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The construction of this product gives the impression that it was possibly manufactured as a collaboration between two different groups with two very different sets of quality standards.
The lamp/magnifier unit is exceptionally well put together. The large, round magnifying glass is rather powerful and would be useful for anything from reading to delicate work on small, intricate items (e.g. scale models, jewelry, etc.). The dual lamps are very bright and provide much more light than other models I've seen. The easily found independent switches provide the option of using only one lamp when two are not necessary. A hinged plastic cover is provided, presumably to protect the magnifying glass when not in use, however, I found it to be more annoying than useful (it is prone to falling shut when the lamp arm is bent at certain angles). Overall, the optical component of the unit is outstanding.
Unfortunately, the hinged support arm, vertical center column, and rolling base are garbage. One of the most striking things about the "sturdy" base is that its sturdiness comes simply from its substantial mass, rather than good construction. And its substantial mass is really just a product of the hefty block of painted concrete that hides beneath the cheap plastic disk from which the five caster arms project. The plastic legs are probably the most obviously shoddy component. They are merely thin plastic snap-ons which are prone to falling off easily if one attempts to pick up the base. The casters are also plastic and roll poorly, often failing to change directions when one tries to roll the whole unit along a floor (generally only 3 or 4 of the wheels are rolling at any time, while the others just drag). Better made ("professional") units utilize all steel construction for the legs and base and industrial grade rubber wheels with smoothly turning ball bearings at their center.
The vertical center column feels well-made when you first take it out of the box (it is heavy-gauge steel). However, after screwing the two bars that make up the center upright together, I found that they didn't even make a truly straight column. This leaves the whole unit with a "sagging" look, as though it is leaning at the mid-section.
Finally, the support arm that holds the magnifying unit is not great either, though it's not as bad as the base or center upright. Its main problem is its substantial weight (which has to be counterbalanced by the base, hence the need for the large chunk of concrete mentioned earlier) which makes it both hard to maneuver and prone to sagging. I have no doubt that at some point the springs supporting the hinges will fatigue to the point that the support arm will no longer be able to hold the magnifier up at the desired spot. Because the whole product is so top-heavy it really shouldn't be pushed at any point much more than a couple of feet off of the ground, else it is likely to tip over.
Lastly, the one-page assembly instructions were simply laughable, as alluded to in other reviews. One must simply use trial-and-error to determine where each washer goes. If you aren't generally good in situations where "some assembly is required" and you choose to buy this lamp, I would suggest bringing someone along who likes putting things together.
I bought this lamp for my grandmother as a reading aid. She already owns a truly "professional" magnifying lamp that was in very poor condition, and the differences in construction are evident. I could not recommend this product to anyone looking for a quality lamp that would last them for several years.
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I bought this magnifying lamp for my mother who has macular degeneration. As a former librarian, reading has always been a major part of her life. This lamp works very well but as indicated in an earlier review there are issues with the design and instructions. Since others may be purchasing this for a similar reason, I will describe what I did to overcome some of the problem areas. I recommend studying the instructions carefully and examining the pieces to determine where they best fit. You can use the process of elimination to determine most of it. The lock (split) washer goes on the base bottom. Don't lubricate any of the moveable joints. If you do they will become too loose to hold up the lamp. There is only one joint which should be lubricated and that is the one where the flexible part of the upper lamp fits into the fixed pole (about in the middle of the entire lamp assembly). This joint only allows the lamp to move in a circular pattern and not up or down. I lubricated the male piece with a little oil and worked it until it moved freely. Second I put some LockTite (you can buy at an auto parts store) on the threads of the bottom nut/bolt assembly and also on the threads where the two fixed poles coming from the base screw together. This keeps the base and poles from separating as you use the lamp. I then took mounting tape (you can buy at Home Depot) and placed it over the wheel locks (where the wheels clip to the base). This keeps them from falling off. Epoxy would work as well. The next issue is that the magnifying glass cover kept falling down. You could just remove it. I glued a small magnet to it and to the flex joint where they meet when opened. Velcro would work too. You need to do this after you have the lamp in the position in which you want to use it. This all may sound like a lot but it really only took about 30 min after I had the lamp assembled.Also, be prepared to spend some time with the person who will be using the magnifier for reading. I found it positioned easily to the side so you don't have to have it in front of the reader. You can position it so that it easily swings away when the person is done, so they can get up without moving the base of the lamp. My mother loves this magnifying lamp and is now reading much better. BTW, I don't recommend buying a magnifying lamp with more power. The reader will have to move their book under this magnifier as they read but under a more powerful magnifier it would be a major detractor. Hope this helps.
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We bought this as a Christmas gift for my 85-year-old mother, who suffered vision loss from a detached/torn retina two years ago, coupled with mild macular degeneration. She always enjoyed reading, but could no longer see to read, and was frustrated, angry, depressed, etc. The lamp arrived well in time for Christmas and was easy to assemble. It's well-made, with a lead weight in the base and a broad-based stand so it's not likely to tip. The arm is easily adjustable, and one can sit comfortably in an easy chair and adjust the lens to read. The lens has great magnification, and the shape of the lens means that it covers more ground with less adjustment than the circular lenses we'd looked at before choosing this lamp. Best of all, my mom can see to read again! She's going to finish a book that she put down two years ago, and is looking forward to getting the morning paper again.Honest reviews on Professional Fluorescent 7.5 x 6.25" Magnifier Floor Lamp
Disappointing to say the least. Spent some time putting it together, only to find that it didn't work. Jack's Tool Shed was very responsive, but I didn't want to go through the hassle of putting it together again (not too difficult, but the instructions were minimal to say the least) and didn't want to go through shipping it back. Anyway, opened it up to find a wire had not been connected. Fixed that, and it worked--for a while. The head is too heavy for the arm and base. It would never stay set, but slowly creep down. Tried tightening the screws, but they were already as tight as they could be. Long story short, the damn thing broke at the hinge after a couple of weeks. So now it's another piece of junk that needs to be gotten rid of. Very poor quality.Do not buy!
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