Modding my 18W Ryobi

[cary1952]

I purchased a 7 pack of their tools at home depot. One of the tools was a light. Any mods or LED drop ins for this light? The reflector and pattern is terrible, but it seems someone should have tried this. See this light at http://www.ryobitools.com/power/tool/p700c/

Cary in S. Dakota

 

[snowleopard]

That's 18 V (18 volts not watts). I just got the same light with some tools. Modding it is a good idea. It uses an 18V 6A bulb labeled KPR.
First step: there's got to be better incandescent/xenon bulbs that just drop in.
A first search through CPF finds:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-46787.html
Perhaps a Carley 717, but my first search online finds nothing. I suspect it might be hard to find.
Maybe using a dropping resistor on some easy to find bulb?
Second step: LEDs? Is 18V an awkward voltage for LEDs?
--Walter (aka snowleopard)

 

[Navck]

You can always use a buck circut that can handle 18 volts and make it something that a Luxeon can use or LED Cluster.

 

[savumaki]

If the bats. are as sad as what is in my 14V I wouldn't even bother.
I got two bats with my unit about a 18 mon ago and now niether one is worth a s--t. I took one apart and checked them (1500 mah) sub C units. To replace them with something respectable would cost a fortune.
Oh well, another unit down the tubes.

Karl

 

[snowleopard]

Savumaki said: "If the bats. are as sad as what is in my 14V I wouldn't even bother." I have a 12V drill that's pretty wimpy, probably because of the batteries. These batteries do a lot better driving drill and circular saw, so they have some oomph to them. I can't find any specs online on the battery.

Navck said: "You can always use a buck circut that can handle 18 volts and make it something that a Luxeon can use or LED Cluster." Can you give us a pointer to a circuit?

--Walter (aka snowleopard)