For us, jobsite lighting is a must. In 2005, we invested in the first of a series of plug-in metal halide Wobble Lights, switched to battery-powered lights in 2016, and then graduated to the hugely expensive but really good Milwaukee MX Rocket Tower Light last year. Because we have a lot of Makita XGT tools and batteries, I was interested in trying out the company’s 40V XGT LED area light (model ML010G). It has a no-tip design similar to a Wobble Light’s—a feature we came to appreciate—but can be operated without a cord, doesn’t get hot, and doesn’t require a dedicated AC circuit.
Specs. The LED lighting in this unit has three modes: high (5,500 lumens), medium (3,000 lumens), and low (1,500 lumens). It’s IP54 rated (protected against dust and water spray) and can throw light at 360° and 180° (either left or right). The light weighs about 38 pounds when fitted with two batteries, though it operates from only one battery at a time. Either 40V XGT or 18V LXT batteries can be used, and they can be mixed and matched, with power drawn from the battery with the least capacity first.
We get about four hours out of a fully charged 5.0 Ah LXT battery, so two batteries give us a day of illumination at full power. This may not sound like a lot, but we are always rotating out our batteries anyway, so we never outrun the charging. Makita says that two 4.0 Ah XGT batteries will provide up to 27 hours at low power. Note: When you buy cordless tools, take advantage of any deals that throw in batteries; you can never have too many. Price: $700 (without batteries and chargers). makitatools.com
