jimmylittle
Member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2013
- Messages
- 114
I was researching battery operated work lights. Of course, as a Festool fan, I immediately put SysLites on the list. But, I ended up with a different solution. Here's why...
1. Syslites are BRIGHT. On the High setting, they are about 600 lumens. Low is less, but still bright. I work cabinetry, I need to light up the back of the inside of a cabinet to install a drawer, not light up a room.
2. Syslites are pricey. Yes, I know... Festool stuff carries a premium. I have dozens of Festool tools, systainers, etc. I have no problem paying double or even triple the cost of a "normal" tool to get the Festool version. And I'm never disappointed. But, I don't need $700 worth of work lights.
So, I made my own set. I had an empty Sys1 laying around, and a Defiant rechargeable work light. It's small, has an articulating head, puts out about 100 lumens, and the battery lasts about 3 hours. It also has a hook that folds out and a magnetic base to stick it to pipes, joist hangers, drawer hardware or anything else metal. I ran off to the big orange box store and bought three more. [attachimg=2]
I made a simple divider system of plywood [attachimg=1] and ran the charger cables through the floor.
Then, I put a power inlet and a power strip in the box [attachimg=3]
Now, I have a pretty good work light system that meets my needs. It fits in a Systainer, is self-contained, and I have 4 work lights I can take anywhere and use for a couple of hours at a time. [attachimg=4]
Total price: 4 work lights @ $22 = $88 plus one old Systainer ($68 if new) = $156.
I will fully admit the lights aren't as bright as the Syslites, but I think the articulating head and magnetic base is much more versatile than the multi-wedge design of the Syslites.
1. Syslites are BRIGHT. On the High setting, they are about 600 lumens. Low is less, but still bright. I work cabinetry, I need to light up the back of the inside of a cabinet to install a drawer, not light up a room.
2. Syslites are pricey. Yes, I know... Festool stuff carries a premium. I have dozens of Festool tools, systainers, etc. I have no problem paying double or even triple the cost of a "normal" tool to get the Festool version. And I'm never disappointed. But, I don't need $700 worth of work lights.
So, I made my own set. I had an empty Sys1 laying around, and a Defiant rechargeable work light. It's small, has an articulating head, puts out about 100 lumens, and the battery lasts about 3 hours. It also has a hook that folds out and a magnetic base to stick it to pipes, joist hangers, drawer hardware or anything else metal. I ran off to the big orange box store and bought three more. [attachimg=2]
I made a simple divider system of plywood [attachimg=1] and ran the charger cables through the floor.
Then, I put a power inlet and a power strip in the box [attachimg=3]
Now, I have a pretty good work light system that meets my needs. It fits in a Systainer, is self-contained, and I have 4 work lights I can take anywhere and use for a couple of hours at a time. [attachimg=4]
Total price: 4 work lights @ $22 = $88 plus one old Systainer ($68 if new) = $156.
I will fully admit the lights aren't as bright as the Syslites, but I think the articulating head and magnetic base is much more versatile than the multi-wedge design of the Syslites.
