Since we get asked a lot, here's the charge meter thing that has held up best for us: amzn.to/3P3UoVw The Winners: amzn.to/43RZuIF www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/pcfold/pro-charge-wireless-rechargeable-folding-850lm-work-light shop.snapon.com/product/Articulating-(Lighting)/600-Lumen-Rechargeable-Battery-Flex-Light-(Red)/ECARG068 Suggest more light types you want to see tested head to head! As always, the creator of this channel is working in product development for Astro Tools which includes lights like these, always best to consider multiple sources when looking at a tool!
you need to retest the icon on the drop test. how many times have we all dropped our phones and they are fine but that one time the screen will crack if it hits just right. i just find it hard to believe that the icon shit the bed after 1 drop.
i use the milwaukee folding light and its been pretty awesome id love to see it compared aswell as the mac one thats rectengle with 2 hooks and magnets
@@the_chomper It's a reasonable point. We discussed it over here. But we've tested nearly 80 lights, some of them also doing poorly in drop testing. And none of them were repurchased to take a second swing at things, so it seems unfair to give one a second chance without buying another 80 lights and re-doing everything. But we agree a result like that could be a fluke, also worth factoring the consistency you might expect from a brand.
@coltenstinnett9543 The straight out of China light's manual literally says "IP rating: No" and still didn't have an issue with the brief water party. If they dont want to sell to mechanics that's fine, but if they're slapping their professional ICON branding on it and showing pictures of mechanics using it in their marketing, it's going to be tested like every other worklight.
@colten stinnett doubt the other lights say "plz put me in water" also but ive gotten almost every fluid a car has on my lights and its expected it wont break from it. its a mechanics tool for our jobs we want quality. ttc did it perfectly and fairly as always
I got the icon about a month ago and it's been fantastic. I left it on my trucks firewall and forgot about it, the next day I couldn't find it and realized where it was, had low hopes of it still being there but to my surprise after a whole days work of driving (150+ miles) it was still there. It's an awesome light, with great features.
The Icon flip light does have a replaceable 18650 battery, the instruction have a step by step with pictures on how to replace the battery. There are two small screws on either side of the aluminum body and two screws on the polymer head remove all 4 screws and you'll have access to the connector holding the 18650 to the PCB.
$40 proprietary Snap-On battery that I would bet my life savings is literally nothing other than a bog standard 18650 (and a tiny crappy charge circuit) in a rectangular plastic shell. Good work, guys.
I think the light placement idea on the Icon is that the larger bar will be used for overhead/flood style lighting by sticking it to a pipe or wall, and the smaller bar for precise task lighting. At least that's how I've used mine so far and it works great. Might be "backwards" from the others but it actually makes more sense in that context.
Exactly, I have a snap on light similar to the icon (smaller than the snap on in the video), with the bigger flood light on the inside and smaller light on the outside. I use the smaller light more often because it’s easier to orient without being in my way. If I wanted a lot of light for a small task on a workbench, I guess it would work, but then I would rather use the small light for that kind of task. If the icon was any tougher, I’d be on my way to HF right now.
If the backwards issue bothers you , it can be taken apart easily and turned around. However I've found it very useful the way it comes , as a smaller worklight with a magnetic base.. either way I think its a win dollar for dollar.
This is exactly how I feel. I’m not in the market for a folding light, but I am intrigued enough to watch (or at least listen) to what they’re testing (same with Project Farm).
@@kevrides5706 We watch this because we want to see how much we get scammed when buying stuff. Its not about Folding Lights, or anything else. But if they do it on those products, they also do it on other products.
They all seem to vary in quality....I'm sure if you took that light apart that quit working in the video, there's probably a wire that came loose from a poor solder connection. However, given the price of other better lights in this video I think I'd go elsewhere for one of them LOL.... Makes me wonder how well the Performance Tool bar LED light I got would fare in being thrown on the floor, not gonna try it though I'll drop it accidently enough to learn quit soon how well it don't work HAHA....it uses a 16850 battery but they wired the thing to the board...I bet some modifications and a quick connect plug could fix that, but still you have to unscrew 9 screws on the back of the housing to get to it, so not very quick to change anyhow.
I’ve had several. One died two days after purchase. One I still have is about two years old and beat up. But it still works. It’s hit and miss with them.
I've bought 2, I'm not sure if it was dropped or what, but ones tactile switch is a little off, but it still functions, just need to fish around a little for it now and again
I own the ICON and on Wednesday this week left it out in the rain and experienced it not turning on. HOWEVER I opened it up dried it off charged it up and it works just fine. Also I have definitely dropped it many times and it works just fine. Honestly one of my favorite lights. It fits in a shirt pocket easy it will stick to anything even slightly metallic.
I think the snap on deserved 9/10 on the drop test. It did 'break' from it's stock form while the Matco stayed hard and straight. Nothing really wrong with a bent stick if you know how to use it but it sure didn't start out that way.
Would be great to see a post-mortem analysis of the failed lights, to see what was the weak point. Was it just a solder joint that failed? How do the other joints look in that case? Did something else shear off because it wasn't supported properly? Etc.
I’ve got 2 icons use them every day in the shop. I’ve dropped them over 10 times from varying heights. I’ve even thrown them at the ground pissed off and they continue to work… guess I got the few indestructible ones 😂😂😂
I had that light for about 2 years now, it’s a good light but bulky and you can’t fold it closed all the way so I kinda lost interest using it daily, and you only get about 2 hours on a battery cycle which is pretty low, but it’s pretty damn durable after years of abuse last month taking a bath in some coolant it finally gave
Have the icon. Seems to work ok and I haven't dropped it on the ground yet. The only problem i have is the battery life. But at the sale price of $27 I got 3 of them. Just get 1 extended warranty for all.
Yikes haha, my icon light is going strong after a few months of abuse, but that is the big downfall of HF: quality control. I thought it was better with their newer brands, but that’s a rough showing for sure😅 I’ll be more careful dropping it from now on
It's less a lack of QC as it is building the product "down" to the price point where it's profitable. They could make it sturdy, but nobody would be buying a $70 HFT flashlight 🤷🏻♂️
@@matthewolson9704 almost right people would bu ya $70 light that lasts longer than their own lifespan But then no one needs a new one, so they make it worse so it dies so you buy more
@@matthewolson9704 you're right about the price, I wouldn't have got it if it was $70, but it is qc to a point. Mine has been dropped a fair amount and been dropped into multiple liquids and still works with no issues
It doesn't seem to fit his criteria for this test, since it doesn't fold all the way. But he should definitely test it. I'm curious how well it'll do since I own one. I love the magnetic charging. Still gotta get a second one since it's a dual charger. Also there's a new braun that has usbc charging. But the hinge seems worse than the old one.
I'm a fan of the astro lights. I only have the 72sl which is absolutely amazing (until you're in a hurry and forget you stuck it to the underside of a car), but I do want the set of 52's.
