Lidl/Parkside (and others) 12V system flashlight

Although this is a LIDL/Parkside unit it's probably available under various other brands around the world. I was expecting this to have the usual click-through intensity settings, but it's just a simple on/off. This is probably due to the fairly high operating voltage of the unit.
It uses the classic three 18650 cell power pack used with a variety of tools, and the current draw is low enough that it should easily last a full shift on one charge.
The LED is a standard "star" type, so can be swapped for a colour of your choice (I may swap in a warm white one). It could also be fitted with a near-UV LED for applications like leak detection.
Although it's possible to hack the power down to a lower level for longer run time by removing one of the sense resistors, it is already fairly low at about 1W. I don't recommend increasing the current by using higher value sense resistors, as there is no heatsink other than the standard aluminium star backplate.
The battery level indication is crude, but works. It's based on voltage dividers and the forward voltage of the LEDs, so they tend to fade as the voltage falls instead of having a solid transition.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm
This also keeps the channel independent of KZbin's algorithm quirks, allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
#ElectronicsCreators

[@gregorythomas333]

Finally...an ON/OFF flashlight that doesn't have 500 different "modes" that I would never use!

[@whoeveriam0iam14222]

I hope you have the SOSOSOSO signal memorized in case you get stranded on a Chinese island

[@Rentta]

I like ON /OFF + 50%. I think that's ideal

[@georgeprout42]

It's because the Chinese heard that the US calls a torch a flashlight. I can imagine the product design meeting in Shenzhen: "But how should it flash?" "Yes"

[@j.f.christ8421]

FWIW, some of the driver chips have a pin you can ground to disable the SOS. So if you see an unconnected pin...

[@_BangDroid_]

I got this Sofirn branded torch from ali, made in shenzhen somewhere apparently and it's modes are great. Simple On/Off with hold to cycle brightness, remembers last brightness. It has strobe but it's quick triple press and 4 quick press is a lock.

[@bobclarke5913]

A simple ON/OFF flashlight in 2023? It's a miracle!

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

That looks like it's fairly well made. And is is refreshing to have a flashlight that clicks on and clicks off. I have no need for three levels of light and an SOS signal and a toaster and bread slicer. Way to go, Parkside! Thank you BigClive. You are a rock star.

[@apclaudiu]

Funny that few weeks ago I bought one of these, opened it, remove the main led, connect directly a small water pump to 12V after switch. Afterward put pump inside a PVC pipe of (40mm I believe) plus a small hose inside and the flashlight glued to it as a handle. Now I have a rechargable portable pump to stick it into a plastic jerrycan to change water in my aquariums plus LED indicator for battery :) I want now to buy two more. It will make Arnold Schwarzenegger proud :)

[@kellyeye7224]

I got two of those recently and also use their 4Ahr battery which gives it a 'heavy' and stable base for working under my cars. Also helps that I've been collecting their 4Ahr batteries when they were on sale at £5 a pop (usually £22 each!) - got 20 of them in total!

[@Friendroid]

That was the steal of the century, well done!!

[@catsnotcops_]

wow thats even cheaper than building them from scratch

[@caskwith]

Damn! Best deal I managed was 30% off, wish I had seen them at a fiver!

[@PerspectiveEngineer]

Shite! Get that sweet mill Big Clive! It's been so much fun I barely noticed The time passing... i've learned so much over the decade nothing to write home about but definitely will toast you up on that million subscribers day, heck I'm having a drink right now hold on one minute... cheers mate!

[@simonstroud2555]

All that jiggling around with a firmly-operated screwdriver very close to the tender fleshy bits of Clive's hand reminded me of one of my favourite safety videos that they used to show us when I worked for BT back in the last century. "Hand/wrist meet metal spikey thing".

[@rogerborg]

It still blows my mind that we use much electronic gubbins, including a microprocessor, to drive a lightbulb.

[@acmefixer1]

It would be very handy to have a switch in series with one of the two parallel current control resistors, to allow high and low brightness settings. It's recommended that for coils or transformer cores made of ferrite or powdered iron, that the schematic's winding symbol have a broken line (like hyphens separated by spaces) alongside the winding. Thanks, Clive for your schematics; they're the dessert that makes your teardowns delicious. I imagine there are novices watching your videos who learn to read schematics from your explanations. You're a true electronics educator. 😊

[@bigclivedotcom]

Good point about the inductors to differentiate between air cored and ferrite cored.

