Cheap torches have a bad
habit of not working when
you need them the most. Paul
Skelton looks at everything
a tradie needs to know about
whenpurchasing a portable
light source.

The fact is you won’t often need a torch. But when you do, there’s nothing more annoying than a torch that doesn’t work. So, investing in a high quality torch can allow sparkies to rest assured that when called upon, your torch is ready for action. You could always buy a ‘no name’ plastic toy from your local supermarket, but that’s the same as throwing your money away.

Rather, a high quality torch could last for upwards of a decade. You just need to know what to look for.

Glen Curyer is a director of Quarterfl ash, the Australian importer of Wolf Eyes torches.

Wolf Eyes formed in 2000 to provide rechargeable torches to the police and military. This has since grown to encompass other users, including electricians, plumbers, builders and engineers.

“One of the key aims from the beginning was to have high outputs from a compact size. This is where the rechargeable part became important as high outputs can mean high battery consumption,” Glen says.

So, what should an electrician look for when selecting a torch for their toolbox?

“The right torch is one that provides adequate light for the intended job, in a beam pattern that is also suitable,” he says.

“Further, better torches tend to be regulated, meaning that as the voltage of the battery decreases more amps are drawn, so the power reaching the LED is the same. In other words the light doesn’t dim.

“The amount of light produced by the LED is usually directly proportional to the current applied to it. This feature allows many regulated torches to have various level settings, such as high, medium and low beam, so the right amount of light can be used at the right time. For example, a low beam is great for reading instructions in a dark roof space. A high beam would refl ect too much light off the paper into the reader’s eyes.”

Glen suggests that tradies select torches that feature a strong, durable body (either plastic or metal), are compact in size and are rechargeable.

He recommends the 350 lumen Wolf Eyes Sniper 260 or the 1,000 lumen Wolf Eyes Sniper II.

“The durability and output of LEDs have changed the torch market drastically over the last few years. Five years ago the average small torch (under 150mm) in a tradesman’s pocket would have output about 100 lumens. These days that number would likely be closer to 1,000 lumens,” he says.

“Generally the rugged nature of an LED suits trade use and an output of, say, 300 lumens should cover most tasks for most tradies, from inspecting roofspaces in houses and commercial buildings to crawlspaces in high rises.

“But, if you have a need to light a reasonable area at once or regularly work at night, you may want to consider one of the new 1,000 lumen torches. These are also good for workers over the age of 40, as once you turn 40 the human eye loses the ability to dilate as much as it did in your teenage years.”

There are two main types of LEDs in professional use – one LED behind a focusing lens (aspheric lens), which can change focus from a spot to near flood, and one using a conventional reflector.

“On good torches, the reflector is purposely designed for the individual LED model, as each has different beam characteristics,” Glen says.

“In the past, incandescent globes provided light in a 360° pattern from the fi lament and provided a ‘full spectrum’ light output. However, these globes were heavy users of power. LEDs provide ‘narrow spectrum’ light, often in the white/ blue spectrum, and are therefore much more efficient.

“The light they produce is somewhat similar to fl uorescent lights, which are also narrow spectrum. Further, the light is particularly directional as LEDs need to be mounted on a metal base for heat dissipation, meaning the angle of light is less than 180°.

“But, with the advent of very high output LEDs, managing the heat in such a small package has become a concern. Many of the better manufacturers use a brass sleeve or lining inside their metal bodies to distribute the heat along the whole body, providing a greater surface area to act as a heatsink. This is important as overheating an LED once will permanently reduce the light output.”

Further, as most electricians would be aware, many LEDs are rated anywhere up to 50,000 hours, but it is important to note that surrounding components within the torch will deteriorate before then.

“For this reason, torches with replaceable LEDs can have very long lifecycles and can last indefinitely. In these models, each component – the LED/digital control unit, switch and battery – can be individually replaced. We have seen torches like these that are 10-years-old and still in use.”