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Q: How did the tool/equipment function as far as saving you time?

A: I don’t often wear headlamps because I don’t need headbands to mess up my hair. I’m old now. What little time that I have left with my hair is precious. That said, using this headlamp has been worth the risk. If I am careful, I can use this headlamp without suffering a hairdo malfunction, and being able to see what I’m working on has limited the visits to the hospital. That’s a time saver.  

Q: How has using this tool impacted your shop’s profitability? 

A: The hair is thinning, but the eyesight has been degrading for some time now. I could use all the help that I can get, and this lamp has effectively lit the path. Guiding me to efficiency and productivity. Added together that spells profit.

Q: What kind of setup was involved before using the product?

A: The lamp comes with their SL-B26 rechargeable lithium battery and two headband options. The SL-B26 battery will need to be charged using the USB-C cord that is included. They do refer to this lamp as being dual-fueled, which I thought was funny. What this means is the lamp can be powered by the included SL-B26 battery or by using two CR123A batteries.   

One headband is elastic, and one is rubber. The documentation states that the rubber headband is used with a hard hat, but if you’re like me and don’t pay attention to instructions, you might just wear the rubber headband without a hard hat for weeks without noticing that there’s an elastic option in the box. If you pay better attention than I do, and you prefer to use the elastic headband, you will need to swap that out.  

Q: How easy was it to use?

A: Initially, I was confused because mine did not come with an SL-B26 battery. At some point, before I took possession of the light, the box was opened, the battery was removed, and never placed back into the box. Once I realized that this was the case, I was no longer confused, and the light was very easy to use.  

Q: How was its packaging? Did it come with any accessories?

A: The lamp was packaged in a glossy and attractive white box. There will be one rubber headband, one elastic headband, an SL-B26 rechargeable lithium battery, the headlamp, and a user manual.  

Q: Was there a manual included? If so, did you use the manual, and was the manual easy to understand?

A: There is a manual included, and it is easy to understand.  

Q: What features did you like?

A: I like that the battery is removable and can be charged with a USB-C cable. If I choose to purchase a spare battery, I can use this lamp every minute of every day.  

I also like having multiple light modes. The throw mode offers 1,000 lm for 60 seconds. This is a powerful light, and realizing that this kind of energy will deplete any power source, Streamlight had the foresight to produce this beam cannon, but limited the time for this mode so that the user will not be left in the dark.  

Q: Is there any way you could think of to improve or add to this tool? 

A: I do like the fact that the battery is removable and charged with a USC-C cable, but I would also like the option to charge the battery without removing it.  

Q: What types of jobs/repairs did you use this tool for?

A: I used the lamp to help me perform visual inspections. I used it to see wire colors and connector configuration during diagnostic work.  

Q: How does this tool compare to other tools you’ve used like it?

A: I have used headlamps before, but I do like how this lamp offers more lighting modes, is brighter, and has more range of motion than others I’ve used in the past.   

Q: Is there anything you had questions or concerns about in regard to the tool?

A: I don’t have any questions, but I did want to follow up on the missing battery. I am very confident that someone removed the battery from the box. I don’t believe that the box left the Streamlight factory without the box, but once notified, Streamlight overnighted a battery at no charge to me. I’m not surprised that they shipped me a battery, but they did so with no questions asked, and the fact that they overnighted the battery exceeded my expectations.  

Q: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this tool overall? Why?

A: I would rate this product and the company as a 10. Streamlight has produced quality products for decades — products that I have used and been very happy with. In my opinion, they are the standard, and I’m sure that this headlamp will handle whatever a professional or adventurer can throw its way.