Milwaukee recently announced a new M12 cordless LED worklight (2126) that’s specifically designed for hands-free illumination especially when working under or around vehicles.
Despite being designated as an underbody worklight, the new Milwaukee cordless light looks to have broader appeal as a shop or jobsite light.
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Indeed, this is how Milwaukee describes it (emphasis is my own):
The M12 Underbody Light delivers 1200 Lumens of TRUEVIEW High-Definition Output* for complete coverage in the shop or on the jobsite.
Do you know what this reminds me of? A super-duty desk light but with more degrees of freedom.
The new Milwaukee Underbody worklight features a magnetic base that allows it to be mounted on magnetic surfaces for hands-free lighting.
The worklight features dual joints that swivel 300° horizontally and up to 180° vertically, to help users position and direct the light exactly where it’s needed.
There’s a 12″ magnetic storage tray built into the arm, providing easy storage and access for loose sockets and hardware.
There are 3 power modes, delivering up to 1200 lumens of “TrueView” illumination.
See Also: What is Milwaukee TrueView?
When powered by a 4.0Ah battery, the Underbody worklight can run for up to 15 hours on low (600 lumens) or 5 hours on high (1200 lumens). There is also a 800 lumen setting.
The new Milwaukee worklight is water and dustproof to IP54 standards and can withstand drops of up to 6 feet. It was also designed to be corrosion-resistant in the presence of common automotive shop chemicals.
A handle build into the light head helps with adjustments.
The user control interface is simple – there’s an on/off power button, a mode selection button, and a battery fuel gauge indicator.
Milwaukee Underbody Light Features & Specs
- Magnetic mounting base
- 3 lighting modes
- Low: 600 lumens
- Medium: 800 lumens
- High: 1200 lumens
- Runtime with XC 4.0Ah battery
- Low: 15 hours
- High: 5 hours
- IP54 water- and dust-resistance
- Resistant to common auto shop chemicals
- 12″ magnetic parts tray
- Swivel points on both ends
- 300° horizontal rotation
- 180° vertical rotation
The kit comes with a charger and 4.0Ah XC battery. There is also a bare tool option.
Pricing
Bare Tool (2126-20): $179
Kit (2126-21XC): $259
ETA: December 2021
Buy Now: Bare Tool via Acme Tools
Buy Now: Kit via Acme Tools
Buy Now: Kit via Tool Nut
Discussion
Although I know that this light is designed specifically as an automotive worklight, I can see it being useful in all kinds of other usage environments.
The beauty of the light is that it can adjust at the base or at the light head, which means it’s going to be much more versatile than lights you have to physically move around. You can mount this to a magnetic surface where it’s convenient, and simply swing the light head to provide a convenient illumination angle.
And, more fabrication-savvy users can fashion other types of mounting accessories for it. Consider, for instance, a steel plate with hooks for hanging the light off of rafters or joists, or a simple steel plate that can be mounted to the side of a plastic tool box.
Or, ignoring the potential for DIY mounting accessories, what about simply sticking this to the side of a tool cart or workbench?
In the MRO (maintenance, repair, operations) space, fasten a steel plate to a resin cart, and you’ve got a light that can be aimed anywhere you need it to be.
Maybe the ergonomics or stability of the swivel joints won’t allow for improvised use in the way I’m envisioning, but I like to be optimistic.
I’ve looked around, and I can’t find any other automotive LED worklight quite like this one. Many worklights offer some adjustability, but nothing like this.
As a final thought, is it just me, or doesn’t the new worklight look like a desk lamp?