The Milwaukee M12 LED TrueView Flashlight can provide up to 800 Lumens and cast its light over 375 yards, but how will it hold up to the demands of the industrial job site? To recreate those demands, we put the Milwaukee 2355-21 flashlight from the M12 power tool line to the test by dropping it, smashing it, and driving it over. Let us see how it does.
Milwaukee M12 TrueView Flashlight Drop Test
The M12 flashlight was thrown and dropped several times from 5-7 feet in the air, and although the battery did pop out of it, we could put the rechargeable battery back into it and turn it on. The aluminum body of this flashlight was held up to our tests.
How-To Use the Flashlight as a Hammer:
We would. We know nobody uses their tools for anything but what they were intended for, so we used the flashlight as a hammer. The first test was a typical finish nail, and the battery end of the flashlight was used. The nail did not stand a chance. We then went to a little longer and larger diameter nail, a 1-3/4In roofing nail. The flashlight did not skip a beat and drove it in without a problem.
Feeling a little discouraged, we grabbed a 2-3/8In sheeting nail and turned the flashlight around to hit it on the end of the flashlight. This did not slow it down either. The final test was a 3-1/2In 16d framing nail. The flashlight struggled to get this to the wood, but over time, it was able to drive the nail into the 2x4s. The battery was knocked out of the unit, but again, we had to reinstall it, and it worked just like new.
- This round went to the flashlight.
Can you run the flashlight over with a vehicle? Yes!
Milwaukee Drill Powered Bike:
To make sure we would not wreck the flashlight on the first try, we decided to use the Milwaukee M18 drill-powered bike. The flashlight was pushed out of the way several times, and the one time we could drive over it, nothing happened to it.
Kubota RTV X1100C:
The Kubota RTV X1100C weighs 2,370 pounds and can drive squarely over the top of the flashlight. The vehicle’s weight slightly drove the flashlight into the ice but did not seem to faze it.
Kubota M135 Front Loader:
The Kubota M135 is the heaviest vehicle used in our testing at 10,814 pounds. On the other hand, we decided to run this tractor next because its tires will distribute its weight better than our next vehicle. The M12 TrueView flashlight was able to handle being driven over by the M135 loader with no problem.
- Let us see what we have planned for it next.
Kubota SSV75 Skid-Steer:
Incorrectly stated to weigh 15,000lb in the video, the Kubota SSV75 Skid-steer weighs 8,400 lb. However, it has the highest ground pressure of any vehicle being used. This is because of the type of tires on it and its short wheelbase. The SSV75 Skid-steer did the most damage to this flashlight in our tests.
- The flashlight was bent, but it did not break.
Final Thoughts:
The Milwaukee M12 LED TrueView Flashlight stood up to our tests and returned for more. The skid-steer caused the central damage, but it kept working. The nails caused some cosmetic damage. It also caused the battery to keep falling out, but it kept working when it was put back in. We have to say that the flashlight drove over the competition in these tests.
We would love your thoughts about our testing, so please comment below. If you have a Milwaukee M12 Flashlight, we would like to see it in use. Share your pictures on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by tagging Acme Tools with #DoYourBestWork.
