Makita BML185 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Flashlight

by Makita

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Makita's 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Flashlight delivers high illumination to wherever the job takes you. The BML185 is compact and durable, and can be powered by a Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Battery (sold separately). It is built to accompany the rest of the Makita LXT Series tools to the job site.

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BML185 Features POWER - High illumination Xenon bulb emits at 4,500 Lux CONTROL - 4-position pivoting head COMFORT - Compact design with less weight and ergonomic grip PERFORMANCE - LXT Li-Ion batteries charge in 30 minutes, run longer and deliver 2.5X more cycles Battery and charger not included

Tool Specifications Run time up to 4 hours Battery 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Overall length 11-1/8" Net weight 2.1 lbs. (w/battery)

Rugged and Versatile Design
The BML185 features a four-position head that pivots for greater versatility. The flashlight has high illumination, emitting high power at 4,500 Lux with a Xenon bulb for extra brightness. It will run for up four hours on an 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Battery (sold separately). The BML185 weighs just over two pounds (with battery, sold separately) with a compact design at 11-1/8 inches in length and an ergonomic shape that fits like a glove. It includes a shoulder strap and two Xenon flashlight bulbs. The BML185 is just another example of Makita's commitment to innovative technology and best-in-class engineering.

About Makita's 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Tool Series
As one of the pioneers driving the cordless tool revolution, Makita changed the game with its breakthrough 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Series. Three years after its debut, Makita's LXT Series has grown from seven to over 35 tools, providing a wide range of cordless solutions for professional tradesmen. Makita also added 18V Compact Lithium-Ion for cordless power in a more compact size.

About Makita
Makita is a worldwide manufacturer of industrial quality power tools and offers a wide range of industrial accessories. Makita applies leading-edge innovation to engineer power tools that are more compact and energy efficient, yet deliver industrial strength power and results. Makita U.S.A., Inc. is located in La Mirada, California, and operates an extensive distribution network located throughout the U.S. For more information, please call 800/4-MAKITA (800/462-5482) or visit makitatools.com. Makita is Best-in-Class Engineering.

Warranty
Every Makita Lithium-Ion tool is backed by Makita's 3-Year Warranty that covers repair due to defects in materials or workmanship up to three years from the date of original purchase. Makita Lithium-Ion batteries and chargers have a limited 1-Year Warranty. Please see makitatools.com for complete details.

What's in the Box
Makita BML185 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Flashlight, shoulder strap and two xeon flashlight bulbs (battery not included).

Other Makita Lithium-Ion Series

More 18V Lithium-Ion Tools from Makita See the entire 18V Lithium-Ion Lineup

Driver-Drills Impact Drivers Impact Wrenches BHP454 BDF451 BDF452 BDA350 BTD144 BTW450 BTW251 BTL063

Concrete Metalworking Combo Kits BHR240 BCS550 BPB180 LXT1500 15-Tool Kit LXT1200 12-Tool Kit LXT902 9-Tool Kit

Product Description

The Makita 18-Volt Rechargeable Flashlight features a compact design with a rubberized grip. The Xenon bulbs provide a super-bright beam and the four-position adjustable head allows easy positioning. It takes a 3.0 Ah Li-Ion battery (not included). This item is backed by a three-year warranty, measures 11-1/8 inches in length, and weighs .75 pounds.

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Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000EEX7SO
• Item model number: BML185
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,045 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #4 in Home Improvement > Building Supplies > Job Site Lighting

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't worry if you have 1.5 amp hour batteries or 3.0 amp hour batteries for this, September 14, 2007

By 

Stephen D. Douge (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Makita BML185 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Flashlight (Tools & Home Improvement)

