For all the Capri Tools / Neiko LED light fans - now they have an Underhood light..

For purposes of people google searching Neiko 40447A is the model #

So listen people, if you want some good advice - STOP BUYING THE HF UNDERHOOD LIGHT.. just stop.. I never understood why the HF gets good reviews, cause the $35 small Capri tools light is less than half the size, and much brighter. I assume if you have nothing, then yes ANYTHING is better, but you have a much better option now.

I just bought this new Neiko myself.. It is almost EXACTLY a longer version of the small LED stick light, but the LED's are slightly larger. 2 light settings, the low is about twice as bright as the smaller version on its single light setting. For anyone that already owns the small model (like myself) you guys know how good it is.. this model is that same light on steroids..

1200 lumen, 600 lumen settings. 8,000mah Lithium Ion battery. Works both corded and cordless.. 6hr and 3hr runtimes. the lens / light wand is slightly flexible, so this thing won't break if you drop it.. it's very lightweight, literally just a long thin LED board inside a plastic tube. Comes with a 2 sided spring loaded underhood clamp, and 2 magnetics for mounting the detached light on a metal surface. The light is obviously detachable from the mount, and can used under the car as well.. the hex shaped handles keep it from rolling..

To be fair, this is probably NOT like a $200 professional underhood light.. if I had to guess, the mount is probably kinda cheap compared to what you'd find on a pro model. That said, the previous small version of Neiko/Capri tools led light is way better then the full HF model of underhood light in terms of brightness. Again, the new Neiko is almost twice as bright as the small model just on the LOW setting, and you're getting the hood clamp.. if it's not clear, I own the HF model, the small Capri tools light, and now this one too. So this isn't conjecture, I'm just telling you how it is..

Now for the price.. the ABSOLUTE cheapest I've found this for is $69 shipped on eBay. There are also 2 listings on Amazon, one for $72 shipped from a 3rd party seller, and one for $79 shipped direct from Amazon. I chose the $79 option just cause I had a gift card and would rather deal just with Amazon. I will post links below.. if you wanted a cheap cordless option that was still good, then this might be a good option for you... you can buy BOTH Neiko models from Amazon for $107 shipped.. I recommend both models..

$69 eBay listing - http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=252727646033

$72 Amazon listing - Cordless Mechanic Light Rechargeable Utility Light With Hooks (EXTRA LONG) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M360ZXO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

$79 Amazon listing - Neiko 40447A Rechargeable Underhood Work Light | 202 SMD LED Bulbs | 1,200 Lumens Max Brightness | 8,000 mAh Li-ion Battery | 2 Brightness Modes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTXC016/?tag=atomicindus08-20

$35 original Neiko/Capri Tools model - Neiko 40464A Cordless LED Work Light, 350 Lumens, 5 Hours Run Time, 4,000 mAh Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, Multi Purpose https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WI9585I/?tag=atomicindus08-20

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matt_m said:

Nice. I just got the small light and used it for the first time this evening. I really like it. However both my vehicles have aluminum hoods so mounting options are limited for that model.

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Wut makes an ALUM hood any different, these clamp over the end?

KCTYPHOON can you post a pic with them both on? Preferably with the lights off. Thanks. I definitely like the idea of the foam protecting the hood.

***** COPIED FROM MY POST IN THE MILWAUKEE THREAD*****

Ok so I took pics for you guys.. lemme explain a couple things quick.

First - I turned off all my outside lights to make it as dark as possible, so even a dim light is gonna look pretty decent in near total darkness. So keep in mind normally the light is gonna have to overcome whatever ambient light you're working in to really be effective.

Second - I'm trying to be as fair to each light as possible, so what I did was mount every light using the Neiko's bar. This way they are all generally in the same place. That said - I'd NEVER be able to mount the HF light or the Neiko stick light where they are.. without the underhood bar the HF is VERY, VERY limited as to where you can mount it because of its size. The hooks on it ****, and I don't recall the magnets being anything spectacular. The Neiko stick light would never be able to be there either, but being smaller, and with MUCH better hooks, you have a lot more options - and still have a detachable magnet mount too.. but the reality is that this is a pure fantasy scenario. You WILL NOT be able to by the HF and mount it anywhere you want like you can with the big Neiko,, your choices will be very VERY limited as to where you can actually stick that thing - another reason why I don't use it.l

Third - I'm having trouble with the way the HF light shows up on the camera, and I couldn't figure out why it was looking so bright in the pics. I had to redo them as best I could, so the bar might not be EXACTLY in the same spot. The issue is this - both Neiko's use the newer slim on board LED's - so the bulbs themselves are mostly shaded from the camera and pointing straight down. The HF model on the other hand, uses the really old "first gen" type LED's that are basically shaped like mini light bulbs.. they stick down from their board so far that they are past the shaded area of the lens, and no matter what I do, they are casting light directly into the camera lens and washing it out a bit.. so - the pics are what they are.. you guys with just need to keep that in mind. It shows up looking brighter than it actually is because of this.

