GorillaTorch product reviews

After having some experience with the armatures of the GorillaPOD units, I was prepared for something interesting here. This little spark has all the flexibility, both in terms of bendability and locatability, of the GorillaPODs, but it also has the torch on top.

The armatures can be bent any old way needed to secure the unit in whatever position you want it, and because it doesn't have to bear the weight of a camera, some locations that the G-pods weren't suitable are quite within the compass of this little fella. Such places would include wet branches, thinner poles that don't provide enough surface area to grab on to, etc. And, as of Guy Fawkes night, the list now includes... the back of my right wrist! Yup... this little fella spent the evening crasped around my arm, illuminating the matches and fuses while I put on the family's annual fireworks display. I found this to be an utter godsend that night!

With the addition of very strong magnets on the ends of the feet, and a slight flattening of the foot ends, this unit now has Spiderman-like capabilities, clinging to the side of the car, the frame of the PC, the fridge door... anywhere you have steel, and a need for light. The flexible armatures allow you to point the head of the torch anywhere you need it, and keep it there. For me, I found this a boon while installing some new hardware into one of the server boxes... especially when I dropped a couple of screws down the back of a board and couldn't reach them... the magnetic arms double as extremely dexterous screw retrieval devices. -blush-

The torch itself is amazingly powerful... an LED emitter that is pathetically tiny but herculean-strong when it comes to pumping out photons. To look at it, you'd swear they forgot to include the bulb or something, because all you can see is a tiny piece of... something... about 4mm square... until you power it up of course, then all you see is a blinding glare and spotty afterimages.

The torch can be set to a variable intensity, from full-on beam that I found will easily reach a good 10m (which looks awesome in evening fog), to a dim glow that is great for sneaking in to the kids' bedroom while you help Santa out by stuffing the stocking(s) with prezzies. According to the packaging, on full bean you'll get around 20 hours out of a set of three 'AA' batteries, and up to 80 hours at minimum intensity... I found that with a set of premium batteries you can push that out by another 32% give or take, with full beam getting me nearly 27 hours, and low beam giving you just over 105 hours.

Installing the batteries was a bit of a mission, thanks to the brand new seal being quite firm and 'tacky', but once I got it open the first time, the next time was easier, and the third time was a simple matter. I have no problems with the seal being quite firm, since that reduces the amount of dust and moisture that gets into the battery compartment, buit you may want to be aware that right out of the packet it can be... difficult.

Overall, this is one stunning little device... primarily marketed as an automotive aid, since it's biggest usage will undoubtedly be clamped to the side of the car providing illumination while you swap tyres, or the underside of the bonnet while you peer around trying to find the loose wire or something, but it also has many applications in the computer technician arena, in and around the home, and basically anywhere your imagination could want a variable-illumination torch with the ability to cling to damn-near anywhere and throw photons like an olympian athelete.