Best Headlamp For Automotive Repair

[BruiseLee]

I do a lot of work on cars, my own, my family's, and my friend's. For awhile now I've been meaning to get a headlamp specifically for working on cars.

I believe leds are definitely the way to go. I can't tell you how many light bulbs I've blown in under an hour using a standard work lamp - that filament just can't take any shock, and when you are working on cars things are bound to get banged up a bit (I use a fluorescent worklight these days).

For me, having the batteries up front, not on the back of the head, is an absolute must. I'll tell you why. Because if you are lying under a car up on jack stands in your garage or driveway, it's going to be uncomforatable as hell to have a hard plastic battery compartment as a pillow, that's why! I've also spent a lot of time on the floor of cars under the dash installing head units, changing heater cores, master cylinders, etc. Again, this kind of work has the mechanic lying with his head on the floor.

Throw is not important for this kind of work. A bright flood would be a big plus working on engine compartments at night (ever notice how people's cars always seem to break down when it's dark?). Multiple levels of brightness would be a big plus, too, since you don't need a blinding amount of light to change a blown fuse under the dash.

Runtime isn't too important, since I figure any LED headlamp should be able to run for at least a couple of hours. If I can't fix it in a few hours, time to tow it to a garage!

Battery wise, I'm partial to AA only because I have a ton sitting around the house. But, I already have AAA and lithium 123 flashlights too, so those are definitely an option.

The thing is bound to get filthy with dirt and grease, but I figure most headlamps are made for outdoorsmen, so they should be ok getting covered with oil, antifreeze, power steering fluid, grease, etc.

What do you think guys? Any suggestions?

Bruise

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Bruise,

I like the flood beam of the Tikka Plus, but object to the blue color.

The EOS has a good color, but at closer distances it is a bit too focused.

The EOS with 2 layers of waxed paper to diffuse the beam is perfect.

You should be able to come up with a better diffuser than waxed paper, it's just what I had handy.

Tom

 

[cy]

you need my ez mod for ray-o-vac headlamp

 

[ACMarina]

I'd be looking at a PT Matrix. Waterproof so you can toss it in the tub to clean it, and there aren't any buttons or stuff to get messy. Just grab and twist.

 

[Stanley]

How about the Inova 24/7? YOu can leave it in the car for emergencies, and stick it onto the strap as a headlamp as well. Besides, the 123 cell would be indifferent to either hot or cold conditions. I think the ABS plastic body should hold up to it getting dirty and greasy though.
Else the Aurora or Scout should be quite handy little fellas to have around as well, seeing how compact and small they are.

 

[ksbman]

I too like my work lights to be LED and not incandescent.

My work (aircraft mechanic) headlight is Essential Gears' Luxeon Star 1-Watt Adjustable Headlamp.

I have found that unless you use the 5mm LED's in total darkness, any ambient light washes out too much of the beam. I want where my hands are working to be lit up as bright as possible and the LS does this a lot better then the 5mm's.

The EG LS has three levels, the highest being what I use most all the time. Medium is bright enough to work with, about as bright as a SL Sceptor on high, but I prefer the bright setting. I guess I'm getting old.

I don't use it all night long, usually 30 minutes a night. I replace the batteries every couple of weeks or so.

Like I said, I use mainly the high setting. Once it shuts off, I then get another 20 minutes of medium. When that shuts off, low will only work for 5 minutes or so before the batteries are dead.

It doesn't have a flood beam; lighting up the area three feet on either side of my work is useless. But it's not a pencil beam, either. There is some side spill, but I guess the bright spot is about a foot across, when the work area is two feet in front of you.

It definitely gets covered in grease, grime, and oil. I just wipe it off with a rag and have had no problems with it.

I've tried several other headlights (here's one), but for a LED work light, nothing yet beats this one.

edit - WOO HOO, finally got an asterisk!

 

[mrme]

I am not trying to talk you out of getting headlamp, becuase they are ocassionally the best tool for the job, but a headlamp will NEVER replace a drop light. The shock on the bulbs is easily solved by getting a teflon coated or other rough service light bulb. If your drop light does not have a good reflector, spray paint it with good silver spray paint. The light off the back of the bulb makes a world of difference.

Bear in mind, I have 12 headlamps and use them far more often than I use hand held for most applications. My car is the only place I keep more hand helds than headlamps handy.
For working on cars, a headlamp always fall short. Here's why.