I'd like to see you test the Milwaukee folding stick light. I would also like to see the new Milwaukee hard hat headlamp that can detach from its headband tested. Thanks for showing how the Icon performed, I was thinking about buying it but decided to wait for a professional to review it. You guys make shopping so much less stressful, in the old days I hated buying something without knowing if it was any good or not!
I just bought an ICON light last week and I feel better paying $24.99 on sale since they had none during the sale I got a rain check. yes they still do that. I also felt the same way you guys did on the way they designed the light why would you have the small light on the folding side so you can't focus it on what your working on. Really enjoy the channel thanks for helping so may save money and show the manufactures when they make junk!
Wow. Those lights are tough!! I want a Matco immediately. Although, I owned a Braun last year and I left it underneath my vehicle for several months through carwashes and it still held onto the wheel well area on the body with its magnet. The lights didn’t work anymore because of all of the water and dirt from the time spent there. I should have taken pictures but oh well.
Yes the ICON light is seemingly backwards. With 10 min this can be fixed. Remove the 2mm allen screws (6 of them) and flip the light bar around. There are 2 plastic pins on the inside the light bar mount that need removed to resecure it in the "correct" orientation.
I’ve had two of those Icon lights and the only reason I had to get a second was because I left the first one on a job site. I’ve never had a single issue with the Icon light, it’s my go to light.
I bought the streamlight for work and it’s been great. I’ve had It about a year or so now with no problems. Probably sold 5 more to other guys in the plant lol. The slow charging rate I bet helps with battery life though. For rc car batteries the faster you charge them the shorter the lifespan of pack becomes before it no longer holds a charge. For me I usually charge it when I see it starting to die for the rest of my shift then the next time I grab it it’s great. Only really had it die once in the middle of a job when I still needed it. I had the cheaper work pro from Amazon before it and it would die mid job constantly as well as grabbing it out of my box and being dead from leaking charge even while not in use.
You guys must have ESP. My first Braun light died a couple months ago after several years of service (and two sons), so I bought their new model. The new one just died on me this morning. So I'm now in search of new, non-HF replacement. Thanks for being so timely!
@@ToroMoto Age and rough service killed the first one, so no issues with that one. I suspect the battery is worn out. The new one worked fine at first, but now it won't charge completely (full charge = green light never comes on no matter how long it's plugged in), and it won't stay on for more than a few seconds. Too bad, I liked the design of the new style light.
@@TorqueTestChannel Hmm, brings up a point, are any of them actually listed as being water resistant or water proof...one would think they all should be given the conditions they're supposedly made to be in LOL.
So far my favorite folding light is the Milwaukee 2128 I believe. I know it’s rated at 550 lumens but curious to see you spiking that light! Great job guys! “Impressive!”
The Icon is a clone of the Unilite IL-925R I have. It's the exact same design of LED layout, USB C charging port, battery level LEDs, power button, etc.
hi TTC, just to shed a tiny bit of light on the charging aspect of things. while discharging 18650s and 21700 and even pouch cells is fairly ok to do at high rates (in the case of these lights like 2C max [@~80lm/W, 2.6Ah, ~4V -> 10,4W -> ~800lm]), and they do tolerate significantly higher discharge rates in the short term (such as with your angle grinder an drill testing), charging them at higher rates than 0.5C is apparently enough to shorten their lifespan quite dramaticaly (this is mainly true to 18650, 21700 can tolerate a bit more). so, as to the charging curents measured, i wouldn't take them so seriously. of course runn and charge time does matter, but we've got to take the overall lifespan of tools into consideration. for many home-players the lifespan is cut off by the battery dying, not by mechanical damage (most times). One more request: im from central europe, and a really popular brand is LIDL's PARKSIDE, and i would be really curious how their tools rank up for your (for europe dificult to reach) american brands.
Same, I'd also like to see more products from European/worldwide brands. I still love these videos, but in the end they aren't very useful. Lidl má překvapivě kvalitní produkty za rozumnou cenu, např. v dTestu jejich rychlovarná konvice za 800 korun dostala 65 %.
Well, if the cell is replaceable, as it should be, I'd rather have a faster-charging light than no light at all because it's still charging to save it's precious life. If the cell is not replaceable, it's a strong mark against the product, almost a dealbreaker
I have that icon light. I dropped it on a tub of oil, fully submerged for at least 30 seconds. Wiped it off, let it drip dry, and it never skipped a beat. Not to mention the fall into the tub was over 6ft, bouncing off the floor into the tub. And if you're even slightly handy, you can disassemble it and flip the light bar around too. Highly recommended and very good bang for the buck.
Ah I see you activated the Harbor Freight Flashlight Safety Feature, which turns the light off when you drop or even bump it. My Harbor Freight flashlight has the same feature.
On the contrary, I think the Braun is the best one out of all of them. Swappable 18650 is their best selling point. While they're not the most durable, I found that off you can kick it before it falls it won't break 😄 plus for the price you can grab 6 of them vs the strap on offerings. But great test nevertheless
I work off a service truck. So I bought 4 of the old model HF lights for $24 when they were on sale. Since they were not very expensive, I can keep 2 on the charger and use the other 2.
I own the icon and I do heavy equipment repair. I've gone through 3 of them in about 6 months or so. They don't hold up with getting a little oil on them and I've been super careful not to get oil on it too. Other than that it is not a bad light for the price imo
Would you recommend the Icon for a mechanic's apprentice then? Or should I just drive the extra mile to Home Depot and spend the extra $20-$60 on a Gearwrench, Dewalt, Milwaukee? I'm going to be apprenticing at a small shop so I don't think I exactly qualify for any of the tool truck "student" programs and on top of a screwdriver set I'd like to get at least a decent worklight and a few other tools before I start. I have one of those Craftsmen Mechanic sets so of course it doesn't come with anything but wrenches, sockets, ratchets, some driver bits, and hex keys. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.
I actually modified my icon light to flip it around because it’s exactly how you said, backwards! But for $40, it’s helped me out quite a bit when doing some major bimmer maintenance
the icon is perfect in terms or brightness and charge port etc the only thing is you gotta take care of it but if you take care of tools then it should last a good long time
@@layzbaguette8340 exactly. My only gripe about it is the magnet catches all metal shavings and it has a rubber coating on the magnet so it’s hard to remove them all. Made the mistake of attaching it to my fender and it scratched the hell out of it. I’m sure all of them with the magnets has this issue but I just try to put it on something that’s not painted. It does have a removable 15680 battery or whatever the number is, it’s just under a few screws so if that battery dies, just pop in another
@@layzbaguette8340 If you are someone that works for a living with your light, I don't think it's a matter of ''taking care of it". When it's wedged into a upper control arm or stuck, with the magnet, to bottom of a muffler it *_is_* going to fall or get knocked to the concrete. Things happen when you are trying to make $. Yes, you can take steps to make sure that your light never falls or if it does it is protected but at that point is the light a useful tool or is it more trouble than it's worth. Can you tell me that your 120v drop light bulbs burned out from old age? Or from bouncing off the concrete? Are you old enough to remember 120v drop lights?
