Test Light w/ Vicegrips style Ground

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

One thing in common with all simple test lights from $15 no-name ones to $100 tool truck options is a fiddly finger pinching alligator clip on the ground cable that is annoying to use and easily rips off things. That's not finger pointing either - we make them too.

Eric of SMA asked us to make a "test light that doesn't ****" with this general premise and after a year an half or so of Eric using various prototypes, cable types, bulb wattage ect.
We got the 7762 Circuit Tester Light w/Locking Pliers Ground

https://amzn.to/3BPEruY

Not reinventing the wheel here, but I think it meets the goal.

Steel probe, 12V 3W bulb
12ft black recoil ground cord riveted on

 

[whateg01]

it's probably fine but I would prefer it ground directly to the fixed jaw. I like the idea though.

 

[LXCam]

Kinda bulky, might I suggest a simple thumbscrew type clamp with a throat of maybe 1/2” and a couple inches of reach. And the screw type being pointy so it bites thru paint or corrosion.

 

[Lt CHEG]

I could see myself picking one of those up. Looks good!

 

[jimindm]

As a guy bending wrenches all day, that is not something I would buy. Any one that has ever used a test light has figured away around not having a big enough clamp on the end of the wire.

Looks like a solution, to a problem i did not know I had.

 

[nadogail]

There have been times I would have grabbed one if they were available.

Fortunately, I have aged out of needing test lights.

 

[jumbojak]

How long is the cord? Cord length is what gets me but I've been playing with a vise grip clamp on one of my lights.

 

[whateg01]

As a guy bending wrenches all day, that is not something I would buy. Any one that has ever used a test light has figured away around not having a big enough clamp on the end of the wire.

Looks like a solution, to a problem i did not know I had.

Yeah I think the idea is to eliminate needing to "figure out a way".

 

[charbar]

I've done about the same by just clamping my test light to a pair of vice grips

Only problem I see with those Astros is that the rivet where the wire attaches will more than likely come loose over time and cause a ****** connection.

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

it's probably fine but I would prefer it ground directly to the fixed jaw. I like the idea though.

We measured the resistance both ways. It was almost nothing, on an oscilloscope it makes a difference, on a bulb not so much.

Kinda bulky, might I suggest a simple thumbscrew type clamp with a throat of maybe 1/2” and a couple inches of reach. And the screw type being pointy so it bites thru paint or corrosion.

We all preferred the instant know-how and ease of use of a small set of locking pliers, with a wiggle it's quite good at getting through paint as well, which is why needle nose where chosen.

As a guy bending wrenches all day, that is not something I would buy. Any one that has ever used a test light has figured away around not having a big enough clamp on the end of the wire.

Looks like a solution, to a problem i did not know I had.

Correct, if you've already figured out a solution to a too small or poor clamp end on your test light then you probably wouldn't need to buy one.

How long is the cord? Cord length is what gets me but I've been playing with a vise grip clamp on one of my lights.

12 feet

I've done about the same by just clamping my test light to a pair of vice grips

Only problem I see with those Astros is that the rivet where the wire attaches will more than likely come loose over time and cause a ****** connection.

We've wiggled Eric's 1 year in the field one loose to the point it spins (not loose up and down but can rotate), you're correct it's possible. Still pulls the same watts every time without messing with it, but I get your point.

 

[mrjaw14]

that light looks like it'd work well in a lot of applications. Have you considered a model with Banana connections so that back probes, alligators, regular probes, banana test lead jumper, etc can be used? I've modified one to have a banana on the ground so I can choose what I want, but it'd be nice to have that feature on the test light probe side as well

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

that light looks like it'd work well in a lot of applications. Have you considered a model with Banana connections so that back probes, alligators, regular probes, hok to a jumper, etc can be used? I've modified one to have a banana on the ground so I can choose what I want, but it'd be nice to have that feature on the test light probe side as well

This 1st model we wanted no fuss/couldn't come apart. But we've considered other designs as well

 

[WhataTool]

Haha, i love GJ. Can we take a second to realize while there are 11-ty ways this COULD have been done, this seems like the 1st tool brand to actually make one despite it sort of being a no brainer for the last century. And it still costs the same as my test light that that has the simple spring loaded alligator mouth.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I bought this right when it came out. Works nice.

 

[tdkkart]

And it still costs the same as my test light that that has the simple spring loaded alligator mouth.

I got hooked and bought one of the ones with the LCD voltmeter in the side of it, and of course the springy clamp thing *****, and then this one came out about 2 weeks later.
I'll probably end up buying one of these and also converting my other one.

 

[Fedwrench]

I played with it at SEMA. I want smaller vice grips like 4 inch curve jaw. I know I'm picky. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

 

[Benito]

I bought a pair when they came out, the needle vicegrips are small, maybe 5-5.5" long. Maybe my hands are meat hooks but i wouldn't want any smaller.

 

[KnurledNut]

Looks like a good option to have around.

I see that terminal ring getting bent if they get dropped. Which seems to be common with ViseGrips. And mechanics.

 

[signcrafter]

I can see it being handy in certain situations. Like under a car grounding to a chassis part. Usually I pull out a long wire to get a good ground from battery for stuff like that so if the vice grips can dig in amd get a good ground they would come in handy. They aren't going to be your only test light, not a solution to all. But another tool in the box. First thing I would do is cut the cord and put 4mm Jack's on it. All my test equipment has them so they are all plug and play for whatever situation.

Astro, if you came out with a kit that had a couple different test lights in it(different amperage and maybe an led one also and they had banana Jack's on both sides), a cord, vice grips, and a few other different ends like a point and smaller alligator clamp and back probe I think it would be a winner. Another thing that I use ALL the time is my kit of different pins for all the different connectors. Ever look into a kit like that? So nice to be able to plug into different components and run tests with DMV or test lights.