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Mychanic Blade Multi Light rechargeable work light review


I may have a flashlight problem.  No, I definitely have a flashlight problem!  Why can’t someone make the perfect light? I believe there is no such thing because every situation calls for something different. This time, I get to try out the Mychanic Blade Multi Light, a rechargeable light that flexes to your needs.

  • Weight: 1.4 lbs
  • Blade: x 7″ tall 1 1/2″ across x 5/8″ deep
  • Extended: 17.5″ tall x 2″ across x 2″ deep
  • Folded:  10″ tall x 2″ across x 2 1/4 deep
  • LI-Ion rechargeable battery with micro USB AC charging adapter
  • Durable ABS housing
  • Low heat output
  • Patent pending

My sample didn’t come in retail packaging.  I received a sheet of instructions, wall charger, and microUSB cable for charging.

You can use any microUSB cable (as I did here).  Note the red LED that indicates charging.  It turns green when full. Why can’t all manufacturers do it this way?

There’s a hook that at first, I could not figure out.  To extend the hook, you push IN to the light. I naturally tried to gorilla-pull the hook out, to no avail.

There’s also a magnet along the green rubbery strip where the microUSB is.  The problem?  Once you’ve stuck it on a surface, you’ve just covered up the power button.

There are four different lighting modes:  Full bright (250 lumens), Low (difficult to photograph!), red flashing, and directional.  The direction pattern consists of one red LED flashing in one direction, sequentially.

Here’s the light attached to the underside of a hood using the magnets.

And, here’s the light again, this time hung by the hook.

How long does the battery last?  On the brightest setting, I got 4 hours.  It’s likely longer on the low setting.

My only complaint about the Mychanic Blade Multi Light is that there’s no obvious way to have it sit upright on a desk or flat surface.  It may take you a moment of twisting and flexing to figure it out.  The magnet isn’t the strongest, so a bump could dislodge the lamp.  I’m still slightly embarrassed about the hook thing, too.

What I do like is the light weight (1.4 lbs), and the USB charging. The red/green LED indicator is simple genius that I wish was more commonplace.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Mychanic. Please visit their site for more info.

 

Product Information

Price: $34.99
Manufacturer: Mychanic
Requirements:
  • Charges via microUSB
Pros:
  • Light weight, four light modes, magnet and hook mounts. MicroUSB rechargeable.
Cons:
  • Not totally obvious how to get the light to stand on a flat surface without some trial and error.

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Mychanic Blade Multi Light rechargeable work light review originally appeared on on July 4, 2017 at 8:22 am.

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Luminoodle LED Light Rope review


The Luminoodle Light Rope is a versatile, interesting approach to multi-use outdoor lighting. With bright output, long battery life, a number of mounting options and waterproof housing, the Luminoodle works well in most situations. Some design elements, like the lack of an on/off switch, do cause it to fall a bit short in the field. But, at $19.99 for the Light Rope alone, it makes for a fun purchase.

The Luminoodle LED Light Rope comes sealed in a brightly colored foil bag.

I tested the 5 ft. Luminoodle, it also comes in a longer 10 ft. version. I was provided a Power Practical Lithium 3400 battery pack for my tests. It’s important to note that the Luminoodle doesn’t come with a battery pack unless you order them together. The unit does work with any USB port or universal battery pack. As far as I can tell, Power Practical no longer sells the Lithium 3400 battery pack separately but does offer the Lithium 4400 battery pack, which I did not test, on their website for $29.99.

The included nylon ripstop bag is incredibly useful, not only for holding the Light Rope, mounting ties, utility loop and battery pack but also for acting as a lantern when the Light Rope is powered and stuffed inside. The strong, thin fabric of the bag diffuses the light allowing it to cast a powerful lantern-like glow.

The Light Rope itself comes with few accessories, just a reel to roll it up with and three mounting ties. There are magnetic sliders built on to the unit that helps in some mounting situations, but the ties are the primary mounting option.

The Lithium 3400 Battery Pack comes with a micro-USB charging cable, a magnetic sleeve and a utility loop. The battery pack has an attached lanyard as well.

