Klein has come out with a new clamping LED flashlight, 56029.
There are a couple of features I haven’t seen before on a light like this. First, the flashlight can stand up, unsupported. That pale colored part of the flashlight head housing? It glows in the dark and energizes when the flashlight is on (or exposed to sunlight or other strong lights).
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The head rotates a full 360°, and pivots up to 90°, so you can aim the light wherever you need it. It can be clamped to various materials, and ladders too.
There are 2 brightness modes.
- High: 250 lumens, 8hr runtime
- Low: 125 lumens, 10hr runtime
It’s rated to IP54 for dust and water resistance.
And if you need to use it handheld? The Klein clamping light folds down and can be held with a regular flashlight-style grip.
Klein says it can handle 10-foot drops, and it can work in extreme temperatures from -20°F to 120°F.
It’s powered by 4x AA batteries.
Price: ~$39
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
First Thoughts
There’s one thing I don’t quite get. 8 hour runtime for the 250 lumen brightness setting, but only 10 hours at 125 lumens? But that’s the only thing I’m unsure about. The design looks sound, and the features well thought out.
The glow in the dark head looks to be a nice touch. Glow in the dark flashlights, like my Pelican, seem to draw mixed opinions.
Klein makes glow in the dark screwdrivers, and also glow-handled pliers. The glow aspect can be a convenience. But in the case of this worklight, it’s a fringe feature that you can ignore if you don’t find it helpful, but maybe it will come in handy.
The pricing seems reasonable for a multi-featured worklight like this. Some might cry “but I can get more lumens for less!,” but I think that this light’s specs justify the price. It’s drop rated to 10 feet, it’s waterproof and dust resistant to a IP54 specs, which seals it against dust and protects against splashing water, and it has a rotating and pivoting head. There’s also the clamp.
Seems like a handy new flashlight.
Promo Video:
Hilton says
Assuming it take rechargeable batteries then why not.
I bought a Makita LED light that uses an 18v Makita battery and I never thought I would use it that much. I like that the Klein can clamp though.
Hilton says
Also great for keeping in the car in case you need to change a flat in the dark.
I think I’m going to spring for one of these.
Jared says
I like flashlights. I use them a lot around my farm – locking gates at night, working on machinery etc. I don’t get too caught up in maximizing lumens per dollar – I’ve got a Dewalt flashlight that’s only rated at 110 lumens that I use all the time since, with all my batteries on hand, I can power it for days. Despite the measly 110 lumen output, it has a wide spill with a pencil-beam hotspot in the center which I find quite useful. With that in mind, I recognize there’s more features here than just the light output.
Still, 250 lumen max output for a light coming out in 2018 is a bit underwhelming. Maybe in-person the build quality will be impressive enough to justify the price. Klein certainly has the brand reputation to charge a bit of a premium for a product like this. Maybe the street price will be a bit lower too.
I like lensed flashlights like this because they provide really even light distribution. Good for worklights where they aren’t positioned too far from the object being illuminated.
Pete says
Looks neat. Personally i would rather have a smaller form factor light. But this looks like it has its place.
pete says
Does it have a magnified lense?
I HATE magnified lenses. In my experience cheap lights use the magnifier to overcome having poor out put from the crappy LED emitter.
Adam Argue says
This is a cool light and something we could use in the HVAC industry. The downside is where I would use it most, in a attic, here in Oklahoma in the summer attics are pushing 140 degrees so I would like to see how it could handle that.
Kyle says
Who else remembers the Snake Light?
Wayne R. says
Still got one, upgraded with an LED. Still don’t use it much…
Rob says
Still have one too. Pretty sure I only ever used it a couple times and now it has permanent residence on the shelf in my garage.
fred says
I like this form factor.
I bought a Stanley 95-891 – clamp light in 2010 – then selling for $29.98:
https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-95-891-Heavy-Clamp-Light/dp/B002NW9MQQ
Its a little clunky to use.
I bought a Blackfire BBM910 in 2014 that I like a bit better – it can clamp on or stand up resting on its open clamp:
https://www.amazon.com/Blackfire-BBM910-230-Lumen-Flashlight-Lantern/dp/B00D4N04ME/
Blackfire makes a few different models – one or two that look a bit like this Klein and sell for less. Amazon list the BBM888-2 model at $22.96 as an “Amazon Choice”
Daniel says
I do Kyle, still use it too.
Nathan says
I bet they stopped at the 120 F rating because of OSHA values. I bet the light works fine in those attics.
Also I wonder if that run time is based on nominal aa batteries and not quality ones. Eitherway looks good. I thought for a moment about the snake lights too.
totally see this as useful and probably a good addition to not only the car packout – but in a tool bag.
Joe says
Unless you specifically want a Klein light, the other major tool brands have lights covered…