Wobblelight Metal Halide Work Light

Robert Robillard

9 years ago

Wobble Light WL400MH Self-Righting 400 Watt Metal Halide Work Light Review

At ConcordCarpenter we are all about innovative solution to old job site problems. We recently started looking at job site lighting and the issues surrounding, and difficulties obtaining a rugged, durable, and reliable work lighting.

We first spied the 36” Wobblelight Metal Halide Work Light 111104 at a trade show and were impressed with its high-quality design, rugged case and self-righting, unique design that prevents this light from being tipped over and cause a fire hazard.

What is Wobblelight?

Wobblelight is a patented self-righting work light made in the USA that is designed for interior and dry exterior work. An internal counter-weight allows the Wobble weight to self-right itself when bumped or pushed over.

A floating shock system protects the bulb from impact and a receptacle in the base of the unit allows for gang-connecting multiple units.

Powered by 110 volts the Wobblelight we used had a 400-watt metal halide work bulb that emits 40,000 lumens of brightness and does not get hot. An internal cooling fan blows air across the bulb and out a top vented lens to keep the bulb cool.

The Wobblelight comes in four configurations:

400 watt Metal Halide 36” tall. Model # 111104
175 watt Metal Halide 36” tall. Model # 111102
500 watt halogen 36” tall. Model # 111302
85 watt fluorescent 27” tall. Model # 111203

36-Inch Wobblelight first Impression

The 36” wobblelight weighs 34 pounds and measure 18 x 18 x 36 inches. The first thing I thought of when I saw it was WOW why didn’t I think of this. It reminds me of the “Weeble-Wobble” toys that were around when I was a kid. The slogan was “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.” And that goes for the Wobblelight too!

The Wobblelight has a tough case and throws some serious light, 40,000 lumen. The 36” Wobblelight has a lighting range of 50 to 110 feet. A built-in resettable fuse switch is located near the power switch and trips when power surges over 12 amps.

We set it up on a basement remodel and wacked it with 2×4’s to simulate bumping into it. The light s moves but pops right back upright, no harm done. The Metal Halide bulb has a spring around it to protect it from breaking.

At 34 pounds this light is heavy and the large, heavy bottom design makes this light difficult to carry. You certainly will not be carrying this and a bunch of tools at one time.

Metal Halide Bulb

The 400 watt Metal Halide bulb is rated for 20,000 hours of operation. The bulb is designed with an inner quartz tube that operates at a high temperature up to 2012 degrees. An outer build surrounds the quartz tube.

After operation the Metal Halide light needs to cool before restarting if the power is turned off or disrupted.

Wobblelight Improvements

The engineers at Wobblelight need to re-design the power plug to hold or lock the cord in place. We found it easy to unplug from the base receptacle when using older cords. When we used a new extension cord we did not see the same result. As a work-around we loop the cord around the light before plugging in.

The clear plastic lens and handle are made from high impact plastic but we fear that this will be the units weak link, especially where the plastic lens is screwed into the light base. The very top of the lights lens has a vented top or rain shield to assist in cooling the bulb’s heat, via a “chimney effect.”

Lastly, if a built in hole or cable hasp were provided for securing this light from theft on the job site owners would be very appreciative.

Video Review

Overall Impression

We found the Wobblelight Metal Halide Work Light to be durable, safe, efficient and a high lumen lighting solution for the construction and industrial markets. This safe, innovative light performs better than the halogen floodlights we normally use on job sites.