Work light I'm going blind!

[Potterswheel]

Can anyone recommend a decent work light, Its a while since I have been so involved with my car and as time goes on I am struggling with my sight and tolerance of bright lights and changes between light and dark.
I find most of the new LED's to be almost too bright.
I installed LED lighting in my garage at home to try and improve things and am regretting it, as if you are inside/under a car and look out/up you get blinded by them.
Help

 

[5Phil3]

 

[Potterswheel]

Some time ago I asked for some advice on work lights and have received little by the way of constructive feedback! so being a Bosch tools fan and having several Bosch 18V batteries already I bit the bullet and I asked Santa for a Bosch work light, here are my initial thoughts:-
this is the model Bosch GLI VariLED 0601 443 400

It fits on the 'standard' 18V batteries

And comes in a rather natty case (which will probably never get used!!) and has no room for the battery!

It folds to fit in the case
(front)

(back)

And has 6 positions when opened up, it is very stable when attached to the battery


It has an on off switch on the front which if you are looking at it you get blinded (not Good) and has 2 settings for the beam pattern spot and 'wide' both are very bright.


it says it will last for 7hrs when attached to a 3Ah battery so should cover most jobs!!
in summary it looks good for starters

Positives Negatives
Fits standard Bosch batteries if you have them you will have to buy a battery and charger if you don't have them
Batteries can be easily and quickly changed On Off switch on front next to LED's (very bright, you get blinded)
Very stable when attached to a battery no magnetic base
6 working angles
Has handle for hanging/carrying the lamp
Expensive

All in all if you are already committed to the Bosch system its a good lamp if expensive.

 

[rum4mo]

Almost one year late in posting to this thread, I too find with age the response time or recovery time for my eyes has got messed up with age, even working in a reasonably lit garage in summer and turning towards the ambient sunlight level, causes issues.

So, I eventually wised up and bought a powerful LED headlight/headlamp/headtorch from Screwfix, I deliberately chose one that used AAA batteries as buying one that had a built in rechargeable battery is possibly not so sensible for someone that works on cars "now and again". I also bought a Ring inspection lamp that has a built in rechargeable battery - no choice there, these LEDs with slim long LED arrays are very handy as well. I also have a couple of LED stick inspection lamps - old school bulky things, they both have built in rechargeable again no choice, but these are also handy for use in the house during power cuts, they have a hex shape moulded onto the body so in theory you can control the direction of the light. The LED headlight/headlamp/headtorch is the best option I have found.

I also seem to have a couple of Bosch drills and so 4 18V batteries, 2 X 1.4AHr and 2 X 4AHr (I think).

Edit:- this year Santa was allowed to provide me with one of the extra treats that I had bought myself earlier in the year, a Draper Vacuum Coolant Refill Kit!

 

[Potterswheel]

Thank you for your response - "we are not alone"

I too went down the route of head torches and indeed went for the replaceable batteries, but found that like you every time I went to use the head torch it seemed that the batteries were flat, even using Duracell
I have tried several!



I also found that there was a risk of the torch hitting the bodywork of my car, say you are working on your brakes and are kneeling by the wheel arch the top of your head can be above the arch and when you move your head forwards the torch can hit the wheel arch!!! The biggest problem however with head torches for me are my 'vari focal' glasses such that when I move my head to be able to see something close the torch is pointing at the timber stored in the garage roof space, if you use cheap 'readers' then you have to keep taking them on and off!!!!!!!
So a fixed solution has proved to be the best compromise for me although you never can seem to get the light in just the right position, and the ones I have tried seem to use the base as the charging connector and are not very stable.



Currently working with this ( before the Bosch landed) but it's not that 'industrial' it does give a nice soft light that is not as stark as most LED's



As you can see I have tried and am very hopeful that the Bosch solution will solve my issues, any more constructive suggestions will be gratefully received.

 

[Harvey]

I'm a Ryobi 18V ONE+ fan and have had their Worklight around 5 years which comes highly recommended. You can run the light single or double lamp and it swivels 270 degrees so useful for angling into awkward crevasses

 

[rum4mo]

@Potterswheel, the LED head torch that I use now very much the same as the one on the right hand side of your picture, it is okay if I leave batteries, again Duracell, in it for a long period - I really hate devices that seem to consume their batteries when not in use.
One thing I found with using LED head torches or any other LED torch is, due to the current flow being so low, if you start a job and eyes etc are fresh, over time with a well used set of batteries the LED light output reduces, but it is not always obvious and at least I think that I need to rest my eyes - or wise up and measure the voltage of the batteries!
Hitting bodywork with the end of the LED head torch, yes! I have never had to buy sight correction specs, but do now use reading glasses, yes they hit the bodywork as well, annoying. I have started using extremely high value reader's glasses so that I can focus down to very short distances, that works very well, standing up and walking around with them is not a wise thing to do though.