Syslite Duo or Milwaukee M18 Radius charger?

LDBecker

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May 12, 2011
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I just last week purchased a Festool Syslite Duo and stand - about $435 for the set. I used it this evening to do some spraying of some drawer fronts in an area I didn't have good lighting - and it was just awesome. Very happy, but, as others have noted, it's odd that there is no dimmer and no on-off switch. But it IS 8k lumens and built like a tank.

So, tonight I see a video on the new Milwaukee light - the M18 Radius Charger 2051-20 and 2151-20, just coming out. It has 9k lumens... and a dimmer, and it charges 2 M18 batteries, and is AC or DC, and tis remote controllable. Prices are a little hard to come by, and there is some confusion as to which model number will have their One-Key remote, but the only price I have seen is $499. I would bet that it's the price for the cheaper one without the One-Key.

I had been looking at the smaller Radius, but wasn't that impressed. This one, hmmmm... I use a few M18 battery powered devices, and could see that being handy. And the dimmer... and the ability to run on batteries...

Nah - The Festool Syslite Duo is already amazingly expensive, and it CERTAINLY is bright enough for what I need. And the quality of light is really good... and the Milwaukee seems like a lot of plastic and with a stand as a part of its construction, it won't be able to be mounted very high (or low, I guess).

Other opinions on the Syslite Duo? I haven't heard/read much about it.

Larry

Edit to include a link to the Milwaukee Radius charger:https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2151-20
 
I have no experience with either, but for me the issue isn't the quality of light it is the quantity.  Admittedly, quality outweighs quantity in trades like finishing.  I simply don't have a need for quality. I own four led lights (2 singles and 1 double).  Each light generates 4000 lumens. For my purposes theses more than satisfy quantity.  I have no idea what the Kelvin rating is and it doesn't matter for my purposes. It sounds like from your post that you are very satisfied with both quality and quantity and I think therein lies your answer.  Light sources are very personal and trade specific. If you've found something that works, run with it!

All industries are changing so rapidly and every one is racing to develop a better mousetrap. All we can do as end users is work with what we have and can get. Undoubtedly tomorrow there will be a better option.
 
That Milwaukee light looks pretty nice...I like all the options it comes with, remote control, 180˚/360˚ lighting, battery or mains operation, charging, et al. If you need it higher off the ground just throw it on a couple of Systainers. No packing & unpacking or an extra tripod to haul around.

I have a small Milwaukee light that also has the 180˚/360˚ feature and use it all the time, it's a real handy feature. I have 2 Syslites (1st & 2nd version) but use the Milwaukee LED as much or more because of being able to more easily direct the lighting to where I want and to reduce glare.
 
Cheese said:
That Milwaukee light looks pretty nice...I like all the options it comes with, remote control, 180˚/360˚ lighting, battery or mains operation, charging, et al. If you need it higher off the ground just throw it on a couple of Systainers. No packing & unpacking or an extra tripod to haul around.

I have a small Milwaukee light that also has the 180˚/360˚ feature and use it all the time, it's a real handy feature. I have 2 Syslites (1st & 2nd version) but use the Milwaukee LED as much or more because of being able to more easily direct the lighting to where I want and to reduce glare.

The Syslite Duo is certainly Festool quality - I'm going to keep it, I'm sure. I had been thinking that it was the brightest thing out there - and then I saw the Milwaukee with 1k more lumens. Sigh... But I don't see myself needing to spend even more on lighting.

I think the quality of light is almost as critical as the quantity, especially for judging colors and finishes - which is what I would likely do a lot with it.

Larry
 
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