need a flashlight for automotive work

[nasa779]

ok i need a flashlight, preferrably led because of the color (trust me it helps), that doesnt have a distinguished "hot spot", or one that does with a smooth transition to spill, not like the eagletac p100c2 or my romisen RC-F4 which just have like a donut like beam with a distinguished hotspot and spill, just a nice bright flashie with good even spill

 

[vali]

How about a headlight? Maybe a Zebralight one?

 

[jslappa]

CHEAPEST ROUTE

Make a diffuser for one of the lights you currently own. Or find one you can buy.

MIDGRADE ROUTE

Buy a new light and a diffuser from lighthound or dealextreme

SUREFIRE ROUTE

Pick up a $55 M60WF from malkoffdevices.com and a Surefire 6P or 9P. The reason I call this the surefire route is if you are going to spend this kind of money for a light and dropin, you might as well get a bulletproof Surefire. You'll be glad you did after dropping it a few times on the cold concrete under those cars in the shop. About $120 really isn't that bad when one considers the value one is getting for the money.

 

[PsychoBunny]

Have you considered a small LED lantern, or do you need something that you can put in your pocket?

 

[fishx65]

I work on cars and ATVs a lot and the only light I use is a modded EOS headlamp because I usually need both hands free. The new Rebel EOS and 6 rechargeable aaa's seems like it would fit the bill perfectly. If you decide to go with a handheld, I would go for a plastic bodied light so you don't chip any teeth.

 

[Ryanrpm]

This mechanics light from Sunlite will fit your need very well! It does come with a hefty price tag, but well worth it. Its light is pure flood at 300 lumens.

Comes with a magnet and hook also. Designed for Mechanics...

Did I mention it is rechargeable?? Has a plug in port on the flashlight body.

 

[Ilikeshinythings]

I really liked working on my car with my Streamlight Scorpion LED because of the rubber handle...it is easy to hold in your mouth when need be, and bright enough to spot bolts. It's probably not the best, but it works well. You may be better off with a head-lamp so that both your hands are free...two is ten times better than one.

 

[nasa779]

well i know i dont want a headlight, i already have a 6p so i might go that route, but the tooth chipping i didnt think of lol

 

[NonSenCe]

hmm.. for years i used plastic incan light.. uk 4aa.. as my "mouthpiece"

now that i have mostly changed to led lights this year..

i still need to say that i like incan color better than leds i have.

i guess my leds are too white tint to be easy for my eyes.. especially close range and long time. or they are too bright? hah..

now im waiting for warm tint dereelight to arrive for test if thats better for me when i do car stuff..

so far led is better in runtimes. and pure power.

but i seem to be able to see stuff i look at better with warm tint of incan than bright white led.

mostly i have used fenix tk11. great light that dont run dead on one day. (over 10hours of brightness on one battery)

 

[Pacecar]

Recommend the Duracell Daylite 160 from Ace Hardware (internet order). Adjustable, very nice flood beam. Small and lightweight. If needed, can be inserted in a Nite-Ize headband.

 

[hojobones]

I'm an adjuster and inspect cars all day long. I would reccomend something like a L4, flood works the best for me. I'm using a milky gosling now which is a modded kl4 with a MCE on a E1B body and it's perfect. I bought my coworker a cheapy DX MTE P7 which is a two level light and works pretty well for us on a 18650.

 

[M@elstrom]

If you don't like the idea of a head lantern... have you considered a cheap multi-LED torch? they have an even flood, put out a useful quantity of light & won't cause you to shed a tear when they get all knocked about up during their lifetime :thumbsup:


Additionally, being a small unit you could ziptie a magnet to the side of it for 'handsfree' operation

 

[gswitter]

We really need a list of the XR-E-based lights that allow for easy removal of the the reflector/optic. The Tiablo A8, for example, makes a great directed, flood light - perfectly smooth beam, but enough of a shroud around the emitter to be easily usable.

The LED Lenser-style focusing lenses create a fairly even beam as well.

 

[Glenn7]

This mechanics light from Sunlite will fit your need very well! It does come with a hefty price tag, but well worth it. Its light is pure flood at 300 lumens.

Comes with a magnet and hook also. Designed for Mechanics...

Did I mention it is rechargeable?? Has a plug in port on the flashlight body.

you beat me to it Ryan

 

[Marduke]

Seems the perfect application for a floody headlamp to me.

 

[Stress_Test]

I used an led Streamlight Microstream(??) when I worked at a dealer years ago. It was the penlight thing that took AAAA batteries.

That worked out well because I could clip it in my shirt pocket for easy access, and having a small, slim light is good in close quarters (where a headlamp would be too bulky... under the dash, for example).

I lost that light only a month or so after buying it. Don't know if I left it in a customer's car or if somebody swiped it. I reached for it and it wasn't there; that's a bad feeling! Which brings me to my second point.

If this is for your job, you want something relatively inexpensive, because odds are that it might get stolen or lost when things get hectic.

 

[gallonoffuel]

I have started to convert some of my lights with tight hotspots into pure flood lights by using glass etching paste (sold at craft stores like Michael's). Etching one side of the glass lens gives you a nice diffuse but leaves a bit of a hotspot, etching both sides diffuses all, or nearly all, of the hot spot and gives you more than 90* of soft, even light. It doesn't really reduce the output to an unreasonable level if you start with a decent light. I have done a 3P clone with this method and it's the PERFECT walking/hiking light, and I've used it underneath my truck to do suspension work and the smooth, even light is really nice. No glaring hotspot to distract or blind you.

I mention this only because a lot of people looking for flood lights will discount the perfect form factor for them because the hotspot is too tight or the beam shape has too many rings/artifacts/bat symbols. This method allows you to find a light you like and not worry about how tight the beam is. There's also no external diffuser to worry about losing. Try finding a light with glass lenses that are an easy size to acquire though, in case you decide you want your hotspot back.

 

[Ryanrpm]

you beat me to it Ryan

I'll be getting one of these around July....and then we all can see what 300 lumens of flood will do to the engine compartment of a car!!:naughty:

You know Glenn, I think I'm really starting to like the universal fittings of these Sunlite products. Kind of like an all-in-one setup. And they seem to have a really good light for each category of application.

 

[marinemaster]

The Surefire E2L with the 45 lumens flat regulation has been working GREAT for me. So far the BEST car fixing light I ever used. Is awesome for car fixing. Used it many times all night for many hours.

 

[Yoda4561]

If you already have a 6p, and want a floody, good color light from it I totally recommend an M60 WF or WLF. If you plan on using it during the day where there's a fair amount of ambient light then get the WF, if it's just going to be used after dark where the flashlight doesn't need to compete with the sun then grab a WLF for the 4+ hours of runtime. I know you said you liked LED color, which to you likely means that brilliant blue-white color, but I'm pretty sure you'd prefer the warmer color light. They sit right between the whitest incans like your 6p, and the cool-white leds. If you don't think that's for you though, the malkoff M60F with a normal LED is available right now, the warms are sold out because of their current popularity.