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If you've ever worked in confined spaces (under a car's dash, behind a sink, inside an appliance, etc.), you know that at times even small flashlights are too big. Sometimes you need a small light that can wrap around obstructions and light obscured areas.
Until now, in these situations I have used a "Bend-A-Light" that is similar to the Stylus Reach. The standard Bend-A-Light retails for about the same price as the Stylus Reach, so a comparison of the two is useful.
The Bend-A-Light is larger and slightly heavier. Its flexible neck is longer than that of the Stylus Reach (9.5" vs. 7.5" from bulb tip to flashlight body). However, the effective reach of the Stylus Reach is greater because its body is only slightly wider than its flexible neck (owing to its use of super-small "AAAA" batteries). The body of the Bend-A-Light houses "AA" batteries and is over twice as thick.
The Stylus Reach also features an aircraft aluminum casing (vs. the Bend-A-Light's plastic body), a MUCH more flexible neck that is shielded and insulated with PVC, up to 60 hours of run time on one set of three "AAAA" batteries (included), momentary "blink" or constant-on switching, and it's waterproof! Moreover, it has an unbreakable LED light that burns cool and is as bright or brighter than the Bend-A-Light's fragile, incandescent bulb.
[I should mention that there is a considerably longer (24"), brighter Bend-A-Light called the "Krypton Pro Bend-A-Light." However, I have no experience with it.]
I am exceptionally impressed with the brightness and quality of the Stylus Reach. It is one of those items that nobody knows they need until they have it. It would make a great gift for any do-it-yourselfer or tech geek.
If Streamlight would make a version of the Stylus Reach with a longer neck, I'd happily buy it, too.
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As a welding inspector for commercial, residential and public buildings and bridges I get sent to look at some difficult to reach areas off ladders, in deep trenches or 17 stories up a steel frame. The areas that I look at are poorly lit and at times I have to use a mirror to see all areas, this light gets me 100% coverage for what I need to do.The bad news is that this light takes AAAA (quadruple A) batteries, if you don't stock up and carry extras this light is nothing but dead weight in your pocket. A fresh set of batteries do last about 4 weeks or so for me, product says they're rated to 60 hours. I keep a fresh pack of batteries in my canvas bucket just in case, of course I keep an extra light as well.
The flexible cable is tough and the entire light fits snugly in any of my coverall pockets.
The LED tip is unprotected, scuffs easily, but the brightness doesn't seem to be affected by this.
UPDATE2/6/2012
This little wonder is going strong!
The plastic casing around the flexible shaft is severely worn, but that's cosmetic. Everything else is working just like the first week I started using it.
Buy this light for tight spot illumination.
Best Deals for Streamlight 65618 Stylus Reach Pen Light with Flexible Cable, Black
Top quality light in every way: bright white light, durable bulb, strong shaft, on/off switch easy to actuate. Size is perfect the batteries are a little hard to come across and needs an apparatus to focus the light. Still the best pen light I have ever seen or used and anyone who has used my light inquires, how much was it? and where did you get it?Honest reviews on Streamlight 65618 Stylus Reach Pen Light with Flexible Cable, Black
This is a great little flashlight. Not amazingly bright, but very bright for such a small flashlight. It is about as bright as my 2AA mini maglite. The flexible cable is nice and sturdy.The only other thing is the AAAA batteries that it takes... they can be kind of pricey. I recommend getting 9-volt batteries instead. Pretty much any 9-volt battery can be taken apart and you will find 6 AAAA cells inside of it. It's a pretty handy trick.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Streamlight 65618 Stylus Reach Pen Light with Flexible Cable, Black
I really like the inexpensive Streamlight flashlights. I found this Stylus Reach and thought it would be good for bore inspections and other detail work. For a $17 light, it's not bad. Just okay...The light is well-made. I've used mine for all sorts of dirty things and it holds up just fine. The pocket clip is a bit cheap, as it slides up and down the light instead of staying in place. This gets worse after a while, as the anodizing wears off and the clip loosens up. You can remove it, tighten it a bit, then re-install, sure. A glare guard is included, which is simply a piece of soft plastic that slides over the bulb end of the Stylus. It has a hole in it, and this allows you to guide the beam a bit more. In all honesty, it barely works for that, and I keep mine installed just to not scratch up the LED. The light runs on two AAAA batteries, and two Energizers are included. You're going to get about 65 hours out of a pair, and the batteries sell for about a dollar each when it's time to get more.
The Stylus uses a 5mm LED and puts out around 10 lumens, and the beam is the typical blue-ish blob found in so many 5mm LEDs. The tailcap doesn't do anything for me: press the soft button for momentary on, or tighten for constant on. I greatly prefer a clicky switch, but I understand it may not be possible at this price and small diameter. It is 9" long, so that's a bad thing for me. That takes up a lot of space for a penlight. The LED is mounted on a 7" long flexible steel cable, and is good for peering into the bores of guns or other around-the-corner work. I had a Stylus Reach in my EOD kit in the military, and it worked just fine.
For the money, I don't think the Stylus Reach is a good value. If it were closer to the $13 range, it would be good. The long size, rare (and expensive) battery, and weird tailcap make me want to carry something else.
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