Flashlight Thread?

[In God We Trust]

Streamlight wedge has been my EDC since it was released.

View attachment 943213

I have one of these also. It’s a nice design ergonomically, but the one I have only has 2 settings. The dim setting is too bright and the bright setting is too dim. Also has a really wide beam that is good for lighting your immediate area, but doesn’t carry very far.

 

[TJ4]

Someone must make a flashlight that takes common batteries (18650, AA, AAA) that is

- bright enough for normal stuff (don't need to blind people in the next town)
- has multiple brightness levels
- does *NOT* have any strobe functions
- you can turn on and off without cycling through all the brightness levels
- isn't stupid expensive (less than $25?)

The Workkos one above looks OK, I think, I like the high CRI and 4000K temp, but "yet another battery" isn't ideal, and I'm not thrilled with a flashlight that has firmware.

I have some AA and AAA flashlights from maratac that are barely larger than the battery in them, and great little pocket carry lights. They aren’t tactical lights, just good, small pocket lights that have impressive output for their size. You turn the head to the left to turn them on, and the opposite way to turn off, and that is how you cycle through the modes, so, you don’t have to go through all modes to turn them off.

AAA Flashlights

CountyComm designs, manufactures and sells select products to federal, state and local government agencies. Specializing in EDC ( Every Day Carry )

countycomm.com

AA Flashlights

CountyComm designs, manufactures and sells select products to federal, state and local government agencies. Specializing in EDC ( Every Day Carry )

countycomm.com

 

[milktree]

I found an answer!

Amazon.com

24 pack for $40. That's $1.67 each, including batteries. (or 6/$16, $/2.67 each)

300 lumens, single mode, AA battery, cheap, bright enough.

At less than $2 each, I'll put one in every drawer and pocket and give them away at the range.


I'm only kinda joking. 300 lumens really is plenty for 99% of anything I use a flashlight for.

I'd pay four times much if there was a 15/50/100/300 lumen switch on it that wasn't the power switch. When you need just a little light, just enough to not fall in a hole, like if you're doing nighttime stuff with other people and don't want to ruin your or their vision, even 200 lumens is way too much.

 

[BroncoAZ]

I found an answer!

Amazon.com

24 pack for $40. That's $1.67 each, including batteries. (or 6/$16, $/2.67 each)

300 lumens, single mode, AA battery, cheap, bright enough.

At less than $2 each, I'll put one in every drawer and pocket and give them away at the range.


I'm only kinda joking. 300 lumens really is plenty for 99% of anything I use a flashlight for.

I'd pay four times much if there was a 15/50/100/300 lumen switch on it that wasn't the power switch. When you need just a little light, just enough to not fall in a hole, like if you're doing nighttime stuff with other people and don't want to ruin your or their vision, even 200 lumens is way too much.

Those zoomable lights are junk. When you zoom in you get a square beam as it is focusing the LED only with no reflector.

I’ve been using the Fenix lights for 15+ years with great results. The PD25R is my current EDC. Multiple levels are controlled by the side button, as are the strobe modes, but the rear button is just on and off in whatever mode you used last time. One minor annoyance is that it resets to the dimmest mode when recharged. I pull it off the charger, power it up and adjust, then shut it off and return to use.

https://www.amazon.com/Fenix-PD25R-Rechargeable-Flashlight-Lightweight/dp/B0B783VZDP?th=1

 

[milktree]

Those zoomable lights are junk.

Yes. They're less than $2 including batteries.

I wouldn't trust them for stuff that really mattered; but for in the glove box, tank bag, on the reloading bench, in the garage tool box, in the range bag, desk drawer, they're fine.

 

[Golddiggie]

I've had a zoomable light in the past. Worthless feature, IME. Better off just getting a light that has the output you want for the conditions. I have a small light (Olight) that uses regular batteries (AA I believe) that uses a tail button with two levels (i3T 2). One is for lower light, the other for more. Better output using a lithium battery, but also works with alkaline batteries. Barely longer than the battery too.

I've found that having the imini 2 on my keychain is really nice. Bright enough for door locks, or looking around inside, or outside, your vehicle when it's dark out. Of course, I also have much brighter lights that I can just grab as I'm heading out of the house.

I do have a couple of cheap lights in different spots. One in the garage (currently) that I most recently used to change out the condensation drain setup on the compressor. I have one of the i3E EOS lights on my gun workbench in the basement. Small, but throws more than enough light.

IMO/IME, those cheap lights (<$2 each) are a crap shoot (at best) for how they'll hold up. I'd be surprised if you had a 50% survival rate (beyond 100 activation cycles).

 

[garandman]

Have a pack of CR123A batteries for a remote camera we don’t use anymore.

What is a reasonable cost, every day light I could buy to use them?

 

[namedpipes]

Someone must make a flashlight that takes common batteries (18650, AA, AAA) that is

- bright enough for normal stuff (don't need to blind people in the next town)
- has multiple brightness levels
- does *NOT* have any strobe functions
- you can turn on and off without cycling through all the brightness levels
- isn't stupid expensive (less than $25?)

