Fluorescent Work Lights

[mgold]

I decided I need to get a good fluorescent work light. I am considering this Sears 13 Watt or this HF Slim Line 13 Watt.

Anyone have these work lights or drop lights? Good or bad? Any other recommendations?

 

[shannonw]

I don't have those particular ones, i have had some no name fluorescents for goodness probably 10 years same bulb so myself based on that i'd figure there all pretty similiar.

 

[shannonw]

Also i've slung those things all over the darn place, dropped, banged around....whichever you buy you'll def get your moneys worth out in years of service...

 

[plung]

Whatever you do, don't buy the Craftsman LED work lights. Useless dim junk.

 

[Dmaxman]

This what i have at home and at work. Very rare to break a bulb if it falls...if anything it comes out of the socket and you just push it back in. But you really need to yank the cord while its hooked to a car in the air and have it fall.

http://www.centraltools.com/lights_bounce.html

 

[Jack Olsen]

I like my Bayco a lot.

It can be found for $30-40, and has two 13-watt bulbs in it. You can click on one or both. I find that I always use both.

 

[mgold]

Amazon has those central bounce lights. I like how it illuminates at 360 degrees.

I think the Bayco is on Amazon too, but this one is yellow.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I have s single bulb (lamp) 13W Bayco. I forget how old the thing is but it still works fine. I also have a Dewalt 18V fluorescent that works killer.

 

[regguy1]

I have a Mountain 2 13 watt bulb one, it has a green cord that stays soft in cold weather

 

[djkyle65]

Look into the company Saf-T-Lite. I have the 2113-2001 and it works great!

I use to be a bayco man but when they jumped ship and moved all the production to china I looked elsewhere and found these.

They are made in the USA!!

The are a little more money up front then a HF but it is definitely worth it they are built like a tank and I have abused mine.

Another Plus is the cord is 20ft long on the one i have.

Here is the one I have on Amazon

 

[5lima30]

I have the Craftsman model you listed. I am very happy with it! I have used and abused it it even fell into a partial bucket of latex paint and still works great!

 

[mgold]

I have the Craftsman model you listed. I am very happy with it! I have used and abused it it even fell into a partial bucket of latex paint and still works great!

Good to know, that is the one I was leaning towards. I doubt the HF work light will be as durable or last as long.

 

[porcupine73]

I had two of the Sears lights. They worked well for a few years. But one day, I turned one of them on, and it made this arcing sound and then didn't work. I turned the other one on and it did the same thing. I think they got a bit of condensation in them.

I tried a regular work light, but with a CFL bulb in it. That actually worked pretty well. I did manage to break the CFL bulb eventually though.

 

[djkyle65]

Re: Saf-T-Lite

I might consider getting that Saf-T-Lite. Doesn't look like it has a good hook though for attach under a hood. Do you find that is an issue?

The one i have works pretty well most of the time i can find something to hook it on.

They actually have another version that has the regular hooks which probably is a much better choice. The model is 1113-2500

I would actually rather have that sharp hook model but when i found the one I have currently the price was right and I couldn't pass it up.

 

[posaune]

I've had a version of that Sears one for about 15yrs and it is still the only worklight I use (and I use it a lot since I have **** for lighting in my garage). It recently cracked near the top so the clear piece didn't stay on, but it is now wrapped with electrical tape and works as well as it ever did.

Iirc, the crack is from dropping it off of the radiator support onto the cement floor in about 15 degree weather, so I'd say it has done pretty well.

 

[Falcon67]

I tried a regular work light, but with a CFL bulb in it. That actually worked pretty well. I did manage to break the CFL bulb eventually though.

2319! 2319! Call the HazMat team!

I like 26w at least, the smaller 13W one just seem to dim for me. I just bought this;
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000256R2S/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[shannonw]

I looked, my old ones are Bayco SL-512 and acdelco...the bayco has an outlet on it...make sure it has an outlet. 13 &17w yeah as falcon mentions get the highest watt you can as i do end up using 2 at the same time.

I like this bayco better, seems better built, who knows where i picked these up 10 years ago...was at HF this weekend and my old one seems better built than those plastic material wise.

I'd get the bayco like jack has..in fact seeing that one is 26w i want one now.

