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Head lamps for turning?

R

Ricc Havens

Joined
Feb 21, 2011
Messages
367
Likes
352
Location
Elkhart, IN
Website
www.riccsdesigns.com
A little backgrounbd first. I am legally blind due to macular degeneration called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). I only have about 12% center vision (tunnel vision) in my left eye. Another drawback for people with RP is that our eyes don't process light like normal. Right now I see about 50% of light perception that a normal person has. My shop is lit with a bunch of the brightest LED shop light fixtures I can find. But even even in my brightly lit shop it seems dim to me. As my vision loss progresses I need more and more direct task light. I do have some super bright LED lights for the lathe that I got from Woodturners Wonders. But when I go to other areas pf the shop or other workbenches the overhead LED lighting just isn't low enough. I can't lower the overhead fixture any more without constantly hitting my head on them,.

Looking to see if anyone has recommendations on good bright :LED head;amps? I have tried the brightest Energizer brand headlamp that the local big box stores carry. They are okay but don't last long on a set of three AAA batteries before they dim enough to not be usable. I tried a rechargeable LED headlamp from Harbor Freight. But it was heavy and didn't last long per charge.

Any recommendations for a good headlamp with preferably the following characteristics?:
- as lightweight as possible
- decent run time between charges or sets of regular batteries
possibly a focusable beam from wide to narrow depending on the task. My cheap H.Freight has that and it's nice.

 
Ricc, for what you are doing, I would skip all the cheap headlights and go directly to specialty manufacturers.

I have lights from both Fenix and Olight. They are both great companies, but you will pay for top of the line lights. Both companies have headlights with high lumens and decent run times >= 4 hours depending on battery.

They both have lights at or below $100, and features that would suit you. One thing I like about the Fenix is it uses the 21700 battery which has very high capacity compared to the AA or AAA batteries. Both companies have models that charge with USB-C cables plugging directly into the flashlights.

Edit: many of the higher end brands have headlights with separate battery packs that clip on a belt. Don't know how you feel about that, but you then get light weight headset, with long run times and very bright lights.

I don't know if any of the types mentioned above have a focusable beam, but they all will switch between spot, flood, or both together. IMO, the need to focus a beam isn't necessary with the high lumens you will get from the high end lights.
 
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Ricc Havens said:
A little backgrounbd first. I am legally blind due to macular degeneration called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). I only have about 12% center vision (tunnel vision) in my left eye. Another drawback for people with RP is that our eyes don't process light like normal. Right now I see about 50% of light perception that a normal person has. My shop is lit with a bunch of the brightest LED shop light fixtures I can find. But even even in my brightly lit shop it seems dim to me. As my vision loss progresses I need more and more direct task light. I do have some super bright LED lights for the lathe that I got from Woodturners Wonders. But when I go to other areas pf the shop or other workbenches the overhead LED lighting just isn't low enough. I can't lower the overhead fixture any more without constantly hitting my head on them,.

Looking to see if anyone has recommendations on good bright :LED head;amps? I have tried the brightest Energizer brand headlamp that the local big box stores carry. They are okay but don't last long on a set of three AAA batteries before they dim enough to not be usable. I tried a rechargeable LED headlamp from Harbor Freight. But it was heavy and didn't last long per charge.

Any recommendations for a good headlamp with preferably the following characteristics?:
- as lightweight as possible
- decent run time between charges or sets of regular batteries
possibly a focusable beam from wide to narrow depending on the task. My cheap H.Freight has that and it's nice.
Click to expand...

You must have good eyes!

1742237057753.png
 
Tim - I figured there wouldn't be a cheap ones to do the best job. That's why I posted here figuring someone like you would and hopefully others would have good recommendations based on their use. I had not heard of the brands you mentioned but I will be looking them up. THANKS!

Kent - nope only have okay center vision in one eye. But like the photo you posted I do use a magnifier a lot! :-)
 
Ricc, I stick with the Fenix HM23 headlamps. They have a range of brightnesses.

I’d be concerned about one thing - the light all comes from one spot so you lose some of the benefits of stereo. On the lathe, I prefer multiple, small diameter, bright lights that let me see shapes and defects better.

The Fenix headlamp does not have a focused spot, though.
It does use a AA battery, has a very comfortable head strap.
I’ve bought several of these - keep one at the house, one at the shop, and keep spares to give to veterinarian friends who often need to work on farm animals at night and need both hands free. (One friend always held a small flashlight in his mouth until I gave him a headlamp!)

BTW, for a handheld lamp I’ve found nothing that suits me better than the Fenix LD-22, almost like a spotlight at the brightest setting. Uses 2 standard AA batteries. (I don’t like redhargeable-only flashlights - if the battery goes down when outside you’re stuck, but it’s east to carry spare AAs.)

JKJ
 
Sorry you have to deal with that Ricc. There's some good recommendations here already that will certainly outperform anything by energizer.

