What are the best lights for working on cars?
Snap-On, Snap-On. It’s all you see or hear in the world of professional auto technicians. From a branding stand point, Snap On Tools has a major foothold among technicians and even just DIY guys at home.
It seems that a vast majority of auto mechanics, transmission builders, body techs, etc have all fallen under the magical spell of the Snap-On logo and it’s easy to see why.
The tools are undoubtedly “pretty” and the color schemes and different promotions make it hard to say no to the salesman on that big ol’ Snap On truck that shows up conveniently once a week to fix, replace or sell you tools. The question is…
Are those Snap On Tools and the “convenience” worth the premium you’re going to pay?
While the subject of whether Snap-On Tools are worth the money being spent is one that we- and every other automotive “tech” or DIY repair man- could debate until we are blue in the face- there is one debate that I personally think should not even exist and that involves the use of Snap On lighting tools.
Argue with me if you will, but my years of experience tells me that there are many cheaper and more reliable automotive lights than the ones Snap-On Tools sells and even under hood lights available at a fraction of the cost with the same or even better warranties.
Where can I find better automotive lights and which should I buy?
A while back I took a job at a Casella/Waste Stream location near me. My job title was as an Apprentice Technician because I had little experience in heavy-duty and my goal was to learn as much as I could and accumulate as many tools as I could before moving on to a better phase in my career.
Let’s be honest, working on garbage trucks was never going to be a career that fulfilled me. So, with that being said, I stuck it out with that job for almost a year and admittedly I learned a ton of things especially regarding Diesel engines, heavy duty suspension systems and general maintenance of heavy equipment.
Possibly the most important lesson I learned though came from one of the A-level techs that had been there for several years and the lesson was based on the acquisition of quality tools at a small fraction of the cost of Snap-On.
Upon showing up for my first day, I did notice that even this technician was sporting a Snap On toolbox set up with a hutch, side locker, power drawer and all of the bells and whistles. What I didn’t expect was that when he opened that high end tool box, it would be full of tools that he bought off Amazon or other discount tool websites all over the internet.
And let’s be clear, this “kid” knew what he was doing. He was not playing tech with a bunch of off brand tools that he didn’t use or didn’t know how to. He was the real deal and 80% of his every day tools used to work on and diagnose Diesel equipment came from sites like Amazon , Northern Tool and eBay.
So, I started looking for automotive tools online at a discount.
Of course, once I realized how many cheap automotive tools this technician had acquired simply by avoiding the Snap On, Mac Tools and Cornwell trucks- I was beyond curious. I started searching what kind of deals I could find on automotive tools on Amazon.
As long as I didn’t mind waiting a few days for my precious tools to arrive via UPS or FedEx, I could find pretty much any tool I wanted online and buy it a lot cheaper.
I was extremely surprised to find that even when factoring in the usually nominal cost to ship the tools I needed to do my job, I was still going to get a large savings for some of the same stuff I could get on the tool truck and spend large amounts of money on. Because before I go into much more detail, I want to explain something to you..
Those Snap On, Bluepoint, Mac and Cornwell Tools are usually made by someone else- and sold at a discount.
Don’t believe me? Take a look for yourself. In this next little section I am going to show you two tools. One is sold on the Snap On truck as a Bluepoint jump starter.
The other is sold by Jump-n-Carry and labeled the JNC 660, a reputable manufacturer of battery charging equipment and related tools.
If you are looking for a great deal on a jump starter though I would recommend the NoCo Boost Pack.
For the $99 and up price tag, the reviews have been phenomenal. I’ve personally witnessed this little- and by little I mean physical size- jump starter fire up a 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins in -30 degree Fahrenheit weather.
These NoCo jump packs are anything but “little” when it comes to functionality and amperage. NoCo jump packs can be bought right on Amazon for as little as $99 for the smallest version. And yes, they are worth every single penny.
Aside from the NoCo jump starters, there is also one more budget battery booster pack that I bought and have used faithfully for well over a year now.
This one is made by a company called Imazing and the version I bought was only $79 and offers 2,000 peak amps- twice as many as the cheapest NoCo option which retails at $99 and offers 1,000 peak amps.
Seeing a trend here? Not all of your tools need to come from Snap On, Mac, Cornwell or any other tool truck. Even “Hobo Freight” as I’ve heard it called sells many a tool sufficient to do the same job as a top of the line professional tool. Especially now that they are selling their exclusive Icon Tools line, which I will be very soon doing a review on.
