Underhood LED Cordless Rechargeable Work Lights ???

[extropic]

I've been shopping and haven't found a combination of features that excites me.

I'm on the verge of making up something of my own but there has to be something great out there (I have enough projects already).

So I'm asking for input from you pros and enthusiasts.
What do you use and like (or don't like)? Brand names and model numbers appreciated.

I want something that attaches to the hood, not hand held.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Glue a magnet to a Harbor Freight one?

 

[rmsg0040]

What if his hood is not metal?

Milwaukee makes a good one

 

[Tallpilot]

Milwaukee is nice but I don't want to buy high capacity M12 batteries. I like the Astro. Rediculously bright, decent run time and you can run it plugged in if you want.

 

[joetech]

I don't have it yet but I did buy the 2000 lumen underhood light from ATD tools.

Seemed like the best bang for the buck out there. Could have fabbed one from an LED shop light pretty easily if I cared to.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019X13DBE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[plinker]

I have the Milwaukee. Quite bright for what it is and the battery going dead in the middle of needing it isnt a big deal if you have other m12 tools. One fully chard 3.0 battery lasts most of the day, depending on brightness setting. Biggest downside is cost of the light. You can get two 3.0 batterys for 69$ during a black friday sale, so not terrible for those.

After using mine I would not want to use anything else. I will say ATD's saberlights are pretty good in general.

 

[toolmutt]

I have the Milwaukee and love it. But I was already knee deep in the m12 platform.

 

[kctyphoon]

You want cheap get the new HF which was recently upgraded. (Thats still around ain’t it?)
Next step up is something like the Neiko, which is what i have, GREAT for the money IMO.
The Milwaukee youre getting a pro tool.. theres a bunch of other options. Its all up to your budget.

I had a thread like a year or two ago comparing my neiko to the old HF model and to the small hand held Neiko.. i think it was about $80 of so.

Pretty sure this is the pic of my neiko on high, and it does come with a spring loaded clamping bar, and the light detaches from that.

Both neiko’s here

 

[WittHay]

Mac has a foldable underhood light with a little detachable light

 

[Jlbc212]

I use a Zebra light, a headlamp with rechargeable batteries. It places the light exactly where I'm looking. I have no need for an under-hood light and I could easily work without any other lights except the Zebra light in my garage. I have one I keep down in the garage all the time and another I use when working around the house or on job sites. The Zebra lights I have use a single 18650 rechargeable battery. On an all day job, I'll typically use three batteries. The 18650 rechargeable batteries seem to have an unlimited service life.

http://www.zebralight.com/Headlamp_c_7.html

 

[Nineeightyone]

I lit the everliving **** out of my two-car garage (>20,000 lumens and growing), but I keep a clone of the smaller folding rechargable HF light around for stuff I can't put in the garage/need to see something at a weird angle. It's this, but with different colored plastic -- Mine came from Aldi.

I like that it folds, and has magnets in the base and on the rear, as well as a hook for non-magnetic stuff. It's powered by rechargeable batteries, can be run plugged in, and for the money, is generally just worth having around.

 

[Jeeper]

I got a M12 underhood light for and it's really nice. I have a lot of M12 so it made sense for me.

I use a Zebra light, a headlamp with rechargeable batteries. It places the light exactly where I'm looking. I have no need for an under-hood light and I could easily work without any other lights except the Zebra light in my garage. I have one I keep down in the garage all the time and another I use when working around the house or on job sites. The Zebra lights I have use a single 18650 rechargeable battery. On an all day job, I'll typically use three batteries. The 18650 rechargeable batteries seem to have an unlimited service life.

http://www.zebralight.com/Headlamp_c_7.html

I too have a zebra light and a nice headlight is really useful. But I will say this, I just grabbed the milwaukee headlight. Home Depot reduced them down from $40 to $30. The lumen output is higher than my zebra light and it's 3AAA should last longer than the 1AA. All for half the price of my zebra light. The housing is obviously cheaper than the Zebra. I have been impressed with my milwaukee LED lights. The color and flood pattern are all useful. Makes for a good value buy.

 

[Michael_in_DE]

If I wasn't happy with my HF underhood light for $35, ( https://www.harborfreight.com/845-lumen-underhood-rechargeable-work-light-63990.html ) I would use a amazon plug in LED light. I have one of those over my tool box and it s a fantastic light. Flooded, not direct, and incredibly bright for $24. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076LTZBPD/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[C.L S2000]

I got the astro one on Amazon awhile ago and its seriously bright with 1540 lumens. I guess I didn't pay that much attention in the amazon listing too but it has a detachable magnetic handheld light that is part of the underhood light. So I was pretty happy to "kind of" get 2 lights in one.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBNBXL6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Alpine4x4]

This HF jobby has been great for me underhood and the bilge of of my boat.

https://www.harborfreight.com/845-Lumen-Underhood-Rechargeable-Work-Light-63990.html

I keep it hung on one of my benches for "storage" where it acts as a bench work light, well up until I just loaded the garage with LED tube lights.