[@stepheneyles2198]

When I first started watching Big Clive's videos I said to myself: "I can draw schematics like that". After a few attempts I gave up and sulked back into my 'viewer only' corner! That's a skill which needs years of practice and we all appreciate them! ;-))

[@markfergerson2145]

@@stepheneyles2198It really helps if you have the native talent to draw in general, but it’s not absolutely necessary. Drawing schematics can be learned as a skill but it can definitely be a lot of work. Yes, I have the talent of drawing and picked up drawing schematics easily. And yes, I appreciate Clive’s beautiful schematics. I still say they’re an art form.

[@georgeprout42]

@@stepheneyles2198 it's not that hard tbh. Draw the inputs on the left, outputs on the right. Then the middle. If it works, it works. If you're tight for space then start again, but now you have a better idea of spacing. We don't see Clive drawing after all, it might v1 or v7 for all we know 😉

[@SandrasSpicySpanishSalami]

I bought the Parkside 4V rechargeable two position electric screwdriver months ago, it has a shockingly bright only On-off LED torch in the bottom. Surprisingly useful tool for £9.99

[@oswith971]

The Parkside stuff tends to be pretty decent in my experience. I really like the USB-C rechargeable soldering iron they had for sale a while back, it uses what I assume is a standard cheap E10 threaded soldering iron tip and heats up really fast. I used to use a TS100 soldering iron all the time but the Lidl one is so much more handy (and wireless obviously) that I tend to use it more often

[@georgeyreynolds]

Sadly mine didn't really work for me, but good yours did

[@RagingShrimp67]

Agreed, super bang for the buck. The coolest thing is no question asked replacements at the stores. One of the batteries died on me, 5 min. trip to Lidl and I got a new one on the spot. Can't beat them for the DIYer. And yes especially their soldering iron (I have the one that works with their 20V system) was a life saver more than once.

[@SneakyZaku]

Thats my experience too, I actually have been using their mini hand drill and for my hobby needs (model related drills/screws/cutting etc) its actually pretty good for a little drill I bought on a whim.

[@RS-Amsterdam]

Indeed, I followed some YT channels where Lidl products (tools) were tested and they were surprisingly good and for sure great bang for your buck. On the other hand there were some DOA or partial DOA devices but they were changed for good ones without any hassle.

[@fouzaialaa7962]

this is used for people that actually work in pitch black , i have an uncle that works in the forest as a forest guard they do actually prefer a long runtime , and i do mean long like 24-48 hours or more since he doesn't always get to go home and charge his flashlight also he doesnt want it to konk out due to water or getting dropped i've seen so many cool flashlights that are rugged and actually passed the abuse of time with him and his coworkers and they are always modestly rugged and always 1 button and 1 mode and low light intensity and super waterproof , some of them are even led acid with the small rectangular battery (smaller than a motorcycle battery) .

[@G1ZQCArtwork]

He needs a modified charger to work off a Solar panel.

[@fouzaialaa7962]

@@G1ZQCArtwork he cant be lugging a solar panel everywhere , also he mainly works at night and a big battery is just more reliable that a solar panel that cans scratch or break and only for him to discover it didnt charge all day and now he is stranded with not light

[@G1ZQCArtwork]

Well if he works at night, the solar panel can be charging the battery during daylight.! no need to "drag it around"!@@fouzaialaa7962

[@spongerobert]

Back in my day a torch consisted out of a bulb, switch and a couple of D-cells and it had 2 modes, dim and if you bash it around you activate bright mode.

[@tncorgi92]

I had one from the Boy Scouts, it took 2 D cells but it also featured a slot where you could slip in a red disc in front of the bulb so you could use it without ruining your night vision. The unit was amazingly tough, I dropped mine regularly on hard surfaces and even the little peanut bulb survived.

[@notpublic7149]

I love this man's videos. Always so helpful. Cheers!

