Completing the rechargeable newcomers is the £36 LightWave 1000R head torch, the latest development in the test-winning range. It delivers 1,000 lumens via spot or flood beams, and has four lighting modes. It can be switched on and off with a wave of the hand.
Other units use power-tool batteries and have connectors for Makita, Bosch, Metabo, DeWalt, Milwaukee and Cas, with optional adaptors for Flex, Festool, Hikoki, Einhell, Stanley and Black & Decker. The 4,500lm KangaStar 4500K is £84, while the 6,500lm 6500K is £138 and can be mains powered. The handheld 2,500lm Thor Connect is £66.
OptiMate 6-6A charger
If you have a modern car with a large engine and a stop-start system, your basic, old-fashioned battery charger might not be up to the job of topping up your cells. The 12V batteries in modern cars will often be unusually large and have a more sophisticated composition to allow them to cope with the strain of repeated starts, in addition to maintaining electronics while the car is stationary and the engine off.
OptiMate’s new 6-6A charger and maintainer claims to deliver the extra power needed to keep modern batteries performing properly. With an enhanced six-amp output, the OptiMate 6-6A can cope with 12V lead-acid batteries up to 144Ah, covering the AGM and GEL types fitted to many prestige cars, SUVs, and vehicles with stop-start systems. It’s also suitable for the larger leisure batteries found in motorhomes, camper vans and pick-up trucks, plus can cope with the small cells in classic cars and motorcycles too.
