Who couldn’t use a little more light shed on the jobsite? The DeWalt 20V Max handheld LED Light aims to do just that. It provides up to 160 lumens, illuminating dark workspaces with a 360° pivoting head. When used with the DeWalt 20V 2.0Ah Lithium Ion battery (DCB203 – sold separately), the DeWalt 20V Max handheld LED light DCL044 provides up to 11 hours of runtime.
Editor’s Note: Check out the best DeWalt LED work lights for our top picks.
The light can be mounted in a variety of ways with a kickstand, belt clip, and magnets allowing it to be propped up, hung from a tool belt, or stuck onto metal objects around the jobsite. In addition to its other features, this light offers a replaceable lens (sold separately). This allows users to substitute dirty or scratched lenses with new, clear lenses as needed.
Priced around $59, the DCL044 will not include a battery and comes standard with a three-year limited warranty, 1-year free service contract and 90-day money-back guarantee.
Our Take
Cordless lighting has caught on like wildfire. As users started seeing LED become a viable replacement for halogen work lights, nearly everyone that makes lithium-ion tools has jumped on board. DeWalt gets back to the humble beginnings of LED with this handheld light. It’s not going to provide room-filling light like many coming out, but it has several things for DeWalt users to be excited about.
The most genius has to be the magnet. This is a small, relatively low power light that should be a hit with the HVAC , electrical, and MRO crews that spend a lot of time around steel structures. Having the wall or box hold your light at just the right angle is a big bonus.
Since the head pivots, being able to clip the DeWalt 20V Max Handheld LED Light to your belt frees up a hand so you can work with both. I like that. A 20V Max headlamp is likely still a ways off, so a belt clip is a happy medium – for now.
Having a light with a kickstand just begs the question “Why not just set it on the battery?” That answer isn’t clear, but it’s an easy (and inexpensive) feature to include that gives the light a little extra elevation.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of your need or intended use (AKA, this is going camping with me), it would be nice to see DeWalt pack this as a bonus in some of their kits. The compact size that takes up just a bit more room than your battery makes it an easy fit for your toolbox. At $59, you can’t go wrong.
DeWalt 20V MAX Handheld LED Light Specifications
- Model: DeWalt DCL044
- power Source: DeWalt 20V Max battery pack
- Light Output: Up to 160 lumens
- Run Time: Up to 11 hours
- Warranty: 3 years
- Price: $59 (bare)
Key Features
- 360° pivoting head
- Consistent brightness
- Replaceable lens
- Kickstand
- Belt Clip
- Magnet
