Replies

1. 
   DonCanDo | Jan 19, 2008 08:11pm | #1

   I use a very inexpensive dual halogen tripod worklight.  It came with 500W bulbs which burned out very frequently.  I replaced them with 300W bulbs.  They last a LOT longer and I rarely need more than the 600 watts that they put out.

2. 
   tashler | Jan 19, 2008 08:25pm | #2

   No, but if you go to HD (sorry, I hate to suggest it), by the halogen work lights they have a Husky tubular light. Check it out. I liked it so much on a job I did several weeks ago that I bought another one the other day as an impulse item.

   Less heat so you don't have to wait for it to cool down. 360 degree lighting. Collapses to a smaller tube for better storage.

   I love it. $60. Not bad at all.

   Glenn

1. 
   DanH | Jan 20, 2008 05:05am | #14

   Yeah, I just got the Husky fluorescent unit and have already used it several times. Not superbright and you can't aim it, but it's certainly adequate (supposedly 300W equivalent), and it stays cool. Folds up nice, too.
   If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader

2. 
   basswood | Jan 20, 2008 11:16pm | #21

   I have that HD Husky light too. I prefer the compactness of it for stowing in the van over the bulky wobble light.That and it looks cool. <g>

3. 
   CAGIV | Jan 19, 2008 08:27pm | #3

   I bought some at HD a while back, can't recall the name.

   They were not terribly expensive and they have lasted 4 or so years so far.  Part of what has contributed to their staying "nice" has been the plastic storage case they came with.

   Most of ours that have died or broke have done so because there was no good way to store and transport them.

   

1. 
   NatW | Jan 19, 2008 11:29pm | #6

   I had a cheap tripod light and the stand broke in transport. I was working tech at a school at the time, and had a camera tripod where someone had left the quick release attached to their camera (the part that screws to the bottom of the camera), rendering the rest of the tripod useless.

   I bolted the halogen lamp assembly to the top of the camera tripod, and it works great. Very easy to adjust in any direction and from about 3 feet to around 6 feet. If I lay it on its side with the lamp swivelled up it goes down to around a foot in height which is great in crawlspaces and attics.

   Because camera tripods fold up so compact, it doesn't get so much abuse in storage and has lasted longer than the 4-5 foot high stands it came with.

2. 
   Dreamcatcher | Jan 26, 2008 05:48pm | #26

   CAGIV,I second the lights in a case. I two sets of the Commercial Electric halogens from HD. I would have to say mine are at least 5 years old and regularly get used at a couple of times a month. In all the time I have had them, I have only needed to replace one bulb (that means I still have one spare that they came with). I figure as long as I keep letting them cool before storing, clean them up after each use, and keep them in their case whenever they are not in use, they will last me at least another 5-10 years. Not bad for the $20-$30 I paid for each.Gk

4. 
   bridge_dog | Jan 19, 2008 10:28pm | #4

    Look into wobble lights (http://www.wobblelight.com) they cost about 50-300$ depending what size you need. We use them on the towers here in Vegas and they really take a beating. The bulbs last about 2000 hrs and don't get real hot and they are much more brilliant than tripod work lights. They also have a 360 degree radius so they light up the whole site.I borrowed one when I did drywall repair and it worked much better than using a spot light because I could see the whole wall reducing the chance of missing any spots.

    

   
   

   ---

   Edited 1/19/2008 2:47 pm ET by Bridge_Dog

1. 
   ponytl | Jan 22, 2008 08:30am | #24

   i got one (wobble light)... the smaller one... they had them on clearance at HD for like $30... still a bit above my worklight budget... BUT i wish i'd bought all 4 that they had...  very nice unit... plus it has an outlet so... you can plug into it... pretty handy...

   the cheap ones... well are so cheap you just toss em... i get the harbor freight bulbs (300w) for 75 cents... and replace bulbs until.. the wires in em burn up... then they get tossed...

   i have several 4ft shop lights that i made simple stands for (stand on end)  that do work... as long as you place them in a corner so they don't get hit and bulbs busted they have served me well... @ less than $10 a pop and i usually pay $1 a bulb x2... so pretty cheap to keep in service... i try to wire em with an old light weight extention cord... so i have a 50ft cord on em...  which really helps

   p

   Edited 1/22/2008 12:33 am ET by ponytl

5. 
   gordsco | Jan 19, 2008 11:06pm | #5

   The glass got smashed on one side of my 1000 w set. I can't remember replacing the bulb in that side so I took the glass out of the other side. I can't remember where I put my collection of replacement bulbs its been so long.

    

   Gord

                           

    

    

6. 
   Jer | Jan 20, 2008 01:31am | #7

   Yes, there is one. It's hard to find though. I believe it's called the bulldog. The guy I work with has one and it really performs. I think it will run you about $100 for a simple little 500w light, but it's well worth it. None of the stores around here carry it, even the places for the pros. I'll look for a link.

7. 
   Jer | Jan 20, 2008 01:32am | #8

   Here 'tis.

   http://www.professionalequipment.com/portable-work-light-1-ft-floodlight-bull-dog-bd-1p11010/portable-work-lights/

8. 
   Jer | Jan 20, 2008 01:36am | #9

   Maybe this will work better. It's the heavy duty floor model that I'm talking about.

   http://shopsite.nni.com/worklites.html

9. 
   renosteinke | Jan 20, 2008 01:55am | #10

   I replaced my tripod 'toasters' with the "WobbleLight." Reminding you of a kids' punching clown, these lights roll with the punches - then roll right back up. I use the "junior" fluorescents .... one is good for a typical room, while you might want to use two if you're working in a garage.