@@dr.haroldweinstein5157 I use a blow gun on an air compressor to remove the shavings. How is it that you feel that a bare magnet would be easier to clean than a rubber coated one? I prefer the coated one because, if you keep it clean, you can put it places that you couldn't/wouldn't an uncoated one.
For the ICON, it makes sense that it has the light bar on the outside if you are prone to hood mounting. You would want the largest light to point 'outward' if you slap this on the inside of a car hood while working in the engine bay. Not possible with the other light designs in this lineup, with the exception of one other. Shame it didn't last. Usually any product that is 'cheap' and also 'metal' usually leads to immediate failures.
I wonder if if the snapon and matco use plotted electronics. Basically covering the mcpb in epoxy. Makes for unbelievably tough lights. Zebralight is known for that. Great video!
Would expect them to be potted if they’re meant to survive heavy industry use. Seals don’t tend to like getting exposed to oils, and eventually fail, potting the whole thing means any failures will likely be due to breakage of cables. The only way potted stuff tends to die is overheating or overexposure to vibration, which can cause some internal solder joins to break due to fatigue.
My first new snap on tool was an Ecarb042 flashlight in 2018 after college graduation. Used it daily for 4 years until one day I forgot it under the hood of a car. About 6 months later while doing an oil change on that car I found it on the splash guard under the engine and it still had a 75% charge. I now own 2, and bought my mom, dad and brother and uncle ones for Christmas a few years ago. Everyone loves them
The Matco looks like a decent little light, if they dropped the price to an even $100 I'd jump on it but $135 plus tax is just a little too much imo. Great video as always, thank you for uploading! 👍👍
Go Snap On and Matco!!!! One thing I have found with most of these type pf lights is after 6 months, they no longer hold a charge and become more of a time waster than helping me save time. I recommend Harbor Freight's hockey puck lights, ICON makes a black one that is decent that takes a C charging cable and then HB makes a smaller version that comes in different colors, both styles are great options.
I think the light layout on the Icon makes more sense actually. When I mag onto a surface for near-field use such as soldering, I don't' want a ridiculous amount of light whereas when I mag onto a wall to illuminate an area such as a room I want to be able to angle the light outwards to throw it as far as possible. And of course that's where I want the maximum light output.
For the home user the Braun is tough to beat. Especially if you have a bunch of extra 18650's from say.. an old vaping habit. They easily get repurposed. For $20 on sale, it's tough to buy anything else. When one fails, I have 3 more on stand by. Edit - That being said. .. I picked up the new Braun with double hinges.. and the light turns off way too early, it doesn't fizzle out like the old ones, just turns off when the battery starts to drain. Hopefully that's not the case with the new ones and just the one I have.
Also curious about that Icon if you get the time to reply. The replaceable 18650 is really nice, but if the new models just turn off after an hour, and not even dim, then they are not worth it.
The Astro 52sl needs to be tested. Decent light output nothing crazy on it. But it refuses to die ive dropped it so many times from several feet using it every day at the shop.
I have the Astro 52sl as well. I have dropped it so many times I don't even worry about it lol. I did have to super glue the magnet back in, but that was super easy to do.
I think his video is better than Project Farms. He yells and frequently talks to fast. also a lot of his tests focus on non real world tasks to prove who's which is stronger while being used in a completely unrealistic way.
I’m not sure how the icon died so quick.. had one for months, dropped it dozens of times and no issue.. it’s been great for the price. One issue I’ve had with it is the battery indicator is basically a guess. It’s really inconsistent. The rubber on the bottom of the icon is also fairly poor and susceptible to shavings sticking to it and gouging it out.
I’ve had mine for about a year and have dropped it plenty of times with no issue. My light is even bent from dropping it but it works fine. I used goo gone to get all of the rubber off the bottom of the magnet and put friction tape over it instead. More durable and won’t rub off.
RIP Icon lol. I have had the Astro 52sl for two years using it daily in the shop. It does not fold in half, but it's $70-80 with wireless charger and the magnet is actually decent. I have dropped it so many times I don't even worry about it lol. I did have to super glue the magnet back on the bottom due to the thin plastic holding it in finally giving, but that was super easy to do. Great job on the video!
The icon light isnt backwards, its made for going under a hood or above your work area. If you need the other way theres a light on the other side that wont be blocked by the handle.
As a DIY'r I have three Braun's which cost me about $70 all together. I've broken one's hinge, but other than that, they fill my needs cheaply, and I always have a charged spare.
The snap on logo also has a magnet behind it aswell. Also I own the other snap on one without the interchangeable battery, and it’s noticeably brighter than the one you tested. I’ve went through a couple lights, the snap on one is by far the best. I love it.
@@CrimeVid idk the model number of mine but its the one that was shown next to the big fat green one. Its way brigther than the one my colleague uses which is the one tested. I must say though snap on electrics are not as good as their hand tools.
I've got a few snap on lights and they've survived many drops and dunks in oils and coolant and held up pretty well 👌 snap on are nice since some of there lights have adjustable lumen output
I like the icon Folding light but the only thing I hate is it's a internal soldered battery wish icon 18650 would of been removable like the bruan models
I'm awaiting the day when you do full-scale TTC branded tools.. test the best 8 or 10 options, field test them for a bit, and take the best features of each and integrate them into one tool. TTC perfection, and a cheaper than the tool trucks. Bonus points if you stick with Tiawan/Korea/etc. for contracting the production out. I'd buy about anything you come up with.
@@swecreations I thought he used to work for them but still has a relationship? Anyway I know TTC has definitely tested Astro air tools and done collaborations / recommendations for improvements and new models from Astro air tools.
I might be mistaken but it looks like there's a typo under the Braun "percentage of advertised" entry. To add, I picked up a the Braun 490 lumen one (the newer one that charges with USB type C) and I love it. Haven't abused it much, but used it a lot and I love it - wicked handy for $20 USD on sale.
It sux that Amazon has become the equivalent to shopping at "Santa's Workshop" in grade school. Back when they were trying to make their name they took pride in the things sold...u KNEW the product was decent otherwise u easily got ur money back
I'm a mechanic and I own the Snap On work light and I gotta say, I was nervous to see it tested because these cheaper options are getting really good. Regardless, my little snappy has done me incredibly well, has survived many drops and impacts as well as being coated in brake clean as well as miscellaneous automotive fluids and it's still my go to. Great video!!
Weird, I have 4 of those icons at the shop(1 tire tech, 1 service manager, and 2 that I own). They’ve been dropped and and beat and work perfect still. But I did buy the warranty, looks like a wise choice.
