Flashlights

[Kevin B.]

Who wants to talk flashlights?

I've been using these for a couple years. They're bright enough for me, and the price is right considering I get about a year out of one. But they're just as durable as you'd expect a $12 flashlight to be and I'm nervous that one will crap out when I really need it. I'm going to try two new lights, a Boztac BTZ-20 for the pocket and an Anker LC90 two-cell for the truck.

I'd love to buy a more expensive light, but I lose lights just as often as I break them and I just can't drop $100+ on a light so I can drop it down a mine shaft or something.

 

[bryson]

I like flashlights. I have a couple of lights very much like the one you linked. Different brand, but likely the same light? Good bang for the buck IMO.

Paging @SAMI

 

[jeeper]

I bought a couple VERY expensive lights like 8-10 years ago when they were first coming out with the good LED lights. They aren't anything more special than the Husky lights I now buy at home depot..

Husky Light

They used to come in a 2 pack for about the same price, but now it's a single light.

 

[Stephen]

Whatever I get for free. I've gotten a surprising number of flashlights for free as swag over the years, most have been really good and now that they are LED, just replace the batteries and they keep trucking.

 

[I Lean]

I too would like to hear what @SAMI has to say, since he works for a flashlight place.

 

[dutchman]

I've got a LC90, works good for what I've used it for. Helped me find all my tools that went flying last weekend.

 

[jeeper]

Also, I will only buy lights that take aaa batteries. Too many gadgets around the house to worry about different batteries. Everything is aaa.

 

[TRD270]

Polystinger DS® LED | Rechargeable Handheld Flashlight | Streamlight®

Strion® LED | Handheld Flashlight | Streamlight®

This is what I run at work. Not cheap but you get what you pay for. 8 years of hard(daily) use both still going strong. Replaced the battery in the strion last year, the stinger needs a new one now. But yeah good lights

 

[Coco]

I like flashlights. I have a couple of lights very much like the one you linked. Different brand, but likely the same light? Good bang for the buck IMO.

Paging @SAMI

What I was going to say too.

 

[TurboMinivan]

This topic pisses me off. Well, that's not quite true. Wal-Mart pisses me off. Let me explain.

Wal-Mart used to carry these cheap little aluminum flashlights, branded Ozark Trail. They looked like this:

When I buy cheap flashlights, I study their specs very carefully. It honestly comes down to two things: output lumens, and how long the battery lasts. In all my looking at cheap flashlights, these Ozark Trail ones hit the sweet spot of decent output (150 or 200 lumens) combined with acceptable battery life (5 or 6 hours) on 3 AAA batteries. I put one in one car's glovebox, then later bought another for another car, and then again for another car. Everything was going just great...

... until Wal-Mart decided to "upgrade" the lights. Now they have three light modes, meaning you have to click the damn power button three times--every time--just to get to the mode you want. They also added a zoom feature, so every time you bump the light the focus shifts to what you don't need, forcing you to stop and re-focus it. They took a simple, perfect design and totally f*%ed it up IMO. This pisses me off.

Had I known in advance what they were going to do, I would have bought another dozen of the old style lights.

 

[pELYgroso]

I designed some pretty great tactical lights and had a friend who owns a large flashlight company (same company that @SAMI now works at) help me get them produced. They are every bit as nice as the big name tactical lights for half the price. They do take the CR123A batteries but I'm currently working on the next generation that will also take the 18650 batteries. My lights have 3 modes, high, low, strobe, but to change the mode you turn a dial that's around the head of the light. So the tail button is always on/off of whatever mode you leave it in on the dial. I hate having to switch through modes using the button. There are some other cool and unique features as well. You can check them out here:

TW-350 330 Lumen Tactical Flashlight

Key Features: 3 modes: High, low, strobe Mode selector dial -no more using the button to jump through modes! removable pocket/ hat clip -mounts securely to hat when turned backwards! 3 tail caps: utility, rifle mount, tactical -customize the light to your needs! momentary-on or click-on button...

www.tacware.com

I'm also working on a AAA battery EDC light right now that will be the best super-compact AAA light on the market, IMO.

If any of you are interested, let me know and I can make a discount code for you.

The big one is 900 lumens.

 

[Hickey]

How about headlamps? I bought one similar to this one for my Rubicon trip 2.5 years ago. It was $13 and it's RECHARGEABLE. I have been using it a ton for work since that trip. I freakin love this thing!

three trees Headlamp LED Flashilght - high Lumen,Brightest White Cree LED with RedLight,5 Modes for Walking,Waterproof,Rechargeable with USB Cable Directly,Adjustable Headband,Batteries Included https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XKVZG6N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_24iCCbRWHS9E8

 

[glockman]

I carry this light a lot. They take one AAA, are small enough to be carried like a pocket knife and they last for several years. They are around $20 in amazon.

