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Milwaukee makes more work lights than most people realise — from a pen light that runs on AAA cells to a tower light that lights a whole site. Picking the right one is mostly about matching the beam to the job, not chasing the biggest lumen number.

Here is the range, sorted by what you are actually trying to light.

Lighting your hands

Small, personal, always-with-you lights.

• IPL-LED Pen Light — 100 lumens on AAA alkalines. Lives in a shirt pocket.
• L4 NL400-301 Neck Light — 400 lumens, USB rechargeable, hangs round your neck so the beam follows your hands. Underrated for anyone working two-handed in a cabinet.
• M12 SL-0 Stick Light — 220 lumens, M12 battery, thin enough to drop into a gap.

Lighting a work area

The bracket you use most: one or two people working in a defined space.

• M12 PAL-0 Pivot Area Light — 700 lumens, compact, pivots to aim.
• M18 AL-0 Area Light — 1,500 lumens on M18.
• M18 PAL2-0 Pivoting Area Light — the M18 pivoting version, for aiming light into a corner rather than at a ceiling.
• M18 TAL-0 Task and Area Light — 2,200 lumens, the general-purpose choice.
• M18 HOAL-0 High Performance Area Light — 4,000 lumens when you want the whole room lit properly.

Lighting a room or a floor

When a crew needs to see, not just a person.

• M18 MDTL-0 Multi-Directional Task Light — 4,500 lumens thrown in several directions at once.
• M18 ONERSAL-0 Remote Stand Light — 5,400 lumens on a stand, with remote control. Useful when the light is mounted high and you are not.
• M18 HOSALC-0 High Output Stand Area Light and Charger — 6,000 lumens, and it charges a pack while it runs.
• M18 UBL-0 Utility Light and M18 ABL-0 Boom Light — 2,500 lumens each, for getting light up and over an obstruction.

Lighting a whole site

The MX FUEL tower lights are a different class again: MXF TL-0 Tower Light for full site coverage, and the MXF TLIC-0 Compact Tower Light when a full tower is more than you need. Both run on MX FUEL batteries rather than a generator.

Specialist lights worth knowing about

• M12 CML-0 Paint and Detailing Colour Match Light — for anyone matching paint or inspecting a finish. A normal work light lies to you about colour.
• M12 UHL-0 Underhood Light — 1,350 lumens, built to span an engine bay. Automotive workshops only, but indispensable there.
• M18 SLED-0 Search Light — a focused beam for looking down a long run, duct or shaft.
• M18 LL-0 Lantern Light — 700 lumens, 180 to 360 degrees, for soft all-round light.
• M18 ALIS-0 Service Area Light — 1,000 lumens, compact service work.

PACKOUT lights

If you already run PACKOUT boxes, these mount straight onto the system: the M18 POALC-0 PACKOUT Area Light and Charger at 3,000 lumens, the M12 POAL-0 PACKOUT Area Light at 1,400, and the M12 ALIP-0 PACKOUT Cleat Light.

Three things to get right

Beam shape beats lumens. A 1,500 lumen area light that spreads evenly is more useful in a room than a 2,500 lumen spot. Match the beam to the space.

Glare is the enemy. A bright light pointed at head height blinds the person opposite you. Aim at the ceiling or the work, not across the room.

Lights are the best use of your old batteries. A tired pack that sags under a grinder will run an area light for hours. Keep your older batteries for lighting and your good ones for cutting.

Related guides

• M18 vs M12: which battery platform should you buy?
• MX FUEL explained: petrol-free equipment for Singapore sites
• Milwaukee FORCE LOGIC: hydraulic crimpers, cutters and knockout tools

Where to buy

The Milwaukee lighting range is in stock at A.C.T. Hardware — see the full Milwaukee catalogue, or come and see the beam spread for yourself at either showroom. Lighting is one thing that genuinely does not translate from a spec sheet.

Geylang showroom
645 Geylang Road, Singapore 389575
+65 6546 7446

Nordcom Two
2 Gambas Crescent #03-19, Nordcom Two, Singapore 757044
+65 6255 3446