 

[VinDSL]

Only got a minute, so I'll keep it short...

I came up with a brainstorm, last night, while shopping at Walmart.

I was looking at their Bayco drop lights and was *thinking*... there is nothing more useless than a drop light with a 6-foot cord. I know they sell one at HF with a 25 foot cord, but it's $20 and HF isn't open at 1:00 AM. LoL!

The long and short of it is, I saw an old skool Bayco drop light with a 25 foot cord for $12 -- and I was wondering what will happen to them when they don't sell incandescent bulbs in Amerika.

Bingo! Compact Fluorescent Bulbs!

Anyway, this is what I came up with:

Bayco #BA-425 with 3 100-watt bulbs for less than $15

It's brighter than a mofo! Can't wait to try it out at work today.

I'll report back later...

 

[Jagmandave]

I'm going to have to try that in my drop light, cause I'm sure tired of getting burned by my 100 watt trouble light!

I have a flourescent I bought at HF 20 years ago that I put on a reel, and it still works perfectly, original bulb too! About the only thing it's good for is working under the dash tho, it just doesn't put out enough light.

 

[Falcon67]

Might just work good in a drop light. I tried CFLs in my drill press and grinder flex lights but the bulbs were too heavy for the flex tubing.

 

[srmofo]

Amazon has those [

I think the Bayco is on Amazon too, but this one is yellow.

That one has a 6' cord, the black one has a 25' cord and comes 2 ways, with or without an outlet on handle. $35 or $38

here are the ones we have at the shop,
http://www.mechanicstoolsupply.com/...Light-Part-3313-4000-SAF-T-LITE-_p_16889.html
if you are considering one of the baycos for $40~ then look into these fixtures. They come with a 40' retractable reel and the transformer is at the reel. They things are pretty indestructible for the most part and are also rebuild able. IIRC the entire "stubby" light end is around $15

The hook is steel and can be moved anywhere on the light. Its smaller than the other lights because it doesnt have a handle attached, and honestly a 13w cfl has always been bright enough for me, not sure why I would want 2 if I cant get it into where I need to see because of its size..

 

[aleccolin]

Only got a minute, so I'll keep it short...

I came up with a brainstorm, last night, while shopping at Walmart.

I was looking at their Bayco drop lights and was *thinking*... there is nothing more useless than a drop light with a 6-foot cord. I know they sell one at HF with a 25 foot cord, but it's $20 and HF isn't open at 1:00 AM. LoL!

The long and short of it is, I saw an old skool Bayco drop light with a 25 foot cord for $12 -- and I was wondering what will happen to them when they don't sell incandescent bulbs in Amerika.

Bingo! Compact Fluorescent Bulbs!

Anyway, this is what I came up with:

Bayco #BA-425 with 3 100-watt bulbs for less than $15

It's brighter than a mofo! Can't wait to try it out at work today.

I'll report back later...

This is exactly what I use, and it works great. I throw this thing around too and haven't broken the bulb yet, so it's pretty tough and doesn't get hot enough to burn you or anything else it comes into contact with. The last metal cage drop light I had with a regular incandescent bulb wasn't as bright, the bulb went out all the time even with expensive heavy duty bulbs, and it got hot enough to fry an egg.

 

[oldgoat]

The HF light looks like the one that I have and so far it has been good. I also have a regular drop light that I put the 100W eq. CFL light bulb in and it has worked out good so far also. Best thing is that you don't have the heat off it like a regular bulb and so far the CFL doesn't seem to break near as easy as a regular bulb.

 

[VinDSL]

I'm going to have to try that in my drop light, cause I'm sure tired of getting burned by my 100 watt trouble light!

I hear ya! Old skool incandescent drop lights are famous for that sort of thing (I kinda miss the smoke n' burns, actually).

==========

Matter of fact, the first thing I did, today, was get rid of the "don't-burn-yourself idiot warnings" (in 3 languages, no less).

Not bad! Took about 5 minutes to remove the sticker with industrial-strength Lift Off.

As an aside, removing the "these-drawers-have-locks idiot warning" on the HF 5-drawer service cart, in the background, took a half-hour (in a hail of cursing). LoL!

Please note the swiveling strain relief on the cord (I'll discuss this later). Took me a while to figure this one out...