Automotive work lights are cheaper online too.
Maybe saving $150 on a battery charger/jump starter didn’t pique your interest. So I did a little more digging to find the next example of this… phenomenon? Nah. It’s very much deliberate.
This is where I’m going to come back to the subject of lighting. The reason for this is because I’m of the belief, especially in Northern NY where I live and work, that having the best light for working on cars and trucks can be a deal breaker.
Not to mention, I’m only getting older and those things I could see 15 years ago now completely evade my vision so a bright work light is my only hope of being able to see the critical details that I need to see in order to diagnose and fix your vehicles.
The above light is the Astro Pneumatic 52SL folding, rechargeable, USB-C 500 Lumen double sided drop light. Sounds pretty cool, huh? Here’s the kicker. This light is capable of wireless charging with an add-on base that can charge two of the units at the same time.
I have this setup in my shop and for the entire package, (two lights and a wireless USB-C charger) it cost me around $150. That’s two very, very capable lights for your garage and a wireless charger that makes refueling these things a breeze for $30 less than one Snap On ECARD0620 which does not include a wireless charging option and in my honest opinion is not as bright or durable as the Astro 52SL.
I have been personally using the Astro 52SL in my own professional auto repair shop and I would never recommend buying another Snap On light off the truck.
Also, there’s one more product I’d like to show you that you my already own in the Snap On version. That’s the ECHDC03 hands free neck light that Snap On offers on the truck.
At one time, this was my all time favorite hands free light for automotive use. That was until I found out that the manufacturer of this product was a company called EZ-Red and their version was just barely over half the price of the Snap On version and it lasted me three times as long as any of the five, yes that’s right FIVE versions I bought off the Snap On truck.
The problem with the Snap On neck lights was that every pair I bought would within a couple months break right where the neck piece meets the battery casing. Since Snap On does not carry a lifetime warranty on electronics, every time I broke a set and had to “send it out” I was charged $60.
So for a rebuild of a product I already paid for off the truck, I was charged $15 more than the total price of the EZ Red NK15 rechargeable neck lights. Here’s a picture of the EZ Red version and also a link to the product at a fraction of the price of the Snap On version.
The moral of this story is this. Do not feel obligated to get on the tool trucks just because the guy in the bay next to you has decided it’s worth it to waste his precious funds on a product that can be purchased at a much cheaper price online. After all, most employers leave the cost of their tools up to the individual tech and why wouldn’t you wanna put more money in your pocket when buying tools to fit your tool box. As professional techs, we have the option to find much better deals on automotive tools if we take the time to look around and find them. Don’t get caught up with the status symbol. Be the smart mechanic or DIYer and put as much money back in your pocket.
NoCo offers the newest, reasonable booster in several sizes.
One of the newer battery booster packs on the market are made by NoCo. The main advantage to these automotive jump packs is a wide variety of sizes for different applications. Starting at 500 Amps for small 12V applications, NoCo boost GB40 also offers 1000 Amps for just a little more starting power and $59 less than an equivalent Duralast version.
For a little bit larger starting systems, NoCo boost offers the NoCo GB50 1500 Amp battery booster pack which also includes a 400 Lumen flashlight and portable USB out capability to charge any accessories using USB. Taking it a step further, NoCo Boost GB70 offers a 2000 Amp boost pack which also offers a 400 Lumen high output flashlight and USB output to charge USB devices on the go.
NoCo automotive battery jump starters come in light and heavy duty applications.
Taking it a step further for large applications, NoCo offers 3000 Amp and higher automotive boost packs which will only set you back $299 on Amazon. . The NoCo GB150 is still designed for 12V systems but offers a much higher energy output and longer battery life for higher output starting and battery charging systems. Want even more power from your battery jump pack? Try the GBX155 from NoCo boost which offers 4250 amps of starting power at a reasonable price of $369 on Amazon.
The highest rated NoCo boost pack comes in at 5250 amps and this one is admittedly pricey. The main advantage to the NoCo boost GB250 is its ability to start gasoline and Diesel engines up to 16 liters. At $1201 on Amazon, this is by far the most powerful option out there, especially for portable jump packs. It’s relatively low weight of just 15 pounds makes it way more convenient than anything Snap On or other competitors offer.