1. When you are walking though the woods, reading a book at arms length or other typical tasks the light has plenty of space to diffuse and you are facing what you are doing. When working on a car, however, seldom are you facing dirrectly wheat you are working on. This means the light is dirrected AWAY from the area you are working. Not only that, the distance of your head to the work piece is changing from a an inch or less to several feet. So you get a bright light shining on something you don't want to see, which keeps you from seeing what you want to see. A diffuse flood light would solve the first problem, but really complicates the second. You end up with so much glare, it is pretty well worthless.

2. A headlamp is clumsy when held in a hand. Most of the mechanic work you need good light for is the diagnostics. That is where you need to dirrect the light on suspect areas. A headlamp is pretty clumsy and can even be dangerous around moving parts. They don't pack well in a tool box, tangle up in everything and often work like a rag that sops up all the junk. You won't want to put it on your head.

3. GLARE is almost always present when you are working on a car. Headlights from other cars, street lights, and even the car's dome lights are going to be so much brighter than any headlamp, you will find it difficult to see much in the light of a headlamp.

When a headlamp is good is when you are doing the really easy acess work such as changing a tire or battery or perhaps wiring a trailer. In that case, I am afraid it really doesn't matter which headlamp you use.

In a pinch, a headlamp will do for some other repairs, but it will be secondary to a hand held flashlight. A friend holding a flashlight over your hands is always a first choice. If you have a drop light avalible, you will not have any reason to use a headlamp.

I would definitely get one with a large, sealed switch. The Matrix will be tough to turn off and on with oily hands.

For under the car repairs, get a boxy lantern that will lie flat. You can put it where your hands are working. This is also a better set up for changin a tire and working under the hood. A headlmap is useless under a car when it is on your head. All it will do is blind you to what you need to see.

I keep a Petzl Myo in my car. It doesn't have an LED. If I am in my car, LED light is seldom enough to do anything with because of all the glare (except maybe read a book). It is really falt to the head and has a reasonably diffuse reflector when focused right. But it supplements the several hand held flashlights I have handy. The switch is crummy, but the headlamp in my car is pretty low priority for an upgrade.

 

[PeLu]

I had one case were I solved a problem at the car by myself after several mechanics were not able to fix it.
Just by using an headlamp.
But this, of course, was an exception.
I like to use hadlamps for tasks like that nad I have several cheap Chinese lamps using 2 AA cells and haveing one Luxeon (probably fake), 12 5mm LEDs or 7 5mm LEDs.
I just unscrewed the front lens and put in one layer from a paper napkin. Gives a very nice flood beam.

 

[BruiseLee]

Thanks for all the responses. MrMe, I agree that a worklight is better than a headlamp 99% of the time. I'm thinking mainly of two conditions in which I will use the thing.

1) My hobby is working on old Musclecars. All of these are well over 30 years old now. They break down constantly, even with lots of loving maintenance. I drive these all the time because they were meant to be driven, I LOVE the way they sound, and they certainly have a lot more character than the most of the cars/SUV's you see today. But, you never know when you are going to have to do a repair job on the side of the road. So, I always carry a garage worth of tools in the trunk. The point being, there is no place to plug in a worklamp on the side of the road.

2) A lot of times, I'm working on my car in the driveway (my garage is full; I own more than one car). It seems like I always need like an extra 1/2 hour to finish the repair before it gets dark. (I live in Southern California, so its usually pretty comfortable working outside). Now, I could go back to my garage and get my worklamp with 150' of extension cord, but that is a pain in the #ss - I hate coiling that much electrical cord, especially if it takes me like 7 minutes to deploy and store the thing for an additional 1/2 hour of work time. It just doesn't seem efficient.

Of course it would be great to have a friend hold a flashlight exactly where you want it. But, what if no one is available? And, how many wives\girlfriends\neighbors are gonna be willing to crawl under a car with you? Working on a car, especially an old one, is a very dirty affair.

The Essential Gear Adjustable Luxeon Headlamp looks good, buy I don't believe I've ever heard that particular headlamp discussed here at CPF before.

Bruise

 

[mrme]

Okay, I will gladdly admit than for those old cars with big hoods, a headlamp could be a very good idea. Most of the cars I end up working on are compact cars and minivans. Most of that is done by touch and not sight.

In light of the cars you are dealing with, I would recomend something with a large reflector. The Petzl Zoom, or even better, Zoom Zora (4 AA model) comes to mind. They are pretty hardy headlamps.

