Last year, Bosch came out with an 18V compact folding LED worklight that was somewhat of a scaled-up version of their awesome FL12 12V Max-sized worklight (currently $45 via Amazon).
Good news – it’s now coming to the USA too, as the GLI18V-420.
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The new Bosch LED worklight can deliver up to 420 lumens of light, and can run for up to 13.5 hours on a 6Ah battery pack. It has a focusing knob for adjusting beam angle, from spot to floodlight, depending on what the situation calls for.
There is a “9 position bracket,” for adjusting the angle of the lamp head, and a hard rubber mounting strap.
Price: $49 (bare tool)
First Thoughts
I like the idea of the adjustable focus, although I think I would rather see adjustable illumination settings. Or, specifically, I would want to be able to dim the light. Sometimes a wide angle floodlight is still too bright for close-up work. Perhaps that’s not the case with this light.
I LOVE the Bosch FL12 LED worklight that I’ve had for sometime now. It’s small, bright, adjustable, and has a multitude of mounting options. I also love the FL12’s magnetic backing.
But there are upsides to this version. For one, I think it’ll pair well with Bosch’s wireless charging system. This is one of few tools outside of their drills and drivers that can be easily paired with the wireless charger without having to first remove the battery.
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I think $49 is a good target price for what looks to be a very versatile worklight.
Look at that beefy heatsink! Bosch also says this unit is jobsite ready thanks to a tough exterior housing.
Jim Felt
Just ordered one in Japan on eBay. No need to wait and wait and wait for Bosch here.
And I too love the older little version. They’re my very favorite small area work lights.
Peter
I have both and for me the 12V light is way better than this one.
Guess the only real advantage the 18V light has for me would be the runtime.
Chris Butigan
Not again, too late to get in the game…
Toolfreak
I didn’t like this version when I saw it, though it does seem more useful as a worklight than some other 18-24V versions that are mainly a flashlight with a handle.
I like the 12V version wayyyyy more, both for it’s size and versatility in being used on the ground and hanging from above. The 18V version doesn’t seem like it has anything other than the plastic handle to hang on.
The runtime is good and I guess something is better than nothing so the 18V guys get an LED lamp, but I am disappointed that Bosch didn’t come up with a better lamp design than this.
Shawn Lovell
I have one, very disappointed. My 12Volf Bosch throws twice as much light and half the size.
One of my employees Ryobi throws about 10X the light for the same price or less.
Not sure why they went with such a small amount of illumination.
Jim Felt
I got the 18v lamp from Japan last month and sadly I completely agree with your assessment. The lanyard 12v kicks its behind.
Shame on Bosch.