It's time to get some better lighting. Not the fixtures on the ceiling, corded task lighting. I have a florescent tube trouble light that's so-so. LED is the way? I've had halogen ones, nice and bright, fragile and darn hot. Old incandescent? Any bright ideas?
I picked up one of these two years ago. Had to mess with the plug once, but otherwise it's been solid. It charges pretty quickly and you can use it while it's charging, which is nice. I'm sure there are better ones out there, but this was nice and cheap.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03473904000P?lid=IExTrans_ItemNumber_link&rioptype=SC&sid=IEx20140414TransSearsOrderConf&eml=
Led it's the way to go. I have a led rechargeable trouble light that is awesome.
I have 6 LED lights like this I picked up from Lowes. I used them on my lathe, both mills and as under hood/car lights. They are bright and small. You can clamp them on and aim them just about anywhere and the light doesn't shine back into your eyes.
This isn't the exact light, but it's similar. I think I paid about $10-$15 each for them.
I have a Stanley BarFlex LED light that I use quite often. It has a magnetic base, which gives it some extra stability, and allows it to hang from the underside of a hood.
I've been using what I believe is an older version of this one for years:
http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-26-watt-fluorescent-work-light/p-03483803000P?prdNo=8&blockNo=20&blockType=G20
I also bought this one for about $20 a few months ago, but haven't used it much yet:
http://t.harborfreight.com/120-led-rechargeable-under-hood-work-light-60793.html?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dharbor%2520freight%2520underhood%2520lights%26newwindow%3D1
One issue with the HF model is that the light is rather focused. I mentioned that on Garage Journal, and someone was kind enough to PM me and suggested taping Glad Press-n-Seal to the light, and that improved output by acting as a diffuser. Haven't tried it yet, but I'm cautiously optimistic.
http://www.glad.com/food-storage/pla.../press-n-seal/
I still keep going back to my old incadescent bulbed trouble light. It throws more light, in a more usefull spectrum, than any other light I've used.
at the shop we had one of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bayco-SLR-2120-120-Led-Rechargeable-Under-Hood-Work-Light-/131135662511
its pricey, and remember LEDs like to change hue/color and get dimmer over time, so a bit of extra $$$ here will net you better quality LEDs. we had the exact one above and usually fought over who got to use it (2 bay shop, two techs). i have a florescent one that uses a 36" tube (hard to find), and its good, but the led one was fantastic. the real key to good LED lights is diffusers. plain LEDs under clear plastic doesnt light up very well, but add some light diffusing plastic or crystal cut lenses, and LED becomes daylight.
-J0N
I'm still partial to this little guy: 
Like a credit card commercial said, it's everywhere you want to be. (Plus regular overhead lighting of course)
I like this Craftsman Fluorescent work light. The hooks are useful for hanging it from the hood and the feet keep it pointed the right way when underneath the car.
-- Pete
Which ever one works at the time for me, but more times then not it's the Snapon led 7.2v handheld light.
petzl headlights are the e36m3.
Jerry nailed it. My brother has a couple like that, except they're super light and they use a really simple, clean, string method to attach to your head. It's a retractor spring in the back that feeds a string out both ends around your head to the light. Strong, comfortable, automatic-adjusting. Oh, and bright. As E36 M3. Full-spectrum too: you can't beat those.
foxtrapper wrote: I still keep going back to my old incadescent bulbed trouble light. It throws more light, in a more usefull spectrum, than any other light I've used.
that was my favorite too - burned my forehead a bunch, melted carpet once, and the final was when room temp coolant spilled and blew it up. Then I decided to stop using that light.
Datsun310Guy wrote:foxtrapper wrote: I still keep going back to my old incadescent bulbed trouble light. It throws more light, in a more usefull spectrum, than any other light I've used.that was my favorite too - burned my forehead a bunch, melted carpet once, and the final was when room temp coolant spilled and blew it up. Then I decided to stop using that light.
