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Bought a $300 infrared paint curing lamp last fall and it changed my winter workflow

I was tired of waiting hours for filler to set in my cold garage. The lamp cut that time down to about 20 minutes on a typical repair. It paid for itself on one big job where I had to fix a quarter panel and get it painted the same day. Now I can't imagine going back to just letting things air dry. What other tools have you guys bought that actually saved you real time?
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4 Comments
patricia262
patricia2622mo agoMost Upvoted
That power bill spike Blakestone mentioned is a real concern. How much did your electricity cost actually go up in the first month you used the lamp regularly?
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blakestone
blakestone2mo ago
But have you ever thought about how much that lamp is costing you in the long run? I tried one and the power bill spike was no joke, plus you're rushing the cure which can sometimes cause problems like cracking later on. It feels like a shortcut, but it makes you dependent on another piece of gear that can break. Honestly, learning to plan my jobs better around the weather was a bigger time saver for me than any gadget.
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viola_lopez30
My buddy's lamp tripped his breaker, so I get what @blakestone is saying.
5
logan561
logan5612mo ago
Ever blow a fuse like @blakestone? I have.
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