For the longest time, I have needed a magnifier lamp. These types of lamps feature a fluorescent bulb that surrounds a 5″ lens, with the whole shebang attached to a pivoting spring-balanced-arm lamp base.
There are many places to buy such a lamp online, but this is the type of product I prefer to purchase in person, unless of course I am absolutely certain of its quality.
About two weeks ago, I was browsing around the local Staples, and came across a Tensor 17553-002 magnifier lamp. I was not familiar with the name, but the floor-sample was quite impressive. The magnifier lamp adjusted smoothly and effortless, it featured internalized tension springs, and the lamp head was low-profile. Perfect! Prior to trying out the Tensor model, I checked out a number of $25-45 lamps at other retailers and was thoroughly disappointed with all of them.
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I paid for the $60 lamp and took it home. To my disappointment, the lamp was a bit wobbly, and things just didn’t feel right. The lens’s dust cover was sloppily installed, and the arm was looser than the floor model I tested with no way to adjust it. So, I went back to the store and exchanged the model for another. I grabbed one which had an older shipping label stuck to the box (the first was marked Aug. 2011, the second April 2011).
The new adjusted better than the first, but it was so scratched and scuffed up that it looked heavily used. Even the base looked like it was thrown into a tumbler with 5 lbs of stones. At this point, I took to emailing the manufacturer Evolution Lighting, which owns the Tensor and Catalina brands, among others, just to share my two experiences with them.
The company’s response: The model # is not valid. I think some of the number are rearranged. Please check if the model # again. This email is subject to a disclaimer, please click on the following link or cut and paste the link into the address bar of your browser.
Okay, so not only is the product not listed on the brand’s webpage, their customer service doesn’t recognize the model number either. After I insisted that the model number I submitted was accurate, they sent me a canned response asking for my personal information and all of the information about the product issues I already described.
Not wanting to have to deal with this company further, I returned the lamp for good. I then decided to take a look to see what Amazon offered. What I found in the <$75 price range were many imported lamps with non-recognizable brands. I did find one brand I recognized and trust – Alvin, a drafting supply company.
The Alvin version had the same exact balanced-arm as the Tensor model, but a different lamp head. Instead of a T5 lamp as advertised, it sported a larger T9 lamp. With the lamp head larger and heavier than the first, I found that it made the entire arm shaky and a bit more difficult to adjust. Its size was also more difficult to stow out of the way than the first low-profile lamp I tried.
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Back to Amazon the magnifier lamp went, and I am still in need of a decent model. There are quite a few models from name-brands for $110-$150, but I’m not certain that these lamps will perform any better than the $60-65 imports I tried. Not that I demand perfection, but this is the type of tool I plan on using a lot, and I require a certain level of quality. I am okay paying $120 for a good magnifier lamp, but I am not certain that these lamps will provide double the performance of a $65 imported lamp. Unfortunately, there are no local sources for these brands, and I am not quite in the mood to keep ordering and returning lamps.
I should also mention that I have used higher-end lamps in the past at work, so I am a bit spoiled.
Here’s what I’m looking for:
- low-profile head with T5 lamp or LED illumination
- smooth adjustment arm that moves easily and does not creep
- good rigidity/low vibration or shakiness
- manufacturer that stands behind their products
- 5″ or larger magnifier
- clamp-on base
- metal head and body
- 3 or 4 diopter lens
At the moment, only one manufacturer comes to mind – O.C. White, and their Green-Lite lineup. However, at a starting price of $380+, these lamps are a bit too pricey for something I want and but don’t really need. After looking at their specs and a brief marketing video by the company, I am convinced that they just might provide several times the performance of the cheaper units I already tried out. They’re 6x the price of the cheaper units, and in my mind, they look to provide maybe 3x the performance.
In any case, the search continues. Unfortunately, there are so many no-name lamps in the <$75 price range that are cobbled together from the same generic modular parts that I might not have any choice but to save up for a while for a costlier and hopefully better unit.
As it turns out, this is one of those times that I would rather do without a tool (or accessory?) than be frustrated with a poorer quality one. If you’re thinking that I am being too picky, you may be right, but it’s how I am.
Even though I have my heart set on saving up for a Green-Lite, I am open to suggestions and recommendation!
JeffD
Does it have to mount on the table? We had the same issue when my wife wanted a light for her craft room. We found a rolling floor standing light with double fluorescent bulbs and a decent 7×10 glass magnifier. It was about $70. Don’t ask me where we found it as it was over 4 years ago. But I do remember it came from a arts & crafts website.
Stuart
A table clamp-mount or maybe even a screw-mount is preferable. I’ve seen a few floor-standing flex-arm magnifiers and magnifier lamp combos, but they don’t offer enough flexibility for my needs. Plus, I’m very short on floor space, so a desk-mount is preferable so that I can swing it back and forth quickly as needed.
Tammy
As soon as you find something good, I need to hear about it!!
Ken
I too am looking for a good magnifier lamp without spending a small fortune.
Look @ these brands as well, they are not inexpensive..I would say they are in the same market segment as OC White.