The battery pack has a textured aluminum housing and a rubberized tip.

There are two ports on the battery pack, a standard USB output port and a micro-USB input port for charging. There is a small indicator light next to the input port. A blinking red light indicates the battery is charging, a solid red light means the battery is fully charged, and a solid blue light shows that the unit is powering something else.

The Luminoodle Light Rope has a reversible USB plug which was a handy addition and was really appreciated when I needed to connect it to the power source in the dark.

As soon as the Luminoodle is connected to a USB power source, it turns on. This made using the unit a bit problematic at times, which I will get to shortly.

The battery pack’s magnetic sleeve allows you to attach the pack to any metallic surface along with the Light Rope.

This magnetic sleeve is similar to the ones on the Light Rope itself. The magnets were not as strong as I would’ve liked. I can’t see using this attached the inside of a car’s hood as is suggested on the website.

A more effective way to attach the Light Rope to anything is with the unique mounting ties. Although, this mounting option has its own challenges.

The ties are bright orange with nubs that allow you to adjust the length by pulling them through a small loop at the end of the tie. There is a larger loop to pull the Light Rope through.

The silicone casing of the Light Rope makes it a little difficult to handle and pulling the unit through the ties and then spacing the ties properly with the magnetic sleeves on the rope was frustrating, especially in the confines of a backpacking tent in the middle of the woods.

As I mentioned, the unit powers on as soon as it is connected to a power source. The Light Rope is very bright, which is great for some uses, but not all. On the unit I tested, there is no dimmer or on/off switch.

The only way to turn off the unit is to disconnect it from the power source.

So after much difficulty hanging the Light Rope exactly how I wanted it, I realized that once I turned it off by unplugging it, the USB end of the rope and battery pack would just be dangling there, difficult to find in the dark.

I found myself reaching for my trusty EDC flashlight a lot while trying to use the Luminoodle, which kind of defeats the purpose, but it may just be that I need a few more field tests or I have yet to have a problem that the Light Rope will solve.

The Luminoodle Light Rope is definitely fun to use and I’m sure there are more effective uses for it, I just didn’t find it incredibly useful on this particular outing. The fact that it’s waterproof is great, up to 1 meter for 30 minutes, although that doesn’t apply to the battery pack, so the usage there is again limited to just being weatherproof, which is still a great feature. At $19.99 for the Light Rope without a power source, it is definitely worth picking up.

Light Rope Specifications

  • Length: 5 ft. (1.5 m)
  • Light Output 180 Lumens
  • USB Input 2.5W (5V,0.5A)
  • Weight 133 g (4.7 oz)

Lithium 3400 Battery Pack Specifications

  • Capacity: 12.5Wh (3350 mAh @ 3.7V)
  • Input: Micro-USB 5W (5V,1A)
  • Output: 6W (5V,1.2A)
  • Weight: 4.2 oz
  • Dimensions: 3.25 in x 0.9 in

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Power Practical. Please visit their website for more info and Amazon.

 

Product Information

Price: $19.99 for 5 ft. Luminoodle Light Rope Only, $34.99 for 5 ft. Luminoodle Light Rope and 4400 Battery Pack
Manufacturer: Power Practical
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • USB Battery Pack or Power Source
Pros:
  • Long battery life
  • Many uses
  • Waterproof/Weatherproof
Cons:
  • No On/Off switch
  • Weak magnets
  • Unwieldy

Filed in categories: Reviews

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Luminoodle LED Light Rope review originally appeared on on July 3, 2017 at 8:29 am.

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Off Grid Tools Survival Axe Elite review


Survival tools run the gamut from a pocket knife to axes and even beyond. I don’t know if there is any real definition of what a survival tool is, so I guess it comes down to what an individual would consider to be a survival tool. With that in mind Off Grid Tools has offered up for review their version of a survival tool, the Survival Axe Elite.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

Although not all survival tools will have multiple useful features, to me the most effective ones will. The Survival Axe Elite delivers on the multiple use aspect being advertised as having 30 features. Now, just for clarification, features may not mean tools or uses depending on your definition. As you can see by the picture below from the Off Grid Tools website all the features are shown and listed.