Ok... Though I don't see how you could burn your head or set carpet on fire with one.
Are we talking about the same thing? I'm talking about one of these: 
Yes. You can definitely get burned on one of those. The sheild gets plenty hot, unless you use a really low wattage bulb, and then it doesn't give enough light.
It was my old favorite for years, and I still have it.
But a year or two ago, I started using one of my Makita flashlights, and there is no way I will go back.
Mine are like this:
They have a flat base and a swivel head. That means they can sit where you put them and be directed where you want them. I can put it on the floor pointed up while I am working under the car, or lay it in the engine bay pointed down toward my work. They are bright enough to light well, and hold a charge forever.
I know you asked for corded, but cordless is the answer.
Try hanging one of those old incandescent trouble lights under the car in a way that it will light your work and not be in the way when you are working on your back. Can't be done.
Yeah, you can lay it on the floor. But then you are spilling fluids on it, or burning your arm again. Not to mention trying to roll a creeper over the cord.
(quiet chant begins) cordless...cordless...cordless
+1 for LED bars...no danger from heat or AC power, no cords, long battery life.
Try hanging one of those old incandescent trouble lights under the car in a way that it will light your work and not be in the way when you are working on your back. Can't be done.
Actually I do it quite regularly. I find it easier to do it with these types because they throw out so much light, in such a broad pattern and broad spectrum, that they flood the whole area with useful light.
As for heat, I usually use a 100 watt bulb, and while it gets warm, it's never particularly hot. I can and do change the same bulbs in my house with my hands, they don't magically become hotter in a drop light. Certainly the drop lamp itself never achieves anything beyond faint warmth.
As for the cord, a moments thought about which way I run the light in almost always takes care of that. Usually from the rear of the car if I'm working from the front.
Mine gets hot. VERY hot.
I don't doubt you.
Since I started cordless, I have used the corded drop light only once. I don't see much use for it.
YMMV.
I like the $10 orange harbor feight one. They're cheap enough that when the bulb burns out I just buy a new light instead of replacing it. That and normally by that time the plastic tube around the bulb is completely destroyed from throwing the work light across the garage in anger and stepping on it by accident.
Datsun310Guy wrote: that was my favorite too - burned my forehead a bunch, melted carpet once, and the final was when room temp coolant spilled and blew it up. Then I decided to stop using that light.
Good thing that coolant wasn't something flammable.
Which is, of course, the absolute best reason for retiring the incandescent trouble light.
I have a DeWalt 18v flexible spot light that I used to use a lot... Unfortunately, the ex-g/f got most of those batteries in the 'split' and I haven't gotten around to buying more (or the 18v combo kit I've been wanting...).
I have a corded 18" fluorescent drop-light that I use most of the time, but it is annoying in its tendency to not point where I want it.
Similar to the head-lamp, I often wear a baseball cap with built-in 2-mode/direction LED's in the brim (powered by 2025 batteries). The cap provides a small amount of bump protection as well.
ATD light saber, available in florescent or LED. It attaches to the hood and swivels down, or stands low under the car and swivels up.
And it's 110v, so the battery never needs charged.
In reply to foxtrapper:
My drop light gets HOT with an incandescent bulb. I had a scar on my forearm from the backside of a drop light for a couple years. I still use a drop light regularly, but I put a 100W equivalent CFL in it. I've been using CFLs in my drop light for 8+ years, I've broken 4 or 5 bulbs, but I haven't burned myself since.
I've got a sweet Petzl Myo 3 headlamp, I technically bought it for night fishing/camping, but it has been extremely handy for mechanichin' too.
I had one of those, "you get what you pay for," HF LED lights with a magnetic and hook. It really was handy while it worked, short lived. I put-up with it flickering on and off for a while. Finally, I had a moment of frustration, was struggling with a nut in a hard to reach spot, and the light decided to turn off on its own at the wrong time. It went airborne, bounced off the wall, and then found its way to the trash can.
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