Stanley has come out with a new rechargeable LED worklight, the Satellite, model SAT3S.
This is the newest in a long line of Stanley LED flashlight and worklight products. Some, like their small tripod worklights (~$15 via Amazon) are quite good (I’ve got two of ’em), and others, like this recent floor-standing tripod-mounted LED worklight, have not earned favorable user reviews.
The Stanley Satellite features a built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery pack that can last for up to 6 hours of runtime. You could also tap into the battery to recharge your portable electronics, using the built-in 1A output USB power port, but it might not have enough juice for more than just an emergency partial recharge.
From the product description, mainly the power in/power out USB port part, it seems that the worklight can be recharged using the same USB port.
The Stanley Satellite can emit up to 300 lumens of light, and there’s mention of any lower intensity brightness options.
It doesn’t look to have many mounting options, only a wide bottom base that looks to be magnetic. There’s a triangular loop towards the top of the worklight, but it’s probably meant more for a convenience lanyard than for hanging the light.
When standing the Stanley Satellite LED worklight on a flat surface, you can tilt the light head downwards at up to about 90° for better aiming.
This can come in handy, especially when you’re barbecuing outside in the dark. (Dear Stanley: There was no better way to show this functionality?)
Another of Stanley’s product images shows the worklight being used under a car. With the exposed USB charging port, it’s probably not water or dust resistant. Using it on dry and not-too-dirty ground should be okay, but I’d probably reach for a headlamp or sealed worklight for wet, dusty, or other demanding environments.
Seeing as how this product image shows the Stanley Satellite mounted on the underside of a car’s hood, I’m assuming there’s a strong magnet embedded in the worklight’s base.
There’s also a lantern mode, which looks to give fuller 360° light spread.
Price: $40
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Right now Amazon is saying that the worklight will ship within “5 to 6 months.” My guess is that it’s intended for holiday season release. You could still order one now, or wait until it’s fully in stock. Or put it in the back of your mind until the first user reviews are in.
First Thoughts
Stanley’s last LED worklight attempt resulted in many negative user reviews. As of the time of this posting, 78% of the user reviews rated their LED tripod worklight with just 1 star out of 5 on Amazon, which is the lowest rating you could give.
But I have also had very positive experiences with Stanley’s handheld tripod LED worklights.
I think that the Stanley Satellite LED worklight design looks very promising, but the vagueness of the product description has me left wondering and frustrated.
It looks to me like the center is a spotlight-style flashlight, and the 3 surrounding parts are diffused floodlight worklights. The ability to toggle between the two would make the Satellite a much more versatile piece of equipment, and even more so if the brightness levels are adjustable.
$40 might seem like much, but don’t forget that the Satellite has a built-in Li-ion battery.
As mentioned, I think that the new Stanley Satellite LED light looks promising. The design is appealing, and I’m hoping there’s greater adjustability than the product description shares.
What do you think? Looks good, or a piece of junk?
On a somewhat related tangent, check out our review of the Black & Decker rechargeable Snakelight! It’s not new anymore, but it’s still a stellar lighting product.