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One of the most irritating things about using any form of electrical equipment in the workshop is the fact that no matter where you put it, the power cord will always end up getting in your way. Aside from the fact that it gets in the way of you when you are working, a trailing lead is also a potential tripping hazard, and could cause a nasty accident to happen. By using a reel light rather than a more traditional lamp, you do away with the need to have a cord trailing through your work area, and can instead simply retract the power lead as much as possible.

Although it seems like one of the most instantly obvious ideas in the world, to keep the power cord out of the way when working, the reel light is in fact a fairly recent innovation, and one that is welcome in most workshops. The idea is pretty straightforward, a regular high power work lamp with a long power cord, only instead of the cord being loose, it is held within a hand reel so that only the amount of cable required needs to be released. This means that there is no longer any excess power cable that can get in the way of you while you are working, and also you can position the reel light power cable in such a way as to avoid it becoming a tripping risk in the workplace.

There are numerous different reel lights available on the Red Hill Supply website, and all of them offer a slightly different function. There are different types of light source and also different lengths of cable available to ensure that you get the exact model for your needs.

The three main types of reel light currently available are either ones with a fluorescent tube, ones that feature a panel of LED lights, and finally old style incandescent bulbs. All have their own particular advantages and disadvantages when it comes to being the light source for your new reel light, and it is worth thinking carefully about which you would prefer.

A fluorescent tube reel light has the advantage of providing light over a large area and this means that you can work with much fewer shadows, although some people feel that the light given off by these particular sources can be a bit harsh, and it can b tiring to the eyes if you need to work under the light for a long period of time.

A traditional incandescent bulb reel light provides a very steady source of light that is easy to work under for long periods. The light is bright, and offers good illumination, although this is also a drawback. As a point source of light, a reel light that uses regular bulbs can create shadows around the area where you are working and cause some frustration.

Choosing an LED reel light means that you get an extremely efficient and bright source of light, and thanks to the myriad different ways that the LEDs can be positioned, you can avoid the problems of excessive shadows caused by a traditional bulb, and also the tiring effect of a fluorescent tube light.

Ferret instruments produce an excellent LED reel light – the FERV22401, which has 90 LED lamps positioned inline to give you a fantastic array of light that illuminates every area you want. It is available for less than $320 and comes complete with a 50 foot electrical cable housed in a sturdy reel.

You can get a basic fluorescent tube reel light for as little as $129. The National Electric NAT20950 features a 50 foot power cable in a reel, and comes complete with a pair of hooks to make it easy to hang in place under the hood of almost any vehicle.

General Manufacturing make a number of different Reel lights including the GEN316-3500, which has an innovative twin lighting system that allows for you to either focus a beam into a particular area for additional light, or simply rely on a diffuse area that gives adequate light for working on most jobs. Thanks to a weather proof and oil resistant cord, it is ideal for both outdoor and indoor work, and has a sufficiently long power cable for most workplaces.