Love it - I have both Braun and Streamlight; like the Braun design, but dislike its run time. Streamlight was my upgrade but, oddly, I still reach for the Braun more often than not
@@TorqueTestChannel it's made its money back in a week. I'm okay with overpaying for the convenience and durability. Going to grab a matco based off of this video as well. Appreciate yall.
ive got 2 of the brauns and i love them. Grab them on sale for 24.99. The magnets are super strong, they are USB C. And you can swap batteries since they use an 18650. they also pivot all the way in either direction and you can swing the head around the handle too. Ive dropped them from about shoulder height a couple times and they are scuffed but they still work perfectly. Ive never dropped them in a bucket of water or anything but they have gotten rained on. Same thing, still work perfectly. This is one of the times i'm gonna disagree with the test results.
I thought the Icon was backwards too but in practice it makes it last longer as a work light. You use the big light to inspect when you have it hand-held and switch to the smaller lights to point it at your work when using the magnet to give you a more focused light, but less all around light.
Genuinely baffled by that Icon. Been using mine for a few months now, already dropped it down some steel stairs, banged it against handrails, spilled soda on it, and just generally abused the heck out of it. Wondering if there's some QC issues that need to get sorted out...
There's a reason why I went and got 3 more Icon stick lights, build tough and all the features I wanted specially the natural light it gives that makes soo much easy on the eyes, super bright eliminating almost all shadows! Can't beat that at $30 a pop...
I have bought 2x of the Icons when they were on sale for $25. 1 for the car and one for home. The base magnet is by far the best one I've seen in a I guess bendable flashlight. Perfect for under the hood or table at home.
The new Braun 500 lumen folder is the way to go. It’s almost always on sale for $21, so you can grab 3 or 4 of them to properly light your job from multiple angles and still be under half the price of the tool truck lights. Anyone that needs more than 500 lumens from a single light for more than a half hour is just going run the extension cord for the ol’ faithful corded work light anyway, especially if it’s in the winter since they double as little space heaters too.
I have the older version of the snap-on. I found it in a puddle in a parking lot, I'm assuming it was left magnetized under a car like I've left it a few times. $150 is a lot for a work light but it's the best I've ever had. Just the right magnet, light and size. I charge it overnight and it lasts all the following day.
The Braun folding light is great. Folds both ways, good brightness settings and strong magnet. I usually use it on the second setting its so bright. Haven't really dropped it yet though ...
Will you guys test the Mac Tools TL420MR? It's the light i use as a diesel mechanic. I love it. 1 click for flood-low (which is plenty bright for 95% of use), 2 clicks for flood-high, 3 clicks for flashlight, and it has a great magnets. It's also pretty durable. It has great battery life, too. After an 8 hour shift, i usually still have 4/4 bars, sometimes 3, of life left. I'd estimate about 5 hours of run time on low, and about 2 on high. I used to use the Snap-On ECARB042, the predecessor to the light you guys just tested, and it had a magnet that actually worked, but not the greatest battery life. Unfortunately, the rubber overmolding started to peel off within the first few months and then the button wears out.
Since we get asked a lot, here's the charge meter thing that has held up best for us: amzn.to/3P3UoVw
The Winners: amzn.to/43RZuIF
www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/pcfold/pro-charge-wireless-rechargeable-folding-850lm-work-light
shop.snapon.com/product/Articulating-(Lighting)/600-Lumen-Rechargeable-Battery-Flex-Light-(Red)/ECARG068
Suggest more light types you want to see tested head to head!
As always, the creator of this channel is working in product development for Astro Tools which includes lights like these, always best to consider multiple sources when looking at a tool!
you need to retest the icon on the drop test. how many times have we all dropped our phones and they are fine but that one time the screen will crack if it hits just right. i just find it hard to believe that the icon shit the bed after 1 drop.
i use the milwaukee folding light and its been pretty awesome id love to see it compared aswell as the mac one thats rectengle with 2 hooks and magnets
@@the_chomper It's a reasonable point. We discussed it over here. But we've tested nearly 80 lights, some of them also doing poorly in drop testing. And none of them were repurchased to take a second swing at things, so it seems unfair to give one a second chance without buying another 80 lights and re-doing everything. But we agree a result like that could be a fluke, also worth factoring the consistency you might expect from a brand.
@coltenstinnett9543 The straight out of China light's manual literally says "IP rating: No" and still didn't have an issue with the brief water party. If they dont want to sell to mechanics that's fine, but if they're slapping their professional ICON branding on it and showing pictures of mechanics using it in their marketing, it's going to be tested like every other worklight.
@colten stinnett doubt the other lights say "plz put me in water" also but ive gotten almost every fluid a car has on my lights and its expected it wont break from it. its a mechanics tool for our jobs we want quality. ttc did it perfectly and fairly as always
I got the icon about a month ago and it's been fantastic. I left it on my trucks firewall and forgot about it, the next day I couldn't find it and realized where it was, had low hopes of it still being there but to my surprise after a whole days work of driving (150+ miles) it was still there. It's an awesome light, with great features.
I have 4 of the Braun ones. They are great. The first time someone showed me theirs I had to get it.
The Icon flip light does have a replaceable 18650 battery, the instruction have a step by step with pictures on how to replace the battery. There are two small screws on either side of the aluminum body and two screws on the polymer head remove all 4 screws and you'll have access to the connector holding the 18650 to the PCB.
That’s good for repair but still doesn’t count as a charging option. Usually if it were a charging option the swap would take less than 10 seconds.
@@inherentlyflawedit’s not supposed to be a charging option
But the thing won't survive long enough to need a battery replacement.
$40 proprietary Snap-On battery that I would bet my life savings is literally nothing other than a bog standard 18650 (and a tiny crappy charge circuit) in a rectangular plastic shell. Good work, guys.
I think the light placement idea on the Icon is that the larger bar will be used for overhead/flood style lighting by sticking it to a pipe or wall, and the smaller bar for precise task lighting. At least that's how I've used mine so far and it works great. Might be "backwards" from the others but it actually makes more sense in that context.
Exactly, I have a snap on light similar to the icon (smaller than the snap on in the video), with the bigger flood light on the inside and smaller light on the outside. I use the smaller light more often because it’s easier to orient without being in my way. If I wanted a lot of light for a small task on a workbench, I guess it would work, but then I would rather use the small light for that kind of task. If the icon was any tougher, I’d be on my way to HF right now.
If the backwards issue bothers you , it can be taken apart easily and turned around. However I've found it very useful the way it comes , as a smaller worklight with a magnetic base.. either way I think its a win dollar for dollar.
I don't always care about what you are testing...but I can't stop watching. Love the testing methods in this one, good stuff. Keep up the great work.
This is exactly how I feel. I’m not in the market for a folding light, but I am intrigued enough to watch (or at least listen) to what they’re testing (same with Project Farm).
I'm the same way about coffee, but I watch James Hoffman all the time :D
@@kevrides5706 We watch this because we want to see how much we get scammed when buying stuff. Its not about Folding Lights, or anything else. But if they do it on those products, they also do it on other products.
I'm surprised that icon gave out so easily I've dropped mine 20+ feet off scissor lifts and still going strong
They all seem to vary in quality....I'm sure if you took that light apart that quit working in the video, there's probably a wire that came loose from a poor solder connection. However, given the price of other better lights in this video I think I'd go elsewhere for one of them LOL....