Again, you would need to decide and define what you consider a feature.

I will break this review down by the axe head section and the handle section. Before I go too far into this review I want to address the “hatchet” in the room. I know some of you may look at the Survival Axe Elite and say, “isn’t that a hatchet?” And by many definitions, the tool could be considered a hatchet, but hatchets are also known as hand axes so by accepted terms the Survival Axe Elite is an axe.

The head of the axe contains the majority of the Survival Axe Elites tools the main two to me being the hatchet edge and the hammer head. Although the other tools can be useful, those two are the workhorses of this section of the tool. I don’t want to discount the other features here like the pry bar and gas valve shut off, or even the built-in sockets, but I consider those to be ancillary items.

The handle of the Survival Axe Elite covers the full tang of the axe. The rubberized 33% glass filled nylon handle has some interesting feature including a six-inch reciprocating saw blade and a hardened glass breaker.

There is a locking mechanism at the bottom of the axe that keeps the reciprocating blade lock in place when in and outside of the handle. I will say that when the blade is deployed the locking mechanism does not hold the blade locked in place on my Survival Axe Elite. The blade lock is low enough on the handle that it should not interfere with your use of the Survival Axe Elite.

I mentioned the glass breaker before, but the handle also has a seatbelt cutter built into it. Both would seem to function well, but I must admit I did not try out the glass breaker. As with the blade lock both of these items are low enough on the handle so they should not interfere with normal use.

I mainly tested the Survival Axe Elite by using the hatchet, hammer and saw blade. The hatchet blade is good for chopping, I wish that the blade was sharpened a little better, I believe this would make chopping wood easier. The hammer was also good at what it does, hammer. The grip was comfortable for both chopping and hammering. I did try out the nail puller and it also performed well. That brings me to the saw feature. First, let me say I love the fact that the saw feature is included on this tool, that being said I think the tool would benefit from a redesign of the locking mechanism. I am just scared that I will hit the back of the blade making it close on my fingers. The blade did cut well and the way the system is designed makes it a little more ergonomic when cutting.

So, what’s my bottom line here? The Off Grid Tools Survival Axe Elite is good. From what I did it functions well. The features have been well thought out but, I would honestly only use some of the features in an emergency (mainly the hex sockets). The build is solid and the materials seem to be first rate. The oxide coating has held up so far and will help protect the Survival Axe Elite while it waits to be used. Even with the minor issues I have had with this tool, I would still recommend it to someone that was looking for a tool of this type. The Survival Axe Elite is available on the Off Grid Tools website for $89.99.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Off Grid Tools. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order one.

 

Product Information

Price: $89.99
Manufacturer: Off Grid Tools
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Well built
  • Built in tools
Cons:
  • No axe head cover or case

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Off Grid Tools Survival Axe Elite review originally appeared on on July 2, 2017 at 9:45 am.

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Off Grid Tools Survival Axe Elite review


Survival tools run the gamut from a pocket knife to axes and even beyond. I don’t know if there is any real definition of what a survival tool is, so I guess it comes down to what an individual would consider to be a survival tool. With that in mind Off Grid Tools has offered up for review their version of a survival tool, the Survival Axe Elite.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

Although not all survival tools will have multiple useful features, to me the most effective ones will. The Survival Axe Elite delivers on the multiple use aspect being advertised as having 30 features. Now, just for clarification, features may not mean tools or uses depending on your definition. As you can see by the picture below from the Off Grid Tools website all the features are shown and listed.

Again, you would need to decide and define what you consider a feature.

I will break this review down by the axe head section and the handle section. Before I go too far into this review I want to address the “hatchet” in the room. I know some of you may look at the Survival Axe Elite and say, “isn’t that a hatchet?” And by many definitions, the tool could be considered a hatchet, but hatchets are also known as hand axes so by accepted terms the Survival Axe Elite is an axe.

The head of the axe contains the majority of the Survival Axe Elites tools the main two to me being the hatchet edge and the hammer head. Although the other tools can be useful, those two are the workhorses of this section of the tool. I don’t want to discount the other features here like the pry bar and gas valve shut off, or even the built-in sockets, but I consider those to be ancillary items.

