DeWalt: A Name In Lights?
By Chuck Cage
DeWalt recently released a new line of “high-performance” LED flashlights featuring prominent branding. The model pictured above is a three D-cell model and features a textured anodized aluminum body — and rubber O-ring seals that provide “moisture resistance” (read: not water-tight, but probably OK if you don’t submerge it) — sound familiar? A hex-shaped head prevents the light from rolling away when you set it down.
But unlike their MagLite cousins, DeWalt’s lights don’t include an adjustable beam, opting instead for an “orange peel” aluminum reflector which they claim “produces a combination flood and spot beam with no adjustment needed.” This sounds to me like a “feature” added by marketing rather than engineers, but I could be wrong. Do any of you have experience with it?
The line also includes single-AA and triple-AA models, plus a couple of pocket-sized lithium-powered (non-rechargeable) models. We don’t see pricing yet, but will report back as soon as we hear something.
High-Performance LED Flashlight [DeWalt]
July 9th, 2008 at 11:33 am
“Orange peel” or textured reflectors will remove a lot of the rings and “artifacts” you see in Mag products, but a fixed smooth reflector will too. Whether you like it depends on what you are looking for (throw vs. flood) and how well they engineer the reflector. Most affordable, high power (1W or stronger LED) LED lights are coming out of China these days and quality is all over the board. I put a 3W LED drop in module in an old MagLite, and it is decent but there are better options. If anyone has the interest and a lot of time, go to the Candle Power Forums and you’ll find everything you wanted to know (and then some) about flashlights, reflectors, batteries, LEDs, HIDs, etc.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Do they make as good a self-defense tool as MagLites?
July 11th, 2008 at 9:01 am
BEATDOWNABILITY = a must for a light in todays world HAA HAAA HAAAAAAA
July 12th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
When I lived in Fayetteville North Carolina, most cops didn’t carry night sticks. They just carried the 4D cell Maglites. The state police were taken to court some years back due to complaints from people in Robeson County claiming the troopers were beating them with their Maglites. Many depts here no longer allow their officers to carry them.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:11 am
The DEWALT flashlight pictured is a 3AAA light. The spot/flood feature works real well. The light is constructed of very substantial and heavy duty material. There are no parts to twist and no rattles or squeaks in this baby. It’s hard core tough. If Mad Max had a flashlight, this would be it.