This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. One of the many things I’ve learned the hard way over the years is that any project I’m working on is much less likely to end badly if I can actually see what I’m doing. Whether I’m slithering through a nasty crawl space or attic, destroying my back by jamming my torso into a sink base cabinet, or performing cut-rate surgery at the local free clinic, if I don’t have good light, you can bet I’ll be cursing the darkness. The combination of better Lithium-Ion batteries and cheaper, better LEDs has resulted in a lot of great battery-powered LED work lights hitting the market in the past couple of years. They range in size from small portable lights to big tripod-mounted beasts suitable for lighting your aircraft hangar. The Milwaukee USB Flood Light we just received is at the smaller end of the scale; join us for an illuminating look at its features.
Looking a bit like a strapless head lamp, the Milwaukee USB flood light is light years ahead in flexibility. With its base folded up, it will easily fit in a shirt or pants pocket. With three power settings, its ten LEDs let you choose the right level of light for the job. Painting your mother-in-law’s car? 100 lumens should be fine. Rummaging around in the breaker box? Hit the high beams, please.
Build quality on the Milwaukee USB Flood Light is excellent. The case is made of rugged plastic, and the light is IP54 rated, meaning it’s good at keeping out that pesky dust and water. The Redlithium rechargeable battery fits snugly in its recess, and the cap tightens quickly and securely. A carabiner and two powerful magnets are among the features making it easy to position those LEDs right where you want them. Here’s the full feature and spec list, followed by a little “light” entertainment from Milwaukee:
• Three light output modes: High mode: 550 lumens – 2.0 hours; Medium mode: 250 lumens – 4.5 hours; Low mode: 100 lumens – 11.5 hours
• IP54 Rated: Water and dust resistant
• Folds up compact for easy storage in a pocket
• Built-in carabiner clips to tool bags for transporting on and off site
• Charges REDLITHIUM USB battery internally with micro-USB cable from USB power source or AC outlet (wall plug not included)
• 3X faster charge time delivers 80% charge in under 1 hour (*Using 2.1A compatible wall plug)
• Fuel gauge allows fast checking of REDLITHIUM USB battery charge
• 2 ft. jobsite tough, braided micro-USB cable with metal ends
• Light and LED limited lifetime warranty; 2 year warranty on REDLITHIUM USB battery
• Includes: USB Rechargeable ROVER Pivoting Flood Light, REDLITHIUM USB Battery, 2’ Heavy Duty Cable
https://youtu.be/b8sLpTOi-Wk
Shedding Some Light On The Milwaukee USB Flood Light
I’ve used a variety of headlamp-type lights over the years. They can be convenient, as they keep my hands free to take care of business. It can be awkward having something strapped to my head, though, especially with a hat or hardhat on, and some of the straps were pretty worthless. I’m happier when I can stick the light somewhere else to have it illuminate my work area.
The Milwaukee USB Flood Light provides several options to do just that. The base incorporates a carabiner, which allows it to hang off a nail or hook, or even a belt loop. It also serves as a handle, and a base that rotates up to 210°, so you can shine that little light where it’s needed most. It’s weighted well enough that you can even set it on the edge of a table or other flat surface, and have it shine down toward the floor.
Want more deployment options? You got ‘em. On the bottom side of the stand are a pair of beefy magnets, perfect for hanging the Milwaukee USB Flood Light from a chunk of ductwork, a truck hood, or a furnace housing or breaker box. The magnets are very strong; even if you bang into the light, it’s more likely to slide a bit than to fall off.
Charge It Up And Flame On
A major draw for many buyers will be the fact that the little light is rechargeable. The ability to just plug in a USB cable for an hour or so, rather than having to maintain a stash of fresh batteries, is hugely appealing to me. Not to mention being WAY more eco-friendly.
The Milwaukee USB Flood Light includes a sturdy, braided USB charging cord. The charging port is covered by a little rubber flap, and a little indicator sheds some light on your charging status. It glows solid RED (go figure) until the battery reaches 80% charge, and then starts flashing green. Solid green indicates a full charge.
Note: The Milwaukee USB Flood Light comes with the cable, but not the wall plug adapter. It can be charged via your computer, or any USB power source, but the charging time can be much slower, depending on how good your power source is. I used an old low-powered USB adapter we had knocking around in a drawer, and it took close to three hours to charge fully. With a higher amperage wall plug, full charge took about an hour and 20 minutes on our light.
