above at just let them sit for 5-6 weeks. My intent is to see how much of their run-time capacity they retain after sitting to see if they will be a reliable back-up light source during our relatively frequent power outages. The units have not been touched during that period.
I'll get right to the results. They apparently have NOT LOST ANY CHARGE while sitting!
In the first test 6 weeks ago (see above), I shut them down after 5 hours -- still VERY bright but a little less than when they started. This time I let them go 5.5 hours and they were still just as bright at 5 hours as they were at 5 hours last time. This tells me that while the charging method may not be sophisticated enough to leave them plugged in all the time (see manufacturer comments in my earlier review above), they also apparently do not bleed any charge while sitting either -- awesome!
I now feel I can rely on these units being 'ready' when the next power outage does arrive. We actually had a 4 hour power outage a few weeks ago while the units were just sitting but I didn't use them because I wanted to complete this test and didn't want to have to start the test period over again.
So, there you have it -- these are awesome little units and, accordingly, I have upped the rating to a full five stars. Hope y'all have found this info useful...
These units are now recharging. If they take substantially longer or shorter than they did last time (in my prior review above) I will update here. Also, if I remember, I will run this test again in 3 months and, if results are materially different, I will also share those results then.
4-3-2019 Update on charging times:
After the second round of testing (above) and though light output and duration was still excellent, charging times increased rather dramatically. In the first tests the recharge times for unit-1 and unit-2 were 6.5 and 7.25 hours respectively. After the 4-2-2019 re-test yesterday, charge times for the same two units were 10.5 and 16 hours respectively! I have no idea why. Same units, same test time (within 10%), same high capacity charger using the same cables and ports.
Okay, I guess a third round of testing will be needed so will rerun in six weeks (same 'standing' time as for prior test). That will be mid May.
4-12-2019
I ran both lights briefly today and then put them on-charge each running through a USB voltage/current/watt-hour monitor. As they charged current gradually tapered down to about 0.10A (@5.1 volts) and, to my surprise, as soon as the green (fully charged) light came on the, the current draw immediately went to zero! This is good news -- it indicates that there is a fully functional charge controller built into these units. The reason I'm surprised is that Warsun had told me (see earlier discussion above) that leaving then on-charge after the green light comes on will shorten battery life but I don't see how that can be if the battery is no longer exposed to any charging current. My sense is that these units CAN in fact be left 'on-charge' even after the green light comes on, much as Li-Ion tool batteries can be with no detrimental effects.
That said, I will now unplug them and will do the third set of 5-hour run tests in a few weeks. This time I'll be able to observe how much charge current both units are drawing which might provide some insight into why one they take quite long to charge and why one of the two units takes 20-50% longer than the other to fully recharge.
After a couple of hours of research, I bought 2, charged them and turned them on and timed the high setting. You're not going to believe this (neither did I) but one lasted 6hr. 35min. the other 7hr. 24min. I know you say bullcrap, but I'm simply baffled and amazed. The fact is that they were on high and my digital timer doesn't lie. Say what you may, I'm completely satisfied. I can't say if it's 1200 lumen but just one lit up my 12' x 15' room as well as I needed it to. I RARELY rate things but this light far exceeded my expectations. For the price, you can't go wrong.. The magnets are very strong. For my purposes, I don't care that it doesn't have the greatest stand or that it doesn't rotate. Like the other reviewer stated, 'the 5-star ratings speak for themselves).
Bright light. Has 2 2000mAh 18650 batteries inside and I was able to add another to make it 3. You just have to take out the two center screw mounts but 4 screws keeps it together just fine. Now it has a super long run time.
Feature Product
- Super Bright COB Light:a 30W max,1200 Lumens COB LED Light built-in two rechargeable 2000 mAh 18650 Li-ion battery and with USB port to charge the mobile or other devices.
- 3 Modes Function:Three different modes help you in many situation,high brightness, low Brightness,SOS flash.Press the switch on button to turn on the light, and then press the button to switch among 3 modes.
- Hook Design And Magnet Adsorption:Built-in super-strong magnet, which can be attached to metal surfaces such as car bodies to provide temporary lighting. The hook design allows the lamp to be hung on objects such as tents that cannot be absorbed. Adapt to various difficult environments and make work emergency more convenient.
- Portability Make Wild Applications:Cordless &rechargeable make our lamp great for home, outdoor, Car repair, Camping, Hunting, Fishing, working on electronics, emergency roadside repairs, or multipurpose work etc.
- WARSUN LABEL ADDED and WARRANTY: 100% Guaranteed Product Satisfaction, 30 Days No Hassle Money Back and 1 Year Warranty.
Description
Absolutely deserve to buy: super bright COB lightthree different modes help you in many situationhook design and magnet adsorptionportability make wild light area specifications Battery: 2x18650 battery (included)functions: 3 modes, hook design and magnet adsorption product size: 4.3”X2.6” x1.4”product weight: 6.9oz 1x Micro USB cable 2x 18650 battery (included).
Nice big red glow if charging. Turns green when full. I build sheds and it gets dark up here by 4p. Puts out as much light as a 500w halogen ship light. Charges on the usb on the way to the job site.
This is one of the best lights I have bought for this price! This gives you 4 ways to use the light and the best 2 I like is the magnet and the hook. The magnet is pretty strong and for the hook it hang on to any latch pretty well. Another 2 great features I love about this light is that it can be used as a portable charge in case of emergency and that it is waterproof. I wish i would have bought this light when got a flat on my tire, it was raining hard and I needed a light to illuminate the tire so I can remove the flat. My only 2 complaint is that the work light takes about 4 - 6 hours to charge fully and the clip is kinda hard to take out but overall great purchase!
It has three settings and you have to cycle through them to shut off, the last being strobe. This is the most annoying part. Wish strobe was not included or needed a double click to activate. it has two 18650 batteries which are sealed. they can be replaced but it involves soldering. To make this a perfect product remove the strobe and make the batteries replaceable. other than that the light is really bright and has a nice flood pattern.
This light is awesome. It is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket for convenience. It has a nice rubber grip and it is much brighter than I expected. I work outside at night and this really provides a lot of light and enough time to complete most tasks without having to recharge. The hook is nice for hanging on surfaces that the magnet will not stick to and is a nice feature. My only complaint is that the magnet sometimes is not strong enough and allows the light to slide and fall. A minor issue compared to all the positive things about this light.
This light is solid, compact, bright and gives you great options for positioning / attaching it for maximum benefit. It is perfect for my woodworking shop, camping and home power failure emergencies (of the latter, we have far too many).
I recommend this highly.
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