Lighting can be a challenge on jobsites. Task lighting poses even more of a problem, as most available lighting solutions cast light around the space and not down onto your tools. Ideally, I want a light that I can set above a miter saw to cast downward, and I want it to be cordless so it doesn’t use scarce outlet space.
The DeWalt hood light is designed to hook on a car’s hood and illuminate the engine bay. However, the padded hooks and telescoping arms (51-to-74-inch expansion) that allow it to attach to the underside of a hood also adapt easily to a jobsite. The spring-tensioned arms can grab joists and stud walls and run from one empty pot light rough-in to another without causing damage to the surface. I can now get 1,700 lumens of light directly above my workstation with no dangling cords. A single 5-amp battery lasts about seven hours of continuous light, after which the unit will flash to indicate a low battery. The light folds to a slim 26½ inches and weighs just shy of 7 pounds. It has high and low light settings as well as the option of having only one side lit at a time. While the jobsite is not its intended application, it has proved effective in providing much needed task lighting on site.
The DCL045 Hood Light (bare tool) costs $170. dewalt.com