10. 
    PeterJ | Jan 20, 2008 03:14am | #11

    I've got one I've had for a while, after having a few that fell apart. Not many bells and whistles (none really), but a good fuctional, rugged light. Just bought another...about $70. My only beef is it's portablility.

    http://www.cepnow.com/cartlights_index.htm

     

    PJ

    Everything will be okay in the end.  If it's not okay, it's not the end. 

11. 
    popawheelie | Jan 20, 2008 03:30am | #12

    I make my own. I use rigid steel conduit and put a hologen on it with a LONG cord.

1. 
   brownbagg | Jan 20, 2008 03:45am | #13

   I got the red one from Lowes and you have to fight it to get it to fold up..two ways to screw up concrete 1) concrete driver 2) concrete finisher

12. 
    Shoeman | Jan 20, 2008 05:09am | #15

    One more vote for the Wobble lights.  Been using mine for about seven years.  Would not go back to the tripods.

13. 
    JDLee | Jan 20, 2008 07:56am | #16

    I have a couple of the Husky flourescent tubular lights from HD, and a couple of the flourescent Wobble Light Jrs.  I got a super clearance deal on the Jrs. at a HD for $25 each.  I like them much better than the Husky lights.

    The Husky lights are a bit difficult to fold up, but they do position the light much higher than the Jrs.  And they have three bright blue LEDs on top when they are collapsed (but still plugged in).

    The Jrs. have a convenient outlet on them.  They are easier to move around and take up much less floor space.  The legs of the Husky tripod tubular lights are easy to trip over, and the bulbs in them take a minute or two to reach full brightness.  All in all, I always reach for the Wobble Lights first.

1. 
   DanH | Jan 20, 2008 04:12pm | #17

   In my recent work (skim-coating walls above a countertop) the height of the Husky was an absolute necessity. I can see how the wobble might be better in an empty room.
   If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader

1. 
   JDLee | Jan 20, 2008 07:24pm | #18

   Actually, the Wobble Lights are far better for ceiling lighting because the top of the light dome/lens is the same translucent material as the rest of the lens.  As a result, they provide plenty of "up-light."

   The Husky tripod tube light, on the other hand, is designed in a way that absolutely no light can shine directly up.  In fact, there are two flourescent bulbs in the Husky light tube.  The bottom one is upright, but the top one is upside-down, which highlights the Husky's inability to shine light upward.

   There is simply no comparison between the two lights in terms of their ability to light a ceiling.  The Wobble Light is the vastly superior choice for ceiling lighting.

   The height of the Husky tripod light comes in handy when I find myself working on a countertop, workbench, or other waist-high surface. 

1. 
   DanH | Jan 20, 2008 10:49pm | #20

   Well, if I'd wanted to light a ceiling it would have concerned me. I needed to get the light into the space between countertop and upper cabs, and nothing sitting low is gonna do that.
   If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader

1. 
   JDLee | Jan 22, 2008 07:05am | #23

   Oh, sorry, I read that too quickly.  That does seem like exactly the sort of thing I'd pull the Husky out for.  The Wobble Light Jrs. might even fit on top of the countertop.

   Someone else asked which Wobble Lights I have.  I have the flourescent Jrs.  I only bought the Jr. size because that is what the HD I found them on clearance at had.

   I wouldn't want the large ones.  I've seen them up close at Dixieline, and it seems to me the extra size would make them much more difficult to transport.  Plus, you wouldn't be able to fit them in as many places.  Given a choice between the full size Wobble Lights and the Husky tripod lights, I'd take the Husky lights.

   For something extremely portable and still very bright, I can also recommend these lights:

   http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/in+your+garage/garage+lighting+and+power/four+twin+tube+fluorescent+light.do

   Sears also carries these lights with the "Craftsman" name on them (I couldn't link to them because I got a site down message from sears.com).

   These lights are very bright.  You can turn on two or four of the twin tubes on at once, giving you some control of the brightness and energy usage.  I really, really like these lights and use them frequently.  Because they are small and flourescent, they can fit in tight spaces without overheating the space.  You can work right next to them.

    

2. 
   DonCanDo | Jan 27, 2008 12:02am | #27

   This place is great for many reasons, not the least of which is that it's so terribly helpful at encouraging me to spend my money :-)

   I just bought the Sears worklight you mentioned.  I've been using 300w halogen worklights, but sometimes they're a bit too much.  This little Sears worklight looks like it will be just the ticket for those times when just a little more light is needed.  I do a lot of painting and they should work well for that.

   I was thinking about the Husky worklight (I mean, it just looks so cool), but it's really a bit bigger than I need.  And keeping things small so everything fits in the van is something that I try to do.

   Anyway, thanks for the recommendation.

3. 
   DanH | Jan 27, 2008 03:02am | #28

   Nice thing about the Husky is that it packs up tighter than any other tripod light you're apt to find. And pretty rugged when packed up, too.
   If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader

2. 
   tashler | Jan 20, 2008 08:49pm | #19

   I've never seen Wobble Lights at Home Depot, otherwise I most likely would have tried them, also.Which Jr. do you have? I might try to find some cheap.Glenn

   Edited 1/20/2008 12:52 pm ET by Tashler

1. 
   jack_bogard | Jan 20, 2008 11:29pm | #22

   Some HD's carried the wobblelite jr's a few years ago but they clearenced them out a year or so ago. didn't carry them for very long.

14. 
    Jerry18 | Jan 22, 2008 09:39am | #25

    I just added two of these to my arsenal of work lights:

    http://tinyurl.com/25dja2

    Before you laugh; I put 300W (equivalent) fluorescent bulbs in them. Plenty of cool light from two directions and very cheap. I like them.