After I got the sticker off, and straightened out the power cord (somewhat) I decided to measure the length.

I hooked it, and a tape measure, to the base of a floor-standing drill press, and ran it out.

Yep! 25-feet... give or take.

Next, I went into my office and did an A-B comparison between my Sears Craftsman and home brew drop lights.

These were aimed toward a white wall, about 2-3 inches away (with the room lights off).

The Craftsman was propped up in a hole for computer cables.

My ghetto light (as noted above) comes with a swiveling strain relief, which allows it to sit upright on a flat surface.

The light output (in the "sweet spot") is roughly the same, but as you can see...

The Craftsman puts out a blue light (which has always bothered me), while the CFL looks almost identical to an incandescent.

Also, the light spread is much greater on the old skool drop light. The conventional fluorescent light is much narrower and concentrated (almost like a flashlight).


Here's a shot with them laying on their sides, about 8-10 inches from the wall (how they normally would be used).

The area lit up by the ghetto light is much broader and pleasing to the eye (at least to my eyes).

Sooo, that's it. I'll be using my new Bayco at work, and bringing the Craftsman home.

Bottom line: For 15 bones, including 3 (generic WalMart) CFL bulbs, I don't think you can beat the Bayco #BA-425 -- 25 foot cord -- free-standing, upright, on a flat surface -- easily replaceable, commonly available, bulb -- only uses 26 watts (with a "100 watt" CFL bulb) -- and it won't burn your fingers, or smoke when you drop oil and grease on it, like the old days.

 

[diggerrick]

Only got a minute, so I'll keep it short...

I came up with a brainstorm, last night, while shopping at Walmart.

I was looking at their Bayco drop lights and was *thinking*... there is nothing more useless than a drop light with a 6-foot cord. I know they sell one at HF with a 25 foot cord, but it's $20 and HF isn't open at 1:00 AM. LoL!

The long and short of it is, I saw an old skool Bayco drop light with a 25 foot cord for $12 -- and I was wondering what will happen to them when they don't sell incandescent bulbs in Amerika.

Bingo! Compact Fluorescent Bulbs!

Anyway, this is what I came up with:Bayco #BA-425 with 3 100-watt bulbs for less than $15

It's brighter than a mofo! Can't wait to try it out at work today.

I'll report back later...

Exactly what I've been doing the last couple years. In fact I just bought another HF drop light yesterday for $9 (ITC coupon) and put a big CFL in it. CFL's are much tougher and last longer than the "Rough Service" incadescents I used in the past. They also don't get so damn hot like the 75 & 100w bulbs do - something you really appreciate in the summer.

 

[mgold]

I am going to go buy a regular drop light and just put in a CFL!

 

[VinDSL]

CFL's are much tougher and last longer than the "Rough Service" incadescents I used in the past. [...]

Heh! I forgot to tell you that part of the story...

When I was straightening out the cord on the Bayco, I hooked the lamp to the hinge (on the upper cover) of a h-u-g-e Craftsman roller cabinet. This lid is so big, that Sears welded a reinforcement beam in the middle of it (with their logo stamped in 6-inch letters) to keep it from flexing.

What was I *thinking* !?!?!?!

I was about 10 feet away from the tool box, stretching out the cord, when the lid came crashing down on the light -- BOOM!!! -- sounded like a car crash. It pinched the lamp cage right on the edge of the cover, like a pair of bolt cutters.

OMG! Ever get that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach?

Well, it didn't even scratch the metal cage around the light, nor break the CFL bulb!

If that had happened to an incandescent bulb, I'll guarantee ya the shock of being hit that hard would have broken the filament!

The Craftsman florescent light would have been in pieces...

 

[Jeeper]

I actually use one of those drop lights with a CFL bulb. I broke one of those florecent baycos, actually my friend did. I bought the the cheapo plastic drop light to try it out. I went with plastic because i figure it was less likely to hurt paint if it brushed up against a car and because I wasn't sure I'd like it I bought the cheapest one, which was the plastic. So far I have been very happy with it. I only had the 6ft cord because it's attached to one of the cord reels mounted to the ceiling. The short cord allows me to hang it on a hook next the reel and the cord doesn't drop down very low.

