Proper lighting is essential for technicians, especially when working on areas of the vehicle where little to no light reaches.
“By clearly lighting the work area, it makes identifying problems or corrections easier to see, easier to prepare for repairs, and [easier to complete the] repairs more effectively and safely,” says Eric Moore, fleet manager for Griffin Pavement Striping in Columbus, Ohio.
With the STKR Mobile Task Light, Moore is able to do all those things as well as save some time on repairs.
Setup and use of the light are simple. The task light comes with a micro USB charging cable and an instruction sheet. Before use, the STKR light must be charged, though Moore does note that the light charges “fairly quickly.”
Moore finds the Mobile Task Light to be “straightforward” and “easy to use.”
“A single power button controls the on/off, as well as the brightness settings,” Moore says. Pressing the button once will turn the task light on, and then pressing a second, third, and fourth time will toggle through the brightness settings of high, medium, and low, with the default setting being high. The light also features a fourth setting for strobe lighting.
Moore is impressed with how bright the STKR light is for its size. He also appreciates its resilience when knocked around, its lightweight design, and the USB-rechargeable option meaning he can recharge the light almost anywhere.
Around the shop, the Mobile Task Light was used on a variety of jobs to help light the work area.
Moore says it is a bit tougher to use the light under-hood unless it is mounted on a tripod. “What we eventually ended up doing was attaching a strong magnet to the base, and then placing it to the underside of the hood,” Moore says. “We did feel that when using the STKR Task Light under the vehicle, it was just a bit too undersized.”
To improve the light, Moore would like to see a larger version with longer battery life and a more customizable beam width. The light already allows for some versatility with beam width, as it has an adjustable lens which enables the user to switch between a focused floodlight or an ultra-wide flood of light.
Overall, Moore feels the STKR Mobile Task Light is a nice product that is a good selection for the toolbox.
The STKR Mobile Task Light is designed to offer users a versatile, bright, and rechargeable task light. The light features a durable cast aluminum head that pivots nearly 180 degrees to ensure light can be directed where it is needed, and is supported by a tempered steel exoskeleton. A universal tripod mount on the product base allows users to elevate the light when necessary. The light comes with a variable lens, producing a floodlight with 1,200 lm over 180 degrees and a hot spotlight focused to 120 degrees. The light has four modes: high, medium, low, and strobe. The light comes with a USB cable.
About the Author
Emily Markham
Editor | PTEN and Professional Distributor
Emily Markham is the editor of Professional Tool & Equipment News (PTEN) and Professional Distributor magazines. She has been writing about the automotive aftermarket since 2019, after graduating from UW-La Crosse with a bachelor's degree in English. During her first three years with Endeavor Business Media's Vehicle Repair Group, Markham also wrote for Fleet Maintenance magazine.