What do you use for a work light

[willie59]

I've been riding that rodeo horse all the way back to the insufferable "drop light". I suppose that term comes from shop and service station bays that had the work light with the incandescent bulb hanging from the ceiling via a retractable cord reel. I personally think the term "drop light" means if you drop it...no more light. I've been burned on the arms by those things, have had trucks fresh off the road from rain drip a single drop of water on the bulb and have it explode right next to my head, and plenty of cursing from the cord getting hung on something. I for one am happy that technology has taken us beyond the light bulb drop light, namely rechargeable work lights.

I have a fluorescent work light that's powered by a battery pack from my Makita drill, that's a nice light. In my service truck I have several types of small LED flashlights as well as an LED light stick that's recharged via a cord in the cigar lighter plug in the cab. One thing about light stick lights, they're too easy to knock over, and when they do it's all but certain that they'll be shining straight into your eyes.

But here's one I picked up at Home Depot lately. It wasn't in the tool section with other lights, it was back in the electrical section along with the landscape lighting. It was somewhere around 25 bucks. Comes with AC adapter charging cord, single on/off switch, the LED lamp head tilts and swivels, and it has a magnetic base. I haven't used it enough to form a good opinion yet, but from what I've used it so far I'm fairly happy.

 

[curb guy]

I have, probably a dozen or so ,of the "sabre" brand rechargeable led's. Several different models, all the same brand. Not real sure where all the corded lights at work went to ,now that I think about it.

 

[willie59]

Not real sure where all the corded lights at work went to ,now that I think about it.

LoL, and we really don't care, right?

 

[RobVG]

I have 3 Larrys ........Here

Work well in tight places. Lost a few when I forgot to pull them out.

 

[FSERVICE]

LoL, and we really don't care, right?

I don't think I even own/have a corded "drop light" anymore!!! I bought a rechargeable flood LED last week. it looks like the old 500watt halogen. im starting to like it a lot. I also have a LED head lamp that is on my hard hat that I really like especially since it seems the older I get the darker things are!!! its great technology has helped us get away from those #^%@&@ cords

 

[RobVG]

especially since it seems the older I get the darker things are!!!

I bet alot here feel your pain.

 

[Mike L]

I've been eyeballing a light like yours willie but for a while I've been getting by with a headlamp and a small flashlight made by stream light. Not cheap but definitely better than a mini maglite and I wouldn't even try lugging a corded droplight on the service truck.

 

[OFF]

Thanks for the tip Willie! I'm always looking for better lights. Those Makita ones you mentioned don't stand up all that well to rugged use......or to brake clean......they melt! We've been using a lot of "headlamps" lately.

 

[WaterDoc]

Back when I was in the stop I used to have a pair of these by Cliplight. I had a pair because I would always have 1 on the charger ready to go.

http://www.cliplight.com/automotive/lighting/hemi-series/hemipro-3/

Best cordless light I have had. These only have 3 large LED's and seems to put out a lot of bright white light. I find the units with lots of LED's (30+) seem put out a lot of light at night but during the day or in a lit shop they don't seem to illuminate as well as they should. I think it has to do with the colour of the light, it always seems to be more bluish then white.

 

[AusDave]

LED head lights for me. Often work late outdoors at night and they are fantastic compared to everything that came before. Wherever you look there's light and your hands are free.
However there are a lot of anaemic LED head lights, you've got to have the Cree type with one very powerful LED. They usually have a high, low and flash settings.

LED Lenser is probably the best brand with German quality etc, but I have made do with the cheaper Chinese ones off eBay with no problems. They have rechargeable batteries which last for hours and are the same brightness as the LED Lenser.
Also great for nocturnal wildlife spotlighting.

AusDave

 

[willie59]

That Cliplight is a good looking light WaterDoc. :drinkup

And yes FSERVICE, the older I get the darker things are, well said. :tong

I would like to find a better rechargeable for the service truck. The one I currently have is Ok, plugs into the cigar lighter port in the cab to charge, don't recall what brand it is. It's an LED light stick, multiple LED's on the face with LED "flashlight" on the end. The problem is the single button on/off switch. First click of the button turns on the flashlight, next click turns on the face LED's, next click turns on both flashlight and face lights (WHY???), next click, yes, four clicks to turn it on/off!!! I just want a single button, single on/off of a light, none of this click click click stuff. I'm still searching for a light to replace that one.

