Rechargeable Headlamp for Bench Work

JatoTheRipper

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Jan 6, 2019
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Hi All. I am looking for a rechargeable LED headlamp that I will use for working on my hobbies at my workbench. My hobbies include guns and hobby grade radio control vehicles so I want something bright for up close work, but not something so bright that it's going to be blinding or wash things out. I may also use it to work on my motorcycles. It will NOT be used for long distance like you need on hikes and walks. I prefer something that is plug-in rechargeable rather than having to remove and replace batteries to charge them on a separate charger. What would you recommend? Thank you.
 

Zak

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Aug 12, 2016
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Armytek Elf C2, warm. Try to buy from a dealer rather than Armytek direct, as there have been some issues with shipping lately.

It has a honeycomb TIR optic that produces a wide beam without a distinct hotspot, instead growing smoothly more intense toward the center. There are several brightness levels, and I'm sure one will be suited to your needs. It charges the included 18650 battery internally from MicroUSB, but it's also possible to use third-party 18650 batteries, and to charge the included battery in a separate charger should the need ever arise.
 

Bicycleflyer

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I use a Streamlight "Bandit" to fill out paperwork in a dark/cold cockpit. Very floody and nice for close up work. In fact it is so floody that it does not need a tilt mechanism. Micro USB rechargeable and includes a hat clip. I think it would work well for you.
 

AVService

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I can't really use a rechargeable for Bench work because when in the middle of something I don't want to stop to recharge.
Really a deal stopper to me.

But I use ZL or Olight or even Fenix headlamps all the time for close in stuff and each are fine for that too.

The Streamlights that I have seem to suffer short run time or narrow spot beams and neither have been great for me here.
 

Lynx_Arc

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I have 2 18650 headlamps that are suitable, one is a Fenix HL60R and the other a Wowtac A2S.
You can swap out 18650 batteries in either of them.
The A2S comes with a battery that has a built in charger (micro USB)
The HL60R has a charging port built into it.
Both have long enough runtime on the lower modes to suffice working all day so you can recharge later after you are done.
I used the A2S at work for 2 days without recharging in all modes with shorter runs on the high and Turbo modes mostly on the low and medium modes.
 

JatoTheRipper

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I use a Streamlight "Bandit" to fill out paperwork in a dark/cold cockpit. Very floody and nice for close up work. In fact it is so floody that it does not need a tilt mechanism. Micro USB rechargeable and includes a hat clip. I think it would work well for you.

Interesting. I didn't expect such a low price from Streamlight. I'm going to consider that one. Thank you.

I can't really use a rechargeable for Bench work because when in the middle of something I don't want to stop to recharge.
Really a deal stopper to me.

But I use ZL or Olight or even Fenix headlamps all the time for close in stuff and each are fine for that too.

The Streamlights that I have seem to suffer short run time or narrow spot beams and neither have been great for me here.

I definitely don't want short run time. Charging port and also the ability to change batteries is ideal. Thank you.

I have 2 18650 headlamps that are suitable, one is a Fenix HL60R and the other a Wowtac A2S.
You can swap out 18650 batteries in either of them.
The A2S comes with a battery that has a built in charger (micro USB)
The HL60R has a charging port built into it.
Both have long enough runtime on the lower modes to suffice working all day so you can recharge later after you are done.
I used the A2S at work for 2 days without recharging in all modes with shorter runs on the high and Turbo modes mostly on the low and medium modes.

Good options! Which one do you prefer? Thanks.
 

Lynx_Arc

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Good options! Which one do you prefer? Thanks.
Surpringly I prefer the Wowtac A2S as I bought a single strap headband for it instead of using the factory band and you can step through low-medium-high without any problems and double click to turbo and hold the button when turning on for super low mode. The Fenix steps through red/super low/low/medium/high/turbo and repeats this. I find the red mode rather useless and turbo has its uses but you realize the runtime is rather short when using it. I use my headlamps on low/medium/high with super low not useful mostly too dim except in total darkness with adjusted eyes. I also find the cover for the micro usb charger on the Fenix hard to handle while unscrewing the A2S and plugging the battery into a mico usb cable is not a problem. I also like that you can remove the A2S and use it as a right angle flashlight separately while the fenix is only a headlamp. The last issue with the Fenix is if you pay full price it costs over twice that of the A2S and comes with a smaller capacity battery (3400mah for the A2S vs 2600 for the Fenix). The charging advantage of the Fenix is negated by the clumsiness of the charging port plug which I found a struggle getting it off and back on. The A2S has 2 color options.... cool white and neutral white while the fenix is white only (cool white).
Since I got the fenix half price on sale it almost negates the cost issue for me as it was only about $10 more.
Since the A2S costs so little I'm more likely to use it in harsh environments I've used it at work and dropped it several times with no discernible damage even at a 20ft drop I must have gotten lucky as only a scratch and it still works fine no glass breakage in the reflector even.
They make an A2 model that is about half the output of the A2S and costs about 2/3 as much with a smaller battery but I recommend spending extra on the A2S as for me the modes are more useful low is bright enough for a lot of things and medium will do almost anything else while on the As you will probably find yourself using Low a lot less and high a lot more.
 

