Black and Decker VEC192 20 Million Power Series 3335 Lumens Spotlight
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Black and Decker VEC192 20 Million Power Series 3335 Lumens Spotlight
Customer Review: Not a Black and Decker
Summary: 4 Stars
First things first: This is NOT a Black and Decker product. The brand is Vector. Vector is what is says on the box, and on the warranty card. The fact that Black and Decker has purchased the Vector company does not change any of this. However, the review should reflect the item, not Amazon's description of the product, so I will not subtract any stars for the false advertising by Amazon.
The only spotlight in this class I can compare with, is Cyclops 15 million candle power. Compared to Cyclops the Vector is outstanding. The light beams are much more focused and therefore the range is much better. I'd say the range is very impressive. Vector is also more robust and more comapct. I partically like the option of using one OR two spotlight, which will save on the battery. There is also a 12V outlet port on the light, which could be used for charging cell phones etc. In addition you got the "emergency LED" on the handle.
Charging is where this fellow has its downside. Initial charge is suppose to be 36 hours and then the green diod is suppose to come on. This never happened on my light. If the battery is fully charged or not, I do not know. Also the charging time could be better. Charging 36 hours for perhaps half an hour of light is a bit over the top. The cyclops loading time is just 12-14 hours.
Overall, it is a very impressive spotlight with a centered focused beam, which gives it a long range. There are flexibility in the two main switches, LED and 12V charger. Unfortunately charging time is way too long and running time with both lights on are not very impressive.
Customer Review: OK - Needs better AC charger
Summary: 3 Stars
The unit works as described and is probably worth the cost. Unit seems to be of regular duty but I would not want to drop it as the replaceable battery makes the unit heavy. Unit is much larger than I expected, check the dimensions to assure they meet your needs.
Has two bulbs similar to car headlights and has a switch for each so you can use either or both. Also has about four white LEDs that will light a small inside area. (you could read a book with the unit 12" away)
I am disapointed at the instructions about charging the battery first time as they say the GREEN light will come on when fully charged. There are 3 charging lights on the unit and when I first started to charge two of them came on when I pluged the charger in. The green light started to flash about 32 hours later and never was fully on, even after 40 hours of charging. (not recommended)
I used the unit the next day with only one light on for about 25 minutes and it then required another 27 hours of charging to get the green light to start flashing slowly again. (The battery is a standard 7AH 12V sealed lead acid battery that is available at most auto shops, A decent charger could reduce this charge time drastically even though not recommended.)
I did not use the unit until the battery ran down completely and it was still very bright after 25 minutes of use with one light on. Have tried both lights briefly but did not seem that much brighter inside. The four white LED's would probably run for days if not weeks before the battery ran down.
Have not tried the unit on DC from my truck and would not even recommend the unit for that type of application. It might work great with an AC power supply that could provide 12V DC 30amps when using Both lamps.
In Summary, It is Big and Heavy, Long Charging times, Provides Bright light inside a dark area, Three choices of brightness, Great portable light source but time dependent, replaceable lamps and battery, fairly robust in construction, Worth $80 price tag if it meets your application.
All-in-All I do like the unit so far. I may like it better after I understand the internal battery charging better. That flashing green light is starting to suck as I have charged it for several more hours than they suggest and it still just flashes slowly. Perhaps it is just the instructions that are not correct.
'Amazon, how about providing your Customers with some more info/specs on this as this will be the major gripe, beside the free shipping...'
Customer Review: Spotlight on steroids
Summary: 5 Stars
When this spotlight arrived I had a good laugh - one cannot tell from the picture but this is one heavy-duty spotlight, basically a double light attached to a lawn tractor battery in a single casing, with a shoulder strap. I stopped laughing when the power went out one night and I turned the light on. Even using only one of the double lights (10 million candlepower each) produced enought light to light up an entire room suitable for everyone in that room to read by. Plus the casing contains a smaller LED light which can be used for walking around the house. Using either means one can get much more use out of the battery than throwing both switches on the two main lights, which are powerful enough to project the light hundreds if not thousands of feet. The light recharges fairly quickly (2 hrs or so). This spotlight is not for casual use but for heavy duty applications like boating, home emergencies or commercial applications.Customer Review: The brightest spotlight I've ever seen
Summary: 5 Stars
While nowhere on the box or instruction sheet does the name Black and Decker appear, the unit is obviously of superior quality, and unlike many of its brethren, it holds its charge well. I bought the unit to acquire a spotlight that would provide genuinely strong illumination. It exceeds my greatest expectations in that the beam is incredibly bright and can cast light visible a mile away. I showed it to two police officers in our area who commented that the unit is far brighter than anything at their disposal. They were profoundly astounded at its performance, as was I the first time I turned it on. MORE: Added 1/7/08. Had need of the unit many months after its purchase...and discovered it had fully held its charge. I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it. It was last charged in July 2007! ASTOUNDING. Lesser spotlights purchased previously lost their charges rapidly. MORE: Added 3/20/08. Hadn't been used since Jan.'08 but needed it the other night. STILL charged.
Had both "headlights" on--full blast--for 30 min. before it dimmed. The charge held from July '07 till March '08! Really ASTOUNDING.
Customer Review: These would be useful for a Hollywood movie premiere
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow these are bright!!!!!! In fact, if you aim straight up it'll light up the skies like spotlights used at Hollywood premieres! But they are far more effective when you aim straight ahead, as you can clearly see about 500 feet as if it were daylight.
This spotlight is a two-headed design with two bulbs. It's similar as the headlights on a car except it's brighter and lights up farther. You can choose to use only one bulb, as there are two switches (one for each bulb). No reason to use both actually, as one is as bright as two. It's just barely noticeable really. Also using only one should prolong the charge and also bulb life.
And contrary to other reviews, these are not heavy at all, weighing only 9 pounds (weighed on my electronic scale). I can even pick it up with my pinky and hold it for a few minutes. So others are exaggerating about how heavy it is. When I first picked it up, it felt as light as a feather.
I was dissapointed that previous reviews didn't include how long the charge lasts but unfortunately I don't know either because I've had it on for no longer than 20 minutes. It takes 8 hours to fully recharge. There are 3 lights on the handle to indicate how much charge is left. Unfortunately they only light up when you plug it in so you don't know how much charge is left while using it. It requires 30-35 hours of initial charge out of the box.
It also has a small 3-bulbed utility light built in to its handle. It luminates white light (like HID in luxury cars) and supposedly will stay on for 250 hours on a single charge. But I haven't really tested it to see if true. The light is about as bright as a small pocket flashlight though. It's enough to use while changing a tire or reading a book. As long as it's not over 5 feet away.
I actually ended up buying two of these, but not from Amazon. I found them at another online retailer for under $30. Don't know if I'm permitted to say where but their initials are H.A.
This is the BEST and BRIGHTEST spotlight anyone would ever need. I recommend it 100%.