Working on the car lights and other gadgets 2025 edition

[TJ Hopland]

Whats everyone using for work lights for working on cars?  I think I or someone may have brought this up a few years ago but since this sort of technology seems to be evolving pretty fast its probably worth revisiting the subject to see what else may be out there.  I remember back in my youth it seemed like I could rebuild an entire engine by candlelight but now I can't hardly get the hood open without lots of extra lighting. 

Just curious is anyone still using the old school classic 'trouble light'?  Ahh the dark ages (pun intended) when everything had a cord.  Even if you had the rough service bulbs you would look at them wrong and they would burn out.  And how often did they melt something? 


---under hood specific---

Quite a few years ago now I bought a Harbor Freight underhood tube light thing.  I think this type started out as a 4' fluorescent but this one is LED and has a battery.  Not especially good battery life and a few other quirks but I still use it for under hood work.  Its not good enough for real fine detail work but it does do what I assume it was designed to do which is replace your overhead lights that the hood is blocking.  I do sometimes use it under and inside the car.  I never had any other lights of this type so no idea if there are better or worse versions. 


---headlamps---

Headlamps are super useful and I have come to depend on them much more than I used to.  I have had dozens over the years and never really liked any of them for various reasons,  like non rechargeable battery life and being heavy and awkward.  For the last 5 or 6 years now I have been using lights from BioLite. 

I'm currently running the 425 model and it has outlasted the previous versions that I managed to sweat into not working.  Only downside to working on cars with the 425 is the battery pack on the rear, it can get in the way if you are laying on the ground or a creeper.  Other than that I like the rear battery especially when they were heavy due to the technology or size.  I thought it helped to balance and hold the light in place. 

I never liked the ones that took say AAA batteries up front behind the light that then had a big long heavy lens.  I felt like a ghostbuster and like it was always trying to slide off.  Bio lite (and others im sure) does have models with the battery up front if you are primarily laying down.

https://www.bioliteenergy.com/products/headlamp-425


---other styles---

I bought this little thing several years ago and its been a really handy light for cars and other things.  Magnetic base and and good battery life.  Comes in different lengths, I got the 8.5" I think. 
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/oes-24605 


I have been seeing various youtubers just got this unit from Harbor Freight.  I have never had a light of this style but it seems like its got a lot of features specifically for automotive work.  Anyone use this style before or have an opinion on em?
https://www.harborfreight.com/lighting/work-lights/1000-lumen-dual-sided-rechargeable-slim-bar-light-with-uv-inspection-70198.html 

[Roger Zimmermann]

For years, I was using a neon lamp. Good light, but I'm missing a the third hand. The orientation of the light is usually not here you would need it and, working on the back under the car, the cable is on the way. I also used another neon lamp which was rechargeable. Good light for a short time, same issue with the orientation and life from accumulator rather short.
Since two or three years, I have this lamp which is attached to the head. Good light just where you need it, with two stages of light intensity. The sole inconvenient: when I'm under a car, the lamp slip back from the head.
I bought that lamp in Switzerland, but made in Denmark.

[Warren Rauch #4286]

  I tend to work long enough at a time that battery power is a problem. So I use the old trouble lights.I don't have a bulb problem . I use LED bulbs. The 100w equivalent give lots of  light, but since they use a lot less power don't overload the light. The bulbs stay cool,no melting . The filaments take lots of abuse. And Since they are cold to touch ,stuff dipping on them doesn't shatter the  globes.

Warren

[TJ Hopland]

Warren, good point about using modern LED bulbs in the classic lights.  It does solve the heat and reliability issues which as I noted were major downsides to me and others.  I'm trying to remember if I had tried that or if I had moved on to other styles by the time the LED's were reasonably priced and looked reasonable.  I may have tried CFL bulbs but those were not the greatest either especially for this application.

