MAXXEON WorkStar 800 CYCLOPS LED Light
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Tester
Information
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| Name:
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David
Wilkes |
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E-Mail:
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amatbrewer@yahoo.com
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Age:
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52 |
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Location:
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Yakima
Washington USA |
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Gender:
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M |
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Height:
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5'11"
(1.80 m) |
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Weight:
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210 lb (90.7 kg) |
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Biography:
I started
backpacking
in 1995 when I moved to Washington State. Since then, I have
backpacked in all seasons and conditions the Northwest has to
offer. I prefer trips on
rugged trails with plenty of elevation gain. While I continuously
strive to lighten my load, comfort and safety are most important to me.
I have finally managed to get my basic cold weather pack weight, not
including consumables, to under 30 lb (14 kg).
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Product
Information
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Manufacturer:
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MAXXEON |
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Year
of Manufacture:
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2018 |
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Manufacturer’s
Website:
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www.maxxeon.com |
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MSRP:
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$31.14 USD
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Dimensions:
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Length 3 1/2 inches (9 cm), with handle 4 1/4 (11 cm)
Width 2 3/8 inches (6 cm), with handle 3 (7.5 cm)
Thickness 1 inch (2.5 cm)
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Weight:
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Listed: 7 ounces (200 grams)
Measured: 6.8 ounces (192 grams)
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Run Time:
| High: 2 hours, Low: 5 hours | Battery:
| 3.7V 1800mAh LiPo (Li-ion Polymer) rechargeable battery; USB recharging cord included | Water Resistance
| IP64
= water resistant, i.e., protection from rain, sprays and splashing of
water in all directions. But not waterproof, do not immerse in liquids. |
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Product
Description:The
MAXXEON WorkStar 800 CYCLOPS is a rechargeable LED work light with 2
brightness settings, wide round beam, 360 rotating handle (12
positions) with integrated magnet.
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Initial
Report
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August 3 2018
 The
MAXXEON CYCLOPS work light is a rechargeable LED work light with an
adjustable handle that can pivot 365 degrees (12 positions) that can
act as a handle or stand. In the base of the handle is a powerful
magnet protected by a thin strip of rubber. The light consists of a
square 3X3 array of very bright white LED's. On the back of the light,
protected by a rubber cover, is an USB port and red/green LED charging
indicator.
The light arrived with at least a partial charge on
the battery. The construction of the light is substantial and give the
feel of quality and durability. The case and handle are constructed of
what feels like a rather strong and durable plastic. The single switch
and USB recharging port are each protected by a rubber cover (the USB
cover can be opened to access the port. On the bottom of the handle the
strong magnet is also covered by a thin rubber sheet.
The light
is operated by way of a single switch which allows me to cycle it
through the 3 settings: Low/High/OFF. The handle connected to either
side of the light housing pivots around a full 360 degrees in 12 increments.
The handle moment is stiff enough to suggest it will stay in position
reliably while not excessively difficult to move (it does take me two
hands to position the handle). The magnet in the handle is quite strong
and seem more than adequate to hold the light to any magnetic surface.
The light it bright...really bright! Even on the low setting the light
is far too bright to look directly at and I would not even consider
trying with the bright setting. I would note that the brightness of
this light is reflected in the relatively short run times (2hrs for
high and 5hrs for low) despite its size and weight.
 Based
on the size/weight/run times, while I doubt I would be willing to carry
this light for an overnight backpacking trip, I can already see uses
for this light around my home, in my vehicle, my camper, and even at my
office.
Likes:
- Bright light
- Easy one button operation
- Durable construction
Room for Improvement: |
Field
Report
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October 22 2018- 3 day camping trip, Western Washington -intermittent rain
- 3 day camping trip, Bend Oregon, ~3600’ (1100m) -hot and dry
- 3 day camping trip, Prosser Washington (Beer and Whisky Festival), 720' (220m) warm and dry
- 3 day camping trip Ellensburg Washington (KOA camp ground), 1500' (500m) cool days and frost overnight
- Occasional use around the house and garage
 This
light really came in handy while camping. On one trip we had our
primary light source, a propane lantern on a stand, malfunction (we are
talking high flames and melting plastic, it was kind of exciting) just
as we started playing games. After a bit of scrambling to find
alternate light sources I pulled out the WorkStar 800 CYCLOPS adjusted
the handle so it would light the board and turned it on. It worked
great! Plenty of light, stable enough that it did not fall over if
bumped and being rechargeable, no worry about dead batteries tomorrow
night. And I did plug it during the day to recharge and used it again the following
night. On our most recent trip with nighttime temperatures around
freezing a friends heater failed. I went to his camper to find him
lying on the ground with a flashlight in his teeth trying to figure out
what was wrong. The CYCLOPS to the rescue. It provides far more light
that the small flashlight he had and the magnetic base allowed me to
place it exactly where it was needed. I also realized that since there
is no metal on the exterior of the light there was no worry about it
possibly coming into contact with any of the exposed electrical
connectors. Likes: - Bright light
- Easy one button operation
- Durable construction
- All non-conductive exterior
Room for Improvement: |
Long
Term Report |
| December 17 2018 | USE:
- Light for my outdoor grill 2-3 times (Multiple times per meal, about 30 seconds per use)
- Extra light to better see the details of my tropical Bonsai (Maybe 8-10 times, 30sec to 5min each)
Since
the field report I have had no further opportunities to use this light
outside of my home. However I have gotten some in home use out of it. I
have used this 2-3 times for light when cooking on my outdoor grill
after dark, and I have used it a number of times to get better light on
some of my tropical Bonsai plants that are currently in a small
makeshift greenhouse I assembled in my laundry room. The very bright
and wide spectrum light from the LED's are very effective at seeing the
true color of plants and food, which is quite useful for both checking
on how my food is cooking on the grill as well as evaluating the health
of my plants in fine detail. When not in use I have been using the
built in magnet to stick the light to a mettle calendar/note board in
our laundry room which keeps it quite handy for both uses (my plants
which are quite close and my grill which is located on the patio not
far from the laundry room door).
Overall I would not recommend
(nor have the intent to use) this light for hiking or backpacking. Its
large size and limited run time per charge simply don't work for me in
regards to hiking and backpacking. It is useful for camping and can
be handy to have in my vehicle (though keeping it charged in my vehicle
is not very convenient. I prefer non rechargeable batteries for that
due to their long storage life). I suspect moving forward most of my
use for this light will be around my home and shop, as well as for our
family camping trips. I really like how bright it is, and how the broad
spectrum light allows me to see true colors, as well as its ease of use
and the size plus handle make it stable and easy to use hands free.
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This
concludes
my report. I would like to thank the folks at MAXXEON and BackpackGearTest.org
for the opportunity to test this product.
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