Streamlight MicroStream Ultra-compact Aluminum body with AAA alkaline battery, 3.5 Inch - 1.04 oz - 45 Lumens - Basic Handheld Flashlights - Amazon.com

Streamlight MicroStream Ultra-compact Aluminum body with AAA alkaline battery, 3.5 Inch - 1.04 oz - 45 Lumens - Basic Handheld Flashlights - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[Noahfecks]

I have used a Fenix PD35 for the last few years, I have not been disappointed

 

[Spork]

I'm a big fan of these...

Kootek 5 Pack Super Mini Flashlights LED Waterproof Zoomable Bright Flashlight for Kids Child Outdoor Hiking Biking Camping Cycling Emergency Light (0.83 Inch Wide) - - Amazon.com

Kootek 5 Pack Super Mini Flashlights LED Waterproof Zoomable Bright Flashlight for Kids Child Outdoor Hiking Biking Camping Cycling Emergency Light (0.83 Inch Wide) - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

Takes a single AA battery decent light output and cheap enough I don't worry if I loose them.

 

[TRD270]

Forgot to add if you buy the lights I posted at the devil named Skaggs they have a lifetime warranty. I had a switch start acting funny on the stinger, sent it in was repaired for free.

 

[thefirstzukman]

I would bet I have $2k plus in flashlights laying around the house. I have both my boys at home right now and we all share the love for high dollar Knives, high quality Flashlights and guns. One of my favorite cheap flashlights for making a lot of light and just playing around is the Emisar D4, they run $40 and will literally start stuff on fire, you can get different tubes for 18650, 18500 and cr123 batteries so you can have longer life or smaller size. I have a few different Emisar flashlights and they are pretty dang cool for a cheap flashlight that is very well built. Olight has some cool stuff like magnetic charging, i have a few of them and for around $70-$100 you can get a very nice high quality light, they have a sweet headlamp that is 2300 lumens for $89.00. I have about a dozen different fenix flashlights and for $65-$100 you can get a good light but I have grown to like the olights a little more. There is a really cheap light brand on Amazon called the Thorfire they have a few different lights but they are pretty decent for the money, I give them to my wife because she tends to loose them.

I think one of the most important thing for me is to have a good battery, I use mostly 18650 lights and use the Samsung 30Q and Ifest high drain batteries as primary and I have 30 or so others I use as glove box spares that I rotate out now and then and a good charger..

Here are some links of what I like, don't get me started on knives

https://www.amazon.com/Thorfire-Tho...=1550891316&sr=1-10&keywords=18650+flashlight

https://olightworld.com/led-flashlights/headlamps/olight-h2r

https://olightworld.com/led-flashlights/rechargeable/olight-s30r-baton-iii

PD35 TAC Tactical Edition Flashlight - DISCONTINUED

The Fenix PD35 TAC is a tactical flashlight edition with 1000 lumens of lithium power, 5.5 inch length, 4.3 ounce weight. Tactical rear switch operation.

www.fenixlighting.com

Product not found!

www.mtnelectronics.com

http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=891&search=emisar

https://www.18650batterystore.com/P...yWkUBXEnNQHZE8nKtIl8MFU-S9p9T8W4aAhJ_EALw_wcB

https://www.amazon.com/Opus-BT-Inte...ywords=opus+charger&psc=1&smid=A3KVWN5RHWM0E2

 

[Kevin B.]

I'm totally converted to 18650, the performance for the size/weight blows AAA out of the water. @pELYgroso , lemme know when you get your 18650 version going, I'd love to give it a shot.

 

[TurboMinivan]

My lights have 3 modes, high, low, strobe, but to change the mode you turn a dial that's around the head of the light. So the tail button is always on/off of whatever mode you leave it in on the dial.

God bless you.

 

[jeeper]

I'm totally converted to 18650, the performance for the size/weight blows AAA out of the water.

We have got 4 headlamps that have a battery pack on the back with 2 18650 batteries in each.
They are super bright, and do an excellent job. However, they are the reason I only want aaa lamps now.
The car chargers I have don’t seem to charge the lamps well at all, so they have to be plugged in at home before every trip, which means unpack and repack them into the camper each trip. Also, they don’t hold a charge long enough for a kid to play all night for multiple nights... so they run dead by the end of the trip. We also have a few small watch battery lamps. They put out a tiny bit of light, just enough for kids to see around camp... but they have been going for years on the same stupid battery.

Edit: pretty sure these are our 18650 lamps.