Makes me wonder how well the Performance Tool bar LED light I got would fare in being thrown on the floor, not gonna try it though I'll drop it accidently enough to learn quit soon how well it don't work HAHA....it uses a 16850 battery but they wired the thing to the board...I bet some modifications and a quick connect plug could fix that, but still you have to unscrew 9 screws on the back of the housing to get to it, so not very quick to change anyhow.
Was going to say the same thing. Mine's taken a decent beating and still works perfectly
I’ve had several. One died two days after purchase. One I still have is about two years old and beat up. But it still works. It’s hit and miss with them.
I've bought 2, I'm not sure if it was dropped or what, but ones tactile switch is a little off, but it still functions, just need to fish around a little for it now and again
I had mine in the engine bay of my beetle and forgot it was there and it was fine dirty but fine
I own the ICON and on Wednesday this week left it out in the rain and experienced it not turning on. HOWEVER I opened it up dried it off charged it up and it works just fine. Also I have definitely dropped it many times and it works just fine. Honestly one of my favorite lights. It fits in a shirt pocket easy it will stick to anything even slightly metallic.
I think the snap on deserved 9/10 on the drop test. It did 'break' from it's stock form while the Matco stayed hard and straight. Nothing really wrong with a bent stick if you know how to use it but it sure didn't start out that way.
👏🏻😄
Cant judge a stick on it's preferred angle after a couple hard years, just gotta suck it up and hope it still takes a full long charge
Just keep the curve towards the front of her and bent is even better...
Would be great to see a post-mortem analysis of the failed lights, to see what was the weak point. Was it just a solder joint that failed? How do the other joints look in that case? Did something else shear off because it wasn't supported properly? Etc.
Ah! An autopsy request. 🤔 I'd like to see that too.
I’ve had one of those matco lights for years now, I’ve ran it over with trucks and it hasn’t broken, absolutely love it
I’ve got 2 icons use them every day in the shop. I’ve dropped them over 10 times from varying heights. I’ve even thrown them at the ground pissed off and they continue to work… guess I got the few indestructible ones 😂😂😂
Should’ve had the Astro light on the list. I’m curious how it stacks up against the tool truck lights
I had that light for about 2 years now, it’s a good light but bulky and you can’t fold it closed all the way so I kinda lost interest using it daily, and you only get about 2 hours on a battery cycle which is pretty low, but it’s pretty damn durable after years of abuse last month taking a bath in some coolant it finally gave
Buy cheap and work your way up from there is my recommendation. If you aren't satisfied, upgrade. Don't buy straight from the top though.
Milwaukees folding light is pretty good.
Have the icon. Seems to work ok and I haven't dropped it on the ground yet. The only problem i have is the battery life. But at the sale price of $27 I got 3 of them. Just get 1 extended warranty for all.
Battery life sucks for sure
Icon comes with a no question lifetime warranty
@@2010hondacbr1000rr No, that is their hand tools. This light comes with a 90 day warranty.
You can change the batteries in the Icon but there's two screws you need to remove to do it. Unlike the Braun which I like better.
I believe ICON head design was for under the hood head angle in mind, I believe I like that better after thinking about it a minute....
Yikes haha, my icon light is going strong after a few months of abuse, but that is the big downfall of HF: quality control. I thought it was better with their newer brands, but that’s a rough showing for sure😅 I’ll be more careful dropping it from now on
Was gonna say the same thing. I will be spiking it before the 2 year warranty though
@@noahlehman1408 absolutely haha, I’ll have to check and see if I got a 1 or 2 year😂👌
It's less a lack of QC as it is building the product "down" to the price point where it's profitable. They could make it sturdy, but nobody would be buying a $70 HFT flashlight 🤷🏻♂️
@@matthewolson9704 almost right
people would bu ya $70 light that lasts longer than their own lifespan
But then no one needs a new one, so they make it worse so it dies so you buy more
@@matthewolson9704 you're right about the price, I wouldn't have got it if it was $70, but it is qc to a point. Mine has been dropped a fair amount and been dropped into multiple liquids and still works with no issues
Should have included the Astro 52SL. Awesome light, and they have a wireless, 2 light charger. USB charge cords are a PIA.
It doesn't seem to fit his criteria for this test, since it doesn't fold all the way. But he should definitely test it. I'm curious how well it'll do since I own one. I love the magnetic charging. Still gotta get a second one since it's a dual charger. Also there's a new braun that has usbc charging. But the hinge seems worse than the old one.
I'm a fan of the astro lights. I only have the 72sl which is absolutely amazing (until you're in a hurry and forget you stuck it to the underside of a car), but I do want the set of 52's.
Love my Astro as well. I have two and abuse them constantly. Very durable.
I love the 52SL only downfall is the magnet should be a little stronger.
@turdsandwicher Try the 65SL. I have two of those also. The magnet is very good I think.
Appreciate the comprehensive comparisons, as always!
I'd like to see you test the Milwaukee folding stick light. I would also like to see the new Milwaukee hard hat headlamp that can detach from its headband tested. Thanks for showing how the Icon performed, I was thinking about buying it but decided to wait for a professional to review it. You guys make shopping so much less stressful, in the old days I hated buying something without knowing if it was any good or not!
I took my icon apart and flipped the light around the right way. such a good upgrade for 3 minutes of work 👌.
Would you mind explaining a little further exactly how you did that and whether any "specialty tools" were required?
I just bought an ICON light last week and I feel better paying $24.99 on sale since they had none during the sale I got a rain check. yes they still do that. I also felt the same way you guys did on the way they designed the light why would you have the small light on the folding side so you can't focus it on what your working on. Really enjoy the channel thanks for helping so may save money and show the manufactures when they make junk!
With the icon light if you remove the mini Torx screws on the side you can flip the bar around I did it to mine
this is genius. I can’t wait to do this at work next week. That’s always bothered me
Wow. Those lights are tough!! I want a Matco immediately. Although, I owned a Braun last year and I left it underneath my vehicle for several months through carwashes and it still held onto the wheel well area on the body with its magnet. The lights didn’t work anymore because of all of the water and dirt from the time spent there. I should have taken pictures but oh well.
I have the Icon one and I agree the light is on backwards so I took it apart and flipped the light bar around so it wasn’t stupid.
I did the same with mine! I didn't even realize it was backwards until I opened it and couldn't live with it that way.
Exactly needs to be swapped over easy!!!
Also battery can be replaced later
Yes the ICON light is seemingly backwards. With 10 min this can be fixed. Remove the 2mm allen screws (6 of them) and flip the light bar around. There are 2 plastic pins on the inside the light bar mount that need removed to resecure it in the "correct" orientation.
😂
Snap-On taking the nokia approach. Eject the battery so you can remain functional.
Wow! Your video topics are always on the tip of my tongue. Right before I buy a tool, your videos on that tool drops. Thanks for all your hard work.