Dazor http://www.dazor.com/
Luxo http://www.luxo.com/
Stuart
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ve seen those two brands listed at a few retailers, but wasn’t sure if they were worth twice the price of the cheaper units I tried. If they offer something similar to the OC White Green-Lites, I might give them a try. Maybe in a little bit, though – right now I’m a little burnt out from the buying and returning of the disappointing models.
fred
My wife is partial to her Ott Light – but it may be better for small craft work and sewing than what you want
http://www.amazon.com/OttLite-OTL13MAG-Task-Magnifier-Flip-Down/dp/B001888W1W/
Kevin
fly shops and outdoors stores like basspro,cabelas,etc are good places to find them. Cabelas has a cheap entry model item which looks serviceable : IK-315393 for 29 bucks and a 79 dollar model Item: IK-319874.
Stuart
I have heard good things about Ott-Lite as well, and while I’m looking into picking one up as a desk lamp, it doesn’t really suit my mag-lamp soldering and small-part-manipulation needs.
Those Cabelas models look okay, but no different than the $35 and $60 models I already looked at. The cheaper ones I’ve seen felt too small and flimsy, and the ~$60 one too head-heavy and bulky. I might change my mind if I can see them in person and they prove to be different than the other look-alikes I’ve seen in their price range.
Jude
I’d love to get an older very solid one. I’ve been combing craigslist with no luck so post if you come across a new one!
Dave Anderson
I have 2 Luxo brand that I have used along time…20+years and expect to use for another 20.
Rex
My wife has the Tensor/Catalina 17553-002 from Staples for about 2 yrs now.
She won’t use any other lamp! She uses it to read with & then pivots it down to the floor to do her toenails. I paid $60 as well and got the 2yr Staples warranty for another $12.
Stuart
That’s the one I tried in late 2011. The first one was wobbly, the second damaged.
Eventually I splurged for an OC White a few months ago and LOVE it. I can’t say whether it’s worth its premium price or not, but I love the LED illumination and super-wide magnifier lens.
Phillip Breske
I’ve been looking for a magnifier lamp to replace one that just stopped working. In my case, it was a ~$90 LED lamp that I found at the local Staples about two years ago. They no longer carry the same model, and I doubt the warranty for this China-made lamp was more than 90 days, anyway. (The LED array stopped working. None of the individual diodes burned out, but the entire array wouldn’t light up. I tested the wiring and it does get current to the array. Just shoddy craftsmanship, I guess.)
I found the OC White lamps and I would love to be able to afford one, but I’m concerned about the spring-type counter-weight system. I’ve had other lights with those springs in the past and they were flimsily put together. A simple bent metal hook held the spring at each end. What can you say about the OC White lamp’s system? Does it look like it will hold up over the years? I know these lamps have a 10-year mechanical warranty (!!) and that’s pretty impressive.
Thanks!
Rex
If you got an an LED lamp where some of the led’s arn’t flickering, then consider youself lucky. I did see a couple of interesting led desklamps at Walmart though for arond $20 though.
Scott
I recently bought the same Tensor lamp from Staples. I really liked it. The construction is great (the lens cover is a little wobbly) but the light died in use about 1-2 months after purchase. For some reason I had discarded the box and receipt (dumbass!), so I took a look at the innards: There’s no power to the bulb and the switch is good. Instead of the usual 1 or 2 capacitors there is a board with 20 components. My circuit theory isn’t good enough to guess proper values along the live circuit. Now I’m contemplating desoldering them and testing them all individually. Not a happy prospect! Maybe I’ll just buy a second one and save the first to K-ball from if need be. This thing was near perfect, and twice the price might still be a bargain, considering the alternatives. If so, I’ll opt for the warranty!
John Steins
The Tensor/Catalina magnifier lamp from Staples is a very, very poor design. It looks terrific and the magnifier is great but unfortunately the two that I bought both failed in the same place. Namely, where the lamp assembly attaches to the arm is weak un-re-enforced plastic unable to support the weight, eventually cracking and splitting, causing the lamp assembly to sag away from the pivot assembly. Mine cracked open exposing the circuit board inside. I had to repair it with epoxy, making a mess, etc. where the heat of the lamp softens the repair job causing the whole thing to sag again. I might have to use a fibreglass patch.
I checked out their website catalinaltg dot com for information and found no help there. It looks like a front for importing cheap lighting fixtures for resale elsewhere.
I guess if you want quality you have to shell out for it.
Shai Perednik
any updates on what you were able to find?
Scott
Stuart,
I realize this is a very old post, but since it recently appeared, thought I would give you a suggestion. Dazor. I was also looking for something that wasn’t the typical cheap magnifying lamp. Most of them, if they work properly for the first week, soon stop holding position and begin developing slop. Then break.
It was a painful price, but I’ve never regretted buying one. The Dazors are commercial grade and are everything I want in a magnifying lamp. I bought the 42″ Circline model along with the following options, which gives me a lot of flexibility:
– Rolling, five-caster floor stand
– Hospital grade power cord
– One or two additional diopter lenses
– Additional “Daylight” circline flourescent bulb
The lamp has a clamp that I can use on either side of a workbench, but most of the time it stays on the rolling stand. It is weighted and surprisingly stable and smooth. It’s been fantastic.
The five year warranty also gives an indication of the build. I did use the warranty once, when using mine in a way it wasn’t intended. I was also using it constantly as a light source for some item photography and was bending and articulating the arm way too much. The spring inside the arm let go. I shipped it back to Dazor and they repaired it, no questions asked.
I have no connection to the company whatsoever. Just a very happy customer.
Scott