PowerSmith Rechargeable LED Worklamps Reviewed

Marketing from PowerSmith

“Be ready for the severe weather season with a rechargeable LED light. Don’t be caught unprepared.”

LED work lights are now the industry standard and Powersmith leads the way. They stay cool to the touch, are 5X more energy efficient than halogen lights and the bulbs never need replacing. The 5000K near-daylight color of these lights is ideal to work with and preferred by most users. All products are covered by a two-year “no-hassle” warranty. PowerSmith is based in South Carolina, USA and offers excellent customer service and assistance.

 

Manufacturer: PowerSmith, powersmithtools.com
Model: PWLR1120F, PWLR1110M

Output Power: 20 Watts, 10 Watts
Brightness (Lumen): 1800/800/300, 900/420/220
Run Time (Hours): 2/4.5/10, 3.5/6/12

Color Temperature: 5000K Bright White

Weight: 3.3 lbs, 2.1 lbs

UPC: 811285020177, 811285020696
MSRP: $79.99, $59.99
 

The Review

Not long ago, I was looking online for some battery-operated work lights that I could use in the event of a power outage without needing to run a generator. As a prepper, I often find myself looking for solutions that could make life easier and more comfortable in the worst of times. But when that solution can also be used in every-day life, the value of that solution is much greater. In my case, I wanted something more than a simple flashlight or headlamp. I was looking for something that could be placed on a shelf, or on the floor nearby pointed at whatever it is that I’m working on.

I looked at a few different models before stumbling onto PowerSmith work lamps. The online reviews were good on average so I decided to reach out to them, and they kindly sent me a pair of their heavy-duty rechargeable LED work lamps to test out, and I’ve got some projects around the house that are perfect for taking these work lights for a spin. So let’s dig in and see how well they do the job at hand…

I can remember all those years ago working late into the night as a plumbing contractor and having to pull out those yellow or black 500-watt Halogen work lights that could light up even the darkest of rooms with a blinding 9000 lumen warm-white light. Most often it was much too bright for the work at hand. But we suffered nonetheless. I can also remember how hot they became. Two of them could easily turn an average-sized bedroom into a sauna within a few short minutes. I received many a blister moving them around job sites over the years. And let’s not forget those ultra-delicate bulbs with a filament that would break at the slightest bump while they were hot which usually happens at the most inopportune time. At night when you don’t have a backup bulb, and the stores are all closed. Not to mention, they have a limited lifespan of only 2000-hour. At around $10 each, replacing them was always a hard pill to swallow back then.

Fast-forward 20-years, LED (light emitting diode) technology has come far enough a long that it can replace many Halogen alternatives at a fraction of the cost. The biggest advantage of LED technology over fluorescent and traditional filament-based lighting is by far it’s energy efficiency, and LEDs do not produce a lot of heat as a result.

Second, would have to be its long lifespan. Modern LEDs are capable of lasting 20,000 to 40,000 hours and more so they never need replacing. Running cooler certainly, plays a big part of that. LED technology is also very compact and lightweight which is even more advantageous over other aging technologies.

The larger model of the two work lights that I received from PowerSmith is the PWLR1120F. It is a 20-watt rechargeable LED work lamp that sits 10.5″ tall, 9″ wide and 6″ deep fully open, and it weighs just 3.3 lbs. The frame consists of a rugged 1/2″ steel tubing that is very strong. The topmost section is the handle, covered by a closed-cell foam cushion for a comfortable grip. The lower feet are also made from 1/2″ steel tubing, reinforced with a thin steel panel that increases rigidity and stability of the frame.

The hinges are made from a rugged thermoplastic material that is extremely tough, yet it provides just enough flexibility that it is not brittle. The hinges have 5 positive positions allowing the work light to stay open at various angles, and fold all the way down flat taking only 2″ of space making it very easy to stow away. Especially when space is at a premium.

There are 36 LEDs sealed inside a rugged die-cast aluminum housing and protected by an impact-resistant glass lens. This light head can tilt a full 360° making it easy to accommodate most any direction or angle. The LEDs are capable of providing up to 1800 lumen of light on high, 800 lumen on medium, and 300 lumens on the lowest setting. The color temperature is 5000K Bright White so whatever the light was shining on appeared bright and clearly lit. The sealed power switch and the mode selector are separate buttons providing greater flexibility. In addition to the three brightness modes, the PWLR1120F also features a strobe mode.

