A Review of the Energizer® Hard Case® Professional LED Inspection Light

ericjohn

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Jul 12, 2011
Messages
575
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1 Alpha Louisiana
This review is also on my blog:

https://ericjohnmonier.com/2018/07/...-hard-case-professional-led-inspection-light/


Here it is without further a do:
I am a self-taught computer technician. I've been working on computers, as a hobby but also out of necessity, since my late teen years. That is almost a decade and a half, actually at the time I am writing this article (July 16, 2018).


Since about 2014, I've been trying to assemble an EDC kit for when I am servicing any kind of computer.


In July of 2018, I think I almost have the right gear combination:
An incandescent Mini Maglite-just because it is a tried and true flashlight and I like flashlights.
A Texas Instruments TI-36 X Pro-a bit overkill, but may be needed to assist a computer programmer or computer engineer.
A SanDisk 16 GB flash drive-storing all of my latest operating system .ISO files.
A Victorinox Cyber Tool S-coming soon in the mail.
An Energizer® Hard Case® Professional LED Inspection Light-for inspecting the inside of a computer while it's turned on.
A Baval Portable PU Hard Storage Case-to conveniently store and carry all of these items.


This review will focus on the Energizer® Hard Case® Inspection Light and how I think it is a winner for working on computers.


I have wanted one of these flashlights since about November 2016, but no one would stock them either locally or online. I tried every brick and mortar store in my area, but not a single one sold them. I also did an extensive online search but had no real results.


Then in June of 2017, I was shopping at my local NAPA Auto Parts dealer for a headlight bulb and as usual, looked at the flashlight section of the store.

There I saw it on display.

I knew I would be buying one soon.


That following July I purchased it. I have EDCed it very much ever since.


Yes, it is an excellent flashlight for auto mechanic work, don't get me wrong. That is probably why it was sold at a NAPA Auto Parts store. It is very rugged. It is water and chemical resistant. It is bright enough but not too bright. And it is non-conductive.


However, it is equally, if not more useful in the field of Information Technology.


Unlike it's bigger brother, the 2AA model, it runs on 2 AAA batteries and has only one brightness setting, with a light output of 100 Lumens. This makes it bright enough for navigating around a dark server room or working late into the night but dim enough for close up work when inspecting the inside of a server mainframe.


The runtime is 4.5 hours on a set of Alkaline batteries, which should be enough for at least a days to maybe a week's worth of work, depending on how dark the job site actually is.


This flashlight is compact enough to fit inside a breast pocket or side pants pocket and features a sturdy, but removable metal pocket clip.


The switch is a forward clicky, which allows for momentary illumination.


What really makes this flashlight stand out though for use in the IT field is the fact that it is constructed of non-conductive Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and the one exterior metal piece, the pocket clip, is completely removable.


The reason why this feature is so important to me is because this flashlight can be used while servicing the inside of a computer while it is turned on. If the flashlight is accidentally dropped inside the tower or mainframe, it won't short out any of the circuitry (provided the metal clip was removed.) Also, the technician won't be shocked if he or she is holding the flashlight and it comes in contact with a live electrical circuit (again provided the metal clip is removed.) Also, the flashlight is rated to survive a 7 Meter drop on hard concrete. This should well exceed the durability requirements for an IT professional.


I have two suggestions on improving this flashlight:
Let the pocket clip still be removable, but instead make it out of a non-conductive plastic, so the user doesn't have to remove it when working on a live circuit.

My other suggestion is for the color of the LED. Instead of Neutral White, I think it should be a Warm White, so the user can better recognize the color coded parts inside of a computer or other machine being worked on. A Neutral White LED while not as bad as a Cool White LED, still doesn't show true color rendition of the object it illuminates. A Warm White LED, however, has the best color rendition that LED technology currently has to offer and is almost as accurate as an Incandescent flashlight.


I also think Energizer should market this flashlight more, especially to the IT professionals but also HVAC or Appliance Technicians and Electricians.

All in all, I give this flashlight a rating of 4.75 out of 5 Stars!
 

Derek Dean

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
2,426
Location
Monterey, CA
Thanks for the review. I appreciated your thoughts about it's usefulness for IT work. It sounds like you've put together a nice service kit. I know we have quite a few other service tech members on CPF, and many of them have found a small headlamp to be invaluable when working up close, leaving both hands free to fiddle around with stuff. It might be worth looking into as a future addition to your kit.

One final thought, for many of us, the shape of the beam is very important (as well as the color of the light), and it's always helpful when checking out a review to be able to see a few photos showing the beam profile, both up close to a wall (or computer), and at a distance, as this helps us see how useful the beam might be for our own particular application. Just a thought.

In any case, thanks again for the nice review : )
 

ericjohn

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 12, 2011
Messages
575
Location
1 Alpha Louisiana
Re: A Review of the Energizer® Hard Case® Professional LED Inspection Light

Thanks for the review. I appreciated your thoughts about it's usefulness for IT work. It sounds like you've put together a nice service kit. I know we have quite a few other service tech members on CPF, and many of them have found a small headlamp to be invaluable when working up close, leaving both hands free to fiddle around with stuff. It might be worth looking into as a future addition to your kit.

One final thought, for many of us, the shape of the beam is very important (as well as the color of the light), and it's always helpful when checking out a review to be able to see a few photos showing the beam profile, both up close to a wall (or computer), and at a distance, as this helps us see how useful the beam might be for our own particular application. Just a thought.

In any case, thanks again for the nice review : )

Thank you for your kind words!

I'll try to do some beam shots.

Let me set the record straight though and say that I have absolutely no formal training when it comes to repairing computers. I am 100% self taught, with the exception of talking to tech support over the phone in my teen years and having quite a few smart friends who guide me every now and then. When I come across something I'm not sure of, Google usually produces enought information that I can piece a solution together. Technically I guess my smartphone, an LG V KV8 VS500, should be included in my computer tools, because it helps me find an answer or solution when I have no other means of getting Internet acces. I am not employed in the field of computer repair or anything else, but I do fix peoples' computers when my help is needed as a last resort before throwing the computer out and usually I can breathe new life into what became an expensive boat anchor. I get a lot of help, so I try to help others when I can.

I am however, formally trained in HVAC/R and my professor was (now retired) a multi talented individual, who was very gifted with computers in addition to HVAC and Electrical.

The school went far downhill after he retired...

I cannot do HVAC/R work in South Louisiana because the medication I am dependent on puts me at severe risk of heat stroke nor in any other part of the country because of the overly sedating side effects...

I do, in fact, have two entry level Energizer LED headlamps, but it never dawned on me to use them for computer work, like I said, its more or less something I do as a hobby...
 

drexter

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 30, 2018
Messages
27
Location
Fl
Re: A Review of the Energizer® Hard Case® Professional LED Inspection Light

Nice review. What I like about Energizer flashlights is that they are decent and affordable.
 
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