 

[cbrxfr67]

We sell the atd, astro, milwaukee, and schumacher. I think the atd is the best seller. Schumacher has been doing good with the SL176r though. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B2FPX3W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[extropic]

I'm really impressed and appreciative of all the responses so far.
I'm sure that other pilgrims will find this thread as helpful as I do.
Thanks you and keep the info coming.

 

[kctyphoon]

For the record - there are 2 versions of the harbor freight underhood light floating around. The old one - which is “eh” in my opinion (cause i have that one too) which was sold under the older brand name. Centeck or Chicago, something like that.. the newer version sold in stores now under the Braun label (if its still available) has upgraded led’s and should be a lot brighter.. the limitation of the HF models is the mounting options, cheap hooks, cheap magnets, and a small battery.. something with a spring loaded mounting bar gives you many options, and expands the usability of the light. Something that detaches from the bar expands options further..

I spent a while looking when i bought mine. I didnt wanna spend a lot, i wanted something decent, and the Neiko/Capri tools led work light was a GREAT light a lot of people in here bought. When Neiko came out with their underhood, i went with that - largely because it was a bigger version of their smaller light. The thing is great for money, and wont easily break either.. for a budget light / compromise between the cheapest models and a pro tool, its a great choice.. there are a ton of options out there. Compare price, features, lumens, bulb type, battery size, or consider investing in a cordless tool system like Milwaukee.

Keep in mind - the HF light use to be sold all over the internet on eBay / amazon for more than double what it was sold for in the store. So if you see one that LOOKS like the hf model - it is..

Here’s the Neiko - check other amazon listings and eBay for better prices.. i wanna say i got mine for a little less.

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

Just search amazon for underhood light. A whole bunch of options will come up.

 

[Luciferi]

A shop I do work at has multiple brands of underhood lights, the Milwaukee was the go to one and seemed pretty good. That was until the shop got a snap on one which has way better usable light. The mechanics must have also thought highly of them since they bought their own. I don’t really like these kind of lights and don’t have that big of a need for one, but was tempted to buy one until I saw the price.

https://store.snapon.com/Rechargeable-Utility-Lights-Ultra-Hood-1-500-Lumen-Multi-Platform-Light-P889606.aspx

 

[Bodj Built]

I lit the everliving **** out of my two-car garage (>20,000 lumens and growing), but I keep a clone of the smaller folding rechargable HF light around for stuff I can't put in the garage/need to see something at a weird angle. It's this, but with different colored plastic -- Mine came from Aldi.

I like that it folds, and has magnets in the base and on the rear, as well as a hook for non-magnetic stuff. It's powered by rechargeable batteries, can be run plugged in, and for the money, is generally just worth having around.

I use mine all the time for welding in tight spots. They're cheap enough to where I don't care if I get weld spatter on it, and multiple mounting options makes it easy to find a spot for it.

I'm also a big fan of these (https://www.harborfreight.com/215-Lumen-Magnetic-Pocket-Worklight-63935.html). I keep one in the truck at all times and one in the toolbox. I'll probably pick up another two so I have 2 in each location.

But none of these serve as something to light up the entire engine bay. For that I tend to use a chinese/snap-on LED light I got for $30 at costco. Amazon has them for $45.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OJOCDJO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

There's no magnets. I just use some welding wire to hold it from my hood pointing down.

 

[kctyphoon]

Just gonna add.. after scrolling down and looking at some pictures from NEKIO - it looks like they upgraded the expandable mounting bar for the underhood light.. it may NOT be the cheaper looking bar in the ad - which is what i have..

I know they upraged the small drop light model - cause i have the older one of that too..

If your getting a newer upgraded style mounting bar - the old bar is MY ONLY criticism of the one i have.. its very simple, basic design, but it works fine.. the pictures on the bottom of the amazon ad show a completely different bar, and even the light itself looks like its upgraded.. IF thats the case, it looks like you might be getting a much nicer model compared to one i bought if you go that route..

NOW - I have no choice but to figure this out.. cause i wanna see what the newer one looks like..

Here’s the upgraded “drop light” / inspection light model.. the older model that i own is by far my favorite light to work on the car.. if you dont wanna spend a lot of money, this smaller light lights up most of engine bay - and is half the price.. i cant say enough good things about the Neiko lights i have.

Anyone that works on cars should buy this light IMO
Neiko 40339A Cordless COB LED Work Light, 700 Lumen | Up To 11.5 Hours Run Time | Rechargeable 4,400 mAh Li-ion Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0786SDZ1K/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[VinceG]

I have the Harbor Freight one it works good and after the battery dies you can use it plugged in. It has detachable end caps that allow it to hang by magnets or hooks to hang it from the hood. I dont use it on a daily basses only in the home garage it dose the job and is bright enough.

 

[extropic]

Once again, much thanks to all the contributors for their input. By following all the links and recommendations I have come across a unit I want to try.

