Stanley MaxLife 2 369 Tripod Review

Day-to-day working with the general use of hand and power tools is fine, for most of the time... except when it comes to getting into tight spaces, more often than not these are dark. If you work in the electrical industry, switching the power off also leads to many a dark loft space. The Stanley MaxLife 2 369 Tripod Flashlight could well be the answer to a lot of problems.

This compact unit in its simplest form is a nice handheld flashlight. It works off either 3, 6 or 9 AA batteries, which fit into the three legs. Legs on a torch? I hear you say... well, this handy unit has tripod legs so that it can be stood on a surface and used hands-free. At the push of a button, the magnet catch releases the legs and the MaxLife 2 stands pretty stable. The legs can then be clasped back in with one hand and the magnet latches them into the main body.

The torch itself is a 1watt LED affair. It has two brightnesses (low and high) and a focus control. Sliding the control focuses the beam into a spotlight, or spreads the light into a wider area. The 1watt power may not sound much, but this is more than enough for the jobs I tested it with. Another nice feature is that the LED blinks when the battery is running low, so you never get caught short of power. When you stand the unit on its tripod, you can angle the torch head. It only has three positions, but these are more than adequate and at least allow some control.

The build quality feels pretty darn good and it is pretty robust too. The anodized aluminum construction should see it take a knock or two. In fact, in our tests we managed to knock it over a couple of times, and it survived without any problems at all. It is the usefulness of the MaxLife 2 that wins our vote though. The easy conversion from a handheld torch to a tripod mounted one is excellent. It makes the product very flexible in different work situations and worth every penny.

Product: Stanley MaxLife 2 369 Tripod Flashlight
Price: £24.99
Supplied by: Stanley UK
Contact: 0114 244 8883

Early Impressions of Metabo Goodness

Having spent over a week with the massive selection of kit that Metabo sent me, at the moment I am a little overwhelmed... not with the number of toys, but with the quality. I will not go into detail here of what I think of each individual tool, but must point out that every single one has performed superbly. All of them are built-like-tanks, well balanced and feel really great in the hand.
The SBZ18 combination drill is absolutely fantastic, the pulse action for getting those stubborn screws out has helped me on more than one occasion. The torque and overall power on offer has also amazed. The ASE18 reciprocating saw has also performed well and impressed me with its flexibility in all different types of job. The tiny PowerMaxx Li Pro has also opened my eyes to how a small screwdriver should work. There is no comparison between this and other run-of-the mill brands. Within the first week I had used the PowerMaxx on a job and it worked like a trojan for three hours and still had more to give.
Before I sign off on this early impression of the Metabo kit, I must mention the lithium ion batteries. They charged in the stated 30 minutes with the supplied AC30+ charger. They also have neat little LED indicators on the back of the battery, so that a push of the button lets you know how much power you have left, ingenious! To say that at this early stage of testing "I am amazed at the quality and power that Metabo offer", really is an understatement. Check back next month for the full review.

Makita 8280D 14.4V Combi Drill - Early Impressions

Having used the Makita 8280D 14.4V Combi Drill for a week now I am happy to give you my early impressions of this unit. The build quality is really good, it feels very solid in the hand and is nicely balanced. When you consider the price it is in the same bracket as a top of the range DIY type product, like a Black & Decker that you can pick up from any large DIY store. In comparison, you don't get that weak plasticky feel that you do with some products, this Makita really fits the brand and there has been no skimping on build quality at all.
Having used the 8280D on a few small projects, I went prepared with the charger and a spare battery just in case (the fact that you get three is a real bonus). I set about creating a wooden frame to take some boarding above a door. Plenty of drilling pilot holes, attaching metal brackets and driving in long wood screws. The job was finished with ease and I did not have to reach for that second battery once. The 8280D was still going strong when the job was complete. The torque has impressed me so far and my early view is that if I had a £100 budget, the Makita 8280D would be on my shortlist for sure.
Check back in around four weeks for the full review of this unit.