Milwaukee Rover Magnetic Flood Light 2108

The Milwaukee Rover Magnetic Flood Light follows on the heels of one of my favorite RedLithium USB lights – the Rover Personal Flood Light. While the basic form is similar, there are some significant changes, including the price.

Pros

• Compact size is easy to carry to every job
• Multiple magnets let you direct light where you need it
• Drop tested to 12 feet
• Accurate color definition
• Relatively low price

Cons

• Lens creates an elliptical artifact
• Some users may need more than 300 lumens even on a small area light

Design

Hang On

Fans of Milwaukee’s personal lighting solutions will recognize the narrow form factor. In this version, 5 LED chips fill the row.

You get two sets of magnets for Pros working around steel. One is on the battery cap, the other hides behind the clip.

That’s where things get interesting. You can rotate the clip around to reveal the magnets. But why not just put the clip there in the first place?

It actually acts as a base, letting you direct light at a slight upward angle, straight up, or any angle in between. There’s also a small hole in it that you can use to hang the light from a finish nail if you like.

I’ve Got the Power

The original personal flood light uses Milwaukee’s RedLithium USB battery. The Milwaukee Rover Magnetic Flood Light goes with two AA’s instead. You’ll trade buy more batteries over the long haul, but your upfront cost is going to be less.

It only takes about 1/8-turn to open the battery compartment. I’ve accidentally opened it a couple of times, so I’d actually like a little more security with more of a turn there.

Performance

Output

The Milwaukee Rover Magnetic Flood Light is designed to be used pretty close to your workspace. In high, you’ll get 300 lumens and low will give you 100. The rechargeable version gives you a bit more on the high side at 445, so this is a little bit of a step down.

The beam is really wide – something you expect from a flood light, but almost surprising for such a small one. It’s great when you’re working under a cabinet, on an electrical box, or on a vehicle.

Runtime

There no doubt that part of the output reduction is to get the most out of your runtime since you’ll be replacing batteries. On high, you can expect roughly 5 hours of light and 16 hours on low. Those are pretty solid numbers.

Light Quality

With Milwaukee’s TrueView output, the light has a neutral color that lets you see colors accurately. Even on white, it does a nice job of not shifting to the blue or orange sides of the spectrum.

The lens does give an elliptical artifact line that shows up on the long sides of the beam and disappears on the short edges. It’s not very distracting and isn’t terribly noticeable unless you’re looking for it.

Price and Value

Milwaukee doesn’t have a ton of competition with this light style from other major tool manufacturers. Still, at $30, it’s about half the price of the rechargeable version.

The Bottom Line

Stick it, clip it, or stand it, the Milwaukee Rover Magnetic Flood Light is very useful for lighting up small spaces from a close distance. It fits easily into your pocket, in your toolbox, or clipped to your backpack, making it a lot more manageable to carry around for jobs that don’t require a lot of output.

Milwaukee Rover Magnetic Flood Light Key Features

Milwaukee Rover Magnetic Flood Light Specifications

• Model: Milwaukee 2108
• Type: Cordless
• Height: 0.65″
• Length: 5.39″
• Width: 0.65″
• Weight: 0.14 lbs.
• Warranty: limited lifetime
• Price: $23.99