Workshop lead lamp

[110WestCape]

I did some work on the defender this weekend ..... great thanks to Les Henson's posts in the tech archive .... excellent.

I have developed a deep and sincere hatred for my lead lamp. Irrespective of the job, the angle or anything else, the light will always shine in your eyes at the most inconvenient times when you cannot move it ..... and when / if you dare reach for it, it will probably burn your arm. It generates a lot of heat as well ..... especially if you have to work in a confined space like a footwell.

What do the grown-up's use that is more convenient ?

Also .... how often have you found that while you're in the middle of a job that is testing your patience ...... like that very last nut that you cannot get to properly ... you develop .... without fail ..... the deepest urgency to pee.

Wikus

[dollythelw]

in reality its small and you can poke your head into wierd places

[pete3000]

Which ever inspection lamp you buy please get a low voltage one 12/24v. You will avoid the burns as well.

A friend of mine at work was killed under a car when his mains inspection lamp bulb broke around an exhaust hanger, making the chassis live.

I have a 12v non-rechargeable LED one which you can use out and about from,

http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Home-&-Lei...ve-and-Lighting

any of the rechargeable led lamps are good seem to be quite directional. Cheap too.

or if you want a traditional style workshop one. something low voltage like.

http://www.ccw-tools.com/product.asp?strPa...chStartRecord=1

or as dollythelw says the head torches are invaluable for any job where you need both hands free to hold tools.

HTH

P.S always use an RCD on your corded power tools when working outside.

Pete

[Handy_Andy]

I have a "LED Rechargeable Work Light" which works well got it from my local tool chap,and of course they dont get hot...

Essentially you get what you pay for, i think mine cost about £40 and works fine.

Also .... how often have you found that while you're in the middle of a job that is testing your patience ...... like that very last nut that you cannot get to properly ... you develop .... without fail ..... the deepest urgency to pee.

i dont tend to need a pee but the boss tends to use this time to ask questions like "what do you want for dinner in four weeks time" etc......... :o

:lol:

[andyb]

I use the short flouresant tube type work lights. They don't get hot and don't 'blow' as soon as you sneeze on them. They also come with a hook and I have found they mine jams between the coils of a spring on the Discovery.......which is handy when working on the hub area.

Local Lidi did an offer about a year ago. I went and got 4 of them........still on the first one.

Similar to this but with a UK plug (obviously )

[110WestCape]

in reality its small and you can poke your head into wierd places

oh yeah ..... seems to be the future in illumination for me.

A friend of mine at work .....

I hate the damned things even more ...... good point.

i dont tend to need a pee but the boss tends to use this time to ask questions like "what do you want for dinner in four weeks time" etc.........

It must be a DNA thing ...... and they dare claim men cannot multiskill. IMHO if giving a polite answer to an interesting question when your teeth are swimming and the patience is streched like a fraying bungee cord ....... guess we've just defined marriage

I use the short flouresant tube type work lights.

I do infact have one of those but the 12V version ..... they work and last ..... I tend to find the light being not bright enough though. Excellent for camping.

[BogMonster]

Petzl Tikka for me, just like eating lots of carrots so you can see in the dark without needing to use your hands

Battery life is so good on the LED torches these days (50 hours plus) that there is simply no need to tie yourself to a 3 pin socket

[Vanny]

I've had a Petzl Tikka for camping but never thought to use it on the car, then two months ago the other half bought me a similar thing from AlpKit and now i never have it off my head. Better than the Tikka in many ways (especially the cost) but most importantly it has two power output settings, i use the low one a lot when very very close to something! Takes AA batteries too.

You can get 'valetting' lights which can be fed from the mains of run on a 12v battery, they sell them in Costco and machine mart and have two 12v trip tubes in them. I find they provide loads of light and are a LOT more robust than they look. Pretty much filled one with LHM (suspension oil) withou realising, wiped it down, left it to drip for a while, and it work just fine!

[Autokaci]

I use a 240V lead lamp for out of the vehicle work as there is no chance of burning anything, and a 240V neon as shown above for inside vehicle work.

Someone mentioned here that the lead lamp bulbs go out even when sneezing near them. Well that can easily be resolved...either by not sneezing near them or else as I do. I buy 60W bulbs that resist hits and bangs and even dropping from some height (my maximum was about a meter). These bulbs surely must have some technical name but I don't know it and many people refer to them as 'Hammer Bulbs' simply because there is a hammer pic on their boxes! These bulbs are just a few pence more expensive than the normal ones, but they last a long time. I normally only use two in a whole year and I practically use the lamp every day for long hours on end!!!

Cheers,

Kaci

[integerspin]

I use a 240V lead lamp for out of the vehicle work as there is no chance of burning anything, and a 240V neon as shown above for inside vehicle work.