[@AK90]

I have the Makita ML100 flashlight for their 10.8v batteries and it works the same with just an on/off function. It sits on my desk for easy access incase of an emergency. Love that thing :D

[@bigclivedotcom]

Come to think of it, the Ryobi is just on and off as well.

[@thedude8046]

Its always nice from parkside to have replacement batteries. So by the time your battery dies you'll have to buy a complete new drill because the batteries won't fit anymore because they changed the design.

[@UQRXD]

I still have my Brinkman incandescent flash light. Got it 25 years ago. No electronics. Bulb, replaceable batteries , water proof, and makes a nice night stick with 5 D alkaline batteries. Even has a spare bulb inside.

[@mbp1646]

LIDLS Parkside collection is a bizarre mix of surprisingly decent tools and utterly useless junk sometimes in the same product. For example I have a very functional Parkside electric screwdriver that came in a lovely box along with a ludicrous circular saw attachment that can just about cut a single sheet of paper.

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

All a matter of how much torque you can get out of a low voltage product. A highly geared screwdriver device doesn't need much. A straight drive 7" (or more) circular saw works best on 240v AC! If you want to try "useless" Seamus, then pick up a Ryobi (or no doubt any other brand) 18v Chainsaw! 😜🙄

[@Dyrck]

@@theoztreecrasher2647 my EGO chainsaw is 56V and works brilliantly

[@TheMrMaxx]

The video just remembered me yesterday evening to charge the worklight in my toolbox 👌

[@UnjustifiedRecs]

Just grabbed one for 3 quid, already had a battery lying around, im pleasantly surprised tbf, just nice to have a torch with a good battery life and is super simple.

[@TheDarkKl342]

ET6115 is a clone of a popular PT4115 with the same pinout. Not sure about the parameters, but at least the pinout matches. Quite commonly used in power tool battery-powered lights, and also has a built-in dimming function by giving a PWM signal to one of the pins, allowing one to add a simple NE555 circuit and make the flashlight dimmable instead of just on-off

[@flatbit3090]

Thanks Clive for this video, my Bosch 18v GLi VariLED today suddenly went bang when I switched it on so I'm investigating. Great work 👍

[@RCAVDH]

This is really helpful, I was thinking of turning this flashlight into a cigarette lighter output that could then be used with all kinds of accessories like a usb charger.

[@user-jo8kq5ed4j]

Lidl generally do decent, my dad has plenty of their stuff and its working fine also about the universal battery for their different voltage 'families', I'm sure they didn't come up with it but its great to see them doing it like that. (Not making a proprietary battery for each tool/device)

[@luminousfractal420]

I used to buy a lot of cycling tools from lidl. One was a full kit for like 20quid, i noticed a marking on one and chased it up, turns out the kit was a decent quality one made by AMC. They make the bike chains that last forever. Its non branded or alternative branded expensive goods for cheap 👍 The real amc kit was selling for hundreds, exactly the same parts, just lacking stickers.

[@cherryred1732]

Yes indeed. I have a drill. Angle cutter and soldering station. And are great for occasional day to day usage .👍

[@JustAGuyYaKnow42]

So much for right to repair, lol. Incredible amount of electronics in a simple flashlight. I know, you explain it, but it still blows my mind.

[@Rich77UK]

I've got loads of parkside 12v & 20v tools. Bloody good quality

[@thatguythatdoesstuff5899]

My favourite part about parkside battery tools is the fact that they have been sticking with a battery platform for a while now, something not usually common in cheap tools.

[@sharkeys]

nice to see this I keep meaning to pickup a few of these. Bought many of their tools and for the price I've used much worst gear, pretty happy with Parkside to be fair.

[@KeritechElectronics]

You were a determined one! Not even the Vise of Knowledge, let alone percussive discombobulation techniques.

[@tncorgi92]

I think I would have taken a Dremel to that staple. I always end up injuring myself with pliers.

[@user-vc8lu9eb1l]

I found a similar black@decker flashlight with dead cells,so I took out the old bulb and put a new led along a new lithium pack Works great and shines the whole room up

[@Saxtoo]

I didn't understand anything on that circuit board but enjoyed the explanation! 🤣👍

[@stevetobias4890]

Nice basic on/off torch that has finally dropped the strobing effects.

