Projects Drop light Possession....... GGRRRRRRRR!!!!!

Oh! I see what kind of "headlight" you guys were talking about now... I thought you meant.....well, nevermind...

 

put the drop light in the round file. I have these (CAT lights have a stand, and the Jobi on the right has magnetic legs)

 

They were called trouble lights for a reason! There are any number of much better cordless LED lights that fit in confined spaces powered by batteries or rechargeable versions.

 

...there's no name of manufacturer on that light,don't have the carton,...in the next day or so I'm going back to Menards to get a couple more;...I'll post info on them then...

 

This coming from a mobile tool man who sells every type "drop", "trouble" "utility" light known to mankind and to hundreds of auto mechanics, the "headlamp" is by far the most practical.
And, by no means am I about to push stuff here on this forum that I sell, but the rechargeable Leatherman headlamps are the best.

 

It's the old Electrician syndrome..

See a Priest and an Electrician were in an airplane, pilot dies and they were gonna crash...only one parachute on board.

Priest tells the Electrician "go my son, I am close to God and will survive"

Electrician say "No Father, you go...I'll jump out the plane with my extension cord...it'll get hung up on something..."

 

Seems to me a guy would not keep a light around that gave him that much trouble. Throw it away

I know guys who've got divorced and disowned children for less trouble

 

I still have my drop light I bought when I was a youngster. Only replaced the cord twice and the bulb holder/ handle once. Still works.



Bones

 

I use one of these at work for absolutely everything at work it's the best thing since sliced bread.

https://www.tooldiscounter.com/Item...MI953UuvfI4AIVAQlpCh09UQGwEAQYASABEgLsmvD_BwE

 

I had a LED trouble light that was great for a few years and quit one day. It had a transformer type of box at the plug in end, and it said it reduced the voltage down to somewhere around 12 volts. So, I cut it off, stripped the wires, and checked it on a battery. Worked like new.
So, I added a pair of clamps, and now I have a trouble light that can also be brought with on road trips. It has been used a lot in campgrounds when I was going to off road events, too.

 

Back in the days when I was poor but crafty, more than once I cut a stained or blemished piece out of the house carpet and glued in a clean patch. Yea, the truck carpet has a shorter nap than house carpet, but if the patch fits well, it'll work. So you don't have a remnant after all this time? Cut a hunk from somewhere out of sight like under the seat. Where there's a will, there's a way.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled program.......

 

Brilliant!

 

This works great on a mig, I thought it would melt but after 5 year's it still work's fine, don't know how I welded without it.

 

This light is the only thing I use now. I have several headlamps that are high end, and they work well, but id be lost without this. Runs the same rechargeable battery as my Milwaukee tools, never gets warm, and is good for days! Milwaukee 2363-20 around $80 bucks, but I can tell you I have 3 years on this one, and have dropped it from higher that 6 foot, and has survived welding/cutting slag. The base of the light rotates to make it a lantern or directional.

 

Finally gave up on a traditional droplight and use these excusivly now...the flashlight can be adjusted pretty much any angle and the small black LED light has a STRONG magnet that works great...screwed a small metal plate to the corner of my cabinet over my workbench to store it and makes great bench light whilst performing the close up, super high tech, detailed work required to maintain a Model A.

 

I won one of these at my company Christmas party. It' great! Really bright too.
http://www.blackdiamondequipment.co...rns/stride-strobe-light-BD620632BLAKALL1.html

 

Last christmas I picked up the Makita LED flashlight, works great I have 1/2 dozen batteries for drills ect. so I can always find one with some juice in it. Three light settings spot, flood & blinking
no cords to get tangled up.

 

I don’t have my old metal cage drop light anymore. Got one of the fancy florescent lamps from Chrysler in 1989 and used it for years.

Over the years I have had the metal lamp start the carpet on fire from the heat, well they don’t burn, they smolder.

While working as the shop forman at Gainesville Dodge in 1990 one of the mechanics was doing a fuel pump on a minivan. Car in the air, tank dropped down slightly on a transmission jack, drop light to see. The jack slid out, tank came down spilling gas out of the 4” hole for the pump module that was out and it grabbed the drop light. The light hit the floor and bulb popped, up in flames goes the van, mechanic, shop.

Got the guy on fire out and pulled him out of the shop, he never came back to work. Shop lost 5 cars, 3 lifts, tool boxes, engine scope and about 100 feet of roof and structural steel.

My tool box survived but one screwdriver has the scars of the fire, I keep it as a reminder to why you think 3 steps ahead at all times when doing a job. My .02 cents worth.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Hello,

Great information of value. I had one of those spot lights from West Marine. They were so bright that one could not flash them at people, unless those people were in the dark ocean/lake water at night. The portable light usage was part of a safety package for use in emergencies. Ours seemed to lay around more than being used. So, recharging was a constant. But a couple of times at home, those neighborhood coyotes and “yippy” babies in the packs, just ran away from the intense beam of light.

