Customer Reviews

Makita BML185 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Flashlight

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Ok, lets look at this item for what it is- a Flashlight. Does it perform all the duties of a flashlight?- YES. Does it last as long as the manual states?- YES (BTW- it's always good to download and read the manual before being purchasing or being ultra-critical on a review). Does it suddenly shut off when it reaches the critical battery discharge point?- YES. It's supposed to and it protects the battery (which we all know are expensive). Use some common sense, if you've been running it for 3-4hrs. on a BL1830 battery, realize it may need a charge before lasting you the rest of the project.

Does it adjust to 4 positions as it states?- YES. Does it adjust to 90 different 1 degree incremental positions from zero to 90 degrees like it doesn't say it does- No. BTW- it can be adjusted between the 4 positions that it has, but it just doesn't lock-in to those positions (although it will stay there).

It it bright?- YES. Does it perform the same as a 120 Lumen rechargeable flashlight that costs $175?- Of course not.

Sorry for the critical/sarcastic review, but it just kills me how people tear this light apart. It was $30 and is surprisingly bright with hours of run time. You can try like the guy mentiones below and run an LED bulb in it for increased performance if you desire more from it. It's rugged (I've dropped it several times from 8'+) and comfortable to hold.

I couldn't ask for more from any light below $50.

I got this in a kit, and figured it would be just another ho-hum light, like the flashlight that comes with just about every cordless kit so they can claim it includes one more tool than it really does. Other than Dewalt's snakelight, none of them really offer any advantage, other than using rechargeable batteries.

Then I decided to try a Nite Ize LRB-07-PR1W 1-Watt LED Bulb Upgrade/Replacement for Most C/D-Battery Flashlights. Even though they're only designed for up to 6-cell lights (9v), both the bulbs I tried worked fine. Going off the specs, the light should last a whole day with the slim battery, or over 2 days with the fat battery. I left it on all day with a half-charged slim battery, and I got tired of looking at it before the battery died. It turns a so-so light into a long-lasting, extremely bright light... too bad Makita didn't make it LED from the beginning!

About the only downside is the lack of beam focusing, though other cordless lights aren't focusable either. You must pick either a wide flood beam (the cheaper Nite Ize bulb) comparable to the regular bulb, or a narrow spot beam (the linked product) that doesn't even hit the reflector.

Update: Man, forget this thing, unless you need the angle-adjustable head. Just spend a few bucks on an LXL-M01 LED light. It's got a great beam pattern, and I'm really impressed by the light output. It's not the brightest, but seems to have more range than the brightness suggests. Especially impressive since it should run 24 or 48 hours off the mini or fullsize packs respectively. I haven't felt the urge to test that, I just know it's never killed a battery, and I almost never charge the mini pack I keep on it.

We tryed battery and cordless of all types until we found this Makita cordless flashlight. On our farm, we spend many long hours at night checking our calving cows and pulling newborns into the barn so we needed a flashlight that wasn't dying in the middle of our work. This Makita is the answer! Since we have 2 18v batteries, we rotate regularly so we don't run out of power but it does last a few nights before a change compared to the Canadian Tire cordless that lasts 10 min if your lucky at -30! We had such good luck that this is our second Makita BML185 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Flashlight in case a cow steps on one:)

this light is good for:
1. seeing under the car when you are changing oil
2. light under the sink when fixing or tightening a drain
3. leave in the bathroom on the counter when the lights go out...
because it stands well and the light lasts for at least 1 hour when charged recently.

this light is NOT good for:
1. seeing in tight places
2. keeping outside the home - like in a car trunk - battery does not hold a charge that long
3. camping
because it is large and clunky with the heavy battery and the beam does not focus from flood light and narrow beam. Once it goes dead, it's out.

Typical of the old style Makita Flashlight. It is durable, dependable, and because of the big battery it lasts a long time without charging. I work as a mechanic and I might recharge it every other weak. It is a little bulky at the base, however the swivel head sort of makes up for that because you can aim the light some-what. I wish they sold a LED bulb option but they don't. The Makita Kit I purchased came with two batteries and one impact gun so I had a spare battery just sitting there. The price was good enough to make the purchase a simple choice. The battery snapps in easy and charges quick. I've had it for two months now and have had no problems yet.

Only bought because I already have extra batteries for my drills available. It is a bit flimsy for field use. It had not broken yet but I'm sure one good fall and it will. Light quality is very good. Adjustable head needs more defined detents [positions] it just "flops" down too easily. More substantial feel/weight for field use. Needs to be able to take numerous drops at 6'-10' for me to be able to recommend to the professional. My suggestion to Makita, have the folks who engineered/designed the current version of the job site radio RE-design this light!

Fits great in the hand and surprisingly lightweight, well balanced. I do like the included strap for hands free operation; with the swivel head you can point it where you need it while it is slung over your shoulder. For those who complained about the strap--don't attach it. Battery compatibility was not a problem either. My compact 18V 1.5 Ah Li-ion battery fit perfectly with no need to punch out an insert. It uses the A-90261 bulb, which is described as a Xenon bulb on Makita's web site. It produces an amazing amount of light. For $18.25 what a good value. Replacement bulbs are reasonable, $4.79 with free shipping from Northern Tool. Too soon to need bulbs, but good idea to be prepared. They will probably break if the flashlight is jarred or dropped during use.