I’ve had two of those Icon lights and the only reason I had to get a second was because I left the first one on a job site. I’ve never had a single issue with the Icon light, it’s my go to light.
I’ve had the Icon for at least 6 months and I love it, its my main toolbox light
I'm still a big fan of the Braun's, especially when there on sale. Feel a lot less bad sending a ~$20 light trucking than a $100+ one.
I cleared the rack of them the other day at HF when I saw them on clearance at $10 each. Seems the new model Braun will fold against the handle.
Love my icon. Had mine for over 1 year. Multiple drops off the to of 18 wheeler trailers. Still going strong
The Snap-on and Matco ones are definitely designed for mechanic's rage
I bought the streamlight for work and it’s been great. I’ve had It about a year or so now with no problems. Probably sold 5 more to other guys in the plant lol. The slow charging rate I bet helps with battery life though. For rc car batteries the faster you charge them the shorter the lifespan of pack becomes before it no longer holds a charge. For me I usually charge it when I see it starting to die for the rest of my shift then the next time I grab it it’s great. Only really had it die once in the middle of a job when I still needed it. I had the cheaper work pro from Amazon before it and it would die mid job constantly as well as grabbing it out of my box and being dead from leaking charge even while not in use.
You guys must have ESP. My first Braun light died a couple months ago after several years of service (and two sons), so I bought their new model. The new one just died on me this morning. So I'm now in search of new, non-HF replacement. Thanks for being so timely!
What caused them to go out?
@@ToroMoto Age and rough service killed the first one, so no issues with that one. I suspect the battery is worn out. The new one worked fine at first, but now it won't charge completely (full charge = green light never comes on no matter how long it's plugged in), and it won't stay on for more than a few seconds. Too bad, I liked the design of the new style light.
I love that Icon light, surprised it died on you that quickly, mine has lasted many drops worse than that. Oh well, love the work!
mine too
Same, I've had drops that I thought for sure was going to kill it but it's still going. I love that light
Same
Don't get it wet 1st then I guess 😅
@@TorqueTestChannel Hmm, brings up a point, are any of them actually listed as being water resistant or water proof...one would think they all should be given the conditions they're supposedly made to be in LOL.
So far my favorite folding light is the Milwaukee 2128 I believe. I know it’s rated at 550 lumens but curious to see you spiking that light! Great job guys! “Impressive!”
I need to see my Milwaukee light tested
That icon must have been a special one because I drop the crap out of mine and never have an issue
The icon battery can be replaced instructions in the manual!!
Long strip can be flipped I think over
The Braun works great for me. But you have to replace the battery with something decent like a 25R. After that, money! 😂
The Icon is a clone of the Unilite IL-925R I have. It's the exact same design of LED layout, USB C charging port, battery level LEDs, power button, etc.
hi TTC, just to shed a tiny bit of light on the charging aspect of things. while discharging 18650s and 21700 and even pouch cells is fairly ok to do at high rates (in the case of these lights like 2C max [@~80lm/W, 2.6Ah, ~4V -> 10,4W -> ~800lm]), and they do tolerate significantly higher discharge rates in the short term (such as with your angle grinder an drill testing), charging them at higher rates than 0.5C is apparently enough to shorten their lifespan quite dramaticaly (this is mainly true to 18650, 21700 can tolerate a bit more). so, as to the charging curents measured, i wouldn't take them so seriously. of course runn and charge time does matter, but we've got to take the overall lifespan of tools into consideration. for many home-players the lifespan is cut off by the battery dying, not by mechanical damage (most times). One more request: im from central europe, and a really popular brand is LIDL's PARKSIDE, and i would be really curious how their tools rank up for your (for europe dificult to reach) american brands.
Same, I'd also like to see more products from European/worldwide brands. I still love these videos, but in the end they aren't very useful.
Lidl má překvapivě kvalitní produkty za rozumnou cenu, např. v dTestu jejich rychlovarná konvice za 800 korun dostala 65 %.
Well, if the cell is replaceable, as it should be, I'd rather have a faster-charging light than no light at all because it's still charging to save it's precious life. If the cell is not replaceable, it's a strong mark against the product, almost a dealbreaker
I have that icon light. I dropped it on a tub of oil, fully submerged for at least 30 seconds. Wiped it off, let it drip dry, and it never skipped a beat. Not to mention the fall into the tub was over 6ft, bouncing off the floor into the tub. And if you're even slightly handy, you can disassemble it and flip the light bar around too. Highly recommended and very good bang for the buck.
Ah I see you activated the Harbor Freight Flashlight Safety Feature, which turns the light off when you drop or even bump it. My Harbor Freight flashlight has the same feature.
On the contrary, I think the Braun is the best one out of all of them. Swappable 18650 is their best selling point. While they're not the most durable, I found that off you can kick it before it falls it won't break 😄 plus for the price you can grab 6 of them vs the strap on offerings. But great test nevertheless
I'm at the point in my life where if it doesn't have USB C charging I don't buy it so it's great to see so many options these days!
I agree, it's like finally happening
as if your time is so precious that not having USB C is hurting you
If it doesn't have USB-C or at least a removable battery and charger, it is strongly less considered.
@@yrboogiemn why does it need a usb c connector ??
@@ACommenterOnTH-cam My time is precious. If yours isn't you might want to stop wasting it and find some purpose.
I work off a service truck. So I bought 4 of the old model HF lights for $24 when they were on sale. Since they were not very expensive, I can keep 2 on the charger and use the other 2.
I own the icon and I do heavy equipment repair. I've gone through 3 of them in about 6 months or so. They don't hold up with getting a little oil on them and I've been super careful not to get oil on it too. Other than that it is not a bad light for the price imo
Yeah, but at $40 each, you've just about spent enough to have bought the Matco LOL....or is the Icon light able to be warrantied?
@@wildbill23c warranty
@@wildbill23c I do field work so it's easier and faster to find a harbor freight vs matco
Buy once, cry once brother. I do field work too and it can mess up your day if you have to drive into town because your cheap tool broke.
Would you recommend the Icon for a mechanic's apprentice then? Or should I just drive the extra mile to Home Depot and spend the extra $20-$60 on a Gearwrench, Dewalt, Milwaukee? I'm going to be apprenticing at a small shop so I don't think I exactly qualify for any of the tool truck "student" programs and on top of a screwdriver set I'd like to get at least a decent worklight and a few other tools before I start. I have one of those Craftsmen Mechanic sets so of course it doesn't come with anything but wrenches, sockets, ratchets, some driver bits, and hex keys. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.
I had the same complaint about the icon light until I started sticking it to the bottom of a open hood.