JatoTheRipper

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Surpringly I prefer the Wowtac A2S as I bought a single strap headband for it instead of using the factory band and you can step through low-medium-high without any problems and double click to turbo and hold the button when turning on for super low mode. The Fenix steps through red/super low/low/medium/high/turbo and repeats this. I find the red mode rather useless and turbo has its uses but you realize the runtime is rather short when using it. I use my headlamps on low/medium/high with super low not useful mostly too dim except in total darkness with adjusted eyes. I also find the cover for the micro usb charger on the Fenix hard to handle while unscrewing the A2S and plugging the battery into a mico usb cable is not a problem. I also like that you can remove the A2S and use it as a right angle flashlight separately while the fenix is only a headlamp. The last issue with the Fenix is if you pay full price it costs over twice that of the A2S and comes with a smaller capacity battery (3400mah for the A2S vs 2600 for the Fenix). The charging advantage of the Fenix is negated by the clumsiness of the charging port plug which I found a struggle getting it off and back on. The A2S has 2 color options.... cool white and neutral white while the fenix is white only (cool white).
Since I got the fenix half price on sale it almost negates the cost issue for me as it was only about $10 more.
Since the A2S costs so little I'm more likely to use it in harsh environments I've used it at work and dropped it several times with no discernible damage even at a 20ft drop I must have gotten lucky as only a scratch and it still works fine no glass breakage in the reflector even.
They make an A2 model that is about half the output of the A2S and costs about 2/3 as much with a smaller battery but I recommend spending extra on the A2S as for me the modes are more useful low is bright enough for a lot of things and medium will do almost anything else while on the As you will probably find yourself using Low a lot less and high a lot more.

That is surprising because I've read so much good about Fenix. Fenix does have some detachable, right angle flashlight headlamps as well. I'm not sure how they compare in regards to comfort, but the detachable flashlight style seems like it could be very handy.

ArmyTek seems to do detachable flashlight headbands differently. Do you have any feedback on those?

I'm not opposed to spending money on a good headlamp if it's bright, comfortable, reliable and long lasting on a charge.
 

Lynx_Arc

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I don't have any experience with the other headlamps at all. I was looking at getting a Fenix HL50 or other brand of 1AA headlamp but after a lot of research found the battery format was lacking the power to give me acceptable output for long enough runtime. I've read negatives about the Wowtac 3400 rechargeable batteries people having them die after very few cycles but even if that battery doesn't last I have other 18650s I pulled from old laptop batteries that work in it and a small lithium ion charger or power bank kits to recharge cells.
I had someone at work I showed my Wowtac to going through the modes and shining it on things for a few days that bought a cheap chinese headlamp that takes 2 18650s in a rear pack and has 3 separate LED reflectored in a clump on front that looks impressive but the output doesn't even look like it does over 300 lumens. My Wowtac on high puts out more and on turbo it swallows his up whole.
I'm gussing his headlamp, the extra batteries and charger costs as much as my Wowtac.
Both of my headlamps I've found working on my car in the daytime make good use of the Turbo or highest output as you are looking deep into the engine and your eyes are shut down by the bright light around you having 900+ lumens on demand is a definite plus. On high or around 400 lumens or so it is almost not enough to see deep down when I dropped on the side of the engine.
One other point of notice. The way the two headlamps I have shift modes is different and when I go from one headlamp to another I have to remember how to shift modes. The Fenix you hold the button down and bump it to go up to the next mode while the Wowtac just click and hold it will keep cycling to the next mode till you get to the right one. I tend to like the Wowtac's mode switching and setup better than the Fenix. I'm sure other headlamps/light switch modes similarly to these two.
I like Fenix myself but I sometimes find their products are at a more premium price considering they are made in the same country as other brands and find their choice of emitters often end up with less desireable LED tints. The Wowtac tint is yellowish pink compared to the Fenix which is more of a greenish tint. It is most noticeable on high. I'm not a tint snow nor do I automatically like warm white but the Neutral white of Wowtac IMO is a more pleasing color compared to the sort of washed out green of the Fenix.
 

