What's a good retractable cord drop light?

[malibu101]

I have a Craftsman incandescent drop light that I got back when I started working on cars in the mid-80's. It has always had a stiff cord that needed help rewinding and dropped more than it lit, while always succeding at blinding you while seldom succeding in lighting the work area.
Well the outer cord insulation has finally cracked apart exposing the inner wires.
Time for a new one!

The variety out there is overwheming. I did a search here but really didn't find what I was looking for.

Please suggest a reel light with an outlet that you've had good, or bad, experience with.
I know they are kinda old fashioned with cordless lights and all but I like it for 2 reasons-
1- The batteries never die.
2- I can throw it out the window, or it's under the car, or I can string it around the garage when I need quick and convienient access to an outlet.

I guess CFL (maybe LED) is the way to go nowadays although using rough service incandescents has never really been a big problem for me.

If you needed to buy one - somewhere between SnapOn and Harbor Frieght price and quality- What would you buy?
I am willing to pay the price and step up to the "good stuff" after dealing with my current mess for too many years.

 

[RAYJAY]

we use stubby II from general manufacturing at work.
they get a ton of abuse, there in grease and ink 24/7 , and hold up great
i just ordered a led version will do a review as soon as i use it
link to the light we use at work

http://www.saftlite.com/ProdDetail.aspx?pid=405&gid=1&fid=2


the one i have on order

http://www.saftlite.com/ProdDetail.aspx?pid=3616&gid=1&fid=56

 

[Herb67SS]

we use stubby II from general manufacturing at work.
they get a ton of abuse, there in grease and ink 24/7 , and hold up great
i just ordered a led version will do a review as soon as i use it
link to the light we use at work

http://www.saftlite.com/ProdDetail.aspx?pid=405&gid=1&fid=2


the one i have on order

http://www.saftlite.com/ProdDetail.aspx?pid=3616&gid=1&fid=56

How do you buy just one or two? They show that they come in case lots.

 

[RAYJAY]

How do you buy just one or two? They show that they come in case lots.

you can't buy directly from general manufacturing, how ever there having a great deal on the 40 foot reel cords the one's with the black plugs on them...
IRC 25.00 plus shipping ask for Nancy

Mc master has them (where we get them for work )

40 ft. SJTOW 18/2 2 1/4" 11" 9" 1649K7 75.31

http://www.mcmaster.com/#retractable-reel-lights/=lirbn6

 

[vwracer]

I have a one year old Craftsman 25 foot retractable. Florescant light with magnet and outlet. It works real well. Cord is no problem and retracts well. Alot less cost than the above saftelight.

 

[NineFingerFury]

I got a cheap one at HD that has served me well. I put a "daylight" CFL in it and its great!

 

[RAYJAY]

I have a one year old Craftsman 25 foot retractable. Florescant light with magnet and outlet. It works real well. Cord is no problem and retracts well. Alot less cost than the above saftelight.

the OP ask for a good quality light general manufacturing is a USA company

had the craftsman one the light did not hold up for 3 months.with the work I do

the lens cracks very easy and with only 25 feet of cord really useless 40 feet of cord is some times not enough

 

[Kevin54]

I have a B&D cordless that I picked up at WallyWorld and like it really well. It's LED with two different settings for low and high. It will last maybe an hour plus on a full charge then will start dimming down.

 

[floyd]

you can't buy directly from general manufacturing, how ever there having a great deal on the 40 foot reel cords the one's with the black plugs on them...
IRC 25.00 plus shipping ask for Nancy

Mc master has them (where we get them for work )

40 ft. SJTOW 18/2 2 1/4" 11" 9" 1649K7 75.31

http://www.mcmaster.com/#retractable-reel-lights/=lirbn6

I just ordered one from mcmaster. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks!

 

[fflintstone]

I picked up 2 of these vintage "appleton reelite's" at a swap meet for $10 they work great.

at the same swap meet a guy was selling "drop proof" CFL's for old school drop lights. he was droping them from about 4' and no breakage. he wanted $15 each for them though.




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[Kevin54]

The bad thing about the "old school" drop light is the heat output. There have been quite a few carpets melted and a few garages burnt down using them. So if you have the old style lights, use caution.

