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Reviews > Lighting > Flashlights - LED > MAXXEON Cyclops > Test Report by joe schaffer

Maxxeon Cyclops LED Work Light

Test Report by Joe Schaffer

INITIAL REPORT - July 17, 2018
FIELD REPORT - October 6, 2018
LONG TERM REPORT - November 30, 2018
REVIEWER INFORMATION:
NAME: Joe Schaffer
EMAIL: never2muchstuff(at)yahoo(dot)com
AGE: 70
GENDER: Male
HOME:  Bay Area, California USA

     I enjoy California's central Sierras, camping every month with a goal to match my age in nights out each year. For comfort I lug tent, mattress, chair and such. Typical summer trips run 5-8 days; 40 lb (18 kg), about half food and water related; about 5 miles (8 km) per hiking day in the bright and sunny granite in and around Yosemite. I winter base camp most often at 6,000 to 7,000 ft (1,800 to 2,000 m); 2 to 3 nights; 50 lb (23 kg); a mile or so (1.6 km) on snowshoes.

INITIAL REPORT
Product: Cyclops USB Rechargeable LED Work Light

Manufacturer:  Maxxeon, Inc
    Website: http://www.maxxeon.compackage and light
                
        Features: (from package)
            •Round, wide beam
            •2-brightness settings: 420 & 160 Lumens
            •2 hours duration on high; 5 on low
            •33 m reach on high; 20 m on low
            •276 cd (candela) on high; 106 cd on low
            •Tolerates hard surface drop up to 2 m (6 ft)
            •Water resistance standard to IP64 (sprays and splashes, not immersion)
            •Charges via micro USB in 3 hours
            •Red/Green charging indicator
            •Handle/stand rotates 360 degrees
            •Powerful handle magnet with protective cover
            •3.7 V 1800 mAh Lithium Polymer battery
Length: 3 1/2 inches (9 cm), with handle 4 1/4 inches (11 cm)
Width: 2 3/8 inches (6 cm), with handle 3 inches (7.5 cm)
Thickness: 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Weight: 7 ounces (200 grams)

        Cautions
             Charge only on fireproof surface
             Do not charge while unattended
             Do not store or use below 14 F (-10 C)
             Do not store or use above 140 F (60 C)
             Transport in carry-on bag, never in checked luggage
             Do not disassemble, battery is not replaceable
             Do not dispose of in fire
             Dispose only at Li-ion recycle locations

       Color available: Black/Red

My Specs:
          Weight, lamp:  6 3/8 oz (191 g)
          Weight, cord: 3/8 oz (12 g)
          Measures, lamp: 4 1/4 x 2 7/8 x 1 1/8 in (10.8 x 7.3 x 2.9 cm)
          Cord length: 20 in (0.5 m)          
            
MSRP: $31.14 US

Received: July 16, 2018

Description:
    Copying the company's website info, nine LEDs arranged in a square pattern plus a custom designed lens creates a round floodlight beam - no rings, no shadows, no hot spots. The beam diameter to distance ratio is about 2:1, meaning for example, the beam diameter is about four ft wide when the light is two ft from an object. The ANSI FL-1 beam throw is 108 ft (33 m).
    An integrated handle/stand swivels completely around the length-wise dimension of the unit to provide stability and adjustment of light placement, in incremental clicks. The top part of the handle/stand contains a powerful magnet. The on-off pressure-activated switch on top of the unit allows two settings of light power. The lamp housing is mostly red with a large part of the face in black; and the handle/stand is all black. The unit comes with a micro-USB charging cord. The charging port has a black flex cover, located on the back of the unit near the top. The handle is flat on top and large enough to support the unit with some degree of stability. For more a more stable posture the stand can be rotated as shown in the package photo.

Impressions:
   My first impression is that I am dumber than I would like to think. On the mindless assumption the unit would be shipped without the battery having been charged, I absently pressed the power switch while having the lamp aimed at me. This is about as stupid as staring at the flash of an arc welder. The lamp throws off a blinding amount of light.
    When I could see well enough to find the front door, I took the lamp outside on the deck where there isn't much light. I noticed first that the light does not travel very far, in comparison with a powerful headlamp, for example. And second I saw immediately that the light is equally diffused within a working area. I would say the company's claims are correct here--no uneveness in the light at all. That the light doesn't throw far (relative to its power) would not be a criticism for a work lamp, and this unit is intended as a work lamp, not a search light.
    My chimpanzee heritage once again revealed itself when I approached the refrigerator to check the magnet. Yes, I saw the 'powerful' reference when I opened the package but gave it zero regard. Thus I was not prepared for the aggressive attraction the unit instantly developed for the fridge. I would guess it takes ten lb (5 kg) of force to pull the magnet loose, where I was expecting the magnet to exhaust itself just holding the unit in place. I don't wear a watch--and I wouldn't suggest doing so while handling the unit.
    I think the handle/stand swiveling is a great idea, but the resistance seems a bit much. I actually read the package and the online information to see if there was some kind of lock holding the handle in place. There isn't. (Dumb and weak--such delightful nuances of character illuminated by this product.)
    The unit arrived in time to assist in a little home project in a poorly lighted area of house planned for later in the week. Results of that effort will follow in the next report. 