JatoTheRipper

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Jan 6, 2019
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I don't have any experience with the other headlamps at all. I was looking at getting a Fenix HL50 or other brand of 1AA headlamp but after a lot of research found the battery format was lacking the power to give me acceptable output for long enough runtime. I've read negatives about the Wowtac 3400 rechargeable batteries people having them die after very few cycles but even if that battery doesn't last I have other 18650s I pulled from old laptop batteries that work in it and a small lithium ion charger or power bank kits to recharge cells.
I had someone at work I showed my Wowtac to going through the modes and shining it on things for a few days that bought a cheap chinese headlamp that takes 2 18650s in a rear pack and has 3 separate LED reflectored in a clump on front that looks impressive but the output doesn't even look like it does over 300 lumens. My Wowtac on high puts out more and on turbo it swallows his up whole.
I'm gussing his headlamp, the extra batteries and charger costs as much as my Wowtac.
Both of my headlamps I've found working on my car in the daytime make good use of the Turbo or highest output as you are looking deep into the engine and your eyes are shut down by the bright light around you having 900+ lumens on demand is a definite plus. On high or around 400 lumens or so it is almost not enough to see deep down when I dropped on the side of the engine.
One other point of notice. The way the two headlamps I have shift modes is different and when I go from one headlamp to another I have to remember how to shift modes. The Fenix you hold the button down and bump it to go up to the next mode while the Wowtac just click and hold it will keep cycling to the next mode till you get to the right one. I tend to like the Wowtac's mode switching and setup better than the Fenix. I'm sure other headlamps/light switch modes similarly to these two.
I like Fenix myself but I sometimes find their products are at a more premium price considering they are made in the same country as other brands and find their choice of emitters often end up with less desireable LED tints. The Wowtac tint is yellowish pink compared to the Fenix which is more of a greenish tint. It is most noticeable on high. I'm not a tint snow nor do I automatically like warm white but the Neutral white of Wowtac IMO is a more pleasing color compared to the sort of washed out green of the Fenix.

Thank you for continuing to share good information!

Green tint isn't good.

Does any comment besides Wowtac sell the batteries with the built in charging port or are they proprietary?
 

Lynx_Arc

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Tulsa,OK
Thank you for continuing to share good information!

Green tint isn't good.

Does any comment besides Wowtac sell the batteries with the built in charging port or are they proprietary?
The Wowtac batteries have a micro usb input port works with any micro usb charging solution and even has an indicator LED to show charging and finished (red/green). The greenish tint on the Fenix isn't noticeable unless you compare it with something else.
The Wowtac is made by Nitecore from what I've heard and they make flashlights also but I have no experience with them.
 

JatoTheRipper

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The Wowtac batteries have a micro usb input port works with any micro usb charging solution and even has an indicator LED to show charging and finished (red/green). The greenish tint on the Fenix isn't noticeable unless you compare it with something else.
The Wowtac is made by Nitecore from what I've heard and they make flashlights also but I have no experience with them.

Sorry, but what I meant was does any company besides Wowtac sell the replacement batteries with the charging port built into them? If there is a potential short life with Wowtac I'm hoping there are alternative options.
 

AVService

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Messages
2,163
I thought you said you did not buy the HL50?

Mine is terrific and the tint is not green but instead the first Fenix that I own with a neutral tint.
The HL50 is also unique in that it can use a 123 or AA battery and I have never used mine on 123. This was really the reason I bought mine and I use it in an AA all day long on t=a medium setting and maybe 2 batteries a day but it is worth it to me for the versatility.
The light is also the most comfortable HL that I own I think,it has a better band in my experience than others that I have used a lot.