Using the light in Medium or Low mode, you can squeeze 4-1/2 to 11-1/2 hours of light out of the battery. If you want MORE POWER, expect around 2 hours on HIGH; that’s right about what i got during testing. A few minutes before the battery goes kablooey, the light flashes a few times, giving you a heads-up that it’s time to charge-up. If you’re someone who likes to really light the site, like I do, you’ll likely be using the Milwaukee USB Flood Light for long periods. If so, invest in a spare battery and charger. That way, you can keep the light cranked on High all the time, and the spare will be fully charged before the working battery bites it.
Let There Be Light
The Milwaukee USB Flood Light first earned its keep when I had to attach two wooden brackets connecting the upper and lower pieces of a large antique dining room thing my wife bought. That sucker was heavy, and I wanted it as close to the wall as I could get it before adding the upper piece. I turned the light on HIGH, and slid the carabiner over a large old picture hook on the wall. It lit up the back end of the beast very nicely. It was a whole lot easier than it would have been trying to balance a flashlight, line up the brackets, insert the screws, and get everything secured.
Down in the dark basement, the magnets easily held the Milwaukee USB Flood Light secured to the bottom of a run of ductwork, and let me position it to perfectly illuminate the front panel. It also made it easy to illuminate the controls and wiring inside the boiler, and check out the breaker panel.
There have been some pretty crazy windy days in southwestern Pennsylvania recently, and our electric service has been spotty. It went out twice last week alone, once for over 18 hours. The power outages almost always begin after dark, and the little Milwaukee USB Flood Light helped out during the last two by clinging to the face of our fridge and sending out some helpful beams as we got the candles and kerosene lanterns lit. Again.
Most of my trials were done with the light at full power. I did use it on the lower settings as well, and the light put out plenty of light for work that was closer in, like working in the boiler or breaker box and under the sink.
The Milwaukee USB Flood Light – Milwaukee Makes It Personal
The compact size and excellent light output of the Milwaukee USB Flood Light makes it appealing to a wide audience. Anyone in the trades who occasionally – or frequently – has to work in dark, scary spaces is likely to be very happy with this versatile little light. Plumbers will love it when they’re wedged into a cramped base cabinet, trying to free up corroded plumbing. HVAC techs will be happy to have it stuck to the side of the frame as they try to troubleshoot the 40-year-old furnace in the dimly-lit basement. Ditto the electrician trying to diagnose the sizzling sound coming from the breaker box.
The compact size of the Milwaukee USB Flood Light means it can be a permanent part of the traveling tool collection, while taking up very little valuable storage space. Its carabiner even lets it hitch a ride dangling from the strap of a tool bag, or clipped to a tool belt.
The light is also likely to appeal to DIYers and homeowners who are tired of trying to juggle a flashlight while they work on the latest malfunctioning (insert problem here). Campers, RV owners, mechanics…pretty much anyone who ever has to do anything in a dark, cramped space is a potential user for the Milwaukee USB Flood Light. If YOU want to light an LED candle rather than cursing the darkness, fire one up at the Home Depot. Milwaukee backs the light with a limited lifetime warranty and the battery for two years, and if you decide you prefer the dark, the light is returnable for 90 days.
Buy the Milwaukee USB Rechargeable Flood Light from the Home Depot:
Buy the Redlithium USB charger from the Home Depot:
Buy a spare Redlithium USB battery from the Home Depot:
I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with Home Fixated in sponsored content. As a part of the sponsorship, Home Fixated is receiving compensation for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are our own words. This post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.
Milwaukee’s 4v lights have all been pretty damn amazing. Really all their lights are amazing but those little guys are SO handy to just drop somewhere, stick to something. I haven’t gotten my had on this guy yet but it will be added to the collection. USB rechargeable is the best thing they ever did for this line! My only comppent is the battery indicator. The “3” color led idea is cool but it isn’t that easy to tell how charged it really is. I’d much prefer some sort of system like on the M12 lines.
It’s a handy little light for sure. That’s been the one I’ve grabbed for my last few small projects. (I save the Rocket tower light for the BIG projects). I’ve bought a couple of their M12 LED full-size flashlights, too, which crank out an amazing amount of light, but I want to check out their USB rechargeable aluminum flashlight, As for the charge indicators, it would be handy to have a “gauge” like the M12 and M18 batteries, but it would have meant making the light bigger, and they wanted to keep it really compact. Thanks for the input!