The Workkos one above looks OK, I think, I like the high CRI and 4000K temp, but "yet another battery" isn't ideal, and I'm not thrilled with a flashlight that has firmware.

Streamlight Sidewinder suits me. It misses some of your fine points.

https://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-14975-Sidewinder-Alkaline-Batteries/dp/B084SVSLSC

Lower light output but it plenty for my use case of walking the dog before bed.

11 hours or so on an AA battery. Pretty straightforward on off and a red "filter" in case you're stalking the hot blonde from the condo next door. (helps avoid ruining your night sight with white light). I can hold it, hang it, clip it, pocket it...

 

[45collector]

I have several different Microstreams, my favorite being the Macrostream USB. Not cheap at around $50 but well worth it.

 

[greencobra]

i'm another that doesn't have an issue with olight. i have a baton 3 max and an i5r eos i edc and use daily. both recharge from a usb connection and hold a charge for a very long time. i forget how many lumens but both are capable of throwing a bright beam on max settings. a surprisingly amount of light considering their size. olight is like para ordinance and the .40 s&w, everyone says they suck but no one can tell you why.

 

[Fixxah]

Thread title disappoints.

-Reptile.

 

[Cluster F]

I have been carrying this for some time now. If they made an option without the laser I would buy it. But as far as the light. I love it. It’s small and flat. I don’t notice it. I never really have to charge it. I have dropped it a bunch. I just added some grip under the clip Becasue the finish is slick.

 

[appraiser]

When I walk the dogs at night I have my trusty not rusty LED Maglight with 4 D cell batteries.

It is bright, easy to hold, and will cave in the skull of most creatures when held properly and swung with gusto.

 

[Golddiggie]

When I walk the dogs at night I have my trusty not rusty LED Maglight with 4 D cell batteries.

It is bright, easy to hold, and will cave in the skull of most creatures when held properly and swung with gusto.

I picked up the 6 D cell Maglight ages ago (around 1997 IIRC). Upgraded the head to LED several years back to make it useful again. Just wish lithium batteries were a viable option for the thing. Getting enough to fill it is stupid money. Easily a "blind 'n bash" item.

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

Wife ordered me the Rovy Von E7. I really like it. Perfect for the small pocket carry pseudo headlamp use I wanted it for.

 

[Parker Schreiber]

My travel flashlight (key fob for scale). At home I use Mag Lights.

 

[witchphd]

I picked up the 6 D cell Maglight ages ago (around 1997 IIRC). Upgraded the head to LED several years back to make it useful again. Just wish lithium batteries were a viable option for the thing. Getting enough to fill it is stupid money. Easily a "blind 'n bash" item.

This is most likely more than you want to spend on a Maglite but it’s easily done. Maglite LED Drop-ins, Upgrades, Conversions, and Accessories – Malkoff Devices. Use the adapter plus a couple spacers.

 

[not new guy]

Does maglite actually make and sell modern flashlights that make sense (given the competition out there in 2024) or are they surviving on their reputation from 30-40 years ago?

 

[M1911]

I've been using Thrunites.

 

[Sterg]

I carry this Browning Alpha when I walk the dog. The newer version has a rechargeable battery and it’s a half inch longer than this one. I don’t like it as much for that reason. The rubber around the end by the button is easy on the teeth if you need two hands. Sold at Cabelas.

 

[VTski4x4]

For EDC I usually grab my Streamlight Protac 2L (something). I keep a Cloud Defensive MCH-HC light next to the bed that I got for free during a black Friday sale a few years back that was a free add-on with my Rein 3.0. I wouldn't buy anything Cloud Defensive again because the support is lacking and they never have anything in stock, but they are both tanks and super bright. Also, wicked expensive.

 

[FancyGunz]

Too many of my flashlights randomly stop working after some time. I have had 2 Thrunites fail for no reason, an Olight Baton 3 whose battery just quit one day after 2 years of very occasional use (and apparently you can only get a replacement from Olight because they are "special"), an old Foursevens Quark from before they changed the name which was really nice which just quit one day, and 3-4 others which developed intermittent flickering / loose connection issues.

Some were EDC'd and some sat on a shelf most of their life. Haven't found one that lasts.

 

[MC56]

Too many of my flashlights randomly stop working after some time. I have had 2 Thrunites fail for no reason, an Olight Baton 3 whose battery just quit one day after 2 years of very occasional use (and apparently you can only get a replacement from Olight because they are "special"), an old Foursevens Quark from before they changed the name which was really nice which just quit one day, and 3-4 others which developed intermittent flickering / loose connection issues.

Some were EDC'd and some sat on a shelf most of their life. Haven't found one that lasts.

try Fenix. It took me 10 years to kill a pd35tac. Currently edc a LD22 and love it, and have a headlamp from them that's 1400 lumens if I remember correctly and works great.