Last - I'm fully aware the small Neiko is not gonna light up the ENTIRE engine like the others do in the pictures, but I still put it in the center to be fair. Normally you won't be working in the ENTIRE engine bay, and more like one side or one corner - which is why I feel the small Neiko is better than the HF. It does better at not being washed out at the top of the motor, and will cast more light deeper into a concentrated area of the engine bay. Not to mention that for almost the same money, it's much more versatile that just having the HF model instead.. sorta looks like in my pic it wasn't pointing STRAIGHT down, since you see such a bright spot right behind it.. I should have turned it slightly more towards the nose of the car..

If nothing else these pics give a general idea... and will at least show you a clear winner.

Battery sizes as follows, all lithium ion:
HF -1800 mah
Neiko stick - 4000mah
Neiko underhood - 8000mah

The HF and Neiko stick are fully charged, the Neiko underhood light has whatever it came with outta the box, so maybe half charged if that - I'd guess..

Pics will go in this order:
HF low
Neiko underhood low
Neiko stick light "ON" (only one setting)
HF high
Neiko underhood high








For shits and giggles - consider this - the HF's actual "bulb span" on the board (the physical length from the first bulb to the last bulb) is longer than the Neiko's - yet look at how much brighter the edges of the engine Bay Area are with the Neiko on low, compared to the HF on high.. (look near the fenders on both sides of the car)

Pics in this order -
HF high
Neiko underhood low
Neiko underhood high






Summary -

These pictures are REALLY not doing the small Neiko justice, and I'll try to explain why - and why the HF ***** IMO.. The difference between them is this, the HF is more of a spot light. It's giving you a very bright spot directly under all the lights, and a very narrow spot at that.. your gonna have a bright spot only a few inches wide with the HF, and then the light quickly washes out and dims out around that spot. Think of the difference of an old incandescent flashlight vs a new led.. the old flashlight give you one narrow area of really bright light, and everything that surrounds it is much MUCH dimmer. With the new led version, the light is very wide, very even flood, and while it's not as bright as the old one's "bright spot" you can basically point the led in a general direction and have a wide working area, instead of having to pinpoint your bright spot on the old version.. this is very much like the HF vs both Neiko lights. This is where the mounting options become very important. The HF is so limited, that you stand a very small chance of getting the bright spot where you want it, esp when it's so close to the engine.. the small Neiko on the other hand, has a MUCH wider cast of light in every direction, and MUCH more places you can actually stick it - so it's not important that you "aim" it where you need it. The HF will always hang straight down using the mangnets since it suspends the light from a cord, and the hooks are so small they won't fit around anything you need them to.. in the pics, you're seeing the reflection of the Hf's very narrow bright spot, giving it the appearance of giving you a much bigger area of usable work space..

The big Neiko is just better than both for an underhood light. The light itself is bigger, brighter, and you get the hood mount. But the small Neiko is still a much better option then the HF in about a dozen different ways.. for $35, buy one and you'll see for yourself. If I could find an empty wall to cast all the lights against, and take pics BEHIND the lights - what I'm saying would be plainly visible I suspect...

Picking up the small Neiko soon and based on this the underhood won't be far behind. That blows the HF away.

The next obvious step will be introduction of modular design to both short and long lights, so both of those could share the same fixture option: soft hooks and magnets. This way the product could be bought GJ members 5 times over. Platform as an option no one could simply refuse.
Unless, you could simply use a pair bungee cords with soft[ened] hooks on the short light under the same hood.

That's a really decent light. I may have to pick one up. KCTYPHOON - how is the cord on this particular light? Do you think the cord would hold up in a constant use environment if you were using it under the vehicle, rolling around, dragging it, running it over with creeper, etc? I know a lot of these new lights come with a very cheap, thin 20 gauge type **** wire vs a thick extension cord type.

gdocktor3 said:

That's a really decent light. I may have to pick one up. KCTYPHOON - how is the cord on this particular light? Do you think the cord would hold up in a constant use environment if you were using it under the vehicle, rolling around, dragging it, running it over with creeper, etc? I know a lot of these new lights come with a very cheap, thin 20 gauge type **** wire vs a thick extension cord type.

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Yea I know what you mean.. the cord/charger is your basic cheap Chinese model, simialar to the HF one. It's definitely not a rough duty type cord, or meant to be used and dragged around. I didn't mean to be misleading about that .

In all honesty I don't think this would be a good choice if you really wanted to use it as a corded model. For that, a dedicated corded light would be a better choice. In a pinch though, if the light's battery died while you were finishing something, you CAN plug it in to make it work.. it's not like if the battery died, you'd need to plug it in and wait a few hours to be able to use it cordless again, cause the light WONT turn on while on the charger..