I actually modified my icon light to flip it around because it’s exactly how you said, backwards! But for $40, it’s helped me out quite a bit when doing some major bimmer maintenance
the icon is perfect in terms or brightness and charge port etc the only thing is you gotta take care of it but if you take care of tools then it should last a good long time
@@layzbaguette8340 exactly. My only gripe about it is the magnet catches all metal shavings and it has a rubber coating on the magnet so it’s hard to remove them all. Made the mistake of attaching it to my fender and it scratched the hell out of it. I’m sure all of them with the magnets has this issue but I just try to put it on something that’s not painted. It does have a removable 15680 battery or whatever the number is, it’s just under a few screws so if that battery dies, just pop in another
@@layzbaguette8340 If you are someone that works for a living with your light, I don't think it's a matter of ''taking care of it". When it's wedged into a upper control arm or stuck, with the magnet, to bottom of a muffler it *_is_* going to fall or get knocked to the concrete. Things happen when you are trying to make $. Yes, you can take steps to make sure that your light never falls or if it does it is protected but at that point is the light a useful tool or is it more trouble than it's worth. Can you tell me that your 120v drop light bulbs burned out from old age? Or from bouncing off the concrete? Are you old enough to remember 120v drop lights?
@@dr.haroldweinstein5157 I use a blow gun on an air compressor to remove the shavings. How is it that you feel that a bare magnet would be easier to clean than a rubber coated one? I prefer the coated one because, if you keep it clean, you can put it places that you couldn't/wouldn't an uncoated one.
For the ICON, it makes sense that it has the light bar on the outside if you are prone to hood mounting. You would want the largest light to point 'outward' if you slap this on the inside of a car hood while working in the engine bay. Not possible with the other light designs in this lineup, with the exception of one other.
Shame it didn't last. Usually any product that is 'cheap' and also 'metal' usually leads to immediate failures.
I wonder if if the snapon and matco use plotted electronics. Basically covering the mcpb in epoxy. Makes for unbelievably tough lights. Zebralight is known for that. Great video!
Potted
Would expect them to be potted if they’re meant to survive heavy industry use. Seals don’t tend to like getting exposed to oils, and eventually fail, potting the whole thing means any failures will likely be due to breakage of cables. The only way potted stuff tends to die is overheating or overexposure to vibration, which can cause some internal solder joins to break due to fatigue.
My first new snap on tool was an Ecarb042 flashlight in 2018 after college graduation. Used it daily for 4 years until one day I forgot it under the hood of a car. About 6 months later while doing an oil change on that car I found it on the splash guard under the engine and it still had a 75% charge. I now own 2, and bought my mom, dad and brother and uncle ones for Christmas a few years ago. Everyone loves them
Snapon lights is the only thing big red has my loyalty on
The Matco looks like a decent little light, if they dropped the price to an even $100 I'd jump on it but $135 plus tax is just a little too much imo.
Great video as always, thank you for uploading! 👍👍
My thoughts exactly
Go Snap On and Matco!!!! One thing I have found with most of these type pf lights is after 6 months, they no longer hold a charge and become more of a time waster than helping me save time. I recommend Harbor Freight's hockey puck lights, ICON makes a black one that is decent that takes a C charging cable and then HB makes a smaller version that comes in different colors, both styles are great options.
Can we get a video of how to hold them without getting yelled at?
Well maybe if you'd just listen. You wouldn't need one
I think the light layout on the Icon makes more sense actually. When I mag onto a surface for near-field use such as soldering, I don't' want a ridiculous amount of light whereas when I mag onto a wall to illuminate an area such as a room I want to be able to angle the light outwards to throw it as far as possible. And of course that's where I want the maximum light output.
For the home user the Braun is tough to beat. Especially if you have a bunch of extra 18650's from say.. an old vaping habit. They easily get repurposed. For $20 on sale, it's tough to buy anything else. When one fails, I have 3 more on stand by.
Edit - That being said. .. I picked up the new Braun with double hinges.. and the light turns off way too early, it doesn't fizzle out like the old ones, just turns off when the battery starts to drain. Hopefully that's not the case with the new ones and just the one I have.
I returned 2 of them that wouldn't hold a charge the 1st week. I traded for an Icon. We'll see how that goes.
How it go
Also curious about that Icon if you get the time to reply. The replaceable 18650 is really nice, but if the new models just turn off after an hour, and not even dim, then they are not worth it.
You can replace the Icon battery , just more work. Got on one day sale for $20 and bought 5 online. 5 of them were $50 less than one Snap On.
The Astro 52sl needs to be tested. Decent light output nothing crazy on it. But it refuses to die ive dropped it so many times from several feet using it every day at the shop.
I have the Astro 52sl as well. I have dropped it so many times I don't even worry about it lol. I did have to super glue the magnet back in, but that was super easy to do.
I never thought anyone would make videos comparable to Project farm. Good job with your continued videos that keep getting better!
I think his video is better than Project Farms. He yells and frequently talks to fast. also a lot of his tests focus on non real world tasks to prove who's which is stronger while being used in a completely unrealistic way.
I’m not sure how the icon died so quick.. had one for months, dropped it dozens of times and no issue.. it’s been great for the price.
One issue I’ve had with it is the battery indicator is basically a guess. It’s really inconsistent.
The rubber on the bottom of the icon is also fairly poor and susceptible to shavings sticking to it and gouging it out.
I’ve had mine for about a year and have dropped it plenty of times with no issue. My light is even bent from dropping it but it works fine. I used goo gone to get all of the rubber off the bottom of the magnet and put friction tape over it instead. More durable and won’t rub off.
RIP Icon lol. I have had the Astro 52sl for two years using it daily in the shop. It does not fold in half, but it's $70-80 with wireless charger and the magnet is actually decent. I have dropped it so many times I don't even worry about it lol. I did have to super glue the magnet back on the bottom due to the thin plastic holding it in finally giving, but that was super easy to do. Great job on the video!
The icon light isnt backwards, its made for going under a hood or above your work area. If you need the other way theres a light on the other side that wont be blocked by the handle.
Exactly
As a DIY'r I have three Braun's which cost me about $70 all together. I've broken one's hinge, but other than that, they fill my needs cheaply, and I always have a charged spare.
The snap on logo also has a magnet behind it aswell. Also I own the other snap on one without the interchangeable battery, and it’s noticeably brighter than the one you tested. I’ve went through a couple lights, the snap on one is by far the best. I love it.
Huh ! my snap on torch has never been any good, may be 40 years old though ! magnetic, dim and eats batteries !
@@CrimeVid idk the model number of mine but its the one that was shown next to the big fat green one. Its way brigther than the one my colleague uses which is the one tested. I must say though snap on electrics are not as good as their hand tools.
I have the larger snap on folding light, love the fact i can have both side strips on at the same time and usb c charging is great
Have you tested the Astros? If not, please do. (Astro 52SL)
The icon has a removable battery, the bottom magnet base unscrews. Use something ferrous and twist.
Has he done the milwaukee? I can't find the vid
Thank you for your tests. You're on one level with project farm
Lets see an astro 52sl
Didn't fold in half like these, though that's a small reason. I'm sure we will at some point
Weird. I’ve abused my ICON. It’s even taken a swim a few times in various liquids 🤣
The more I buy from harbor freight. The less I want to buy from them
Just take into account what you're buying. Don't buy a Pittsburg ratchet for $12 and expect the same quality from the $40 Icon.
