blacksmithden
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2018
- Messages
- 2
Good day all. I found the site while looking for a new headlamp. Wow...overwhelming amounts of information, and I need a little help. LOL.
First, a little background. I've been in the equipment maintenance game for over 30 years now. The first 10 were in automotive. The past 20 have been in the heavy equipment business, working as a mobile maintenance technician. An opportunity has presented itself to get into the mining equipment maintenance game ,and I've decided to take it.
I'll be the first to admit, I'm not nice to my stuff. It doesn't have to be the absolute top of the line, and it doesn't have to be able to jacklight deer at 3 miles. It does need to (pardon the cheche') take a licking and keep on ticking. I'll be moving around to different mines over the years, but the most likely first placement is located just above the arctic circle. I'll be in there for at least 2, and up to 6 weeks at a time. There are no stores to buy replacement anything. There's the mine, and then miles and miles and miles of baron, flat, featureless tundra. -50C (-56F) does happen in the winter and +20C (+68F) This thing will be hit, dropped, and be submerged in water along with every other type of fluid that was ever used in a piece of machinery.
Since we don't work directly in the mine, we aren't required to have explosion proof stuff, but they do frown on lithium batteries apparently. The cheapest LED headlamp on the market would be ok for use in the shop. The company does supply AAA batteries, but you're on your own for the light itself.
I don't mind putting out good money for good products. I hate putting out ANY money for junk, and I hate paying 100% more for stuff for a 1% gain.
My main need is "it can't break". I'm not saying it has to be able to take endless hammer blows right to the lens, but it does need to stand up to a fair bit of abuse. Did I mention that there's NO place to buy a replacement ? I also need it to have a head strap. I'd rather knock it off and have to put it back on a hard hat than have it rigidly mounted, and have the mounting point break off from an impact. Usage will be intermittent throughout 12 hour shifts. Extreme brightness is ok, just as long as it can be turned down as required for the application. The one other thing is that it has to be able to swivel up and down as required.
Yes, I will be buying a cheapy backup, but I really don't want to have to purchase a new main light very often.
Money is always an object of consideration, but its buy FAR, not my main consideration. Like I said...I don't mind paying a pretty penny for gear if I'm getting value for money, and not just marketing BS.
So...given all THAT....what would you buy ? Thanks in advance guys.
Den.....
First, a little background. I've been in the equipment maintenance game for over 30 years now. The first 10 were in automotive. The past 20 have been in the heavy equipment business, working as a mobile maintenance technician. An opportunity has presented itself to get into the mining equipment maintenance game ,and I've decided to take it.
I'll be the first to admit, I'm not nice to my stuff. It doesn't have to be the absolute top of the line, and it doesn't have to be able to jacklight deer at 3 miles. It does need to (pardon the cheche') take a licking and keep on ticking. I'll be moving around to different mines over the years, but the most likely first placement is located just above the arctic circle. I'll be in there for at least 2, and up to 6 weeks at a time. There are no stores to buy replacement anything. There's the mine, and then miles and miles and miles of baron, flat, featureless tundra. -50C (-56F) does happen in the winter and +20C (+68F) This thing will be hit, dropped, and be submerged in water along with every other type of fluid that was ever used in a piece of machinery.
Since we don't work directly in the mine, we aren't required to have explosion proof stuff, but they do frown on lithium batteries apparently. The cheapest LED headlamp on the market would be ok for use in the shop. The company does supply AAA batteries, but you're on your own for the light itself.
I don't mind putting out good money for good products. I hate putting out ANY money for junk, and I hate paying 100% more for stuff for a 1% gain.
My main need is "it can't break". I'm not saying it has to be able to take endless hammer blows right to the lens, but it does need to stand up to a fair bit of abuse. Did I mention that there's NO place to buy a replacement ? I also need it to have a head strap. I'd rather knock it off and have to put it back on a hard hat than have it rigidly mounted, and have the mounting point break off from an impact. Usage will be intermittent throughout 12 hour shifts. Extreme brightness is ok, just as long as it can be turned down as required for the application. The one other thing is that it has to be able to swivel up and down as required.
Yes, I will be buying a cheapy backup, but I really don't want to have to purchase a new main light very often.
Money is always an object of consideration, but its buy FAR, not my main consideration. Like I said...I don't mind paying a pretty penny for gear if I'm getting value for money, and not just marketing BS.
So...given all THAT....what would you buy ? Thanks in advance guys.
Den.....