Makita DML810 Cordless Upright LED Area Light Review

Makita Hybrid LED Light Stays Upright

Makita has expanded its range of cordless lighting options again, this time with a job site LED upright area light that stays upright no matter how much abuse you throw at it. And, though the general design might be reminiscent of a classic children’s toy line, the Makita LED Wobble-Style Light (DML810) gives you the option of lighting the site with or without battery power.

Makita Wobble-Style Upright Area Light Power Options

The LED Makita Upright Area Light can run off of either battery power of corded AC power. This has its benefits. Obviously, with corded power, you get infinite runtime, but this light also comes with a power inlet and outlet. That lets you daisy-chain multiple units together up to the circuit capacity.

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You do, however, have the option to forgo the cord and use Makita’s 18V battery platform instead. Though the light holds two 18V batteries, it draws power from just one pack at a time. Plus, should you run the light from the wall outlet and the power goes out, the light seamlessly switches to battery backup power.

As for light output, the Makita Upright LED light gives you 3 power settings. In Low, it produces 1,500 lumens. Setting the light to Medium nets you 3,000 lumens. Finally, the High setting blasts 5,500 lumens—comparable to several of the common ~250W halogen area lights we’ve used. You have the option of setting the light to cast in 360 degrees or from only the left or right side of the unit.

Of course, powering the light with a battery (DC power) brings up the question of runtime. In the High setting, you’re only going to get around 3 hours of runtime from two 5.0Ah battery packs (not included). Sticking to the Low setting, however, extends that time to around 15 hours.

A Natural Comparison

While the Makita LED Wobble-Style Light is something of a new direction for this particular brand, we’ve seen the same general design scheme before. In fact, the weeble-wobble design has been a Probuilt (now Southwire) bread and butter product for a few years now. Naturally, a comparison is unavoidable.

	Makita 18V Upright LED	Southwire Wobblelight V3	Southwire Wobblelight Jr
Corded or Cordless Power	Both	Corded	Corded
Daisy-Chain	Yes	No	No
Light Output	1,500/3,000/5,500 Lm	15,000 lumens	9,000 lumens
Light Throw	360°, 180° right or left	360°	360°, 180° with optional reflector
IP Rating	IP54	IP55	———
Weight	30.6 lbs	31 lbs	19 lbs
Price	$399	$499	$279

Both of the Southwire/Probuilt models outshine the Makita in terms of raw light output, but the Makita LED Wobble-Style Light seems the much more versatile option of these models. This particularly holds true when you consider it’s the only battery-compatible model of the three featured here.

One other thing worth noting—you can lay down the Makita wobble-style light on its side if you so desire. After all, if the light were to bounce back up all the time, it might be more difficult to fit in the back of a pickup truck or work van.

It’s also worth noting that the Makita has balanced the DML810 wobble style light really well. Carrying the light around the site feels really comfortable, even one-handed.

Pricing

The Makita DML810 LED Light is sold as a bare tool for $399. It comes with an AC adapter cord and Makita’s 3-year limited warranty.

Makita LED Wobble-Style Light Specs

• Model: Makita DML810
• Power: 18V / 120VAC
• AC adapter included
• Lumens (High/Medium/Low): 5,500/3,000/1,500
• Run time (High/Medium/Low): 3.3/7/15 hours
• Dimensions (LxWxH): 16-1/2 x 16-1/2 x 31 in.
• Weight: 30.6 lbs.
• Warranty: 3 years
• Price: $399 (bare tool)