I think I'd like to see the springs on the hood mount be a little stiffer, but it doesn't seem like the lights in any danger of sliding down the hood on its own.. if you go on eBay you'll find that HF model being sold right around the same price as the Neiko. I'd hate to see someone pick up a HF over this model..

Thanks for the heads up on this. I have the short Capri light and love it. The Neiko ;ight bar looks like just what I need for the too often times I have to work after dark.

Coach

matt_m said:

The small Nieko (the one more like a trouble light, not these new underhood lights) has a hook on one end and can either use a hook or magnet on the other. It has a very limited adjustment range on the hooks. With a steel hood no big deal but on aluminum, there's only a couple places to hook both ends.

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I have the same problem with aluminum hoods. I've found the Astro 40SL is definitely better for a small light to stick places and move around. It doesn't solve the aluminum hood problem, but I like it better.

I've been searching for a hood light type like these new Neiko ones, so I might order one soon and see how I like it.

Just bumping this for anyone that might have missed it..

Loscaldazar said:

I have the same problem with aluminum hoods. I've found the Astro 40SL is definitely better for a small light to stick places and move around. It doesn't solve the aluminum hood problem, but I like it better.

I've been searching for a hood light type like these new Neiko ones, so I might order one soon and see how I like it.

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Astro had a new underhood light at SEMA, I forget the lumen output but it was higher than I had heard before for an underhood. Plus it was really thin and had a seperate light you could hold that detached from it. Maybe they can comment more.

CobraRed said:

Astro had a new underhood light at SEMA, I forget the lumen output but it was higher than I had heard before for an underhood. Plus it was really thin and had a seperate light you could hold that detached from it. Maybe they can comment more.

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Well there's a "Bigfoot" photo of a Milwaukee M12 underhood light that surfaced.. that's what prompted my nosing around to see what else had come out, and found this one.. I already owned the small version and really think you won't find much better for $35, so figured I'd be the guinea pig with the underhood. Just with toying around with it, I feel like your getting a lot for your money with this model too..

I think the only thing that really limits this from pro use (like everyday use) is the fact you can't swap out another charged battery, and maybe MAYBE the clamp.. for me, and most people on the forum I think it's a great buy, but can't really say with confidence that the clamp would survive a rough environment everyday.. the light itself I'd think would do fine, and I also feel that way with the small version.. I think for a pro you'd be crazy not to throw $35 at the small one. I take it every time I need to fool with the car.

Another shot of the Neiko twins.. absolutely love these lights... I have them turned slightly away from the camera so they didn't blind the picture...

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I haven't had a ton of use with the underhood yet, but the small model is the best "automotive" work light I own..

With the pricing being listed of the Milwaukee model now, the Neiko is less than half the price of the bare tool M12 model.. I think it's a great alternative.

Any chance one of you who owns this Neiko 40477A light can share the DC voltage and amperage the charger puts out?

Consider installing these in my overlander to double as interior lights and work lights charging directly off the 12V system. Need to do some power math and none of the online listings for the light list the charger specs.

Thanks,

Brandon

Thanks now I have to buy it now as I need one bad.

I wonder how this will compare to the "flexlight" from fastcap. They look similar.

Basstracker34 said:

I wonder how this will compare to the "flexlight" from fastcap. They look similar.

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I have a Fastcap flexlight arriving tomorrow. Also I just bought the updated version of the HF under hood light.

firworks said:

I have a Fastcap flexlight arriving tomorrow. Also I just bought the updated version of the HF under hood light.

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I see HF has two underhood lights. Which one is the updated version?

Post up some pictures when you can to compare to the Neiko.

The yellow Braun one is the updated one. It has SMD LEDs instead of through hole and now has a claimed 800+ lumen spec. The old one was branded Luminair.

good info

If I can just convince myself to blow 160$ on ANOTHER underhood light to get the Milwaukee, I'll make a full shootout like I did with the work lights a couple years back. I've been collecting them up for the purpose hoping an insane deal on the M12 underhood light would show up. In the mean time I might do one with the M12 stick vs the Milwaukee USB Flood Vs. the Astro and the Braun soon. Flexlight should be here tomorrow if UPS is to be believed.

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Fastcap Flexlight arrived today.

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Unfortunately the wall charger is broken.

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So when I head out this afternoon I'll charge it up in my truck. I'm going to tweet at FastCap and get them to send me a replacement charger. Initial reactions though are not so great. It only has a single strip of SMD LEDs and at least to me appears to be very dim compared to the others and the light is also very separated. The individual LEDs don't blend well so the light is striped. It could improve with a full charge we'll see. It does have two removable 18650 protected batteries in it.