 

[rlitman]

CFL's are much tougher and last longer than the "Rough Service" incadescents I used in the past.

They do stand up to shock better than a bulb with a filament (the rough service bulbs stood up to being dropped, but not as much while the filament was hot), but real rough service bulbs had the added advantage of being coated so that should the glass break, it wouldn't shatter.

My solution. Put on a glove, and smear clear silicone sealant all over the glass. It's a little harder to do to a cfl, but a q-tip lets you get to the inside.
Viola, shatterproof bulb.

 

[Unearthed]

They do stand up to shock better than a bulb with a filament (the rough service bulbs stood up to being dropped, but not as much while the filament was hot), but real rough service bulbs had the added advantage of being coated so that should the glass break, it wouldn't shatter.

My solution. Put on a glove, and smear clear silicone sealant all over the glass. It's a little harder to do to a cfl, but a q-tip lets you get to the inside.
Viola, shatterproof bulb.

They do make rough service CFL's too.

 

[diggerrick]

They do make rough service CFL's too.

Wow - never thought to look for that - I'm off to Menard's in the morning.

If you DO break a CFL, I don't think it's too good for you to inhale.

 

[JCQuick]

I have the sears one its a decent light but the hooks **** and didn't last mine has a magnet clamp thing that works well in spots where you can use it. I would not recomend it though

 

[Unearthed]

Wow - never thought to look for that - I'm off to Menard's in the morning.

If you DO break a CFL, I don't think it's too good for you to inhale.

Saw them at a local hardware. Feit brand, plastic over the glass.........$14.
I just use daylight CFL's. I might use a clear piece of plastic cut from a water jug, and zip tie it to the cage.

 

[pipsters]

I own this one, got it for Xmas:
http://www.tooltopia.com/national-electric-10025.aspx

If I were to do it again I'd go another $20 (if I were buying) and buy the 4 bulb version:
http://www.tooltopia.com/national-electric-20025.aspx

If you don't care about USA I think Bayco sells the same ones, as does Harbor Freight. Only complaint is the 2x bulb doesn't put out much light.

 

[Unearthed]

If you don't care about USA I think Bayco sells the same ones, as does Harbor Freight. Only complaint is the 2x bulb doesn't put out much light.

You have to watch what Bayco you get. Some Bayco's come with 2, 9w bulbs and some come with 2, 13w bulbs. I have two bayco double bulb lights, one from Wally world and one from Lowes. Guess where the 2, 9w bulb light came from.

 

[BigAl62]

I use an old Craftsman 26 watt dual CFL bulb light. I like that I can use 1 or both bulbs depending on how much light I need. I also have an ancient Matco 13 watt CFL light with no cord, you just plug it onto the end of an extension cord (it has a thumbscrew to hold the plug in place). I've had that for so long I don't remember when I got it and it still works, never broke the bulb despite it being dropped many times.

 

[Unearthed]

Saw them at a local hardware. Feit brand, plastic over the glass.........$14.
I just use daylight CFL's. I might use a clear piece of plastic cut from a water jug, and zip tie it to the cage.

I was in Tractor Supply today and found A rough service 100w equiv. CFL for $8.99... not a "daylight" bulb but I'm gonna give it a shot.

 

[Unearthed]

I use an old Craftsman 26 watt dual CFL bulb light. I like that I can use 1 or both bulbs depending on how much light I need. I also have an ancient Matco 13 watt CFL light with no cord, you just plug it onto the end of an extension cord (it has a thumbscrew to hold the plug in place). I've had that for so long I don't remember when I got it and it still works, never broke the bulb despite it being dropped many times.

I have one of those 13w that you plug an extension cord directly into. I got if from tooltopia. Not as bright as I like, but compact.

 

[GRX]

Somebody say Fluorescent Work Lights?

Here are mine. Used all three in the garage last night. Been using the one in the middle for over 15 years. Yes it has heavy duty tube guards.

 

[e30 Memorial]

I have the retractable Snap-On light from Costco and it's junk.
I'd have to agree with Toymeister on the K&H Industries 825-T5

http://www.khindustries.com/webmodules/catcatalog/dtl_Product.aspx?ID=207&SubID=48&ManuID=1

I use these at work. There thin, short, and very rugged and also Made in the USA which also makes them quite spendy.