The different mode switching is annoying for sure but which one has it wrong?
I don't have any experience with the other headlamps at all. I was looking at getting a Fenix HL50 or other brand of 1AA headlamp but after a lot of research found the battery format was lacking the power to give me acceptable output for long enough runtime. I've read negatives about the Wowtac 3400 rechargeable batteries people having them die after very few cycles but even if that battery doesn't last I have other 18650s I pulled from old laptop batteries that work in it and a small lithium ion charger or power bank kits to recharge cells.
I had someone at work I showed my Wowtac to going through the modes and shining it on things for a few days that bought a cheap chinese headlamp that takes 2 18650s in a rear pack and has 3 separate LED reflectored in a clump on front that looks impressive but the output doesn't even look like it does over 300 lumens. My Wowtac on high puts out more and on turbo it swallows his up whole.
I'm gussing his headlamp, the extra batteries and charger costs as much as my Wowtac.
Both of my headlamps I've found working on my car in the daytime make good use of the Turbo or highest output as you are looking deep into the engine and your eyes are shut down by the bright light around you having 900+ lumens on demand is a definite plus. On high or around 400 lumens or so it is almost not enough to see deep down when I dropped on the side of the engine.
One other point of notice. The way the two headlamps I have shift modes is different and when I go from one headlamp to another I have to remember how to shift modes. The Fenix you hold the button down and bump it to go up to the next mode while the Wowtac just click and hold it will keep cycling to the next mode till you get to the right one. I tend to like the Wowtac's mode switching and setup better than the Fenix. I'm sure other headlamps/light switch modes similarly to these two.
I like Fenix myself but I sometimes find their products are at a more premium price considering they are made in the same country as other brands and find their choice of emitters often end up with less desireable LED tints. The Wowtac tint is yellowish pink compared to the Fenix which is more of a greenish tint. It is most noticeable on high. I'm not a tint snow nor do I automatically like warm white but the Neutral white of Wowtac IMO is a more pleasing color compared to the sort of washed out green of the Fenix.
 

AVService

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Messages
2,163
Sorry, but what I meant was does any company besides Wowtac sell the replacement batteries with the charging port built into them? If there is a potential short life with Wowtac I'm hoping there are alternative options.

Fenix.Olight.Nitecore,Klarus and I'm sure there are others too.
 

Lynx_Arc

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I thought you said you did not buy the HL50?

Mine is terrific and the tint is not green but instead the first Fenix that I own with a neutral tint.
The HL50 is also unique in that it can use a 123 or AA battery and I have never used mine on 123. This was really the reason I bought mine and I use it in an AA all day long on t=a medium setting and maybe 2 batteries a day but it is worth it to me for the versatility.
The light is also the most comfortable HL that I own I think,it has a better band in my experience than others that I have used a lot.

The different mode switching is annoying for sure but which one has it wrong?

I didn't buy the HL50..... I did buy the HL60R. The reason I didn't buy the HL50 is the output and runtime is inadequate for my needs it barely succeeds running CR123s but I need something that can use rechargeable batteries as at times I would use it rather heavily.
 

AVService

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I didn't buy the HL50..... I did buy the HL60R. The reason I didn't buy the HL50 is the output and runtime is inadequate for my needs it barely succeeds running CR123s but I need something that can use rechargeable batteries as at times I would use it rather heavily.
Well you went off talking abut the tint and I was confused about which light you meant.

Also I run mine on Eneloops just fine,sure it requires more of them but I prefer the AA if I can get away with them.

I have almost snagged an HL60 several times because I am so happy with the HL50 too!
 

Lynx_Arc

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Well you went off talking abut the tint and I was confused about which light you meant.

Also I run mine on Eneloops just fine,sure it requires more of them but I prefer the AA if I can get away with them.

I have almost snagged an HL60 several times because I am so happy with the HL50 too!
The HL60R is well made I got it on sale half price from Academy Sports took a lot of effort to get one at the sale price.
As I have previously been using an old Rayovac 1AA headlamp that sports a luxeon 1 LED with about 30 lumens at 1.5 hours off an duraloop. I got rather tired of it conking out on me in use and having to stop and change the battery when you are under a car or almost finished doing anything and interrupted. I remember working under a house installing a package unit and had 2 spare batteries for my headlamp and almost needing a spare light to change the battery when I dropped the last unused one. I've found at times the medium 120-140 lumen mode works best for some tasks and the HL50 can't do that all day without a battery swap plus costs $15-$20 more than the Wowtac A2S. You can get the lower output A2 for about $8-$10 less with about half the output but more runtime.
 

JatoTheRipper

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I just can't get over the fact that the Wowtac looks cheap especially with that dollar store push button cover on the end. No issues with the push button?
 

Zak

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Aug 12, 2016
Messages
257
Wowtac is made by Thrunite, not Nitecore.

I have experience with Armytek's plastic holder and many of the rubber ones. Armytek's design is more comfortable, and more convenient to install/remove.
 
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