Someone mentioned here that the lead lamp bulbs go out even when sneezing near them. Well that can easily be resolved...either by not sneezing near them or else as I do. I buy 60W bulbs that resist hits and bangs and even dropping from some height (my maximum was about a meter). These bulbs surely must have some technical name but I don't know it and many people refer to them as 'Hammer Bulbs' simply because there is a hammer pic on their boxes! These bulbs are just a few pence more expensive than the normal ones, but they last a long time. I normally only use two in a whole year and I practically use the lamp every day for long hours on end!!!

Cheers,

Kaci

I found even heavy duty bulbs only lasted a short time. I tried various things, had a nice flurescent but it wasn't runover proof. We ended up with indicator/stop/tail bulbs in simple home made fittings.

[J@mes]

5ft fluorescent tube here - lay it inside the wheels when working under and across the wings when under the bonnet.

[ThreeSheds]

I have just finished modifying an Ikea lamp from 240 to 12 volts:

Although the lamp was given to me I was told that it only cost 'a couple of quid' and the mods to make it 12v were minimal.

Good points:

1. Bulbs are cheap and are available in any supermarket.

2. 12v for safety.

3. Small enough to get in awkward places.

4. Quite bright.

5. Has a (glass?) cover over the actual bulb so should be good for a high spatter/spark environment.

6. Cheap.

Bad points:

1. Gets hot.

2. Just had a look through the Ikea range and it appears to have been replaced with something infinitely inferior

[Les Henson]

I have an rechargeable LED hand held/magnetic work light and a 240 volt lead light with a moveable reflector. Use a low energy bulb instead of a normal incandescent one - there is almost no heat, the lamp is tougher, and the light is not so glaring. Most of the big enery companies are giving them away nowadays, so you might even get them for free.

Les.

[discomikey]

in my local TBF i was waiting fo a bearing and i soptted a magnetic worklamp on the shelf, its a little battery powered multi LED light, and it has a hook aswell as a magnet because land rovers are mostly ali

mikey

[bluespanner]

Old 4" spotlamp wired up to a battery. Gets hot and blinds you if you look at it. So dont look at it.

[clbarclay]

Petzl Tikka here to, simple and effective.

We do have a typical 12v lead lamp in the workshop at home which is fine, but from time to time its physically too big to get the light were its needed and the lead can be awkward.

I am considering rigging up a 240volt light, but it would be as a flood light on a stand for lighing up a large area, not hand held.

[karlo]

I have just finished modifying an Ikea lamp from 240 to 12 volts:

Although the lamp was given to me I was told that it only cost 'a couple of quid' and the mods to make it 12v were minimal.

Good points:

1. Bulbs are cheap and are available in any supermarket.

2. 12v for safety.

3. Small enough to get in awkward places.

4. Quite bright.

5. Has a (glass?) cover over the actual bulb so should be good for a high spatter/spark environment.

6. Cheap.

Bad points:

1. Gets hot.

2. Just had a look through the Ikea range and it appears to have been replaced with something infinitely inferior

Try Here this is similar

What about this bulb

[discojamz]

I was given one of these

http://www.ringautomotive.co.uk/product_detail.asp?prod=1957

really good. has a multiposition stand/hook and a couple of those really strong small magnets on the back. Is rechargeable too

[TOM TOM GO]

I was given one of these

http://www.ringautomotive.co.uk/product_detail.asp?prod=1957

really good. has a multiposition stand/hook and a couple of those really strong small magnets on the back. Is rechargeable too

i found out of a mate if you are using the standard work lamp just change the bulb for a energy saving one. i find you dont get the heat in your face and if you drop it when working it pretty tuff. cost you 99p.

[geoffbeaumont]

I've had a Petzl Tikka for camping but never thought to use it on the car, then two months ago the other half bought me a similar thing from AlpKit and now i never have it off my head. Better than the Tikka in many ways (especially the cost) but most importantly it has two power output settings, i use the low one a lot when very very close to something! Takes AA batteries too.

Tikka has three or four power settings doesn't it? AAA batteries but they last for ages - I've never run mine flat, had it on for twelve hours straight (in a cave) and changed the batteries afterwards just as a precaution. Brighter and lasts longer than my old FX2 NiCd caver's lamp, and no big battery pack on your belt

My lead lamp is a square grey plastic thing - takes the 'D' type square fluorescent tubes, nice and tough and has feet so it'll stand up as well as lie flat and a handle/hook on the top. Seems to wedge quite well in most places too. Gives out plenty of light, not too directional and not too much glare either. Think it cost about a tenner

[dirkthe1]

i agree with the petzl-really good, but i bought the engergizer one the other day as i wrecked my petzl one and its just as i good i reckon.

i seem to remember from when i worked at homebase a flexi light or something like that-it was a light on a flexible plastic pole bout a foot long. i looked on hombase website and fleabay, and couldnt find anything.

edit-i found this!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEALEY-LED003-3LED-M...A1%7C240%3A1318

vaguely the right thing

[zardos]

I use an led inspection light like http://www.furneauxriddall.com/shop/acatal...pectionINFO.jpg

Lasts a long time, magnetic and hook holder, front and end light, 12V or mains charged / uses normal AA's

Also doubles as a flashing warning beacon.