I was recently gifted one of these and it is fairly bright and the no touch on off is nice. Limited CRI though. The quality is typical amazon disposable. The other lights mentioned are higher quality.
www.nightbuddy.co

NightBuddy™ 230° LED Headlamp

Light up your world with the Best 230º LED Headlamp! See every detail with crystal clarity and enjoy hands-free convenience on all your adventures. Get yours now and make every moment shine.
www.nightbuddy.co www.nightbuddy.co

If you want even brighter one of these might be of use. A head mounted headlamp designed for night time cycling. You'd probably have to adapt a mount for it but it's an option for you. These are very bright, almost like a car headlamp
www.outboundlighting.com

Hangover Bike Helmet Light

The most compact, lightweight, and powerful helmet bike light out there. USB-C quick charging, 100g, action camera adaptable.
www.outboundlighting.com www.outboundlighting.com
 
Ricc Havens said:
A little backgrounbd first. I am legally blind due to macular degeneration called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). I only have about 12% center vision (tunnel vision) in my left eye. Another drawback for people with RP is that our eyes don't process light like normal. Right now I see about 50% of light perception that a normal person has. My shop is lit with a bunch of the brightest LED shop light fixtures I can find. But even even in my brightly lit shop it seems dim to me. As my vision loss progresses I need more and more direct task light. I do have some super bright LED lights for the lathe that I got from Woodturners Wonders. But when I go to other areas pf the shop or other workbenches the overhead LED lighting just isn't low enough. I can't lower the overhead fixture any more without constantly hitting my head on them,.

Looking to see if anyone has recommendations on good bright :LED head;amps? I have tried the brightest Energizer brand headlamp that the local big box stores carry. They are okay but don't last long on a set of three AAA batteries before they dim enough to not be usable. I tried a rechargeable LED headlamp from Harbor Freight. But it was heavy and didn't last long per charge.

Any recommendations for a good headlamp with preferably the following characteristics?:
- as lightweight as possible
- decent run time between charges or sets of regular batteries
possibly a focusable beam from wide to narrow depending on the task. My cheap H.Freight has that and it's nice.
Click to expand...
I'm not saying much
Ricc Havens said:
A little backgrounbd first. I am legally blind due to macular degeneration called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). I only have about 12% center vision (tunnel vision) in my left eye. Another drawback for people with RP is that our eyes don't process light like normal. Right now I see about 50% of light perception that a normal person has. My shop is lit with a bunch of the brightest LED shop light fixtures I can find. But even even in my brightly lit shop it seems dim to me. As my vision loss progresses I need more and more direct task light. I do have some super bright LED lights for the lathe that I got from Woodturners Wonders. But when I go to other areas pf the shop or other workbenches the overhead LED lighting just isn't low enough. I can't lower the overhead fixture any more without constantly hitting my head on them,.

Looking to see if anyone has recommendations on good bright :LED head;amps? I have tried the brightest Energizer brand headlamp that the local big box stores carry. They are okay but don't last long on a set of three AAA batteries before they dim enough to not be usable. I tried a rechargeable LED headlamp from Harbor Freight. But it was heavy and didn't last long per charge.

Any recommendations for a good headlamp with preferably the following characteristics?:
- as lightweight as possible
- decent run time between charges or sets of regular batteries
possibly a focusable beam from wide to narrow depending on the task. My cheap H.Freight has that and it's nice.
Click to expand...
I'm not saying much conversation from the group about wearing a face shield. I try to wear a face shield 100% of the time when turning, but I would also love to have a very bright head lamp. My current face shield also has a built-in respirator. Trend Air Shield Pro.
 
Tim Connell said:
Ricc, for what you are doing, I would skip all the cheap headlights and go directly to specialty manufacturers.

I have lights from both Fenix and Olight. They are both great companies, but you will pay for top of the line lights. Both companies have headlights with high lumens and decent run times >= 4 hours depending on battery.

They both have lights at or below $100, and features that would suit you. One thing I like about the Fenix is it uses the 21700 battery which has very high capacity compared to the AA or AAA batteries. Both companies have models that charge with USB-C cables plugging directly into the flashlights.

Edit: many of the higher end brands have headlights with separate battery packs that clip on a belt. Don't know how you feel about that, but you then get light weight headset, with long run times and very bright lights.

I don't know if any of the types mentioned above have a focusable beam, but they all will switch between spot, flood, or both together. IMO, the need to focus a beam isn't necessary with the high lumens you will get from the high end lights.
Click to expand...
Yup, get quality, couldnt agree more
 
I have about 5 headlights, which I use for home repairs and backpacking. The energizer is definitely on the weak end of the scale. REI has many headlights that are better, if you want something quickly available from a national retailer. I'm not familiar with Tim's industrial recommendations, and they might be better yet. Manufacturer reports on lumens is like Craftsman's reports on their horsepower--not exactly reliable, but at least a place to start. At REI stores, you may be able to try a demo model out.

ADDENDUM: Looks like the LEDLenser 7R is about the most powerful at 1000 lumens for 4 hours. Several listed at REI are 800-900 lumens. All the brightest ones have a battery pack separate from the light on the front. Some bike lights are brighter, but mounting them would be a hurdle.
 
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I'd second the idea of researching headlamps made for bicyclists, but I have no personal experience with any of them.

Pelican and Streamlight are two flashlight manufacturers that build products for harsh and extreme conditions, such as underwater, and police and firefighting. I've used Streamlight flashlights in my job as a building inspector for almost 20 years, and they can really light up some large, dark spaces. I'm not sure if they make headlamp styles, though. I hope you find some worthy options.
 
Hi Ricc, sorry about your problem! I wanted to mention that you do need to be careful about going too bright as there is the possibility of worsening your condition. You might want to consult with your doctor.
 
Paul, you are correct that too bright can be possibly harmful and I am aware of that even without talking to my doctor. I was diagnosed with RP 55yrs ago so I have been aware of the damage bright light can do to the eyes with that condition. The flip side is that if I don't have enough light then it can be dangerous depending on the task at hand. At this point it can sometime be a "damned if I do or damned if I don't" situation with having too much or not enough light . hat being said, I will look at recommended lights and determine what is best in my situation. But again, thanks for the input as someone else may also find it helpful!!
 
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