Cool hands-free illuminated magnifier for cheap

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/09/25/cool-hands-free-illuminated-ma.html

I don’t mean to brag, but I got a cool magnifier from god knows when, with a huge metal base and that thick bendy metal tube and a real glass lens. But it lacks illumination :frowning:

Out of stock. Thanks a bunch fellow boingers.

That’s a magnifying glass with a plastic lens and a handle that folds out. And if you fold it out and set the thing on the table it will topple over as soon as you don’t have a hand free.
I’ve got one exactly like this and another two very much like this.
Okay as a handheld device for reading small print on a map or electronic components and stuff like that. Not great, but okay for the money, and the LED lighting helps a lot.
Hands-free mode, apart from the toppling, is next to useless because the “stand” is way too small and inflexible for 80% of the stuff you’ll want to look at; 99% of the stuff you’ll want to work on.
If you want an illuminated magnifier for tinkering with stuff, get a proper one with a gooseneck or anglepoise stand on a heavy base or with a table clamp. Don’t be too economical; this is the kind of tool you’ll probably buy only once and end up using at least every other day.

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What are the chances the model number is NCC-1701?

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