I have ordered a NextLED 1500 Lumen Detachable Rechargeable Underhood Work Light from Amazon for $79.89 per current promotional coupon. It's has two light modules that are both removable from the mounting bracket for use anywhere. the light modules are each rated at 750 lumens. The mounting bracket folds in half (for compact storage or other options). The package comes with a USB charging cable but the ad doesn't say anything about chargers.

I'll post comments after I receive and try it out.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KPRFB7L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[kctyphoon]

Those look to be the same or clone models of the smaller Neiko / Capri tools light - just with a nicer folding mounting bar compared to the Neiko underhood light. it actually LOOKS like the end of the mounting bar at the bottom of the Neiko underhood ad listed on amazon - and I’m wondering if the model you bought is what’s actually being shown in that picture - cause it only shows a small part of the product.

If thats the case, your gonna like those lights. The small Neiko is my favorite work light.

Look - this is the newer version of the small Neiko.

Neiko 40339A Cordless COB LED Work Light, 700 Lumen | Up To 11.5 Hours Run Time | Rechargeable 4,400 mAh Li-ion Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0786SDZ1K/?tag=atomicindus08-20

This is the older version. The one i have. My underhood is just a larger version of this. Most likely, what your gonna get it gonna be more like the one above, cause it lists it as using cob leds, where this one uses sms leds. It might be identical or just something very similar.

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

 

[extropic]

Yes KC, I noticed the similarity between the Neiko 40339A and the two units on the NextLED when I was following your previous links. Both were displayed as suggested alternatives.
Tracking says my package will be delivered Sunday. I'm anxious to get my hands on it.

 

[Hagatronics]

I have the Astro and often wonder why I struggled without one for so long. Magnet is plenty strong and you can angle it pretty much wherever.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBNS2NI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[rpcraft]

It's been mentioned before but the smaller HF Braun one can be purchased for around 25 bucks regularly (on coupon right now in fact). The downside is the charger setup for it ***** out of the package, but a cheap upgrade for another 20 bucks(ish) is to buy a 18650 battery and charger combo pack and you can have two batteries charged up and ready to go at any time to replace when the one in the flashlight goes dead. I also got an Anker light off Amazon that used a battery pack that has 3 AA's in it and I was able to successfully swap it to the same cells so I have a total of about 5 batteries to swap around now. I know it's not quite as bright as the under hood bars but to me it's a life saver and it fits in a lot more spots overall. It is very mobile, has a magnet on one end, and if it won't stick to something I usually can find a way to jam it into something because the light bar is pretty thin. I had to strip out the wiring under the dash of my K5 in a single car garage with only a dim light bulb in the garage door opener (because it had no plugs in the place) and once I got that light I swear by it now.

 

[gtsgarage]

I have the Astro and often wonder why I struggled without one for so long. Magnet is plenty strong and you can angle it pretty much wherever.



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBNS2NI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Very tempting! As I’ve gotten older I need more light.

 

[driftpin]

I use the Craftsman multi-LED stick light in my HFT bead blasting cabinet, it provides enough lighting to be useful. It also can be run on its 120 V charge cord. I use the magnetic c-clip that it comes with to hold it in the cabinet. It also has a rotating hanging hook for other use. They run on-sale $20, reg. $40. Who knows what's gonna happen with Sears now?

 

[Lucid Moments]

I borrowed one from a friend that was really nice. The light is adjustable, and on full bright throws out plenty of light. Only problem is the battery doesn't last very long on full bright. He has multiple lights that are swappable on the the holder to solve that.

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-modular-light-system-with-underhood-bar.html

 

[BukitCase]

http://www.hfqpdb.com/best_coupon/BRAUN+390+LUMEN+SLIM+BAR+FOLDING+LED+WORKLIGHT

That coupon's good thru 2/16/19 ($19.99)

Got one about a week ago, didn't think it'd be worth $40 but at $20 thought I'd give it a shot. So far, so good - added plus (to me) is the (not mentioned in their page) fact that it uses 18650 battery. I already have multiple chargers/lights that use 1, 2, or 3 of those so it was a pleasant surprise when I opened the package and, instead of having to wait while the thing did a full charge, I just replaced the battery with one off my nitecore charger and started using it.

I also marked the HF battery with source and date, since I've had mixed results with that type battery and "chinese optimism"

The magnet is plenty strong, there's three modes (full, half, and a little bitty end-firing flashlight) - all my other lights that have more than one mode, require you to step thru ALL the modes each time - somewhat of a PITA, but so far none of 'em have failed switches...

This Braun lite went one better - after you choose which mode you want, after a few seconds of the light being on the NEXT push just turns it OFF, no cycling thru the options.

There have been a few complaints (reviews) about the switch not holding up, so next time I'm in the store I plan to add their warranty ($5 or 6 for one year, $8 for two IIRC)

All in all, if it holds up it'll get used quite a bit. IMO it's already paid for itself in the first use working on inside door latches on my old Corolla, none of my other lights would let me see AND touch the damn linkage... Steve