It’s no secret that LED lights are replacing halogen on the jobsite. Right now you have two schools of thought—cordless and corded solutions—but both still involve LED as the new leader in jobsite lighting. Recently we received a small Coleman Cable L1324 LED power light for review and decided to check it out. We’ve found that LED jobsite lights can take one of two forms: Either they use a series of smaller LEDs, or they go with a larger panel LED and reflector. Coleman Cable (which also markets this LED work light under the Designers Edge brand) opted to go with a forty LED configuration that outputs up to 1244 lumens. Each LED throws at 120 degrees and is set into a flat reflector that combines the output into a single wash of light.
Coleman Cable L1324 LED Power Light Build Quality
The Coleman Cable L1324 LED work light uses an array of individual LEDs which are a rectangular 5.6 mm x 3.0 mm in size with a surface area of 16.8 mm². Each outputs up to 45-50 lumens at 150 mA when fed 2.8-3.4 volts.
The Designers Edge L1324 LED light is rated for 1,244 lumens of output, and compared to other LED lights we use, that number is about accurate, though the output determinations from manufacturers vary slightly. There’s also a difference in perceived light output from a single LED panel vs. an array.
Addressing portability and construction, the Designers Edge L1324 LED Eco Zone work light is made out of steel (except for the nonmetallic reflector) and has a nice foam padded handle with four rubberized pads on the feet to give it some grip in case you place it on an incline.
The pushbutton power switch has a nice rubber cover to keep it safe from rain and dirt, and you can adjust the angle of the light by setting the tension on the plastic click washer (we honestly have no idea what you call these). Over time I wonder if that will wear down. We set the tension just right so that the light stays where you put it, but a gentle coaxing can alter the angle as needed.
Coleman Cable L1324 LED Work Light Specifications
- Housing: Die cast steel
- Stand: Steel H-frame
- Reflector: Nonmetallic
- Power switch: Weatherproof pushbutton
- Cord type: 3 ft. 18/3 with ground plug
- Dimensions: 12.75 x 11.25 x 5.7 in.
- Lamp: 40 x 5630 SMD LEDs
- Lumens: 1244
- Color Temp: 5900K
- Energy consumed: 16 Watts
Coleman Cable L1324 LED Power Light Use
We used the Coleman Cable L1324 LED Power Light for some automotive work we were doing, and loved the gentle and smooth light output afforded by the panel of 40 5630 SMD LEDs. The color temperature is good, and you get a nice true white light rather than a bluewash or yellow cast. In terms of a general work light, you can expect to get a nice wide area covered for internal or external use. I’d imagine plumbers, electricians, and other trades would enjoy a small lightweight product like this to light up an area while they work. It’s not an intense light that will signal a pilot for an emergency landing, but it does provide a decent amount of output. Since it only consumes 16 Watts, plugging this into a generator or temporary power won’t affect the guys using larger power tools who may be on the same circuit.
Overall, I think this is a great light that runs cool and, perhaps more importantly, allows you to set up and take down without having to wait for a halogen lamp to cool down. You can also tip it over and bump it without fear of damaging the LED panel—build quality seemed to be on par with the price and our expectations.
Considering you can pick this up for just over $60, I’d say this is a little bit over an “impulse buy”, and cordless models with integrated lithium-ion batteries are closing in fast. Still, if you’re presently using halogen work lights you definitely want to check out LED-based solutions. They just make too much sense not to consider. Look up this work light the next time you’re in a big box store or shopping online. For more information, check out the Coleman Cable website.