[@alanbickerstaff868]

I have a smaller torch I got from Lidl .It had led light for beam light and a strip of led for work light . Went flat after a week . So always flat when you needed it. Cut the wire to battery brought out wire and made a tiny male and female connector fixed . what's wrong with a good old on off switch. Of course you wouldn't have a channel clive😂

[@fuloplehel]

Great video and schematics, I have the similar flashlight from bosch also on the 12V battery system with the same on off switch and it has that clip on the housing which is easier to remove with a hook.

[@Pistoletjes]

I like the realtime teardown. The 'one moment please' moments sometimes hide the juicy details...

[@stepheneyles2198]

BC should produce merch with "One moment please" printed on it!! 😁

[@user-mo5hz9kp6y]

I converted a 2 road lamp cell(2×6v) torch the other day. I put in a 3v bulb, 10 C alkaline cells in holders, and linked them up using a system of manual toggle switches. They're on parralell setting at the moment. When they run down I'll gradually switch each one into series.

[@andreasu.3546]

Oh now I know why that house next to the train station is lit in red. It's full of astronomers.

[@Perthshire]

Almost ONE MILLION subs ;-)

[@BSOE3058]

I have 12v parkside with rotating arm, best purchase ever

[@G1ZQCArtwork]

I bought two of these as emergency lights. I use the batteries on many of the Parkside tools, some batteries were on offer so I grabbed a pair of those too. The 4 ah battery will fit this Torch too, so expect many hours of run time indeed.

[@povilasqw]

I've bought a parkside flashlight that works with 20v series battery a month ago. It also has only one mode, but I'm very happy with it since it was ~10 euros (without battery or charger).

[@rremington3983]

Heyho Clive, I watched Mr Carlson remove similar glue by putting a bit of alcohol on it, hope that helps, Rob

[@hillppari]

parkside tools are actually pretty decent for casual use

[@T0NGPU]

Parkside makes really decent power tools.

[@gertbenade3082]

Perhaps a follow-up video of the overhead bench light bursting into flames or schmoke upon closer investigation? Great video, thanks Clive!

[@d.t.4523]

Thank you. Keep working, good luck.

[@martinbrennan152]

I find the stuff from Lidl to be quite good. Recently I went to one of their stores to buy some butter and I picked up a snazzy small Hadron Colllider, I was chuffed.

[@abitofabitofabit4404]

Parkside is the label for American Aldi's bratwurst range. Oddly appropriate for the item du jour.

[@Graeme_Lastname]

Always interesting. 🙂

[@dcallan812]

neat insides 2x👍

[@strongandco]

I've had mixed results with Parkside stuff. I found their little 12V drill driver to be as tough as old boots and they punch well above their weight but I've had a 12V Right Angle/multi-position drill die after 30 mins light, intermittent use and it's replacement sounds and feels like it might go the same way.

[@jussikuusela7345]

That battery style looks very similar to what I have on my Hyundai oscillating saw/grinder.

[@ScottGrammer]

I want one! Do you know how long I have been looking for an LED flashlight that does not have 48 modes? ON and OFF is all a flashlight needs!

[@sn_all_test]

i love parkside tools as value items. problem is that they have a somehow high failure percentage (sometimes in a quite noticeable way...) but if you keep the receipt and it is during the warranty, then no problems.

[@user-th3ur1dw5v]

The battery level indicator being really dull is good for night time, less of a distraction.

[@stepheneyles2198]

You mentioned the inductor/switching to improve efficiency: does that induce any visible flicker in the light? Any idea what frequency it's oscillating at?

[@bigclivedotcom]

It's very high frequency. Well above the perceivable level.

[@DrAHorn]

IIRC the switching frequency is typically in the range of kHz to hundreds of kHz, so as Clive said: you are not going to see that. In addition the LED never goes completley off - like unsmoothed, rectified AC - it only varies in intensity somewhat.

[@davidfalconer8913]

Handy tip .. To remove pesky staples ( and carpet tacks ? ) , I find an old , but sharp pair of side cutters gives a FAR superior grip on the narrow strip of metal ( compared with pliers ! ) , also the voltage indicator circuit ( built on a separate PCB ) might be used to monitor a 12 Volt Lead Acid battery ( ? ) .. Parkside™ have a nice colour scheme ... DAVE™🛑

[@billbucktube]

I have a flashlight that uses two 18650 batteries in line with the charging circuit built into it. I can find 18650 batteries but not together with the tiny circuit board built in. Do you know of a search term for it? Like, “Inline 2x18650 with BMS” or something similar?

