Tracer Products' Titan Stinger UV/Blue lamp,
Model # TP-8300, is a light that is designed to illuminate dyes used in various systems of the vehicle, most places where a leak can show up. Dyes are available for A/C, all oils (engine, transmissions), coolant and fuel (gas or diesel).

We received this product from Tracer® Products and the intention was to do a review of the light, Tracerline®'s Titan® Stinger® UV/Blue™ Lamp Part # TP-8300 and their A/C dye kit.
( which Bruce has finished in another reivew, along with his input on the light)
To See Bruce's review, Click here.
I decided I wanted to see how well it would work for other applications, so I went down to the local parts store and purchased some dye for transmission / hydraulics and went about testing the light on a hydraulic system that had been giving me fits, chasing leaks.

The light kit comes as the "flashlight", a charging unit and UV absorbing glasses. The light is 7" long and about 1"diameter, the lens is about 1 1/2 " diameter. There is a spare bulb in the end of the light. This is a quality product and its uses are numerous. I can see that this is a product that is well worth having for anyone who works on cars, whether it be a professional or do-it-yourselfer. Anyone who doesn't like leaks or has chased leaks would see this product for all its worth. I liked it well enough that it is at the top of my wish list.

The light has a 3.6V NiCad rechargeable battery that I tried to run down, I left the light on for at least an hour and it didn't run down. The fact that it is cordless means that you aren't hanging up on everything and having to unwrap the cord all the time.
Many mechanics will know exactly what I am talking about. The lens is adjustable from a wide beam to a spot, this was excellent for tight areas, as you could focus on one area. The light is made of a tough durable plastic that wipes clean pretty easy and the yellow makes it real easy to find. I did leave the light sitting on my truck in the rain and it did not harm it or create any problems with it. The charger is designed to be secured on the wall or maybe a rollaway and the light just slips into it and charges.

If any of you have ever had to deal with hydraulic leaks, you know that it can be a never-ending battle.
The oil is usually clear and very thin, so it runs everywhere and is extremely tough to track down.

This light saved me hours of hunting on a hydraulic system that had some problems, but because of the locations of the leaks, pinpointing them was a real problem. In less than one hour, I was able to locate 4 leaks that were causing most of the problems. In a retail shop, this would have amounted to a savings of at least the cost of the light. For the consumer, locating one leak would just about recover the cost of the light.

For more information on this product, visit the manufacturer's website Tracerline® Products or for questions regarding Tracer Products call their customer service Department the phone number is 1-800-641-1133.

My rating for this product;
Overall design............................................................EXCELLENT
Comments: Small, light weight and no cord. We couldn't find any other cordless available yet.
Instructions included for use......................................EASY
Comments: Simple to use, instructions are pretty clear.
Design and quality......................................................EXCELLENT
Comments: There is a spare bulb, but if another spare is needed, it may not be available locally.
Packaging....................................................................GOOD
Comments: Our mechanics thought that a protective container for the glasses would be a good idea.
Includes necessary accessories?................................YES
Comments: Battery charger, safety glasses, instructions, warranty card.
Setup.............................................................................QUICK and EASY
Comments: For basic oil leaks, simple enough for anyone to use. The light came already charged.
Performance.................................................................EXCELLENT Accuracy.......................................................................GREAT
Contact information for company................................Clearly indicated in the literature.
Level of experienced required for use........................MINIMUM
Comments: Designed for the Professional mechanic/technician, any DIY'er would benefit from this product.
Price..............................................................................$140-$180
Comments: The dealer I talked to was $149.95 and Pep Boys advertises the light for $179.99.I checked a couple places for prices and Dyes range from $4-up (the one I used was $5, Pep Boys advertises $8.95)

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