@@hotsauce2446 I had an icon rachet
I too have that Icon light. It has fallen from under car height (6' or so) and still runs like a champ
I've got a few snap on lights and they've survived many drops and dunks in oils and coolant and held up pretty well 👌 snap on are nice since some of there lights have adjustable lumen output
I like the icon Folding light but the only thing I hate is it's a internal soldered battery wish icon 18650 would of been removable like the bruan models
I'm awaiting the day when you do full-scale TTC branded tools.. test the best 8 or 10 options, field test them for a bit, and take the best features of each and integrate them into one tool. TTC perfection, and a cheaper than the tool trucks. Bonus points if you stick with Tiawan/Korea/etc. for contracting the production out. I'd buy about anything you come up with.
The snap on with the extra batteries is nice I like that it charges slower means the cells will last longer
and they get to sell you extra batteries
@@toolthoughts kinda what I said
I can't believe you haven't tested the Astro 52SL (I think that's the model number). Strongly recommend as one of the best in this category.
@@swecreations I thought he used to work for them but still has a relationship? Anyway I know TTC has definitely tested Astro air tools and done collaborations / recommendations for improvements and new models from Astro air tools.
52SL is an awesome light, along with the wireless charge station.
He still works for AP. We still include them sometimes
I might be mistaken but it looks like there's a typo under the Braun "percentage of advertised" entry.
To add, I picked up a the Braun 490 lumen one (the newer one that charges with USB type C) and I love it. Haven't abused it much, but used it a lot and I love it - wicked handy for $20 USD on sale.
It sux that Amazon has become the equivalent to shopping at "Santa's Workshop" in grade school. Back when they were trying to make their name they took pride in the things sold...u KNEW the product was decent otherwise u easily got ur money back
Amazon has been on the decline for the past couple of years. A lot more Chinese garbage with questionable ratings.
I'm a mechanic and I own the Snap On work light and I gotta say, I was nervous to see it tested because these cheaper options are getting really good. Regardless, my little snappy has done me incredibly well, has survived many drops and impacts as well as being coated in brake clean as well as miscellaneous automotive fluids and it's still my go to. Great video!!
Should mention that I own the big green fella that you showed, definitely a huge difference between that one and the smaller one I'd say!
Weird, I have 4 of those icons at the shop(1 tire tech, 1 service manager, and 2 that I own). They’ve been dropped and and beat and work perfect still. But I did buy the warranty, looks like a wise choice.
Love it - I have both Braun and Streamlight; like the Braun design, but dislike its run time. Streamlight was my upgrade but, oddly, I still reach for the Braun more often than not
Please test more mastercraft/Maximum !!!
Omg yes 😮
Give him some then they aren’t Canadian
@@BB-qn5rj Did contact him twice before and no reply so i stopped hoping.
I've had a couple Brauns for years and they've been incredibly useful.
I just bought that snap on light. I know I paid far too much. It made its money back in a week though. 😁
My buddy has bought 3 Braun lights and still has no lights at the moment. So everyone takes a different path in life :D
@@TorqueTestChannel it's made its money back in a week. I'm okay with overpaying for the convenience and durability. Going to grab a matco based off of this video as well. Appreciate yall.
Maybe you didn't pay too much based on this testing.
@@TorqueTestChannel as someone who is currently at Braun light #3, I feel that.
@@mediocreman2 very true. I'm mean it made it three miles down the road the other day before I remembered what car it was on. 🙃 lol
My coworkers really enjoy their Carlyle folding lights, they aren't Napa fans, but seem to really like those lights
What kind of lights do you want us to buy next?
Please include Snap-on's mini folding light next time.
The head lamps. Nightbuddy or odelfi
Milwaukee Folding light
The northern lights
I had some good luck with the older ATD lights, my 80390 I bought in 2015 and it's still going strong, original battery and it lasts for hours.
ive got 2 of the brauns and i love them. Grab them on sale for 24.99. The magnets are super strong, they are USB C. And you can swap batteries since they use an 18650. they also pivot all the way in either direction and you can swing the head around the handle too. Ive dropped them from about shoulder height a couple times and they are scuffed but they still work perfectly. Ive never dropped them in a bucket of water or anything but they have gotten rained on. Same thing, still work perfectly.
This is one of the times i'm gonna disagree with the test results.
I've had good luck with the Braun but I don't throw my lights on the floor.
I don't anyone does, but people do drop them.
@@fredp3088 I've dropped multiple Brauns several times and they didn't break. Doesn't happen often but I use them a lot.
I thought the Icon was backwards too but in practice it makes it last longer as a work light. You use the big light to inspect when you have it hand-held and switch to the smaller lights to point it at your work when using the magnet to give you a more focused light, but less all around light.
Genuinely baffled by that Icon. Been using mine for a few months now, already dropped it down some steel stairs, banged it against handrails, spilled soda on it, and just generally abused the heck out of it. Wondering if there's some QC issues that need to get sorted out...
There's a reason why I went and got 3 more Icon stick lights, build tough and all the features I wanted specially the natural light it gives that makes soo much easy on the eyes, super bright eliminating almost all shadows! Can't beat that at $30 a pop...
I have bought 2x of the Icons when they were on sale for $25. 1 for the car and one for home. The base magnet is by far the best one I've seen in a I guess bendable flashlight. Perfect for under the hood or table at home.
Matco looks like a winner in my book 🙂
The new Braun 500 lumen folder is the way to go. It’s almost always on sale for $21, so you can grab 3 or 4 of them to properly light your job from multiple angles and still be under half the price of the tool truck lights.
Anyone that needs more than 500 lumens from a single light for more than a half hour is just going run the extension cord for the ol’ faithful corded work light anyway, especially if it’s in the winter since they double as little space heaters too.
I have the older version of the snap-on. I found it in a puddle in a parking lot, I'm assuming it was left magnetized under a car like I've left it a few times. $150 is a lot for a work light but it's the best I've ever had. Just the right magnet, light and size. I charge it overnight and it lasts all the following day.
The Braun folding light is great. Folds both ways, good brightness settings and strong magnet. I usually use it on the second setting its so bright.
Haven't really dropped it yet though ...
Will you guys test the Mac Tools TL420MR?
It's the light i use as a diesel mechanic. I love it. 1 click for flood-low (which is plenty bright for 95% of use), 2 clicks for flood-high, 3 clicks for flashlight, and it has a great magnets. It's also pretty durable.
It has great battery life, too. After an 8 hour shift, i usually still have 4/4 bars, sometimes 3, of life left. I'd estimate about 5 hours of run time on low, and about 2 on high.
I used to use the Snap-On ECARB042, the predecessor to the light you guys just tested, and it had a magnet that actually worked, but not the greatest battery life. Unfortunately, the rubber overmolding started to peel off within the first few months and then the button wears out.