[@labiadh_chokri]

Nice teardown with ultraviolet light we can find scorpion at night, will this led last for 30000 hour with that low power, why u didn't use a scope to show us the voltage across the led and the switching frequency.

[@MrPabsUk]

Does the battery from that fit the cheapo Chinesium ratchet you tested ages ago Mr Clive?

[@bigclivedotcom]

Keyed to prevent interchangeability.

[@MrPabsUk]

@@bigclivedotcom Bugger.. Oh well, at least the battery pack should swap between cases, so might pick one up anyway.

[@TYGAMatt]

I've been playing with a MP2480 LED driver recently with a 10W LED. Simple to use and seems quite robust.

[@SimonParkes]

I have a few Parkside tools and now am struggling to get the 12v batteries !

[@bigclivedotcom]

Yeah. Both Lidl and Aldi seem to have an issue with getting batteries. I think people were buying them to strip for the cells.

[@SeanBZA]

120n for the capacitors in circuit says 100n ceramic, the extra coming from the other capacitors and resistors in series. But being ceramic and cheap not likely to stay that way for long, or even be close with 12V applied.

[@carlubambi5541]

Common in m12 milwaukee tools they put a clip to hold clam shell together

[@Kudos1799]

Interesting you should mention that your desk light is failing / flickering dimming etc. As so is mine after 10 yrs. Brushed St. Cost around £70. Smd's mounted by tube of led's. Not sure if worth fault finding.

[@dino6627]

Picked this up to have a look at the other day, when I saw the cheap 1W LED in the centre of the reflector I put it back down. It is great not to have the strobing modes and seems quite well made, but down to a price, that gives it mediocre light output.

[@u.e.u.e.]

When I read "12 Volts fladhlight" I was in hope for getting a suggestion for a chargeable car light - it's different. 🤷‍♂️

[@alunjones3860]

Did you measure the forward voltage? Are you sure it's not a dual chip LED?

[@RS-Amsterdam]

That is probably "Make Clive's Reverse Engineering Harder" Goo, they are on to you, pal !

[@rickseiden1]

Big Clive apologizes for a studio light that's going wonky. Big Clive's fans know what his next video will be about.

[@bigclivedotcom]

It'll be the secondary capacitor. Probably potted in rubbery compound.

[@solfischer613]

Getting very close to 1milluon subscribers. I just realized I hadn't been subscribed.

[@glencwilson]

Pretty sure mine has two levels via the switch and maybe the flash mode, will need to check when we get home.

[@b0rd3n]

Are thoses batteries compatible with Milwaukee M12 tools? Or vice-versa?

[@bigclivedotcom]

No. They all use plastic keys to prevent them being used in other brand's tools.

[@T_Perkins]

Im curious ro know if that 12v battery is similar or same to one of bosches 'power for all' initiative in either the 'home' catagory of tools or 'proffesional' It looks incredibly similar...

[@bigclivedotcom]

Sadly they're all keyed to prevent use in other brands.

[@jkobain]

Those clips, you're meant to take them out before unscrewing the case, not afterwards: they are difficult to get out, but grip it even harder when they are the last ones.

[@amorphuc]

Thanks Big Clive. Pretty cool little light. Is this going to be hacked and perhaps in your tool bag?

[@teemoto3923]

I prefer my torches to be powered by something flamable. The smoke really enhances the ambiance when dungeon crawling. Now a proper flashlight goes a long way with good batteries. I wonder who lost the memo on the name.

[@Comrade_YG]

Its crazy that i got a park side flashlight ad before the video 😅 KZbin’s ad algorithm’s spying is going a bit too far now

[@oithetresen609]

I have an old tacklife battery that I don't have a drill for anymore, because it broke. It looks really similar. Tacklife doesn't exist anymore sadly. That cordless drill served me well with harsh abuse for 5 years. It was only 60€ back then. It looks exactly like the parkside one. I wonder if They're the same.

