Flashlight, lantern, battery suggestions

[Tailgate]

Electricity went out this morning and I reached for a battery powered lantern and a flashlight, both of which get very little use. Both had leaked batteries that sent them to the trash can.

Besides changing/checking batteries on a routine basis (like smoke detector batteries), is there a best brand or type of flashlight that is recommended? Or is there a particular brand of battery that is best?

Just wondering...

 

[harley]

When my Mom died recently and I started going through her stuff (miserable job, btw), I found that she had a rechargeable spotlight, similar to Amazon.com: Streamlight Waypoint Rechargeable Flashlight - 120V AC, Black 44911: Sports & Outdoors. She lived out a bit past the boonies, where it gets really dark at night. I used it when taking my dog out at night, and it was fabulous! I bought one for our house down here in FL, but I just got a cheapo version. Still works great! It would be charged when the electricity went out, and it holds a charge for weeks at least. I would highly recommend something like this for your situation.

 

[RunningBum]

For around the house flashlights, I tend to go cheaper and buy in quantity, often the packs you often find cheap near the checkout at Home Depot or Lowes. That way I can put them in a few places around the house (kitchen drawer, night stand, tool box, car, utility room) so they are handy, and not feel bad if one craps out. LED is certainly the way to go.

I also have some headlamps I use for running that also work well for hands free task lighting, and in a power outage you can wrap it around a water jug facing in for a nice glowing lantern.

For batteries, avoid the cheap knock off brands, and try not to store them or things with them in hot or humid places. I think older weaker batteries are more prone to leakage, so periodically check and replace older batteries.

 

[Senator]

For batteries, avoid the cheap knock off brands, and try not to store them or things with them in hot or humid places. I think older weaker batteries are more prone to leakage, so periodically check and replace older batteries.

I have a couple of Maglite and some cheap 6V laterns. I also just bought a LED flashlight that is very bright. It was ~$30.

Use good batteries. That is the main help.

 

[Rustic23]

I looked at a package of Duracell alkaline batteries a couple of weeks ago. It said the shelf life was 7 years! That's long enough for me. I put them near the flashlight, not in it. I figure I can put the batteries in if the lights go out, and I don't have to worry about the batteries damaging the flash light.

For my LED flash lights I use rechargeable Eneloops.

 

[ERD50]

...
For batteries, avoid the cheap knock off brands, and try not to store them or things with them in hot or humid places. ...

What is your basis for this? Most actual tests I've seen show little difference between 'brands' (often just labeling) of alkaline batteries. Though you can certainly pay more for 'brand' names.

Here's one, all in British terms though:

Battery Showdown — The Best AA Battery You Can Buy? — High Drain Test

-ERD50

 

[REWahoo]

My engineer BIL spent his career working for Eveready. He says there is very little difference in the quality of almost any brand of alkaline battery.

He stores his in his refrigerator...

 

[pb4uski]

Our cache includes two flashlights that charge via a solar panel built in... you put it in the sun and it charges. We bought them at Costco and I have been surprised that they work pretty well. We also have some inexpensive LED flashlights and an LED lantern. The LED flashlights were about $3 each and seem to work well and are very compact. We recently added an LED that has a strap to wear it on your head and that has come in handy. I also get a Craftsman battery powered fluorescent light that I usually have I the garage when the power goes out.

We also have candles and a supply of 9v batteries so we can run the radio. I've considered buying a wind up radio and wind up flashlights but what we have works well enough.

 

[Tailgate]

fwiw, I did spend a little time on the Consumer Reports site..they prefer lithium over alkaline.. and Energizer as a brand. In the alkaline category, they recommend Duracell Quantum per their testing.
I will check into the LED lights. I do have one LED spotlight and it's gives off an amazing amount of light. It's a Waypoint brand.

 

[travelover]

I think that these flashlights from Harbor Freight rock and I LOVE the price. They have a magnet on the back as well as a hanging hook, plus they have a small second light on the side. They use replaceable AAAs. The other little free 6 LED flashlights from HF are not dependable, as they lose their ground at the bulb head rather quickly.

