VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Radios, Tools, Accessories Can you really call it a trouble light?

One of the guys mentioned one of these the other day and I didn’t think much of the idea. But, they had them on sale at the Farm store the other day for twelve bucks and I thought I’d give it a try. I’d call it a modern day flashlight but it’s light is only good for up close and it taint worth a dern for throwing the light out to any distance, so it’s not really a flashlight.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/121319451/large
They bill it as an LED trouble light but it doesn’t light up the general area anywhere near as good as the good old 60watt drop cord trouble light, so it’s not really a trouble light either. But I do find myself reaching for it a lot lately when I don’t want to mess with a cord to take a quick look at something under the truck, dash, hood, etc, I wouldn’t want to do a lot of work with it illuminating the workspace so I’m still gonna be reaching for the old standard 60watt drop cord.
Oh yeah, before I forget, a couple of weeks ago I they had the florescent trouble lights on sale at the same store, I got about the same thing to report on those things except that they are real awkward, bulky hard to hang or get pointed right and you still have to drag around the cord. Wish I hadn’t brought that one home.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have two or three trouble lights in the shop, the old fashioned ones with the wire cage and the sheetmetal reflector, they are on 14 GA 50' cords one is orange one is yellow and the third one is on a retractable 25' cord, they all take 60 watt bulbs and have a 15 amp receptable on the handle. What I hate about them is with the 60 watt bulb they generate a lot of heat (good in cold weather) and out goes the bulb when they are dropped, maybe that is why they are called DROP lights, eh? I put the compact floresent bulbs in two of them , not a lot of light but they have been proven drop pruff. I also have a set of led lights that are on eye glass frames and you can direct them where you look, work good under the dash. I call them my "take me to your leader" lights.

Yep, got one of those there magnifiers with the dual LED headlights on them. Only problem is there just taint no room when I’m under a dash, I do use them when I’m on the radios bench though. I couldn’t use a straight pair of glasses anymore, had them bifocals for a couple of decades now. The older I get the more important light is. Seems like I can never get enough light to see what I need to see now days.
This “Designers Edge” LED light has 36 elements powered by three AA bats, and lays down a lot of light in the local area it drops of pretty quick if you pull back with it. But if you look straight at it, it’ll literally blind you.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have switched to a "rough service" bulb in my drop cord trouble light. I have dropped it lots of times and the light keeps right on working.

Originally Posted by Junkyard Dog

I have switched to a "rough service" bulb in my drop cord trouble light. I have dropped it lots of times and the light keeps right on working.

I've had the same experience with the rough service bulbs. They last a long time and seem to survive drops.

I thin they're called "trouble" lights, because the cord seems to always be in the way and no matter where you hang them, the seem to turn and shine the light in your eyes, instead of on the work area!!

I too have put CFLs in my regular trouble light. i got tired of getting branded. i try and use the biggest one that will physically fit in the cage. In the winter i just turn them on a while before i need to use it to let it warm up and come up to full brightness. i also have a small fluorescent trouble light with one of those long replaceable tubes. it works OK. My son has a $150 snap-on LED trouble light he uses at work. He loves it. i am not overly impressed with the amount of light it produces.

I have tried so called "Rough Service" bulbs without success, maybe I didn't use the right brand? which ones do you like best? I have also found that young eyes don't require the same amout of illumination that old tired eyes require! I still have 20-20 eyesight according to the eye charts, but that is also in a well lighted place.
When I was doing long range marksmanship training and a lot of flying I had 40-20 but I feel lucky to keep 20-20 (uncorrected) at my age. i just like to do the fine work outside in the bright Texas sunlight.

I have used many different brands of "Rough Service" bulbs and have good luck with all of them.

I guess that "different Brands" light bulbs must be a Left Coast regional brand of light bulbs. We have "Chinaease" brand bulbs here!

Most, if not all, of the bulbs are "Made In China". That's a given. However, the "Made In China" bulbs are marketed and sold throughout the USA under many different brand names.

Ok, maybe we have the same ones that are sold out there on the Left Coast. The ones I tried are from Harbor Freight and they didn't hold up too well. Just one bounce on the concrete and they were history!

Harbor Freight? There's your answer!

When I had my shop we switched all of are lights over to a screw in floresent light. I was tired of always buying bulbs and the guys getting burned. Did you know the most often cause of shop fires is the old style drop lights?