Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This review is based on a comparison between the Wagan EL2639 FRED light vs. the Smittybilt L-1409 UFO light. Neither light has yet been field tested or tested against time. I wanted to buy about 6 of this type of light, and was leaning toward the Smittybilt, based on the slightly higher rating and the fact that it uses a CR123 battery. But because of the significant price difference (78% more for the Smittybilt at the time of this writing) I decided to buy one of each and compare them myself, to see if the price difference was worth it. Here are my preliminary observations of the two lights: Outer construction\design: Both lights are made very well, with a seemingly durable rubberized plastic (Orange vs. Black) molded around a water-tight inner housing made of a seemingly durable clear plastic. This inner clear plastic appears to be of equal thickness and durability on the two units. The outer rubberized plastic is a bit more robust feeling on the Smittybilt because it has 18 outer lugs vs. 12, and the lugs are bit larger. However, this also means that it has smaller LED window areas between each lug. In comparison, the Wagan has about 9/16" spacing between lugs vs. about 5/16" on the Smittybilt. This becomes very noticeable when viewing the unit from the side with the lights on, especially when viewing the Smittybilt in line with one of the 3 triangular points where you see less of the LEDs. Note: There are no LEDs at these 3 points, so although there are 18 lugs, there are actually 15 LEDs vs. 12 in the Wagan. Although the Wagan has fewer LEDs, I like having the larger window area for each one, as it makes them stand out more from the side. Also, it is worth considering the color of these units. Orange is certainly more visible when the lights are off, making it easier to find. Winner - Wagan Switch: Both lights use a similar electronic switch in which the button is flush with the housing. The Wagan is much easier to push and cycle through. The Smittybilt is much more difficult to push, however this may not be a bad thing if you are concerned about accidental activation in a pack or something. Although I don't foresee the Wagan turning on accidentally since the button is flush. Winner - Wagan Access cover construction\design: Both lights have a similar removable cover to gain access to the batteries. The Wagan is round and it`s the back cover. The Smittybilt is triangular and it`s the front cover. They both require the user to remove 2 screws and gently pry up on the tabs - Wagan has 2 tabs, Smittybilt has 3. I had no problems in removing either one, and they both had a nice tight fit without being too tight. These covers have seals which are what make the unites water-proof. The Smittybilt uses a standard O-ring design found in many flashlights. It is replaceable, if you can find one of the same size. The Wagan uses a thicker integrated rubber seal that is molded right into the cover. It is not replaceable, but I doubt it will wear out any time soon. Winner - Tie Inner construction\design: The Wagan has a battery compartment & circuit board which is secured to the housing with 2 screws. Everything stays in place when changing the batteries. Also, the switch is on the opposite side of the circuit board, so it cannot be disturbed while changing the batteries. The Smittybilt also uses a similar circuit board but it's just loose in the housing, as it's held in place only by the 2 screws (& posts) which hold the access cover on. Once inside, the entire circuit board is free to come out. In fact, it will come out when trying to change the battery. The battery "compartment" is very flimsy as there are no screws holding it to the circuit board. It just presses in place around the battery, while the battery just sits between two metal contacts on the circuit board. It appears cheaply designed with little thought. Also, the switch on the Smittybilt has a 5/8" long x 1/8" diameter plastic extension which goes up through the access cover to the push button. It sits right next to the battery "compartment", which made me feel as though I needed to be very careful when trying to remove the battery. And replacing the battery is not real easy compared to the traditional battery compartment found on the Wagan. The batteries are MUCH easier to replace on the Wagan. This inner construction on the Smittybilt surprised me, given the 78% higher price. Winner - Wagan Modes: Both lights have pretty much the same 9 modes to choose from, however the Wagan also has an additional flashlight mode with 3 white LEDS. This is a very nice additional mode, as it can be very useful when all you need is a small flood light, perhaps for reading a book, looking at a map, or a tent light, etc. Winner - Wagan Operation: To access the modes on both lights you just push the button repeatedly until you get to the mode of your liking. Both units turn off by pushing and holding the power button for a few seconds. The Smittybilt will turn back on in the last mode in which it was used. The Wagan will always turn on in the 3 white LED mode which I much preferred. Winner - Wagan Magnets: Both units have equally strong magnets which work great. However, upon close examination I noticed that the magnet on the Smittybilt appears to be just glued in place, whereas the Wagan appears to use a magnet with a 1/16" step (5/8" diameter as measured from the outside, 11/16" diameter as measured from the inside). This step should prevent the magnet from ever coming out the back side. Winner - Wagan Water-proof\buoyancy: I placed both units in a pail of water and neither of them leaked during this short test. I pushed both units to the bottom of the pail and let go. Both units surfaced (floated) without any problem, but the lighter weight (5.4 oz. vs. 6.9 oz.) of the Wagan caused it to surface quicker. Winner - Tie Battery: The Wagan uses 3 readily available AAA batteries. The Smittybilt uses a single CR123 battery. It is my opinion that a light of this type ought to have lithium batteries inside, to withstand a wider range of temperatures. Although you can buy lithium AAA batteries, they will cost more than a single CR123 battery. This is purely subjective, but I prefer using a single CR123 battery. Having said that, there are more options with the AAA configuration (e.g. heavy duty, alkaline, lithium). If the run times listed on the packages are correct, you will get anywhere from a little more (10 hrs. vs. 9 hrs.) to a lot more (100 hrs. vs. 38 hrs.) run time with the CR123 Smittybilt, depending on the mode. However, these run times may be more evenly matched if using lithium AAA batteries in the Wagan. Winner - Smittybilt for me, but depends on each user. Additional features: The Wagan includes a hinged hook which will allow for hanging from a hood latch, a tent loop, a tree branch, etc. It only opens 90 degrees. Although useful, it would have been nice to see it open 180 degrees. But given that the Smittybilt doesn't even have this feature, it's a nice touch. Winner - Wagan Price: Winner - Wagan Summary: I can honestly say that I am not sure why the Smittybilt is sold at a higher price, given that they are both made in China, and given that I found nothing that leads me to believe it's a better product. With the exception of having a bit more robust outer rubber plastic, it did not excel in any one category. In fact, my analysis led me to be glad I didn't buy more of these based strictly on review ratings. I plan to buy more of the Wagan units. My guess is that all the positive reviews for the Smittybilt unit were not based on a comparison of these two units. Although a nice product, and worthy of a recommendation, the Smittybilt is no where near the value of the Wagan. I don't intend to talk down the Smittybilt or it`s makers, nor would I say that the 4 & 5 star reviews for it are unreasonable, but this is a great example of things being relative. By itself, I probably would have given the Smittybilt 4 stars. But compared to the Wagan, I cannot give it more than 3 or 3.5 stars, while I give the Wagan 4.5 stars. My suggestion to the makers at Smittybilt would be to focus more design time on the entire product. As it is, it appears, upon initial analysis, that the focus has been strictly on the appearance of a sturdier built unit. It is possible that this unit can handle more abuse, I don't know, but if it can, it is not evident upon my desktop analysis. Perhaps some day I will torture test them by driving over them. Until then, I will just see which one lasts longer under normal use. Notes: Both units came with batteries included. Also, the brightness of these products are pretty much identical, as they should be with ANY battery-operated device using these cheaper LED bulbs. They should all (including those not tested here) be about the same brightness, which is plenty bright for their intended purpose - to be seen.