The handle of the Survival Axe Elite covers the full tang of the axe. The rubberized 33% glass filled nylon handle has some interesting feature including a six-inch reciprocating saw blade and a hardened glass breaker.

There is a locking mechanism at the bottom of the axe that keeps the reciprocating blade lock in place when in and outside of the handle. I will say that when the blade is deployed the locking mechanism does not hold the blade locked in place on my Survival Axe Elite. The blade lock is low enough on the handle that it should not interfere with your use of the Survival Axe Elite.

I mentioned the glass breaker before, but the handle also has a seatbelt cutter built into it. Both would seem to function well, but I must admit I did not try out the glass breaker. As with the blade lock both of these items are low enough on the handle so they should not interfere with normal use.

I mainly tested the Survival Axe Elite by using the hatchet, hammer and saw blade. The hatchet blade is good for chopping, I wish that the blade was sharpened a little better, I believe this would make chopping wood easier. The hammer was also good at what it does, hammer. The grip was comfortable for both chopping and hammering. I did try out the nail puller and it also performed well. That brings me to the saw feature. First, let me say I love the fact that the saw feature is included on this tool, that being said I think the tool would benefit from a redesign of the locking mechanism. I am just scared that I will hit the back of the blade making it close on my fingers. The blade did cut well and the way the system is designed makes it a little more ergonomic when cutting.

So, what’s my bottom line here? The Off Grid Tools Survival Axe Elite is good. From what I did it functions well. The features have been well thought out but, I would honestly only use some of the features in an emergency (mainly the hex sockets). The build is solid and the materials seem to be first rate. The oxide coating has held up so far and will help protect the Survival Axe Elite while it waits to be used. Even with the minor issues I have had with this tool, I would still recommend it to someone that was looking for a tool of this type. The Survival Axe Elite is available on the Off Grid Tools website for $89.99.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Off Grid Tools. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order one.

 

Product Information

Price: $89.99
Manufacturer: Off Grid Tools
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Well built
  • Built in tools
Cons:
  • No axe head cover or case

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: , ,

Off Grid Tools Survival Axe Elite review originally appeared on on July 2, 2017 at 9:45 am.

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Portland Reflector Afterglow and Twilight reflectors review


My son recently started taking up running as a school sport, and that also includes the occasional team run in the Presidio in San Francisco. Some portions are shared by cars, so I started looking around at reflectors. Here are some by Portland Reflector, from- wait for it- Portland, OR.

I was sent two different kinds of reflectors: The Afterglow and Twilight.

The Afterglow is a two-part reflector held together by powerful magnets:

  • Uses Reflexite® retroreflective material
  • Size WxH: 157mm x 140mm (6.2″ x 5.5″)
  • Total weight: 49 grams (1.7 ounces)
  • Made in the USA

Each package comes with a silver triangle and your choice of a second color: silver, yellow, orange, pink or blue.

Here’s the magnetic Afterglow attached to my son (age 11).  The LED flash on my iPhone was used for this, and it’s already wicked reflective.

The Twilight strap reflector is a slightly smaller triangle with cutouts for your straps. Like it’s big brother, the Twilight also comes in silver, yellow, orange, pink or blue.  You get one per package.

  • Uses Reflexite® retroreflective material
  • Strap opening size: 35mm x 13mm (1.4″ x 0.5″)
  • Product size WxH: 125mm x 112mm (4.9″ x 4.4″)
  • Weight: 6 grams (0.2 ounces)
  • Made in the USA

I discovered the Twilight fit a strap/buckle on my daypack perfectly.

Family portrait!

It seems like such a simple thing, but I found these reflectors from Portland Reflector to be clever and well-made. If you like things that are still made in the US, look no further.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Portland Reflector. Please visit their site for more info.

 

Product Information

Price: $19 (Afterglow) and $9 (Twilight)
Manufacturer: Portland Reflector
Pros:
  • Bright
  • Clever
  • Made in the USA
Cons:
  • None

Filed in categories: Reviews

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Portland Reflector Afterglow and Twilight reflectors review originally appeared on on July 1, 2017 at 9:30 am.

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