Whether you’re a full-time mechanic or a car enthusiast who enjoys some DIY work at home in the garage, being able to see what you are doing beneath your car or around the engine bay is essential.

When it comes to the best light for these projects, our expert tips are: 

• Opt for a headlamp. This may sound obvious, but many people still try to use hand torches to work on cars. Headlamps are ideal as they allow you to work handsfree, and front mount headlamps are even better so you don’t have to worry about a battery pack potentially hitting you on the back of your head. A few of our top choices that fall under this category are the MH3, MH5 and IH9R. 

• Be prepared for any fiddly work that needs to be done. If you need to inspect a certain part that is in a confined space like the car engine bay, you will need a light that will fit, like pen lights or small work-lights. These options are easy to navigate through tight spaces as they don’t take up much room. Our top choice for this purpose is the iW2R, which will give you two “Flood Light” options meaning you can illuminate a wider space, but it also has a “Spot Beam” so you can focus in on a more specific area when needed. The iW2R is rechargeable and comes with a clip so you can attach to your shirt pocket and utilise the light while it is in your pocket meaning your hands are also free.

• Don’t let grease get in your way. If you’re working on a car, getting oil, grease and other substances on your hands and lighting products is a given. That’s why our “Industrial” work series torches have a diamond knurling grip to help with the torch stop from slipping. Products such as the i7 also comes with a wrist lanyard and roll protectors to ensure your torch is always where you left it. 

• Be flexible. If you are going to be working on various parts of the car, it’s important to have a functional area light that can be positioned in different ways around the car, either through a magnetic base, standing on a flat surface or hanging from a hook. For this, our iF2R would be your product of choice, as this mini floodlight is bright enough to light up your engine bay and also comes with a spot light so you can use it as a handheld light also.
  
  For more information or any questions, get in touch via ledlenser.com.au