Roger, that looks like a decent headlamp.  Looking at it at least it doesn't seem like its very heavy so it should stay in place reasonably well.  It also doesn't have anything like a battery in the rear so no problem if you are laying down.  One feature I can't tell if it has or not is the ability to tilt?  My last several models have had that and I find that to be a very useful, almost required for many uses feature. 

A side note for those that wear bifocal eyeglasses it can be fun trying to get your head tilted so your glasses can focus on what you want to work at then also have to tilt the light so its also in the right place. 

Another battery powered light feature people should be aware of that not all have is with the rechargeable ones that don't have a swapable battery is can it operate while charging?  That way if you have a long project and need to keep going you can either plug in the charger or one of those portable USB power pack things and keep going.  Yes it adds a cord but better than having to stop completely or work in the dark. 

 

[TJ Hopland]

Decided to expand this thread into other working on the car things other than tools.  An item I have been using a bunch now that its cold out (and in an unheated garage) and friend asked me about is this thin cap that in this case is marketed to bicycling.  I'm sure there are different brands that cost less as well as more.  I would also imagine there are different helmet sports that have a similar style cap.

https://www.45nrth.com/product/45nrth-greazy-cap-417604-1.htm


Its designed to be thin to comfortably fit under a helmet and still let the helmet do its job if needed.  I bought it for that application but started wearing it while doing other things including working on the car.  I'm not usually a hat person at all and living in a climate that freezes good in the winter often go pretty cold before I wear any sort of cap.  One reason is with a typical winter cap my head tends to sweat especially if I'm doing any sort of work.  A thicker cap also makes things like the headlamps or the muff style hearing protection not fit or work properly.  So I find that this style of cap is just enough insulation and covering the ears that I can be out in a lot colder conditions before giving up and needed more,  often for that cold I have a hood on my jacket so I keep this thin cap on and just flip the hood up.

Anyone else have any other things to make working on the car a bit easier?  Gloves?  Knee pads?

Speaking of knee pads I saw some people with a pad like this and now I have several.  You find them in the masonry department.  They are different than what you find in gardening because they have the hard plastic shell that makes them more durable and easy to slide around.  The handles also let you step on the handle to flip it up so you can grab it without bending over as far.  Thats a great feature for those of us that have a limited number of bends in us per day and have to make em count. 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Marshalltown-Kneeler-Board/5005346965
         

[Gene Beaird]

I tend to work long enough at a time that battery power is a problem. So I use the old trouble lights.I don't have a bulb problem . I use LED bulbs. The 100w equivalent give lots of  light, but since they use a lot less power don't overload the light. The bulbs stay cool,no melting . The filaments take lots of abuse. And Since they are cold to touch ,stuff dipping on them doesn't shatter the  globes.

Warren

I have a LED light in a drop light, but it's been there for years, so doesn't put out the light the 100W equivalent bulbs do these days.  Maybe I should upgrade. 

I also have a Rigid portable LED and another big battery-powered LED I got from HomeyLows years ago.  BOTH offer a plug-in option, although you can only plug the Rigid in if you pull the battery.  The HD unit is old enough it's just better to plug it in.  It puts out a TON of light, though.  I have two batteries for the Rigid, so one can be charging while you're using the other.  The light output is adjustable, too, and seems to last a good long time if you just turn it down a tiny bit.  I HATE the ergonomics of it, though.  It's balanced oddly, and I had to add a drawer pull to the top so I had a way to conveniently-carry it.  It's also kind of heavy.  With the weight and ergonomics, it's kind of clumsy to move around.  But I have it, so I use it. 

For task work, I have something similar to the Hotligh magnetic-base work light:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CC51Q3K2/?tag=yribchanlukkwl-20

I like that it has three light settings and if you turn it on, wait a few seconds, press the power button again, it'll turn completely off.  Quickly cycle through the different light settings and you can easily-select them.  I have another brand light of similar design, but you HAVE to press the power button to cycle through the light settings in order to just turn it off each and every time.  I find that annoying. 

