# drop light - what light bulb?



## maverick06 (Nov 19, 2011)

I have a few drop lights and seem to always be dropping them... or bumping them... or whatever.  The point is I break lightbulbs pretty quick in the drop light. 

Incandescent lights have been good since they are cheap. but they are harder to find. CFL seem to be just about as sensitive to drops as the incandescent. Has anyone tried LED? Or found a different alternative for a drop light?


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## WES999 (Nov 19, 2011)

You can try using rough service bulbs, they should last longer.
I have a florescent drop light, have not broken it yet.


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## heat seeker (Nov 19, 2011)

Yup, I have a rough service bulb in service for years, and I don't baby it. Cost almost $4, but worth it!


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## willworkforwood (Nov 19, 2011)

+100 on the rough service bulbs - it's the only way to go.  I finally had one burn out (not break) during the Summer, after ?? years of service.  So, I stuck a regular bulb in to finish the job, and was reminded within the hour of why you spend the money for the rough service  %-P


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## maverick06 (Nov 20, 2011)

Awesome, I never knew how well those things worked, awesome,  might be doing that 

Although I have always been thinking about buying something like this for $12
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/e27-1210-6w-84-led-588-lumen-6500k-light-bulb-white-85-265v-ac-35829







Thanks!


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## heat seeker (Nov 20, 2011)

Those lights probably work okay, but I don't like the "flat" light they give out. They reduce shadows very well, but at least for me, make it hard to see detail, and screws up my depth perception. But I wear Coke-bottle thick glasses, which also make dandy safety glasses. YMMV.


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## Hass (Nov 20, 2011)

WES999 said:
			
		

> You can try using rough service bulbs, they should last longer.
> I have a florescent drop light, have not broken it yet.



x100 on rough service bulbs.

They'll still go out, but not as easily.
There's also ones that have a shatter resistant coating on them. So if the bulb cracks it will all stay together... or else if you really smash it, it will just break in half instead of a million pieces.


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## heat seeker (Nov 20, 2011)

Hass said:
			
		

> WES999 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Yes, and the coating makes them a little more resistant to shattering if liquid hits them.


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## MasterMech (Nov 21, 2011)

If I were buying a new drop light it would be LED.  I have LED, CFL, and Incandesceant lights and like the LEDS the best.  Durable, low wattage, almost zero heat output (major drawback to incandescent).  The CFL light I have is ok but it had proven relatively fragile compared to the LED's.  It's also being held together by electrical tape right now. :lol: 

If you're only looking to replace an existing droplight bulb, stick with a "Rough Service" bulb.  LED's really don't work well unless they have specially designed reflectors built in to the bulb or are built into the lamp like most LED dropligts are designed.


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## EJL923 (Nov 21, 2011)

i used to go through about 10 incandescent a year in my drop light, until i switched to the cfl.  Ive had much better luck with those.  They seem to survive drops off the engine bay.


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## ironpony (Nov 21, 2011)

stop buying drop lites and buy a stay put lite
anyhow I cant remember ever changing my fluorescent bulb in my drop lite


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