Tool Candy – LED Color-Match Lighting Review

Tool Candy By JoAnn Bortles

The questions for this article were the following: Where do you find your auto body shop tools? Do you find them online? On a truck that comes by the shop once a week? In magazines? In a store that you happen to be in?

It’s usually a combination of all these, at least it usually is for me! The SEMA Show has always been a show that focused on the parts made by all kinds of manufacturers, big and small. But over the last few years, the tool section of the show floor has grown significantly.

The tool area used to be barely an aisle in the North Hall. The tool exhibitors now make up almost a quarter of the booths in the North Hall. And the SEMA Show now has a new section over in the Westgate for first-time exhibitors, many of which are tool manufacturers. This is good news for both the shop owner and the toolmakers, especially the smaller mom-and-pop operations.

THE LUXURY OF TIME
The bad news is, most of the attendees tend to gravitate towards the more “glamorous” Central and South Halls, which feature the eye candy of the aftermarket. In fact, many of the people I talked to did not even make it over to the North Hall or the first-time exhibitor area.
What many attendees don’t realize is that the SEMA Show is associated with another automotive trade show that happens at the same time. AAPEX (the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo) goes on at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, which is located about 10 minutes away.

The Scangrip Sunmatch LED Color Match Light is a very versatile tool. In addition to being a good light for color matching, it can also be used to check for swirls and imperfections when buffing out a vehicle. And the light swivels on its mounting. The mounting is magnetic and will hold the light in place while it’s being used. This can come in very handy as the light can also be used as a work light.

While the SEMA Show focuses on the aftermarket, AAPEX is directed toward the repair industry. And many SEMA attendees either don’t think or don’t know about AAPEX. While AAPEX does feature parts, the show is known for attracting many tool and equipment companies.

I recently spent almost a week attending the SEMA Show. I don’t usually have the luxury of time to walk the entire show. Like many attendees I focus on the large Central Hall where most of the hot rod companies are located. I also check out the paint and collision-related companies in the North Hall, but never walk the entire North Hall show floor. I also do not make the time to check out the first-time exhibitors over at the Westgate.

This is a big mistake, as I have been missing out on discovering tools and equipment that would make jobs go smoother.

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