FIELD REPORT

Field Conditions:

    1. July 18, 2018: Out-of-state mission to evaluate a stairwell and design a barrier.
    2. July 28-August 20, 2018: Floor replacementnail hang in laundry room and furnace room; installing water heater drain pan and under-house plumbing. 

Impressions:

    1. Stairwell: Turns out the light is so bright I was able to discover joinery in a post thought to be solid. The result was being shown the need to make some radical Plan B re-design that completely changed the nature of the project. Fortunately I was saved from what surely would have been an unhappy result from over-stressing a banister post, not to mention the homeowner. (Imagine hearing 'Oh good, you've ruined it'.)

    2. The tiny furnace room does have a light, but the area is too dark to read tape measure marks in most places. The Cyclops also helped me find joist nails in the sub-floor, which I could not see at all from the wall light. I used the magnet frequently on the water heater and furnace to keep the light on the work area. At one point I even stuck it on the corner edge of the dryer, where I did not expect it to stay put, and on a single nail head as shown in the photo. So far I've not had the lamp fall off anything to which it had initially stuck. At first I questioned the needbright for such a powerful magnet. With the swivel adjustment and the ability to attach the lamp to anything ferrous I can dimconveniently place the lamp in a most suitable position without concern that hammering the floor will dislodge it. I still think the swivel adjustment is much tighter than it needs to be.
    Part of the drain pan project involved work under the house. I could have used a headlamp. But with a dust mask and safety glasses there was already enough stuff going on over head. The Cyclops is small enough to put in a pocket while squirming around pilings and through networks of pipes; and of course dragging an extension cord through all the rat droppings leaves much to be desired. Cyclops does a better job than a trouble light, though it came to my attention that a hook somewhere might not be a terrible idea in the absence of anything metal nearby. Perhaps that would be not worth the snagging troubles, though, as simply setting it on its back threw ample light. There was a big advantage over a headlamp. It often happens when hands are full, such as with PVC glue, that a bump against a timber dislodges the headlamp or points it in the wrong direction. Then I can't see, and I have to un-hand something to get back the correct aim. Cyclops throws light everywhere.
    The wide throw of the light illuminates a large working area. Tape measure marks are easier to read with no rings in the output. I'm quite impressed with the evenness of the output and immediately liked it. I had occasion to compare the output to that of a lamp that came with my drill kit. After getting used to the Cyclops I had the immediate impression with the kit light that something had gone wrong with my eyes. That light makes rings and spots to send a fellow off to the ophthalmologist. Wow! It's like I didn't know I needed a cell phone until I got one.
     I would estimate about two hours of use on the light's lower (first-click) setting before the battery gave out from the factory charge. I noticed no warning of any kind--no dimming or flickering, it just went out. I wouldn't know how much time had elapsed from the factory charging the battery, but it seems to hold a charge well.
    I've charged the lamp twice myself. Noting the charging time required has so far eluded my attention span. As much and often as I turn it off and on I've no reasonable expectation of being able to make an accurate assessment of output longevity, complicated even more by using the light on both settings.
    Making the light swivel easier would be an easy design change, I'd think. Training me to keep from fumbling with the adjustment until the light hits me in the eyes seems far more difficult.
    The pictures intend to compare the bright and dim settings of the lamp, showing a distance of 13 ft (4.3 m) from lamp to back wall.
    At about double the weight of a headlamp, I found the light too heavy for any of the backpacking trips I've taken since getting it. So far the only relationship to backpacking has been using it to sort through gear piles under the house, and it worked great for that!
   
LONG TERM REPORT
Field Conditions:
    Multiple occasions around the house and car--changing oil, looking for stuff in a poorly lighted garage and under the house. I used the light quite a bit examining a deck for structural issues of rot and insect damage; and to find nail heads for extraction as I took the deck apart to replace bad pieces. Two nights (one raining) I used the light for reading street signs that were not otherwise adequately illuminated.

Impressions:
    The lamp's ability to hold a charge continues to impress me. I don't think in use it has the staying power suggested by the vendor, though I never mustered the discipline to keep actual track of the amount of time the light was on. I like that the light stays steadily bright as the battery diminishes, but having some kind of warning that depletion is near would be good.
    Twice I was navigating city streets in the dark where I couldn't read street sign names from my car. One night was raining, so I was particularly glad I'd left the Cyclops in my car after changing oil; and didn't have to get out at each corner to get close enough to the street name to see where I was. I had another wimpy little light that I was used to having for emergency use. When I remembered the Cyclops and fired it at dim signs it lit up the entire street corner. The signs were reflective, but I was impressed with how far away I could read them.
(Yes, I have a GPS mapping device for the car but its technology surpasses my patience for figuring out how to use it.)

SUMMATION: Handy, bright light around the house. It takes up little room and holds a charge, making it an ideal light to keep in the car.

Quick shots:
    a) steadily bright
    b) compact and versatile
    c) stiff adjustment
    d) no depletion warning
 
Thank you Maxxeon and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this product. The test is complete
.




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