A Must Have!

[VibrantRedGT]

how much did they cost?

My neighbor across the street remodeled for living and he would bring me fluorescent fixtures all the time. I just kept installing them in my garage which is why I have 800+ Watts. You can buy a 3 foot / 2 bulb fixture for like $24.99 at Lowes, Home Depot.

 

[BlackVert]

oh ... i thought you were talking about the kind of thing Chris posted that he said cost his wife on the order of $150 after the military discount.

never mind.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Oh, I was talking stuff like this.

Here is a single for $12 / 25" long
Shop Metalux 25" Utility Flourescent Strip Light at Lowes.com

Here is a double for $15 / 24" long
Shop Metalux 25" 2-Light Utility Fluorescent Strip Light at Lowes.com

Here is a double for $20 / 49" long. I'm buying this one today in fact.
Shop Metalux 49" 2-Light Utility Fluorescent Strip Light at Lowes.com

 

[Last5.0]

Yeah it's actually cheaper to buy a whole new fixture than piecing a ballast and sockets together on a 2x4

Does the original one 4Jenna posted have the bulb inside a plastic case or anything protective? When these bulbs break they shatter glass everywhere. They make clear protective sleeve tubes to install over them to keep the broken glass contained.

 

[BlackVert]

even doing it DIY, a 48" double (without tubes) would run about $20, so that is a great deal.

last5.0, yeah it has a protective sleeve

 

[VibrantRedGT]

I have a double bulb unit that's out, looks to be the ballast. They want $15.97 just for the ballast. I can buy the entire unit for $20 minus the bulbs which I already have, done deal. I may buy 2. Need to burn some retnas.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

My driver just handed me this. The 3rd link I posted earlier. Woot!!

 

[BlackVert]

of course, the DIY approach also lets you come up with something that is inexpensive and custom that you can tweak, like adding sliding hooks that let you hang it on your hood.

just sayin

 

[4Jenna]

I need to find more time in my day to do cool stuff like this, I barely find time to work on the car...yet alone make cool DIY tools!

Yes the light I have is shatter proof

 

[BlackVert]

Well, I used my new light for real for the first time tonight. The minivan had a headlight out, and the Fairlane is in the garage, so I had to do it in the driveway. So I pulled out my handy new light and hooked it to the hood and had no trouble at all changing the headlight.

It was great!

Thanks Chris for the idea for this light! I love this thing!

 

[4Jenna]

Np man, glad it worked out good!!

-Chris

 

[nmcgrawj]

Well, I used my new light for real for the first time tonight. The minivan had a headlight out, and the Fairlane is in the garage, so I had to do it in the driveway. So I pulled out my handy new light and hooked it to the hood and had no trouble at all changing the headlight.

It was great!

Thanks Chris for the idea for this light! I love this thing!

What did u use for arms to wrap around the hood?

 

[BlackVert]

heh, this is when you guys see how ghetto i am ....

6" mending plates. The hole in the end of the mending plate fits the 1/4" threaded rod perfectly. Nuts on both sides hold it in place. The mending plate fits just right in a garden hose which is used to protect the paint on the car. Then I bent it to about 90* where it makes sense for my hood.

The rubbery attribute of the hose also helps it not slide when the hood is up. A 1/4" ID fuel line on the threaded rod is used to protect the under side of the hood.

I'll do a write up of it with pics and stuff eventually.

 

[4Jenna]

Another small update, and another reason why this light is so useful! You can use this thing in any maintenance situation!
I am working night shift, got home Friday night around 1am. Got a hair up my ass and decided to do my trans service on my F250 (I had purchased the filters/fluid earlier in the week)

Any how I grabbed the light, hooked one arm on a running board, and stretched it across the under side of the truck and the other arm actually reached the other running board (so on underside of truck from driver to pass side)

It was great having both hands free, or not having a flashlight propped up somewhere falling every 10min haha. It was brighter under there than if it was daytime haha!

 

[revhead347]

I love doing tranny services. I always put a catch pan under there, so I get at least one quart of tranny fluid in it. But it doesn't matter what you do, at least 3 quarts of transmission fluid are going to end up on the floor.

Kurt

 

[BlackVert]

dang, how long are those arms?

 

[4Jenna]

I love doing tranny services. I always put a catch pan under there, so I get at least one quart of tranny fluid in it. But it doesn't matter what you do, at least 3 quarts of transmission fluid are going to end up on the floor.

Kurt

Isn't that the truth haha!

 

[4Jenna]

dang, how long are those arms?

Chris not sure, but they were maxed out.

I can't think of any reason for them to be longer than that haha.