work light tip

[bomber]

All -- while many of you have high-tech, LED work lights in your shops (AKA, drop lights, as that's what I seem to do most with em), many other, I'm sure, have old fashioned lights with the little cage inside of which the incandescent bulb lives, until you drop it, of course, at which time it's liable to blow, especially if you really need it at that particular time.

I was in the Entropy Lab over the weekend, and dropped the drop light -- no surprise.

The only spare bulb I had was a Compact Florescent Bulb (I've slowly been replacing the bulbs in the shop with em as old bulbs die), so I dutifully installed it in the drop light.

It worked fine, though I perhaps should have used a higher wattage (this one was 40 -- it was on the shelf), but the real eye-opener was that the CF bulbs seem to be much studier and shock resistant than the old style florescent bulbs. While I didn't twirl the light around my head like Roger Daltry with a mic at the Filmore, I did drop the thing from a number of heights that would have killed an incandescent bulb dead.

This may already be common knowledge, but it was an eye-opener to me.

 

[nova65ss]

Yeah we have been suggesting them in garage door openers because they vibrate so much. So far so good seems to work better. Only problem is the base on most of them are much bigger and sometimes will not screw all the way down and make contact at the bottom of the fixture.

 

[Josh61513]

Personally, a trouble light is the last place I'd install a CFL.

I use flourescent lighting in my shop, and CFL's in the house. But if (when?) you drop it and finally break the bulb, you will be releasing mercury into the air. Not a good place to save energy, IMO.

 

[Phatsub]

Personally, a trouble light is the last place I'd install a CFL.
But if (when?) you drop it and finally break the bulb, you will be releasing mercury into the air.

That's a reasonable point. However, in the garage door openner...I think you're on to something there. Thanks.

 

[kbs2244]

I used to go through about one heavy duty bulb a month until I put in a CFL about a year ago.
I never thought about the mercury vapor thing at the time.
Has anybody done any real research on just how much is released and how dangerous it would be?
I mean is it a real concern or just one of those scare stories that got too much play on a slow news day?

 

[ovilla]

Anybody use one of those drop lights with LED's? I'm curious to see how those perform. Anyway, I finally got rid of my old incandecent bulb unit and got a 13 watt halogen one that comes with a 16' cord. It's got a swivel head and a magnet base so I can attach it anywhere on a car frame, as needed.

 

[smooth72]

Anybody use one of those drop lights with LED's? I'm curious to see how those perform. Anyway, I finally got rid of my old incandecent bulb unit and got a 13 watt halogen one that comes with a 16' cord. It's got a swivel head and a magnet base so I can attach it anywhere on a car frame, as needed.

I got a led from sears and the light output is very low, I took it back. The florescent one ore much better. I am sure they will improve the leds.

 

[ovilla]

smooth72 - I took a risk when I bought my 13 watt Sears halogen unit and must say that it's very bright and you get a nice white light too. A friend has a Sears flourescent one and I like that one as well as it has plenty of light.

 

[Kinger]

Holy ****..........bomber is everywhere!

How ya doing?

 

[Stuey]

There are miniscule amounts of mercury in a CFL bulb. Still, you should read up upon proper cleanup procedures. If I recall correctly, it includes avoiding the use of a vacuum, opening windows, and collecting debris in a sealable plastic bag.

http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/#fluorescent

 

[Brad54]

Well, for the amount of mercury that is in them, I think the MSDS says your skin will turn green, your nuts will shrivel up and drop off, several teeth will spontaneously fall out, you'll lose hair in clumps, finger nails will thicken to the point where you'll need to use a side dykes for any future trimming, and your prostate will blow up to the size of a bagel.

Okay, it's true that there is a small amount of mercury in them, and mercury isn't a nice thing by any stretch, but I think that as long as you aren't filling up the shop sink with the stuff and washing your hands in it, or sealing it in a zip lock bag and huffing the fumes, a reasonable amount of precaution is adequate. It's not like "Oh ****, I popped a bulb!" and later that week you're going to be diagnosed with cancer or a brain tumor. Repeated exposure is another matter.
I have no problem with having one in my drop light, and I honestly can't imagine shattering one more than a time or two in my entire life. I've been playing with cars for over 20 years, and haven't managed to shatter an incandescent drop cord bulb, though I have sent hundreds to an early retirement because I set the thing down a little to hard or dinked it on a fender or something.

-Brad

 

[goodfellow]

There is so much bogus info out there that it will make your brain hurt trying to figure out what the real problems are. I'd err on the side of caution though. Yes there are very small amounts of mercury vapor present, but popping one of these things is serious enough to be considered a hazmat in many counties across the country.

I was advised by a local fire captain to put the CFL bulbs in stationary fixtures where there is little chance of accidental breakage. For garage applications he suggested standard bulbs due to the cumulative effect of the hazards, and the fact that trace mercury can spread quickly in a garage setting; thereby making it almost impossible to properly clean up and dispose of the stuff.

 

[Brad54]

There is so much bogus info out there that it will make your brain hurt trying to figure out what the real problems are. I'd err on the side of caution though. Yes there are very small amounts of mercury vapor present, but popping one of these things is serious enough to be considered a hazmat in many counties across the country.

I was advised by a local fire captain to put the CFL bulbs in stationary fixtures where there is little chance of accidental breakage. For garage applications he suggested standard bulbs due to the cumulative effect of the hazards, and the fact that trace mercury can spread quickly in a garage setting; thereby making it almost impossible to properly clean up and dispose of the stuff.

Yeah, I can understand that...but they used to make dental fillings and process beaver pelts with mercury. Now, there is no question that prolonged exposure to this caused serious medical problems for people ("Mad as a hatter" refers to hat makers and wearers going nuts due to the mercury), but that's prolonged exposure to a good amount of mercury. I don't think popping a small bulb in the garage is going to sprout a third ******. Have we come so far that the Hazmat crew needs to be called out in their plastic biohazard suits to clean up a broken light bulb?
-Brad

 

[Vicegrip]

I have 150 13 watt CFL drop lights in service in the dealerships I work for. They take a beating and the bulbs last well unless the mechanics drive over them or drop the lifts or impact guns on them or start the car with it in the fan housing or near the belt or...

 

[IDASHO]

Ive been using a CFL in my home-made floor lamp for years.

Kinda found out the same way.... I kept knocking it over, burning out the incandescents. Finally ran out of bulbs on hand one night, but had a CFL in the outside porch light. So I removed it.

i think that same bulb is in the shop lamp right now