Milwaukee USB Rechargeable Pivoting Flashlight 2113-21

The Milwaukee USB Rechargeable Pivoting Flashlight is part of the RedLithium USB series of personal lighting from our friends in the (currently) frigid north. There are some features that set it apart from other lights in the line and other flashlights in general. Should it be your next must-have job site light?

Pros

• 110º pivoting head
• Magnetic base
• Spot and flood beams
• USB/AC rechargeable

Cons

• Moving the clip would open up more useable positions
• Doesn’t have as refined of a housing or beam as high-end flashlights in the same class

Design

Pivoting Head

Ever wonder why the Army commissioned those 90º flashlights back in WWII?

There are two main reasons: it’s more ergonomically easy on your wrist and the light can stand up on its own while pointing horizontally. Play with the light a little bit in its standard flashlight and 90º positions and it doesn’t take long to realize it really does help you relax your wrist some.

For our purposes, the ability to stand on its own and project light out around a 110º pivot is arguably more important.

Stand, Stick, or Clip

You can move the head from a slight downward angle (~20º down) to straight up. Of course, you can turn it in any direction to you want, so the biggest limitation is going to be on its ability to give you a downward or overhead light.

Unless you have a steel surface to work around, that it. The Milwaukee USB Rechargeable Pivoting Flashlight has a magnetic base. If you’re working breaker boxes, AC units, steel beams, or other steel material, you can stick it and pivot the light where you need it.

There’s also a belt clip that’s great for attaching to your belt, pocket, or strap on your tool bag. You can remove it if it bugs you. This is one area that Milwaukee misses a slight opportunity. The light pivots towards the clip. If they can work the clip to the opposite side, then you can clip the light your belt or shirt pocket as a hands-free option when you don’t have another surface to work with easily.

Granted, it’s not terribly often that this comes into play. The easiest way to go is to flip the controls to the other side, but that creates an issue with that placement so…

Anyway, it’s definitely not a deal-breaker.

Output

Lumens and Runtime

You get three modes to work with on the Milwaukee USB Rechargeable Pivoting Flashlight. High gives you 500 lumens with the main beam. That’s a decent output for a general purpose flashlight. A secondary beam puts out 400 or 100 lumens. There is not an option to use both beams at the same time. When you’re running the light in high or medium, you’ll notice that the head gets pretty warm for an LED light.

For runtime, you can expect 2.5 hours on high, 3 hours on medium, and 10 hours on low.

Light Quality

All three modes use Milwaukee’s TrueView color temperature to give you an accurate color read for what you’re illuminating.

The main beam isn’t as refined as some high-end flashlights are in terms of having a well-defined and even hotspot, corona, and spill. For most Pros, that’s not a big deal. It puts the maximum amount of light where you need it in a spot beam so you can see from distance and that’s what matters.

The two flood beams use a diffuser and are much more even where the beam hits. There’s virtually no hotspot and they give you a much softer beam, so you don’t get an annoying glare at the center of what you’re working on. It’s great for working in tight areas on in spaces where you want the light close.

Price and Value

You’ll pay $79 for the Milwaukee USB Rechargeable Pivoting Flashlight. For a rechargeable model at 500 lumens, that’s right in line with what I expect. The difference between what you get here compared to something on the higher end boils down to Milwaukee’s plastic housing. It’s chemical and impact resistant but doesn’t offer as refined a finish as an aluminum model.

Still, there’s nothing to really worry about from a durability standpoint and the overall feature set is superior to what other manufacturers are offering.

The Bottom Line

The Milwaukee USB Rechargeable Pivoting Flashlight offers plenty of versatility with its pivoting action and magnetic base. Its combination of flood and spot beams make it an excellent all-around light.

Milwaukee USB Rechargeable Pivoting Flashlight Feature Set

Milwaukee USB Rechargeable Pivoting Flashlight Specifications

• Model:  Milwaukee 2113-21
• Power Source: Milwaukee RedLithium USB battery
• Output: 500/400/100 lumens
• Runtime: 2.5/3/10 hours
• Length: 5.39″
• Weight: 0.14 pounds
• Warranty: Lifetime on the light, 2 years on the battery
• Price: $74.99

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