good LED torch for when im working on my car

[otispunkmeyer]

i have no idea about this stuff.

i was gonna just buy the luxeon powered Maglite from some camping store here in town, seemed pretty good and was £24.

they had those head mountable ones too, i dunno if they'd be more use when im doing stuff to my car.

are the single bulb LED's better than those ones you can get that seem to have about 30 odd little LEDs in like a pepper pot arrangement?

 

[Ramma2]

So what do you call a stick with a fire on one end?

 

[Viper GTS]

No idea if it's available on that side of the world but the Dorcy 3D cell LED light is quite good for the money (<$30 @ Target here).

Viper GTS

 

[arcas]

I have a Luxeon/Cree-powered 2xAA MagLight. It's a nice little flashlight and it's roughly as bright as my 6V lantern lights.

The single power-LED lights are closer to traditional flashlights: decent throw but not so good for close up work. The flashlights with dozens of individual 5mm LEDs are more like weak floodlights. They'll do a better job of lighting up the immediate vicinity but don't expect them to light something up 100 feet away.

Is this for daily use or for emergency use? If you're looking for something to use in the garage, why not buy a $10 clamp light at Lowes and install a 25W CFL bulb (100W equiv). I have two of them and almost never use my dropcord lights anymore.

Edit: I never understood why it's so hard to find a dropcord with a hook that rotates. I always got frustrated that while there's usually somewhere to hang my dropcords, Murphy's Law holds that the light will be facing away from where I need it. The clamp lights solve this problem: I can almost always find something to clamp it to and I can rotate the light to point where I need it. Every household should have one.

 

[Rubycon]

Text

 

[userman]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
No idea if it's available on that side of the world but the Dorcy 3D cell LED light is quite good for the money (<$30 @ Target here).

Viper GTS

I agree.

 

[arcas]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Text

I'm curious. How bright is something like this? Only having 30 5mm LEDs makes me suspect it's not very bright (compared to, say, a dropcord with a 60W bulb) ?

 

[ShotgunSteven]

I saw one in a local hardware store ad that has a swivel-head and three legs that extend out the bottom so you can stand it up and aim it at the spot you're working and keep your hands free.

I usually prefer a headlamp, though.

 

[Rubycon]

30 5mm LED's are good for about 135 lumens while a 60W frosted bulb is about 650 lumens. Obviously a traditional drop light is going put out more but 135 lumens is plenty of light to see what you're doing.

 

[indamixx99]

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteven
I saw one in a local hardware store ad that has a swivel-head and three legs that extend out the bottom so you can stand it up and aim it at the spot you're working and keep your hands free.

I usually prefer a headlamp, though.

This one?
http://www.stanleytools.com/default.asp...3%3B+369%26%23153%3B+Tripod+Flashlight

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: indamixx99

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteven
I saw one in a local hardware store ad that has a swivel-head and three legs that extend out the bottom so you can stand it up and aim it at the spot you're working and keep your hands free.

I usually prefer a headlamp, though.

This one?
http://www.stanleytools.com/default.asp...3%3B+369%26%23153%3B+Tripod+Flashlight

If not that exact design, it was very similar.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Surefire L2

 

[DaWhim]

I have Fenix P1D CE, it is for my keychain and super bright.

you should get a headlamp for when you are working on your car, 2 hands > 1 hand

 

[RelaxTheMind]

nvm

 

[d33pt]

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteven

Originally posted by: indamixx99

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteven
I saw one in a local hardware store ad that has a swivel-head and three legs that extend out the bottom so you can stand it up and aim it at the spot you're working and keep your hands free.

I usually prefer a headlamp, though.

This one?
http://www.stanleytools.com/default.asp...3%3B+369%26%23153%3B+Tripod+Flashlight

If not that exact design, it was very similar.

bought one of these at costco for $18. it's nice and pretty bright, but not as bright as my 3W luxeon powered by 2 CR123's.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
No idea if it's available on that side of the world but the Dorcy 3D cell LED light is quite good for the money (<$30 @ Target here).

Viper GTS

My 2D Mag LED 3W is only slightly brighter than my Dorcy 3D 1W from Target.

 

[iamwiz82]

Using a flashlight sucks when working on a car, unless you have three hands. Get a good drop light for that and a flashlight for mobile lumen.

 

[0roo0roo]

flashlightreviews.com

get a headlight, maglites and such are poor for use for working on cars, you need two hands doing most stuff.
petzl or princeton tech headlights are decent.

you can get a nite ize headband holder for aa versions of the mags, but it doesn't let you easily change angles so working on stuffup close is not so good since it aims too high.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

i picked up some AA's for an old incandesant pifco lantern i have, that'll sort me for this weekend when i try to remove a bolt that seems to be attached to a captive nut that is actually no longer captive. also installing some new headlamps.

ill take a trip to town as well and have alook in the camping store.

i wouldnt mind a decent LED torch for jus general use though