Additionally, the magnetic base on the other brand light is kind of weak.  You have to have a good flat steel surface, or it'll fall off.  The light linked above has a very strong magnetic base.  Almost too strong.  I can't tell you how many times I've had to go searching for a screw or tool only to find them stuck to the magnetic base of the light.  First world problem, though, right? 

[TJ Hopland]

Ya that is another advantage to the old school light,  On and OFF are your choices.  I too must have a dozen other lights that have multiple functions on one switch including the seemingly useless flashing modes and I can never remember how any of them work.  I usually have to keep clicking to figure it out and even 10 minutes later I can't remember.  It would be nice if the store or brand could at least standardize on how the dang switch works.   

[Gene Beaird]

Ya that is another advantage to the old school light,  On and OFF are your choices.  I too must have a dozen other lights that have multiple functions on one switch including the seemingly useless flashing modes and I can never remember how any of them work.  I usually have to keep clicking to figure it out and even 10 minutes later I can't remember.  It would be nice if the store or brand could at least standardize on how the dang switch works.   

Agreed!  The two task lights are both completely different, as noted.  The one with the good magnet and switch that doesn't force you to press through all modes to get it to turn off won't fold in half.  Because of that, I stick it on one of the steel uprights of our workbench, up out of the way when not in use.   

The one with the weak magnet and annoying switch can be folded in half, which I really like.  That one I keep in an overhead cupboard in the kitchen. 

But yeah, I have at least 4 of the 'head' light-type lights and every one is different as far as switching. 

[TJ Hopland]

Anyone ever seen any lights that have an on/off function for the attachment?   Like a super strong magnet that could really stick but then could be turned off to make it easy to remove or not stick to random stuff?     Think like a dial indicator base.   Electro magnet like a mag drill?

[TJ Hopland]

How about stool chair cart sort of things?  Anyone use such a thing?  What are features one should look for if they are considering one?  Maybe having wheels isn't critical if you are say working on brakes where you are not really needing to move around but if you were doing some detailing and needing to scoot around the whole car? 

There are ones that just have the bottom and some for a lot more money that have a bit of a back?  Does that back make a difference?  It doesn't seem like it would since its barely there?  I'm just picking harbor freight as an example,  I'm pretty sure there are tons of brands with similar offerings.  Is there other styles that should be considering?

https://www.harborfreight.com/pneumatic-adjustable-roller-seat-46319.html



https://www.harborfreight.com/professional-adjustable-shop-seat-with-tool-storage-red-58449.html

[TJ Hopland]

Another gadget that I assume has changed a fair amount over the last several years is vacuums?  30-40 years ago we had what a 'shop vac' or moms/wifes vacuum from in the house or maybe a 'Dustbuster'?  I would imagine there are both car specific and stuff that works well on cars these days?

Do you just go to the car wash or gas station to vacuum out your car?  I have I think the smallest Dewalt battery powered shop vac that I have been using for quick spot cleaning in the cars but its not really good for doing a major clean.

[David Greenburg]

I still use a big red Craftsman 16 gal.shop vac. It takes up a lot of space but it seriously sucks (in a good way), makes cleaning out a car or cleaning off a workbench a breeze, and vacuuming the garage floor is not unpleasant. And it can help with landscaping, emptying a clogged sink or getting the last inch of water out of a hot tub. I have an extra-long hose on it, so I can do the main workbench without moving it from its parking spot, and can reach either side of a car without moving it from side to side. If I needed a new one, I might look for something a little smaller if it had comparable power.   

[TJ Hopland]

16 gallon I think is still a pretty common size and considered a 'full size' vac.  I would have to look but I would guess that is about that the around 20 year old one I have is too.  I do remember buying the one I have now and that it took quite a but of looking to find something that wasn't stupid loud.  I don't know how loud mine is but I know is quite a bit quieter than most, still no doubt its a vacuum but at least not ear bleeding.  Never thought about it before but when did it become normal for shop vacs and air compressors to be stupid loud?

