EZ RED Dropped a New Light and It’s Awesome
For some of you, EZ RED brand tools may be unfamiliar but here in my tool collection, there is a growing number of the companies cheaper automotive lighting options. It started with the neck light- which was eventually licensed to Snap-On because it was that good and now EZ RED has come out with the XL5500 automotive drop light.
In this fairly quick post, I’m going to introduce you to the XL5500 from EZ RED and see how it compares to similar options from Snap-On, Milwaukee and the other major tool companies.
What is the EZ RED XL5500?
If you haven’t seen it yet, the EZ RED XL5500 is a standard automotive-type drop light that features a 500 Lumen LED with a rechargeable battery and EZ RED’s signature sexy look. It’s also stupid cheap and has a pretty good warranty. See the picture below.
As you can see, the EZ RED XL5500 has a nice design and looks beautiful. As you know, looks can be deceiving so it’s important to ask if the XL5500 is as good as it looks or does the automotive drop light flunk out in terms of functionality, brightness or battery life?
What’s Good About the XL5500?
A mechanics work light can look beautiful and still be a piece of crap. I found that out the hard way when I bought an Astro-Pneumatic drop light that lasted less than a month. Do we have a similar situation with the XL5500 or is it actually a high-quality drop light for use in the repair shop?
Here are some of the technical specifications and features of the XL5500. We need to determine if there’s anything that sets it apart from Snap-On, Milwaukee and other major companies.
EZ RED XL5500 Features & Specs
- 500 Lumen LED Light
- Top-Spot light 150 lumens
- Micro-USB lithium-ion rechargeable battery
- Magnets on the bottom and back
- Hook for hands-free lighting
How Does the XL5500 Compare to Other Drop Lights?
It’s important to not only look at the specs and features of the EZ RED XL5500 but also compare them to other drop lights out there. If I’m going to spend money on it, I want to be sure it’s worth buying. Even with the low price of EZ RED lights, I still expect a quality product.
Snap-On Comparison
With EZ RED seemingly aiming for a full-court press these days in the light tool category, it’s fair to ask how the XL5500 compares to similar drop lights from Snap-On, the worlds leading distributor of automotive lighting.
Snap-On ECARH058 Comes Closest
In researching for this post, I found that the ECARG068 was the closest Snap-On equivalent to EZ RED’s XL5500 drop light in terms of design and features. What’s the same and what’s different?
Similarities
- Both Snap-On and EZ RED use LED lights between 5-600 Lumen output.
- ECARG068 and XL5500 use micro-usb recharging lithium-ion batteries.
- Both are sold as automotive shop/drop lights.
- Both the EZ RED and Snap-On have a spot-light on the front.
Differences
- EZ RED XL5500 does not have a folding design. Snap-On’s ECARG068 folds and has LED lights on both sides.
- Snap-On’s ECARG068 does not have a hook, instead using only magnets for hands-free use.
Minor differences between the Snap-On shop light and the EZ RED XL5500- but still worth noting for potential buyers of each drop light.
In terms of design, the two are pretty clearly different also with the Snap-On light using a folding design and the EZ RED opting instead for a stick-light design.
Probably the largest difference and perhaps the best argument for buying EZ RED versus Snap-On lies in the price tag. For around $70 you can buy the XL5500 in red and black while the Snap-On articulating light will set you back around $120 even on eBay.
Milwaukee Comparison
Just like the Snap-On ECARG068, there is also a Milwaukee comparison to the XL5500 that is worth taking a look at. Which features do the two work lights share and how are the XL5500 and 2532-20 different?
Milwaukee 2352-20 M18 Stick Light Comes Close
In searching for a MIlwaukee comparison to the EZ RED XL5500, I was only able to find the 2352-20 M18 Stick Light. It’s admittedly not a 100% equivalent to the Snap-On or EZ Red- but it is in the same category of light so here are the details.
Similarities
- Metal hook for hands-free lighting.
- LED light technology.
Differences
Differences were easy to find for these two. Here they are.
- 2532-20 Stick Light uses an external M18 battery versus rechargeable on the ECARG068 and XL5500.
- Milwaukee 2532-20 has no magnets versus both the ECARG068 and XL5500.
- Only 300 Lumen output compared to 500 from EZ RED and 600 from Snap-On.
As you can see there are less similarities than differences with the Milwaukee stick light, but a major positive one is in the price of a 2532-20 which sells for around $70 on eBay versus $120 for the Snap-On.
What do XL5500 Reviews Say?
If you don’t want to purchase an EZ RED XL5500 without learning more about it, online reviews are a good place to start. Since the EZ RED drop light is pretty new it was surprisingly hard to find actual user reviews outside of Amazon.
One reviewer on Amazon going by the name just “M” had this to say-
Bright, battery lasts all day and much more affordable than the lights on the tool trucks.
Reading that was encouraging since offering tool-truck alternatives is important to my goal here.
If after time I find some more actual user reviews or video reviews on the EZ RED XL5500, I will update the post with those reviews.
What’s the EZ RED XL5500 Warranty?
If you’re wondering how much protection from manufacturer defect EZ Red is going to provide, the answer is a one-year limited warranty which essentially means the company will repair the XL5500 for one year after the date of purchase.
What this means is that if your EZ Red light is found to be defective or broken within one year barring abuse, the company will repair (if possible) or replace otherwise the product in question. In this case the XL5500 drop light.
Is the EZ Red XL5500 Worth Buying?
For whatever reason the red and black version of the XL5500 is priced much higher than the other four color configurations which can be bought for under $40 each. At that price, regardless of any questions I had- given my success with EZ RED neck lights, I would give the company’s drop light a shot.
Ultimately it’s up to you to interpret this comparison and decide if you think the XL5500 work light by EZ RED is worth adding to your collection. If you do, let me know in the comments how it has worked out.
