I just finished my 4th hunting season using one of these at least an hour a week for 14-15 weeks each season and finally have to change the two little coin batteries. They are great for close up and distance lighting, and always point where you're looking. Never thought of getting one for the shop but I think I might try it. Good idea!
The oldest son of my dad's best friend has the scars from 3rd degree burns he received from using one of these- he's lucky to be alive, but has to live with the pain. PLEASE USE SEALED UNITS!!!
go with LED for better brightness - never use a "old school" drop light anywhere near anything that might catch on fire. a friend of mine was trying to figure out some problems with a customer's '40 Ford Hot Rod so, was going to do an oil change. had standard old drop light hanging from frame, while laying on a piece of carpeting. oil with gas mixture came rushing out of drain plug hole and hit the drop light -FIRE. lucky for him at that exact moment a friend had stopped by and pulled him by his feet from under car. totaled car and much of rented shop. very lucky to not have been burned up alive. gas in oil was caused by carb problem.
Back in the day of being a John Deere mechanic, we used to joke that if you needed a trouble light you were in trouble. All we had back then was the traditional incandescent wire-caged arm burners, defined by Peter Egan as: "TROUBLE LIGHT: The mechanic's own tanning booth. Sometimes called a drop light, it is a good source of vitamin D, "the sunshine vitamin," which is not otherwise found under cars at night. Health benefits aside, its main purpose is to consume 40-watt light bulbs at about the same rate that 105-mm howitzer shells might be used during, say, the first few hours of the Battle of the Bulge. More often dark than light, its name is somewhat misleading." I have one of the round Craftsman fluorescent sticks and a smaller, square no-name fluorescent one that is just the right size to lay on the window of my sand blasting cabinet. Been considering the magnetic base/LED version - thanks for the input on them.
Jalopy Joker how true your post is. I had a neighbor that had a similar incident with his race car that we didn't know about. We found out when we were welding in the shop and he came over and gave us an old school father to son lecture. I guess he didn't think we were taking him seriously and pulled up his T shirt. The sight scared the hell out of us, he was scarred from his neck to his waist from a gas fueled burn sparked by an incandescent trouble light. You never think it will happen to you but your life can change in a heart beat. We got an eye opening lesson from someone elses misfortune and we'll never make that mistake. Stay safe and enjoy your ride......
I still use the old drop light, but with the screw in fluorescent bulb. It will take a bumping, but don't use a mig welder anywhere close. The flash makes them go out quick.
I have tried both the LED and Flouresent drop lights and both work pretty good. The big advantage is working up under a dash and when it gets up against your cheek it doesn't burn. Both bulbs last a lot longer than the old incandesent even the rough service type.
My son is a boilermaker and has glued those to his welding helmet while some guys put the "light on a headband thingy" on their welding helmets. It makes welding much easier indoors. As far as work lights the just say no to incandescent or halogen,,they are a fire hazard...LEDS or florescent only near fumes and fuels
I wonder if your is defective? mine is ridiculously bright, but your right you cant compare it to a halogen on a stand for brightness, but if working in an engine bay or under a car (without a lift), or on the side of the road broke down, a stand up halogen is worthless
I have a Dayton I bought in 1984, still going strong. Did replace the original cord maybe 10 years back. Best light I've ever used, drop it, kick it, loan it out... only thing I haven't done is run it over. Bob
Dreddy: I've got those lights in every toolbox I have..I keep one in the house for "honey-do's" ... They make a bright white , very intense light...The only drawback is that one day while using it, my wife asked me a question and when I turned to answer, the light beam hit her square in the eyes...blinded her for a second & I caught Hell for awhile... Stan
LED replacement bulbs are getting cheaper. 40w equivelents are $10 and will out last the Compact florescent many times over. They dont have the Mercury dangers the CFC has and they put out almost no heat. My house is slowly switching over and pretty happy so far. I have been beating on the same Florescent Wand drop light for 20 years without a bulb change but when it goes I'm going LED.
I have one of those ball caps with the LEDs, Napa was giving them away. I use it mostly for walking around in the dark (which pretty much describes my existence) but you have to aim it for close in mechanical work, and many times there isn't room or it gets knocked off.
Years ago while working on a radiator that the drain valve was in a unobtainable position and spilling fluid all over the place. I dropped the light in the water that I was laying in----talk about shock therapy, I couldn't get away from it, thank god my oldest grand kid was in there and unplugged it before My light went out.
Was it a case of the bulb breaking and igniting fuel vapors? Hard to imagine 3rd degreee burns from just the bulb itself.
No, he was working tired, and didn't pay attention to a leak from the gas tank- he put the drop light down in the puddle (which had also started soaking into coveralls).
I have been using one of those craftsman rechargable led lights for a while and like it compared to the 120v flourescent I used before this one.
Bump. So I put florescent bulb in my drop light, and only one so far Big improvement, stronger, no heat. And I still have something to plug my drill into. Also using a 500w halogen on the floor in front or behind the car. Lots of light but lots of heat too.
Nothing is more dangerous then those old light bulb drop lights. Throw that shit in the trash before you burn your garage down. Join the twenty first century and get an LED drop light
Ok, I wasn't going to show you guys but I feel sorry for all of you. So here it is and I hope it doesn't cause any jealous induced comas.
12 eight foot flouresents under one inch of lexan in the floor. Will hold 750lb per sq in. Can drive over it,no problem. Casts no shadows regardless of where you stand and no bulbs to break. Can see everything.
Just a heads up... A year or two ago I got this flyer in the mail about the dangers of these types of lights... If you should break it and cut yourself on it, you will be in a world of hurt. the mercury will destroy the flesh surrounding the cut... Be careful fellas.
I have one of those exact same headlights....somewhere. Between my son and my wife both 'borrowing' it I haven't seen it in months. I do have another one, but the damn cheap thing needs to be smacked every couple of minutes to turn back on. I've also got my old school drop light hanging on a wall peg, but I don't think I've touched it in years other than to pack it up and move to a new house.
The Jalopy Journal