 

[Dualie]

i bought an LED off road lightbar and a 12V power supply and mounted it to an old tri stand that had halogen lights on it originally. It was too bright and ended up reflecting light off off everything and being useless. Im thinking i bougt too good a light bar and often wonder if a cheer smaller one would be better but most of them are combined Flood/spot patterns and I cant find any that are just flood patterned.

 

[repowerguy]

I use a Mac tools rechargeable led light, I paid too much for it, EZ RED makes it. I think the EZ RED number is XL3000, anyhoo it is a great light and pretty tough also. I also use halogen light stands when I am able to, eyes are getting tired.

 

[lantraxco]

Outside and in tight places I use an LED headlight that takes standard AAA batteries, because I don't want to be looking for the flat round batteries or wait for it to charge up. Small LED flashlight that takes the same AAA's for obvious reasons, small and light enough I can "cigar" hold it. I would love to have a good LED rechargeable with magnetic base, but I won't buy a cheap one and so far it hasn't ever made it to the top of my must have tool buy list, the list is too long!

In the shop I still use that drop light with the 60 watt bulb, mostly, admitting my softer side here, because it brings back the days before I was a teenager and I held the light and shagged tools while my Dad did the wrenching. Standing in the grease pit of his Quonset hut working on a car, truck, or tractor for some neighbor, relative, or coworker of his. He's 84 now and for anything ambitious he lets me do the heavy lifting, but still somewhere in the back of my mind I can hear him saying "Hold the light where I can see!" LOL. On the practical side, as long as you have a supply of light bulbs (I use the rubber coated ones when I can find them) you never have to worry about the light being defective, and here's the big one: There's a power outlet just below the light socket! If I need an extension cord anyway, it might as well have a light on the end of it.

And being cheap if I need a lot of light in the shop I just use one of those chicken house lights with the big reflector and rubber spring clamp setup, standard 100 watt house bulb. Got a big bar magnet it will clamp on.

 

[willie59]

lantraxco, I do understand and appreciate the nostalgia as I too have heard "hold the light where I can see" from my dad in days past as well as other (less polite) commands and admonitions. Dad has been gone since Aug of 2002 and there are still times I wish he was here to chew my arse over something. It was "dad boot camp" that taught me life is tough, get over yourself, get up and do it right the next time, made me what I am today. Oh the memories. :drinkup

 

[FSERVICE]

lantraxco, I do understand and appreciate the nostalgia as I too have heard "hold the light where I can see" from my dad in days past as well as other (less polite) commands and admonitions. Dad has been gone since Aug of 2002 and there are still times I wish he was here to chew my arse over something. It was "dad boot camp" that taught me life is tough, get over yourself, get up and do it right the next time, made me what I am today. Oh the memories. :drinkup

willie I have heard those exact same things growing up!!! in a way I miss the "hold the light still" but he was also set in his ways!! I bought dad a AA Maglight he wouldn't use it still had a aluminum clip on flood light that was beat, creased, & bent up & wouldn't even try anything else!! dad has been gone since may of 05....

 

[Steve Frazier]

Guys, there's a solution to make the standard corded "Drop Light" so much better!! Simply replace the incandescent bulb with a new LED replacement bulb. You can get them up to a 100 watt equivalent, they are immune to shock damage, don't get hot and draw next to nothing for power. I've done that with the shop lights at work and the difference is amazing!!

 

[nickbowers]

this is what i use
http://www.truckblog.com.au/tools/milwaukee-m18al-led-area-light/

 

[nowing75]

Have been using the flashlights and headlights from ebay that use the rechargeable bat tire that's a bit biger that a aa. They are cheep and Have severl on the truck and shop so always one that works.

 

[willie59]

I've been using these rechargeable lights I got from Home Depot for a number of weeks not, I'm really liking them, haven't really found a downside to them yet, good strong magnet holds it firmly to anything steel, sideways, upside down, don't matter.

How about installing a new terminal box underneath a low boy trailer.