Digital Savings and Coupons from Harbor Freight

 

[mike143]

I like the cheap $5-7 Cree flashlights on amazon or ebay. You can put a full 16-20oz bottle on top of it for a diffuser. They don't last forever but they are cheap enough to lose and not care about.

I keep two better quality flashlights at my bed side on top of my gun safe. I recharge/topoff the lithium batteries every few months.

 

[RunningBum]

What is your basis for this? Most actual tests I've seen show little difference between 'brands' (often just labeling) of alkaline batteries. Though you can certainly pay more for 'brand' names.

Here's one, all in British terms though:

Battery Showdown — The Best AA Battery You Can Buy? — High Drain Test

-ERD50

Not much, just guessing that quality control might not be as good for some no-name brands mostly.

 

[samclem]

I think that these flashlights from Harbor Freight rock and I LOVE the price. They have a magnet on the back as well as a hanging hook, plus they have a small second light on the side. They use replaceable AAAs.Digital Savings and Coupons from Harbor Freight

And, they aren't cylindrical, which is great for any work that requires the light to stay in place on a flat surface.

The other little free 6 LED flashlights from HF are not dependable, as they lose their ground at the bulb head rather quickly.

I guess I've been lucky with them so far--I have a lot and only a few have crumped out.

Other observations:
1) I got rid of all flashlights that take incandescent bulbs. The LEDs are more dependable and go through batteries slower. I did keep one small Maglight that has a lot of history behind it.
2) Quantity is important. Like scissors: I have a few good flashlights (and scissors) in places where I'll use them a lot and remember to put them back, but sprinkling cheap flashlights and scissors around the house has saved me a lot of steps (and searching, and finger-pointing at DW).
3) I've "bit" on the expensive alkalines for some uses, the ones that claim a 7+ year shelf life. I still use the no-name alkalines for the devices that get the most use, but for things that sit idle most of the time but are inconvenient when they fail (garage door remote, garage door keypad, home safe with electronic lock, etc), I'm buying in to the advertising about new chemistry that reduces internal standby leakage. I'd like to learn more about that.
4) Smoke detectors: I use the cheap alkalines and replace them annually. If they did run down in less than a year, the detector would beep, and that never happens. I only buy smoke detectors that take AA batteries, and the ones I remove work great in seldom-used flashlights and other uses for a long time.

 

[Hermit]

I have a couple of Maglite and some cheap 6V laterns. I also just bought a LED flashlight that is very bright. It was ~$30.

Use good batteries. That is the main help.

+1 on the Maglite. I have a three-D-cell LED version. It works great and is extremely bright (and would make a nice weapon if the need arises.) I keep it in my Jeep just under the edge of the driver's seat.

 

[Texas Proud]

My engineer BIL spent his career working for Eveready. He says there is very little difference in the quality of almost any brand of alkaline battery.

He stores his in his refrigerator...

I have had almost all brands of battery go bad... lost expensive Maglight and cheapo flashlight... most that have gone bad have been in the garage.... so I do think that the heat is a contributing factor... but I would not use my refrig space to store batteries.... some of the flashlights were still usable... I was miffed that the Maglight would not give up the bad batteries... they were 'frozen' in place....


One thing I can say is that I have never seen a battery go bad that is not in something.... not that it cannot happen, I just have not seen it...

 

[W2R]

This thread got me started looking at flashlights on Amazon, and I found one that I think looks great for power outages. It is an LED light shaped like a lantern and it got great reviews on Amazon. I bookmarked it and might get one later on if it still appeals to me.

http://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-4...UTF8&qid=1418755496&sr=1-1&pebp=1418755521768

 

[travelover]

I have a couple of the big Maglites that use multiple D cells, including an LED model, but as a practical matter, I find a smaller flat light like the HF mentioned above to be most useful around the house and a headlamp when I'm out walking the pooch at night. It is great to have both hands free, especially when you are..ahem.... picking up.

Those Maglites make great weapons though.

 

[ERD50]

Not much, just guessing that quality control might not be as good for some no-name brands mostly.

