the other day while doing a detail I was using a standard halogen light, it was about 88 degrees our and the light made it worse. my question is, I have heard that LED's are not that great for being able to identify things such a s swurls marks...any truth to that? Can anyone recommend a good free standing led light?
I used to use halogen and LED standing lights but my preferred choice is still using LED headlight. As long as your LED is not the flood version and has enough power, it should reflect swirls much better than most if not any lighting. If you decide to go on this route, look for a headlight that has at least 200 lumens with a long throw and take into consideration of the weight and battery type/life for your needs.
LED Lenser headlamp via Amazon, Husky/Ace LED stand lights are a very very good alternative to halogen/conventional lighting. Think heat and energy usage.