The rechargeable 1000-lumen Gearwrench Wing Light with Underhood Rack beams out brilliant, clean light. Since it moves along the rack, there’s no area under the hood it can’t cover. The light also comes off the rack to become a flashlight or spotlight that uses a magnet to stick to other areas of a vehicle. I’ll shed light on the details as I service some vehicles.
Pros
- 500-lumen lights on each wing for 1,000 lumens of clean, high-quality light illuminates your work
- Light hangs anywhere along the rack and pivots 180° for full workspace coverage
- Without the rack installed, the Winglight can stick to the underside of the hood with its magnet or hang from the hood’s striker with its hook
- Wings close completely to create a 400-lumen spotlight/flashlight
- 4-hours of run time on rechargeable
- IP54-rated
Cons
- No significant cons
Recommendation
This work light is one of the “won’t work without it now” tools. It provides a bright, crisp, clean light that makes clear distinctions around an engine’s parts and helps you identify potential trouble spots, too. The light can move along the entire width of the rack to reach any spot that you need illuminated. As a great bonus, the light detaches from the rack to become a flashlight or spotlight with a magnet that can attach to other parts of a vehicle. Gearwrench did a nice job on this—use it and you’ll see the light, too!Quality and Quantity
Like a lot of automotive veterans, I used to have an old fluorescent tube I’d hang from the hood striker or lay across the engine. It provided poor quality light, the bulbs broke often, and it kept me tethered to the wall.
Fortunately, the quality of work lights has increased by leaps and bounds over the last few years. No longer yellow or dingy, crisp and clean lights like the Gearwrench Wing Light with Underhood Rack makes excellent distinctions in dark areas. It’s easier to spot trouble, too. The LEDs are durable and the rechargeable battery means there’s no cord.
I’ve been using an excellent 475-lumen headlamp, but the Wing Light is more than twice as bright. With its two lights outstretched you get 500-lumens. It’s become one of those tools that I don’t want to work without!
Racking It Up
Using the Gearwrench Wing Light is simple—particularly with the Underhood Rack option. The rubberized “hands” safely grab the outside of the hood as you adjust the rack to the proper width.
The light is so bright you can just put it in the center of the rack and finish the job. But it’s important to note the light can hang at any point along the silver rack. That helps you really dial it in.
For many vehicles, that means the light (with wings outstretched) could actually illuminate an area wider than the engine bay.
In addition to the lateral movement, simply moving the rack fore and aft along the hood re-position the light, too.
Taking Flight
As it stands, the Gearwrench Wing Light with Underhood Rack is a home run. But its additional capabilities are really the grease on the ball bearings. That’s a saying, right?
It is now.
The Wing Light detaches easily from the rack, and the wings collapse. This transforms it into a 400-lumen flashlight or spotlight with magnet.
In fact, the other day I did a brake job on a truck while the Wing Light was attached to the rack under the truck’s hood. I pulled the light off the rack, folded the wings, and used the magnet to stick inside the wheel well and complete the job. It’s brilliant, really.
Additionally, the rack is very helpful but not totally necessary. That’s right, in a pinch, you can use the same magnet to stick the Wing Light to the underside of the hood or even use the hook to hang it from the hood’s striker.
Price
The Gearwrench Wing Light with Underhood Rack isn’t the only player in the underhood lighting game, of course. Here’s a quick look at some of the competition.
- Gearwrench Wing Light with Underhood Rack 83350: $149.99
- Milwaukee M12 underhood light (2125-21XC): $279
- Gearwrench Wing Light (solo): $99
The Bottom Line
I’m sold on the Gearwrench Wing Light with Underhood Rack. The light quality is excellent plus it’s bright and dynamic. Its transformer-like ability to become a flashlight or spotlight with a magnet is a big bonus as well. With roughly a 4-hour run-time, an IP54 rating, and a competitive price, it’s really a bright idea.
