Makita BML184 18V LXT Fluorescent/Incandescent Flashlight

Customer Reviews

disappointing

2007-02-03
I have the other Makita lxt tools and bought this light since so many batteries are nearby and available. This light belongs at 'Dollar General'. Clumsy design. Switch button difficult to operate, cycles thru on/on/off and is easily left on when you come in from the dark. The flourescent mode burns the same hours as the BML185 zenon but is not nearly as bright. It's a 'flood' as opposed to the 'spot' of the 185 and a cooler light temperature. Flimsy construction. A strap bracket is molded at the top of the grip and chafes the soft part of your hand at the base of the thumb. I wear XL gloves so perhaps my hands are too large, I dunno. The lxt tools are great, I have 3 drills, etc. But this flourscent light should sell somewhere for about $4.99 ..... without the Makita name.

Nice flourescent, flashlight is just OK.

2006-12-16
I have had this light for a couple of months and really like it. The flourescent light works really well and is great for under-hood/under-sink applications. I recently had to replace a reverse osmosis system under our kitche sink. I was under there for a couple of hours due to comlpications and never had to worry about lack of light, or relocating the light because it lit evrything up so well. I also did not have to replace a battery during that time. It has a really cool hook to hang from, and a strap as well. I assume it would be good for camping, except that: 1) I am not positive how long the batteries will run and 2) It would pose a problem recharging batteries unless you have a power inverter for your vehicle.
The downside to this light is the flashlight function. It essentially works about as well as a small Mag Light. Not much light for the power that the battery puts out. If you are looking for a flashlight, you are better off purchasing the BML185. Be warned that if you do purchase a BML185, it DOES NOT come with a Xenon bulb as advertised. I have contacted Makita directly about this several times, but they don't seem to care (that is a whole other story).
I have purchased from Tool King before and frankly was not impressed at all with their service. If you run into problems, don't expect a lot of help.
At any rate, this is a great light and worth the money for the flourescent light alone.

Great Light!

2008-04-27
This light is well made.
I bought it to go night fishing it works perfect.
Will also make a good work light.
with 2 batteries I get 6 to 8 hrs of good light. Very Happy!

Good light

2008-01-22
The fluorescent light is fantastic, the flashlight leaves a lot to be desired, maybe an update would put a better lamp or change over to LED technology for the flashlight portion in the future.

Great Light

2008-01-07
Purchased this light after having experience with Dewalt's flourescent. Switched to Makita's 18V LiIon tools due to LED and lighter weight. Loved the flourescent with the Dewalt so expected the same with Makita and it delivers, the flashlight mode is nice but not real necessary. Only complaint I have so far is that the hook is flimsy and looks like it could get damaged easily, but will have to wait and see.

works great

2008-01-06
This light works great. We just had a power outage for about 36 hours and this was the brightest light we had. It lit up a room providing decent visibility and served as a reading lamp. It does it's job, what more can you ask?

Nice, but not as good as older 12V fluorescent light

2007-12-25
I bought this to replace my ML123 fluorescent light (of similar design) that I have used for years with my 12V "pod" batteries. The light output of this is the same, but the teensy, weensy incandescent bulb at the end is a waste. It makes the flashlight a few inches longer so it fits in less places. It also forces the use of a 3-step switch which is not only irritating, but is much harder to press (than either the ML123 or the BML185 regular LXT flashlight). If you instinctively turn off the fluorescent and don't pay attention, it will still be on, but shining out the other end. Overall, the fluorescent light is not brighter than the older ML123 (same 13W). The sky hook is pretty cheap as well. I would have given this a solid 5 stars if it was the same as the old 12V ML123 but just with 18V LXT batteries. In this case, however, newer is definitely not better.