Tool review: Steelman PRO All-in-One Rechargeable LED light kit

The Steelman PRO All-in-One Rechargeable LED light kit with nylon zippered case, No. 78708, features a 4.75” heavy duty anodized aluminum flashlight body, three interchangeable accessory heads and a wall charger, all with secured, dedicated pockets. The charging port is protected from the elements by a twisting collar on the flashlight body. The three Cree LED 700-lumen head is bright enough to fully illuminate the darkest corners of a work area. The 8.75” long by 1/4” thick Slim Lite head contains 12 LED chips rated up to 400 lumen. The 21 LED UV head allows for easy detection of UV reactive dyes when checking for leaks. All heads are operable in high, low and strobe modes. The kit includes a high efficiency, rechargeable Li-ion battery. The light base recharges in three hours with the included wall charger.

The review

Eric Moore, co-owner of DeMary Truck in Columbus, Ohio, described the Steelman PRO All-in-One Rechargeable LED light kit with nylon zippered case, No. 78708, as “one light every technician needs.”

Impressed by the bright LEDs, its rechargeable battery and its interchangeable lights, Moore says the Steelman PRO kit made conducting vehicle inspections and identifying problems and failures much easier and more efficient for him and his technicians.

“We literally used this light for so many inspections, I couldn’t begin to list specific examples,” says Moore. “Every technician (in the shop) used this light, and not a single one of them wanted to pass it on to someone else.”

Though the kit offers three light settings (high, low and flash), Moore states that the high setting really impressed him. He described it as “absolutely stunning” and bright enough to use in broad daylight while still illuminating the area being inspected.

Upon first receiving the kit for testing, Moore found it came in a soft-sided case with a slim light attachment, a spotlight head, an ultraviolet light and an instruction sheet. The sheet explained the light needed to be fully charged for eight hours prior to initial use. Once charged, Moore says “the light could not be simpler to use.”

Though he was quite pleased with the light, Moore suggests longer battery life as one potential improvement to a future model.

“However as it is, fully charged the light will last almost one entire shift before fading out,” he adds.

The co-owner of DeMary Truck also said the light’s effectiveness would be improved it if had either a hook or a magnet to isolate the light and allow its user to work on a vehicle with both hands.

“But none of our suggestions take away from how great this light is in its current offering,” he says.

With that feedback in mind, Moore says every technician in his shop that used the Steelman PRO All-in-One Rechargeable LED light kit came away with a positive impression of what it could provide in terms of time savings and performance.

“It breaks the grading scale and blows the curve completely,” he continues. “There isn’t a high enough rating on a one-to-10 scale. Our rating would have to be a 25 out of 10. It’s just that great.”