Makita makes 2 different sets of Lithium-Ion tools. The 3.0 amp hour tools (LXT) and the 1.5 amp hour tools (compact). The LXT tools do not work with the "compact" batteries. This can be fixed easily though. The 3.0 amp hour batteries and the 1.5 amp hour batteries both give the same power. There are simply twice as many cells in the 3.0 battery than there is in the 1.5 battery which means that the 3.0 battery will last twice as long. Makita did some market research when they were going to first introduce the 1.5 batteries and found that if a customer put the 1.5 battery on the LXT tools, they tended to say that the tools themselves were no good because of the battery life when in fact it was the fault of the smaller battery. What they did is put a square of plastic on the LXT tools (where the battery slides on) to prevent the smaller battery to fit in the tool. That square does not exist on the 1.5 amp hour tools so the 1.5 amp hour tools will actually take both types of batteries. It is actually very easy to punch out that square of plastic and then be able to use your batteries with the flashlight or any other LXT tool that you may purchase (once the plastic squares have been punched out on the tools). Just be aware that they will last half as long as they would with the 3.0 amp hour batteries. I learned all of this from Makita so I can guarantee that this will not damage your flashlight, the battery, or any other LXT tool.

43 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars annoying auto shutoff below a certain voltage, April 26, 2007

By 

StevieQ (Castro Valley, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Makita BML185 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Flashlight (Tools & Home Improvement)

The first remark that my little 8-yr. old nephew made upon putting this light in his hand was how light it was compared to his Dad's Ryobi light. The light weight makes it a pleasure to use. But there are several noticeable drawbacks with this light:

One is the small number of detents, four to be exact. The angles are zero(vertical), 45 degrees pointing up, 90(horizontal), and about 30 degrees pointing down. That means the 4 positive detents cover a range of about 120 degrees.

The 2nd thing I noticed is the light is the fixed focus. It casts a very wide beam. On my Bosch, the light is focusable to change the beam size.

Third, this light has a very sensitive momentary switch that turns on with a very light touch. This function would be handy if I were a policeman using a search-light, but considering that this is a work-light instead of a search-light, the momentary function is marginally useful at best. If the light was stored in a tote bag along with other tools, the light could easily turn itself on by bumping into other tools and have the battery totally drained. Overall, I consider this momentary function more a disadvantage than a benefit on a work-light.

Last and most annoying of all is the fact that Makita's lithium-ion batteries have a built-in safety circuitry that shuts off the light when the voltage reaches a low cutoff level. This feature is needed because lithium-ion batteries can on very rare occasions explode if they are overly discharged. The circuitry kicks in abruptly and leaves you completely in the dark without warning. There is usually no warning because the light level and voltage are quite constant as the battery drains due to the flat discharge curve of Li-on batteries. With NiCD-powered lights, the light dims much more noticeably as the battery nears the end of charge and there is always plenty of visual warning before the light dies down completely. Even though this cutoff feature is needed as a safety measure, it does make me think twice about using this light when I go into places or situations where I can not afford to lose light, even just momentarily, without warning.

32 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very nice flashlight, but shame on Makita!, December 16, 2006

By 

K. Anderson (Goleta, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Makita BML185 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Flashlight (Tools & Home Improvement)

This is a really nice flashlight and is a must have if you already own Makita Li-ion tools. It is a fairly powerful flashlight and stands up perfectly when the battery is attached. This is very useful when setting the angle at 90deg and standing the battery to point the beam at a project.
The dowside is the strap. It is pretty useless unless you are climbing a ladder/tree or something. It more or less just gets in the way.
Here is the shame on Makita: This flashlight DOES NOT have a Xenon bulb as advertised. This flashlight is shipped with the A90261 bulb. This is the SAME bulb that has been used with the ML180 flashlight for years and is NOT a Xenon bulb. I have contacted Makita several times regarding this issue and have even spoken to the Project/Program Manager in charge of the LXT line of tools and they have yet to receive a call back. Voice mails and emails to Makita USA and Makita Japan have gone un-answered. This may be a minor detail, but really amounts to false adtertising. Not what I would expect from a company with Makita's reputation.