Tool Time - UV Beast V3

Every now and then I like to show off a tool I have purchased that makes me smile. This is one of them, yet it is so simple. This UV light is really a beast! Looking for A/C leaks is a big enough pain, and this takes a little sting out of the process.
-Enjoy!

Thank you so much for the support!
--Eric & Vanessa O.

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South Main Auto Repair
47 S. Main St
PO Box 471
Avoca, NY 14809

Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained.

[swoopulater]

yo eric, those glasses aren't for seeing the dye better, they help filter out the uv to protect your eyes brother.
of course if you're not looking straight into the light then you should be fine but it's a safety thing they highly recommend using them while operating that thing.
yeah that is a great tool to use, i'm glad someone invented it, in the past working on a/c units was a royal pain finding the leaks like you said.

[joeroggenbeck]

We use those in the automotive assembly plant . We have confirmation marks using a UV pen to validate torque on clamps and such. Because discriminating customers object to paint marks, we use UV to mark them and need a light later in the process as a secondary check!

[tommymac]

I appreciate the use of this light. My UV flashlights (all!) are pretty useless. What I ended up doing is putting a 'black' light bulb in a clip light. Yeah the power cord is a pain. The best results are gained from using it in the dark. It works and cost about $20.

[boogerhead]

Well, we use a UV flashlight to find hornworms (Manduca quinquemaculata) on tomatoes (or other members of the Solanaceae nightshade family), at night. Lights them up real good. Not exactly the UV weapon you show, but just a slight bit smaller, with more LEDs, about the same brightness.

[TheRetarp]

I'm just a DIY feller. The $8 Harbor Freight UV flashlight works fantastic and runs on normal batteries!

[Mr-Mag]

I saw The Beast and had to comment, I got that baby for rock hounding and the automotive application was the icing on the cake. Thanks for showing folks 🙂

[kevinmyers]

I agree, the Beast is just that. Best affordable handheld UV light. I found this light a couple years ago for locating holes in boiler bag house compartments.
Great Product!!

[jrobau]

It is wicked awesome for finding golf balls too!

[abw]

Eric O. Could sell water to a fish! But when he shows how a tool really works is the best part of his videos! And yesterdays WOW had me laughing my A$$ off all day today! Telling us when a college kid needs SMA to fill out the personal check since he was never been taught how to fill out a check?

[stevegorkowski]

I just finished installing heads on my 2000 Ranger V6. One head was cracked and a valve job on the other one. The machine shop charged $500 and he does great work. I hope they are around for many years, they do great work. I did the work so $500 to fix the heads wasn't a big deal. I also replaced gaskets and plug wires and rotors and wheel bearings, so I was in at under $800.
Truck prices are high so fixing it could be something to do. It depends on the shape of the truck and the amount of cash the owner can spend.

[ibiltit]

I live in Arizona and my wife hates scorpions. Home Depot sells small uv flashlights and my wife just had to have one so I bought one for her. Worked ok, but she wanted more so found one on Amazon that had a 2-1/2” face on it. Scorpions don’t stand a chance now. And the last time I had a problem with the a/c on one of my cars I snagged her uv light. Wow, sure beats the small ones. No problem finding the leak. Just have to remember to not put it in my tool box.

[cmeier]

About 8 or 9 years ago there were quite a lot of publications in diving magazines about UV-luminescence of corals in the dark, which prompted some professional diving torch manufacturers to sell UV diving torches for >300€ at that time.

I chose a cheap (15€) Chinese eBay diving torch looking ABSOLUTEYL EXACTLY like the one you show here, replacing the 3 "cree" LEDs with 3W 395 nm UV LEDs (2€ each) also from eBay. (EDIT: mine has no button in the back, you switch it on or off by turning the torch head).

Took a little patience to dis- and reassemble the torch head and place the LEDs, wires and thermal compound just right (1-2 hours), but in the end everything worked really well electrically and waterproof-wise.

The only problem was that a pinpoint-focused 3 LED torch is just a LITTLE too bright especially when trying to take a video on a night dive. But for less than 30€ you really couldn't complain. Apart from that, a night dive with an UV torch at any semi-intact coral reef is a very nice experience.

Just about a year later you could buy the same diving torches already fitted with UV LEDs directly on eBay, because the Chinese were quick to react to this trend.

Right now I see just the same kind of UV diving torches listed on eBay for about 25-30€, so it might be cheaper to look for an "UV diving torch" than for this kind of marked up (relabeled) "professional/commercial UV torch".

[paulchinn]

Yup that is pretty wicket.Great find for sure.

[thk]

"Back in my day" we used a propane torch to find the elusive leak. It took a real man not to burn up the interior or engine compartment. I remember when the electronic leak detectors came out then the dye additives and the UV lights which were not bright at all. Your UV Beast would be in my tool box if I were still in the business, nice unit!

[johnrpizzaguy]

Finding the leak has been a frustration of mine for 40 years. Thanks for the tip on the Beast. Funny thing is that I married way way out of my league 43 years ago and that’s what friends would call us “the beauty and the Beast “

[myfastcars]

Haaa.. I have the SAME Light. I however I live in West Texas and mainly use it to look for Scorpions in my yard and in the Desert. It makes them GLOW BRIGHT and the battery last quite a while! I did a comprehensive investigation on the best UV Light and hands down, the BEAST was the best. I'm sure you can find better for mega bucks but this is the one to get. Love the channel! Keep up the great work.

[boblemon]

I tell you every time you pimp a tool on the YouTube it almost always sells out on the Amazon!!! The tool manufactures should be sponsoring you, if they are not already. Yes, I’m guilty of this a few times as well, I’ve purchased a few tools after seeing you use them…

[SoupyOatmeal]

You are a very funny guy. .Listening to you blab away is a pleasure. Please carry on.

[MikeOscar-pxxy]

Eric you should have gotten the 365nm high definition UV Beast. It works better than the 385-395nm especially if you use tracer products ac dye. You need different wavelength uv flashlights depending on the brand of ac dye you use and how it flouresces (sp). The 385-395 has more visible light as the purple light you see compared to the 365nm and tracer products a/c dye which will only show the dye/green color with visible light there is no purple hue.

[lpscruggsiii]

Eric, I do enjoy allowing your viewers' "DIY'ers" to share in your knowledge and choice of tools. I have 2 "scopes on a rope" test lights including the mini long nose Vice Grip one that is An Astro tools example. I am a former retired industrial mechanic/ machine operator with the Coleman Company (coolers, stoves, lanterns) and developed a range of tools for my job for minor repairs and adjustments and such. I was wondering if you were ever a "street Machine or Hot Rodder", or motorcyclist too. Please continue to share in your personal collection of tools I'm sure it would be interesting to us all out here in the "peanut gallery". Thanks, be well.