Cordless Work Light Buying Guide: All Aspects Covered

When you are using LED work light, you will find that there is a lot of variety in it as there can be different power sources which will be used. Owing to this diversity, you have the option of picking whatever seems to be apt for your use. Let us take a look at some of the common source of power used for cordless work light.

Battery operated work light

When buying cordless work lights, you can find a lot of people choosing battery operated lights rather than settling for rechargeable ones. Let us take a deeper look at how alkaline batteries work and what makes them a popular choice.

Alkaline batteries are mainly made by reacting zinc and manganese dioxide. They tend to have a long shelf life and their energy density is pretty high too. They are a popular choice because they can be used in any orientation and even with a single use, they tend to last longer. One major reason as to why people prefer alkaline batteries over rechargeable ones is because the discharge rate is pretty lower as compared to rechargeable ones.

Rechargeable batteries work light

Rechargeable batteries are essentially the ones which can be once again charged up after you have discharged it completely. There are different types of rechargeable alkaline batteries and the popular types among them are as follows.

• NiMH: It is considered to be the best choice for rechargeable batteries as they are free of all possible kind of toxic materials which is otherwise present in NiCads.
• NiCads: They were once popular but are now fading out because they are made of toxic materials which make them hard to dispose. Further, the performance is getting down too as compared to NiMH batteries.
• Rechargeable alkaline: You will need a special charger in order to recharge these batteries. They are generally the cheapest choice when it comes to rechargeable batteries and you do not need any special recycling either.
• Li-Ion: These are the costliest batteries and even if you leave it unused, it is least likely to get discharged. They are the best bet for devices which drain huge amount of charge.

A lot of cordless work lights also run on rechargeable batteries. There are plenty of different reasons as to why people prefer rechargeable batteries too. Let us see the reasons that cement its popularity.

If you have a device that you use quite frequently or even the ones that tend to drain batteries at a very high rate, you should definitely opt for rechargeable ones as they will turn out to be a cost effective option.

Which seems to be the better option?

A lot of people are seen debating as to what would be the best bet when it comes to rechargeable and alkaline batteries. Let us jot it down for you.

If you are using devices which do not drain too much power, dry alkaline battery seem to be the better option. Automotive work lights are likely to be good for dry alkaline batteries.

Those devices which draw huge amount of power and will be put to moderate or extensive use should run on rechargeable batteries. It will only turn out to be a cost effective option when you put it to use for devices that will draw excessive power.

LED light sources of Work Light

When you are looking to buy automotive work light, you will also need to be familiar with the different LED light sources. Ideally, there are three main categories into which we can distinguish the LED light sources and they are as follows.

• Straw Hat LED
• SMD LED
• COB LED

Each of these three different sources of LED is popular among users and serves the right use. Let us go into further details about it.

LED (light emitting diodes) are known to be the safest solution and are also an energy efficient choice as well. They are free of lead and mercury and are also known to consume a lot less energy which makes them a preferred choice. Yet another reason as to why LED is so common when it comes to cordless work light is because it doesn’t takes time to illuminate and can be powered instantly. Not only this, the different designs of LED are such that they can also remove the heat from the sink which helps in prolonging the overall life of the bulb. Further, they are known to be an eco-friendly choice because they aim at curtailing the total carbon emissions.

There are different light sources which can be used for LEDs and we will see the main variants.

Straw Hat LED Work Light

This is ideally the kind of LED where the envelope is shorter, wider and even flatter. Owing to this extra width, the radiation offered by the light is a lot more. They also help in improving the light illumination because the distribution of light pattern is a lot more scattered and even. It is often used as an internal reflector.

• Pros
• Wide illumination
• Extremely wide viewing angle
• Can be put to multiple uses
• Cons
• It needs a lot of working if you need to get a sharply focused stream of light.

SMD LED Work Light

SMD (Surface mounted devices) are a new form of LED lighting which is trending in today’s times. They are extremely versatile and are used in multiple applications. They make use of the DIP technology and thus the chips which are used are pretty small in size. The SMD chips are so made that 3 diodes can be put together on a single chip and thereby it enjoys a powerful combination.