[@Donn29]

Why wouldn't they use a simple resistor to current limit the LED, versus so many other components? Is it the large voltage range of a 3s battery?

[@bigclivedotcom]

The resistor would end up dissipating twice the power of the LED.

[@tomteiter7192]

dim battery indicators are good in my book, I hate indicators that seem to be higher power than the actual light. especially blue ones...

[@montgomeryrichard]

As the battery has its own charging and low voltage circuits built-in all you need is an on-off switch and maybe a slightly larger heat sink. forget the amount of battery left indicator as it will just get dimmer and cut off!

[@djedUVprojector]

"One moment please..." 🔨🔨🔨💥👍🥃

[@Ezzell_]

Is that battery the same form factor of the Milwaukee M12?

[@bigclivedotcom]

Keyed to prevent use in other brands.

[@Art-fn7ns]

Did I hallucinate it, or Big Clive reviewed the Parkside battery pack, too? I cannot find it. Anybody knows where it is?

[@bigclivedotcom]

I've not done the 12V one.

[@curtishoffmann6956]

Can it disco? I want a light that can disco.

[@DubiousEngineering]

Jeez ... I generally like parkside stuf, but this one doesn't light my candle 😂

[@MikesSoftLemonade]

Aw man I’ll have to do my own SOS

[@tdurmon]

That battery looks suspiciously like my Milwaukee M12 batteries. I have a feeling that’s the idea

[@SimonParkes]

They are, but enough differences to make them incompatible :(

[@redstoner2006]

I might be wrong but I nieve that utt might just be a plastic strip on the outside, I've seen that on my einhell and parkside batteries....

[@AK90]

Its also very similar to the Makita BL1013 batteries. I guess that's what you get when making a 3 cell battery. Really only 1 good way to orient the cells.

[@tonysheerness2427]

About time batteries were standardised.

[@iandeare1]

They also look visually similar to some Bosch batteries, with similar specs. but not compatible

[@alnicospeaker]

I'd hack it the following way: Put an Rfixed of 0.2 to 0.3 Ohms in serial with one of these small blue multi-turn pots, they are available as low as 10 Ohms@28turns. Looks like there is plenty of space for that inside the housing,

[@U014B]

5:19 Your WC should work like a diode, for sure...

[@rangerjones5531]

Yes! I’m in a wheelchair and use headlamps because my hands are busy, they all have a flash mode, red light mode and an SOS mode. That’s to many!

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

Yep. You really only need too tu doo all that you need two du! 😜😁

[@32_bits]

Lidl have infra red temp guns at the moment, perfect for a teardown.

[@bigclivedotcom]

Sadly no Lidl here.

[@phillipsofthedriver]

Looks almost like a Milwaukee M12 battery with those three lobes.

[@bigclivedotcom]

It's a common triple 18650 form factor between brands, with specific keying to make sure they don't work in other brands.

[@Bordberti]

Die lidl 10W LED Taschenlampen, die auch alternativ mit einer 18650 betrieben werden können, sind wesentlich praktischer und kleiner als die komische Hohlkörper mit einer kleinen LED dran. Spielzeug.

[@xcoder1122]

The Parkside products are okay. Considering the low price and that those are sold in supermarkets, you cannot complain. The tools usually sold in supermarkets are far worse and I already bought private label products in hardware stores for about the same price, which ended up being significantly worse. If you don't have big demands and just need the right tool every now and then, you won't go far wrong with Parkside. If you have high demands or you are looking professional quality, you have to look elsewhere but then you also have dig far deeper into your pocket.

[@user-uu6ju9lb1s]

I am looking for one of these torches as I borrowed of someone and lost it? He is going mad. I am in Ireland and don't know when they are selling if selling?

[@bigclivedotcom]

They sell them intermittently.

[@davidwaters6190]

The battery indicator would better be illuminated at night, what the torch is intended for, unless it's a daytime torch.

[@dollarama8652]

no zoomie? 🙄 such things are beneath a man of my stature! 🧐 🎩💎💸 This flashlight has ruined my beans & hotdog dinner 😫🍲🌭

[@Stuartrusty]

Is it Arnie approved?