 

[ket-tek]

I've had the standard craftsman cfl drop light reel for like 15 years, tons of abuse, dropping, laid on the table while welding around it, oil and paint all over it, just treated like a tool, never broke, still has original bulb, cord intact, never any issue retracting. Was like $40 or $50 I think.. Been a work horse.

I had picked 3 of these up at costco back when they were $29, very decent for the money. I still them around the web sometimes for $20-$40.. Detachable light wand with standard female plug on the cord end that also has a locking mechanism to keep the light from unplugging when pulling on it, plus a outlet on the wand.

 

[bacarl]

I've had a good experience with this unit from Reelcraft:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002CVTKEM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It's just an extension cord (no light) but I have a corded fluorescent trouble light that I plug into it. It's entirely 12/3 (including the short lead with the male outlet), but despite the heavy cord it always winds up on the first try. It is plastic but it's heavy and strong. Since it has three plugs I can have the trouble light plus two other devices plugged in simultaneously.

 

[wrench409]

http://www.baycoproducts.com/index.php/productsbayco/cord-management-reels/SL-826-detail

I use one of these. Cheap, useful, and it's hanging from a rafter so it's out of the way when not in use.

 

[g3integragsr]

This is the one I use...
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-incandescent-work-light-with-30-ft-retractable/p-03473943000P

The blue wire stays flexible even when super cold in the garage

 

[White 99]

I have two of the Snap on ones like was posted above. I don’t abuse them; just light work in my garage, but they are holding up well.

The name Snap on was sold to someone else to manufacture them probably made in China. The lights are not expensive, nor super quality, like the tool truck tools, but reasonable price and reasonable quality. I would buy them again for what Costco sold them for.

 

[srmofo]

The bad thing about the "old school" drop light is the heat output. There have been quite a few carpets melted and a few garages burnt down using them. So if you have the old style lights, use caution.

I worked with a guy that ended his wrenching career with a incandescent trouble light. He cracked a fuel line loose and the bulb was hot enough to ignite the fine spray from it. He escaped without too bad of burns, but he was pretty shaken by it and transferred up to the front desk shortly after that.

I know I have received more than a few burns on the tender inside of my arms from the lights shifting around and falling onto me when I was younger. I dont know what did more damage though, ripping my arm out from an engine bay or the small burn from the bulb

 

[neptune]

I also have one of the Costco "snap-on" fluorescents mentioned above. Works well for the price, has an outlet in the handle, the bulb is behind a plastic shield, and it cost about $20 as I recall.
I've been using it a couple years and its holding up fine. I've dropped it a couple times from a few feet with no damage, but I wouldn't say I abuse it.

I had good luck using the standard spiral type cfl's in a 70's vintage craftsman trouble light I used a while ago. Only lost a couple to breakage and they lasted for a year or two each when normal incandescents were dying every couple weeks.

 

[senlow]

I picked up 2 of these vintage "appleton reelite's" at a swap meet for $10 they work great.

at the same swap meet a guy was selling "drop proof" CFL's for old school drop lights. he was droping them from about 4' and no breakage. he wanted $15 each for them though.




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That is a high quality light. Throw a CFL in it and you are set.

 

[floyd]

I just ordered one from mcmaster. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks!

I got around to mounting it today. I'm pleased with it. Quality seems high. Made in the US. Thanks to RAYJAY, I saved about $50 over what it would have cost on Amazon. Price was $75 plus shipping. I had to fab a small bracket to hold the cord transformer but no big deal.

Thanks again RAYJAY for the recommendation.

 

[5mall5nail5]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000256R9Q/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I have that - works great!

 

[justbarriault]

I got around to mounting it today. I'm pleased with it. Quality seems high. Made in the US. Thanks to RAYJAY, I saved about $50 over what it would have cost on Amazon. Price was $75 plus shipping. I had to fab a small bracket to hold the cord transformer but no big deal.

Thanks again RAYJAY for the recommendation.

I stumbled on this post while researching the same thing. Does this one have an outlet in it? I looked on their website but didn't see it listed

 

[maxpower_hd]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000256R9Q/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I have that - works great!

I have an old one of these and it works pretty well and has help up well too. But I really don't use it very often to be honest because of the cord. It gets in the way no matter what I do. I use it mostly as a tool box light above my old coke machine Snap On box so I can see in the top.

I now use two different cordless rechargeable lights instead. One is an over priced but very bright Snap On and the other is a fairly priced, very durable, magnetic one from Astro. The Astro is the go to now.