• Pros
• Extremely powerful performance
• Can be used for multiple uses
• Makes use of modern DIP technology
• Cons
• Installation can be very hard
• They tend to radiate a large amount of heat
• They are quite expensive
• As they emit unidirectional light, they might not be good for flood lights
• External weather conditions like rain and storms can affect the performance
• It requires excessive maintenance

COB LED Work Light

COB (Chips on board) is another new technology which is commonly used when making LEDs. In this form of LED, a lot of different LED chips are jam-packed together on a single lightning module. Owing to the huge number of chips packed on the same module, it can generate huge amount of light and thus offers higher illumination.

• Pros
• Offers great lightning intensity
• They are easy to install
• They do not need a lot of maintenance
• Mostly, they can easily bear the fluctuation in power
• They radiate less amount of heat
• They emit multidirectional light
• Cons
• The different chips will vary in voltage and wattage

Ideally, there aren’t much disadvantages of the COB LED and they are therefore immensely popular.

The different designs of work light

The hanging hook

You can find cordless lights that come with a single hanging hook. The swivel hook will offer a complete 360 degree movement and most of these lights will have a strong magnetic bottom. This helps in enjoying complete hands free use. The hooks come in handy for the sake of fixing the light wherever you want and they can offer instant illumination too. There are plenty of different models which use the hanging hook design. Make sure to explore the core features meticulously before deciding the ones to buy.

Magnetic base

You can also find a lot of work light with magnetic base. The main aim of this base is to offer improved functioning and productivity for these lights. The magnetic base is present in the stand which allows for easy grip as the magnetic stand can cling to different surfaces. Further, they will mostly come with a swivel belt buckle as it allows moving through different directions and thereby offers a better and enhanced view of different objects. Just having a magnetic base is not sufficient and you will find plenty of different variations. Ensure that you are going through the different speculations like the kind of LED light sources which have been used and the power sources as well.

Pivoting stand

Another important thing which you need to notice when you are opting for battery powered work lights is to look out for the kind of pivoting stand which it comes with. In order to offer the right ergonomic grip, the lights come with different kind of stands. The use of the best stands will ensure that no matter where you are working, you will be able to set the cordless lights on the table and continue with your work. With the finest pivoting stand, lights can be placed anywhere and you will be able to get the most of your need to use the different cordless work light.

Belt buckle

Almost all the different models of work lights come with a swivel belt buckle. Having this belt buckle comes in handy in those cases where you need to sling the light to your waist so that you can use it in different areas. It is a great way of ensuring that the belts will carry the light in the right manner no matter where you want it. When you are involved in work which involves plenty of concentration, you can make use of this belt for slinging it to your body. Explore the details of the type of belt buckle you can find and then sling it in the apt manner so that you can keep your hands free for working.

Screw mounting hole

When you are looking for the best lights to use, you should also keep an eye on the type of screw mounting hole which you can get. With this feature, it is easy to fix the light at different places. The best quality of work light with magnetic base comes with the most amazing and solid screw mounting hole. Make sure to seek help of a professional if you are unsure of the different specifications. The idea is to choose such pieces which look to be a great choice and can offer the maximum productivity as well. With the best screw mounting hole, you can tie the lights firmly.

Folding design

When portability of the lights becomes an important point, you will need to be sure that you are checking out the design of the underhood LED work light. There are models which come with a folding design and you can choose to opt for them. These folding designs will offer you the best output as you will be able to easily fold the lights and carry the whenever you go. If you are looking for cordless work light which can be taken whenever you go without any hassles whatsoever, you should check out the different folding design of lights and the kind of features which it has to offer.

These are some of the different designs and aspects which you must keep in mind when buying work lights.

Application of work light

There are a lot of different uses of these lights and some of the key ones are as follows.

• Emergency lights
• For illuminating darkly lit areas
• In garages, during repair activities
• For illuminating under construction areas
• Lighting in households
• Inspection lights
• Different shops and offices

Basically, cordless lights are essential because of their versatility and the ease of use. They can be procured for cheap and can be put to multiple uses at the same time.

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