Phil: I tried a variety of rough service bulbs with limited success. I agree
that the fluorescent replacements are not as bright as, say, a 100w
incandescent, but in my case, having some light consistently and not having to
change the bulb when I'm under the car... well, you get the idea. And really,
if you can stuff a big enough bulb into a metal cage trouble light, it's not
too limiting. Maybe it's the way I break the incandescent filaments, I don't
know.... but for me, the fluorescent replacement has been suprisingly
successful.
Phil Ethier wrote:
> >I had a conventional trouble light hanging in my garage,
> >like yours it sounds like, but on a retractable reel.
> >Incandescent bulb type. And I would usually bump this just
> >enough to kill the bulb filament. Frequently.
>
> I suspect you are buying the wrong bulbs. Rough-service bulbs with the
> plastic coating and the wired-up filaments seem to last very well under
> abusive conditions.
>
> >For a lot less than the usual cost of the stick-type units,
> >I bought a self-contained fluorescent bulb that replaces an
> >incandescent bulb. Screwed it right in to the same
> >cage-type light. No more "dropped" drop light filament
> >kills. At about $15 each at Home Depot, I've had a full
> >return on my investment in the last two years in broken-bulb
> >avoidance.
>
> Hmm. I've killed several fluorescent bulbs in drop lights that were
> supposed to be bulletproof. And the darn things are never bright enough.
> One advantage has been that they fit in smaller places.
>
> One thing I learned early: Get a drop light with a perfectly opaque shade,
> like reflective steel. Not the yellow or orange plastic shade. You want
> light on your work, not in your eyes.
>
> Phil Ethier Saint Paul Minnesota USA
> 1970 Lotus Europa, 1992 Saturn SL2, 1986 Suburban, 1962 Triumph TR4 CT2846L
> LOON, MAC pethier@isd.net http://www.mnautox.com/
> "It makes a nice noise when it goes faster"
> - 4-year-old Adam, upon seeing a bitmap of Grandma Susie's TR4.
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