These old yellow metal encased lights had its value back in those dark backyard tuning days. Before we converted the Rumpus Room into a overhead garage door workplace, it was the dark backyard location for most changes being done to the 51 Olds and 58 Impala. Even the 40 Ford Sedan Delivery needed a light source or two for the odd things necessary. But, even then, if you were changing spark plugs, you had to move the light over to the other side for a clear bright light. At the time, they were good, but bothersome at the same time.

The days of hot, burning drop lights has come and gone. I tried to keep the old yellow drop light for years, and at the time, there was no alternative other than a Coleman Gas Camping Lantern. So that wire frame light was around…until it burned me once too often. As long as it stayed away from me and gave some light as I was crawling around on the cold concrete floor, it was the only option back then. Our old two car garage was still dark, so out came that yellow monster to bite again.

But, as the burns kept coming during usage in the later years, the temperament was rising, so alternatives had to be selected. Taping any flashlight to an adjoining metal bracket did the job, but moving around the car(s) needed adjustments all of the time. I even tried the Hot Rod Magazine ad for lights on a eye glass frame. The glasses kept falling off and even with a line to hold it in place, it was bothersome for me.

One solution was the standard handy camping store with a lot of variations on external lighting solutions. It is still that way, today. I tried it a couple of times, but that band around my head, just made things feel funny. For me, it was better used in our darkened living room "light wars."


Jnaki

But, I have to admit, I am guilty of keeping around, a huge version of the old wire enclosed drop light from our time in 1958-60. It was in the heyday of halogen lights as a solution to dark workplaces in the house or garage. It made the inside of an enclosed winter garage warm and very bright. This one light was enough to light up the whole wheel opening for working, but had to be kept some distance away from flammable liquids. The heat from the bright light was intense.

If this yellow halogen light stayed on long enough, that clip on handle would be warm and the yellow rubber end cover would be melted. so angling the light source away from anything that would be affected, but still giving off plenty of light for "under the car" working areas.

That unit is many years old and has been gathering dust during this time period. But, there are so many magnetic back, stick on, LED lights that give no burns that they can be placed in just about any environment or situation. The light is very bright. The new modern solution…LED.

Our garage has lights, but they do not light up to make it like daylight. So, up close work on cars, models, wood projects will necessitate breaking out the LED lights for safety. The workbench has LED lights on a downward angle. For cold nights and days, I have a portable parabolic heater (Costco) that keeps me warm when necessary. Direct lights and heat, what more could one ask for in a working garage?

 

LED is the only way to go.
these things are flat out awesome.
the batteries last just about all day if you dont turn it off.

fits in your hip pocket
hangs anywhere and magnets stick to anything metal.
small enough to fit in all but the tightest transmission tunnels.
especially usefull on OT transverse engine work
great on lift arms.
perfect for under dash work.
no risk of fires melting stuff
ive also got a 4' LED fixture that we hang across door jambs or under the hood.

they have retrofit LED bulbs for the halogen work lights

 

I remember all of the bad things about drop lights and have not used one in years but I have one hanging on the wall of my shop with all of the other old days shop equipment just for the nostalgic surroundings when I am working on my hot rods. Its my escape from this electronic new age , self centered, no privacy world. As soon as I run the big garage door down, its all good again.

 

I have one of the orange plastic drop lights, it fell to the floor Monday while I was working on my tudor, of course it broke the bulb. I hate the them too, I've got one of the LED headlamps ones but guess I never have gotten used to it..

 

Lost a friend and his Dad because of one. I won't use the old style. ANYWAYS; I paint the backside of any dashboard I take out as bright a white as possible before I reinstall it. That way, any light you can get up in there reflects all around. HF sells little LED "glasses" and clip on lights for ball caps pretty cheap.

 

Get the daylight LED bulb to fit. 100 watt should be fine, take the hook off, then you will figure out why it is on there! LOL

Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

not much help on these little spotlites I posted earlier,..but here's pics of the Menards store display, I bought the last 2 they had today...kinda weird but no real brand name on it...?

 

You forgot you walked up the hill both ways .And helped a little old lady.

 

I like the old ones that burn your hands and arms with screw in 20 W bulbs.

 

I converted to LED about 4 years ago and for the past 20 years I have painted the back of the dash, bottom of the cowl and top foot and a half of the firewall bright white on all my new builds. Makes all the difference in the world while working and seeing under the dash.

 

The last couple hot rods I built I painted the underside of the dash "refrigerator white" so all I had to do was put the drop light on the floor and the underside was all lite up, no more blinding light in my eyes or arm burns.

 

You couldn't talk the cute dentist to come home with you and look under your hood?