I suspect that when I start testing it head to head it will fall to the bottom. I think on the low end it would be hard to beat the yellow Braun light considering it was only 30$.

Only one more challenger to collect and we're ready to go. Also I have searched everywhere and I cannot find my Nebo Big Larry. I wonder if maybe I gave it away.

So the big braun light, does it use 18650s like the handheld? That is one of my favorite features, as I can hotswap the batteries when it shows the low batt warning from my stack of 18650s. Fir, hopefully you can answer this.

Charging an underhood light with a USB is going to take forever.

firworks said:

Fastcap Flexlight arrived today.

View media item 78211
Unfortunately the wall charger is broken.

View media item 78212
So when I head out this afternoon I'll charge it up in my truck. I'm going to tweet at FastCap and get them to send me a replacement charger. Initial reactions though are not so great. It only has a single strip of SMD LEDs and at least to me appears to be very dim compared to the others and the light is also very separated. The individual LEDs don't blend well so the light is striped. It could improve with a full charge we'll see. It does have two removable 18650 protected batteries in it.

I suspect that when I start testing it head to head it will fall to the bottom. I think on the low end it would be hard to beat the yellow Braun light considering it was only 30$.

Only one more challenger to collect and we're ready to go. Also I have searched everywhere and I cannot find my Nebo Big Larry. I wonder if maybe I gave it away.

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Thanks for the update. The video sure looked like the flexlight would be really bright. I'll have to check out the new updated HF light.

shelbysguns said:

So the big braun light, does it use 18650s like the handheld? That is one of my favorite features, as I can hotswap the batteries when it shows the low batt warning from my stack of 18650s. Fir, hopefully you can answer this.

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Unfortunately you can't swap them. I removed both end caps and nothing is accessible. I suspect the tube is glued / epoxied into the ends and the batteries and switches are installed prior. I can see just a tiny bit of a blue lithium battery through one of the ends but you can't get to it. It is rated 3.7V 2000mAh so it is single cell. Also the Braun handheld light is like my favorite light now. I love it.

CobraRed said:

Charging an underhood light with a USB is going to take forever.

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Well it's not actually USB... The charger outputs 8.4V THROUGH the USB port and goes to a barrel jack which goes into the light. So it'd probably be a good idea to put a giant sticker on it that says NOT USB because selling people a USB wall brick that will kill their devices seems frankly very dumb to me. I'm sure Fastcap had a reason as they're a smart company but I cannot fathom what it was.. It's 8.4V @ 1000mA.

Basstracker34 said:

Thanks for the update. The video sure looked like the flexlight would be really bright. I'll have to check out the new updated HF light.

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For 30$ the Braun sure seems like it might be a strong contender. The Astro is certainly brighter and nicer but it's also ~100$ more. I'm sure the Milwaukee will be good too but it's even MORE expensive. So far I'm pretty disappointed with the Flexlight. Maybe that'll change outside under the hood. It does come with both magnets, and hooks in addition to the spring pole so the options for it are pretty good. My truck has an aluminum hood so only magnets is no good for me.

Thanks Fir, may still buy one but I would love if it was hot swappable. Yes, I love the little HF light so much, and at $20 I have bought several for christmas gifts to share the love.

I tested the 18650 cell that came in the HF Braun Handheld Work Light and it actually tested better than it's even rated for (2200mAh):
View media item 78242
My battery tester is pretty conservative too. 3.2V is a pretty high cutout. I put the battery back in the light and it ran for another 8 or so minutes before shutting off so in short it's a pretty good battery. At least on initial performance. No telling what the degradation over time will be or anything.

My truck has an aluminum hood so only magnets is no good for me.

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Our minivan does too. How would you hook up the harbor freight lights then?

Basstracker34 said:

Our minivan does too. How would you hook up the harbor freight lights then?

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You'd have to use the hooks that are on the caps, or - you buy on that has its own spring loaded mount like the Milwaukee, or Neiko, or another brand..

kctyphoon said:

You'd have to use the hooks that are on the caps, or - you buy on that has its own spring loaded mount like the Milwaukee, or Neiko, or another brand..

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Yeah I can't see the hooks of the HF light working too well securing it. I like the Neiko in that it appears very bright and has the spring loaded hooks. How has the battery life been for you?

Basstracker34 said:

Yeah I can't see the hooks of the HF light working too well securing it. I like the Neiko in that it appears very bright and has the spring loaded hooks. How has the battery life been for you?

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The hooks on the HF are actually pretty decent. I've used it on my truck without a problem. The hooks also let you be a little more versatile with it say hooking one side to the support under the hood and magnetting the other to the radiator mount to aim the light down and to the side rather than just straight down from above. Spring poles are nice too though.

Neiko light is $64.95 using code "PSHOPAPP15" with the ebay app until 3pm PT.