Coleman mades a pretty decent headlamp for about $10 that would do you well in their Peak series. It runs on 2 D cells, which are in a pack on your belt. It is kind of front heavy, especially since the battery pack is not on your head to balance it, but it can be removed from the headband and cliped onto a hose or wire really easily. It uses a PR bulb, so you can get a really bright bulb. The reflector is faceted, so the beam is smooth enough for close up work.

I would still steer clear of LEDs. The less penetrating yellow light will help you mainitan at leat a little "night vision." A hybrid (LED and incan) would be a good option, but you will probably use the incan for your car work most of the time. You can run rechargables and not worry about battery life. When you are only a few steps from your charger, let the lumens fly guilt free!

I would still recomend a lantern for under the car work. It really is not headlamp territory. I would also look into a 12 V light that could clip on a battery or cig. lighter plug.

Well, good luck with your old cars. I wish I had the patience and means to maintian those boats.

 

[Ctechlite]

Just another idea on the work light side of the road. I know that their are made CFL that run off of 12v, they come with aligator clips to attach to battery or a cig lighter adapter. I'll try to google for some...

 

[cy]

[ QUOTE ]
ksbman said:My work (aircraft mechanic) headlight is Essential Gears' Luxeon Star 1-Watt Adjustable Headlamp.

[/ QUOTE ]

I really like the looks of this headlamp. it's the only headlamp I've seen driven by 2x 123 and a lux. just like other high end led lights.

may have to order one.

 

[nonbox]

headlamps with battery pack at the front:

PT EOS:
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39164586&memberId=12500226

Petzl E03 Micro Headlamp:
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=631

Petzl Tikka Plus Headlamp:
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=32354328

Princeton Tec Aurora Headlamp:
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=26634964


What type of beam is better for working on a car: flood or narrower beam?

 

[glen777]

I don't mean to hijack this thread but i've seen worklights discussed here. Does anyone have any experience with the Uview Freedom Lite?

https://www.expeditionexchange.com/uview/

 

[mrme]

LED lights like that one would be great on a dark roadway, but will be lacking on a freeway or driveway where street lights and headlights are present.

The color also appears really poor. I absolutely hate flourecent work lights because their pale bluish color makes auto parts blend into each other. Those LEDs look worse.

Still, the drop light style might work out nicely. I just couldn't dream of spending $120 on one.

Hey, maybe I could rig up one of those rechargable million candle power spotlight things into a drop light body. That would be nice! Aren't they like 50 watts or something?

 

[wasBlinded]

Problem with that Uview Freedom Lite is it sends as much light back into your eyes as it does onto the work area. Not a good choice for an automotive work light.

 

[glen777]

Thanks for the info guys. I guess they still have to perfect the rechargeable worklight and also bring down the price as well.

 

[Wingerr]

Personally, I much prefer a headlamp to using a drop light when working on a car. If you're actually working on the car, you generally want both hands free, not one for the tool and another to hold the light. If you hang the droplight somewhere or position it, invariably your area of operations will shift, and you need to continually readjust. The headlamp is always pointed where you're looking and moves with you.
I have one of those bright halogen work lights, and they would be positively awful to use for any work, because it eliminates any semblance of night vision, and you have to position it in front of you to work, or your body would shadow the work. Hot enough to burn you if you're not careful when repositioning it, and additional ignition hazards around gasoline.
As far as glare, the Yukon HL Luxeon provides ample brightness, and I can't see a situation where it wouldn't be enough. It may be a problem with a dimmer LED headlamp, if that's what the comparison was with.
For underhood work, a fluorescent stick droplight would be fine, if you don't need to do any peering down into deep recesses. Because of its wide coverage, it doesn't need as much repositioning as a standard drop light. For a situation where you need to look at a meter off to the side, it would be better than a headlamp, because you don't have to shift your head around as much, but other than that, I'd rather use the headlamp, for the convenience of no cords and ease of deployment.

 

[nonbox]

Yukon HL is a great headlamp but it has a pack in the back so lying on the floor or a creeper will be very uncomfortable.


What's the best headlamps with battery pack at the front?




____________________________________________________

http://nbox00.tripod.com

 

[Wingerr]

Actually it's not that uncomfortable; it beats laying your head on the concrete. Sleeping on it instead of a pillow is another matter, but not under a car-
What may be more a problem is that the lamp juts out more in front during the really limited ground clearance situations than other types, like the Moonlight. Most of the time it's not a problem, though.