The powersource is a 7.4V, 5.2 Ah Lithium-Ion battery that will hold a charge for as long as 18-months. It provides up to 2-hours of light on high, 4.5-hours of light on medium, and 10-hours of light on low. It takes 3 hours to fully charge the battery with the 110V wall charger that is provided with the unit.

In addition to powering the work light, there is a USB port on the back panel next to the charging port so the power source can also charge a cell phone or power other USB devices. The USB port and charging port are protected by a rubber seal that folds out of the way to provide easy access to both ports.

The smaller of the two work lamps are the PWLR1110M. It is a 10-watt rechargeable LED work lamp that sits 10.75″ tall, 7″ wide and 6″ deep when it is unfolded, and it weighs only 2.1 lbs.

The base and handle are made from the same rugged 1/2″ steel tubing as the PWLR1120F making it very sturdy. The handle is also covered by a foam cushion at the top for a comfortable grip. The base is welded in an I-pattern so it is a, extremely sturdy platform to begin with. There are 4 circular neodymium magnetic feet on one side of the base that allow the work light to mount horizontally or vertically most steel surfaces. However, if the magnetic feet are in the way, you can simply flip the base over and utilize the four rubberized non-slip feet instead.

There are 18 LEDs sealed inside a rugged die-cast aluminum housing and protected by an impact-resistant glass lens. This light head can tilt 30° down and 90° up. It can also turn 360° left or right making it very easy to direct the light in any direction. The LEDs are capable of providing up to 900 lumen of light on high, 420 lumen on medium, and 220 lumens on the lowest setting. The color temperature is of the light is 5000K Bright White so whatever the light appeared bright and clear. The sealed power switch and the mode selector are separate buttons providing greater flexibility. In addition to the three brightness modes, the PWLR1110M also features a strobe mode.

The power source is a 7.4V, 4.4 Ah Lithium-Ion battery that will also hold a charge for as long as 18-months. It provides up to 3.5-hours of light on high, 6-hours of light on medium, and 12-hours of light on low. It takes 3-5 hours to fully charge the battery with the 110V wall charger that is provided with the light. It also includes a 12-volt car charger for greater flexibility. The charging port is protected by a rubber seal that folds out of the way to provide easy access to the port.

PowerSmith has a few other models cordless models available in addition to a wide selection of 110V corded LED work lamps and other products to choose from. All of the LED work lamps are protected by an outstanding two-year limited warranty.

To test out the lights, I thought I would use them on a home improvement project like those that I had to perform back when I was contracting. I just so happened to be working on a plumbing project that required me to change out a tub/shower valve. Each of the two lights provided plenty of light, with the PWLR1120F set to medium and the PWLR1110M set to high. I cycled each of them a few times and found the published runtimes and charge times to be fairly accurate, only varying by 10% or less. But of course, as with any rechargeable battery, every power cycle slowly reduces the amount of energy that can be stored.

Amazingly, the lights stayed cool to the touch throughout the entire project. Even after being on for hours. At one point, I even had the light sitting in my lap as I was soldering some copper fittings in the wall as I set the valve. Now that is definitely something that I could never have done with a 500-watt Halogen lamp. It would not even be possible with the smaller 300-watt Halogen light.

Final Thoughts

I really wish I these were available years ago… They would have made my life much easier as a plumbing contractor. Now that I’ve used them for a while, there is absolutely no way that I would let them go. The high-quality materials and workmanship is readily apparent. They don’t have that cheap feel that you find with many products. I use them as a work light, as a lantern, and even to light up my patio when I have guests over.

The only way that these work lights could be any better is if they powered by a couple removable 26650, 22650 or 18650 batteries allowing the operator to swap them out for fresh batteries, and to charge them with a high-end conditioning battery charger so they last longer.

Even with a moderately-high price of $78 for the PWLR1120F and $48 for the PWLR1110M on Amazon, the value that they provide is outstanding and far outways the higher cost of quality. I definitely plan to add a few more to my preps. Two thumbs way up!

 
For these worklights and other PowerSmith products, visit Amazon here.

About PowerSmith

Richpower Industries is currently located in upstate South Carolina, having been in business since 2003. Their high-quality products are manufactured to a high standard and specifications by their partner factories in China to keep costs down. They offer three distinct brands at different price points to meet the needs of their customers from do-it-yourselfers to professional tradesmen. You can find their products at many Hardware Stores, Lumber Yards, Discounters, and Independent Retailers throughout North and South America.