I don't use mine that often so it doesn't have a home in a spot where its really usable.  I'm not sure that I would use that much more if it did have a good spot and then like you were saying with the hose, a long one would make it nicer but that too takes up space when being stored in a ready to use state and even in use.

Does anyone other than woodworkers have theirs set up with pipes around the garage?   Do people with central vacs and an attached garage have a port and maybe special garage use only hoses?   I can think of some peoples houses I have been in where the vac unit is in the garage but I don't recall ever seeing an obvious port for garage use.  Or does the design of those not lend itself to garage sorts of bigger chunks?   Would that be where you could make use of those inline cyclone catchers?  Catch the chunks before it gets into the built in system?

[bcroe]

For cleanup here I use a central vacuum.  With 2 in
pipes it is so powerful it must have its own 15A
circuit.  No draging around and plugging in a local
unit, with dusty air coming out.  Only empty it after
months. But I would only use it for dry pickup, no
oil, etc.  Bruce Roe

[Lexi]

I got an old Craftsman 5 gallon wet/dry vac that is super powerful and "stupid loud" as well. Gets the job done and I am happy with it. I also got an air cleaner that I hang from the rafters of my shop which pulls fine particulate matter out of the air when the shop is in use. Probably should have used that one more frequently. As the saying goes, "If I had known I would have lived this long I would have taken better care of myself". Clay/Lexi

[Gene Beaird]

How about stool chair cart sort of things?  Anyone use such a thing?  What are features one should look for if they are considering one?  Maybe having wheels isn't critical if you are say working on brakes where you are not really needing to move around but if you were doing some detailing and needing to scoot around the whole car? 

There are ones that just have the bottom and some for a lot more money that have a bit of a back?  Does that back make a difference?  It doesn't seem like it would since its barely there?  I'm just picking harbor freight as an example,  I'm pretty sure there are tons of brands with similar offerings.  Is there other styles that should be considering?

https://www.harborfreight.com/pneumatic-adjustable-roller-seat-46319.html



https://www.harborfreight.com/professional-adjustable-shop-seat-with-tool-storage-red-58449.html

If you have any lower back issues, yes, a seat back helps, even if it's kind of low.  My bride uses one daily (Perfusionist), and the low, round-seat stool would have her coming home with a backache.  We got one, I thought it was a Craftsman, but they show nothing like it online, that had wheels and a low back rest.  It's worked well, until she brought it home with a failed wheel.  It seems the chemicals used to clean an OR are pretty rough on many plastic products.  I replaced the wheels and put it in my shop and got here a Vyper shop seat.  It's a bit more robust, and expensive, and has a nice back to it:

https://www.vyperindustrial.com/collections/all-chairs/products/robust-steel-max

IMHO, wheels are important for a stool, maybe not so much for a creeper, as I find I'm spending too much effort trying to stay in one place while turning wrenches while on a creeper than actually turning wrenches.  With a stool, you still have both legs on the ground to help anchor you. 

I also have a simple office chair that my SIL left us when her family relocated to the UK.  It goes low enough to make working in wheel wells while the car is on jack stands easy.  If you need to do more ugga-duggas, you can simply get off the stool/chair, roll it behind you and kneel while you bust those ball joint nuts loose. 

[Gene Beaird]

I got an old Craftsman 5 gallon wet/dry vac that is super powerful and "stupid loud" as well. Gets the job done and I am happy with it. I also got an air cleaner that I hang from the rafters of my shop which pulls fine particulate matter out of the air when the shop is in use. Probably should have used that one more frequently. As the saying goes, "If I had known I would have lived this long I would have taken better care of myself". Clay/Lexi

While not a Craftsman, I also have one of those 5 gallon wet/dry vacs, and I think 'stupid-loud' is a feature, not a flaw.      If I'm using that, I'm wearing ear plugs. 

My current go-to is a Dewalt 20V unit.  It works fine, has decent battery life, but the air filter seems to require frequent blowing out so you get a good amount of suction.