I know someone who toured a battery factory. The exact same units came off the line and got shuttled to separate labeling stations. No difference other than the off-brand labels.

-ERD50

 

[MichaelB]

This thread got me started looking at flashlights on Amazon, and I found one that I think looks great for power outages. It is an LED light shaped like a lantern and it got great reviews on Amazon. I bookmarked it and might get one later on if it still appeals to me.

http://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-4...UTF8&qid=1418755496&sr=1-1&pebp=1418755521768

I like that light. It's handy when searching unlit areas such as attics or crawl spaces, or for extended time on a tabletop during a power outage.

We have at least 6 flashlights around the house, mostly maglights. We had two like the one W2R linked but lost them to bad batteries.

Power outages were regular in Venezuela, having a couple of flashlights handy, along with a stock of batteries, can be a lifesaver.

 

[Dimsumkid]

I'm a big Streamlight fan. I found one by accident laying in a street curb that some contractor dropped out of his car, it was ice cold and mostly snow covered. This thing is what fireman use to look thru smoke filled rooms. You can send a focused beam for a long distance. I used this in a pitch black forest at midnight and it easily lit up the walking path. This one uses 4 AA batteries:

http://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-9...8&qid=1418754231&sr=8-24&keywords=Streamlight

I don't like the Northern batteries sold at Menards, those leak a lot. Had too many new ones that were DOA too. I stick with Duracell and Energizers. By the way, if you contact the battery company, they will usually reimburse you for the damaged item from battery leakage. I had a Rayovac ruin my Maglite and they reimbursed me for it.

 

[youbet]

Our emergency lighting at home is based on our experience from camping. Have a light source with you any time it's possible you could unexpectedly find yourself in the dark.

We stick small (3 AAA cells) LED flashlights all over the house. Must be a dozen or more in various drawers (nightstands in all bedrooms, the table next to my reading chair, office desk, kitchen, etc.). Then we keep a LED table lamp and LED spot light with plenty of spare batteries in my workshop downstairs.

In thirty-some years of living in this house, we've never had a night time power outage where we needed the emergency lights. But, in theory, the plan would be that we'd grab one of the little LED flashlights from anywhere around the house (one is bound to be nearby) and use that to go downstairs and retrieve the big ones and spare batteries. Until the time we actually need a light for an emergency, it's handy having flashlights conveniently around for retreiving that penny you dropped on the floor, etc.

Each spring when we're prepping for the camping season, we check all the flashlights and lamps and rotate batteries so that the oldest will be consumed that summer while camping. It takes an hour or so but we think it's worth it.

 

[zinger1457]

My engineer BIL spent his career working for Eveready. He says there is very little difference in the quality of almost any brand of alkaline battery.

He stores his in his refrigerator...

The key being 'almost any brand'. I purchased an 8 pack of the cheap 9V alkaline batteries that Lowes sells, should have read the online reviews first. I had problems with every battery in the pack, a couple were dead in the box years before the expiration date, on the others the battery terminals snapped off after very limited use. Problems I've never seen with other brands.

 

[zinger1457]

I have a couple of Maglite and some cheap 6V laterns. I also just bought a LED flashlight that is very bright. It was ~$30.

Use good batteries. That is the main help.

Maglite's are notorious for having to be trashed because batteries leak/expand, I found that out the hard way. I did use good batteries, just didn't change them out soon enough.

 

[easysurfer]

For me, I go with low discharge eneloop batteries. They last a long time (like over a year) with self-discharging and don't leak like as easily (haven't seen one leak yet) as akalines.

Even AA sized batteries runs lights that look like the familar lantern shapes. Plus, if you want to go with a larger size, there are C and D sized adapters for eneloops.

 

[MRG]

I know someone who toured a battery factory. The exact same units came off the line and got shuttled to separate labeling stations. No difference other than the off-brand labels.

-ERD50

I would expect that. As a kid, one year I delivered auto parts. Most came out of the same factory with different labels. Walker mufflers and pipes made Walker, NAPA, Sears, Kmart and a few others.

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