A good flashlight

[MuirWannabe]

I can’t seem to get a good solid handheld flashlight. One that shines brightly, is reliable, and you don’t have to shake the batteries around to keep the connection so it actually shines.

Any recommendations for a brand or a particular flashlight you’ve had success with? Thanks.

 

[easysurfer]

Flashlights today are made so much brighter these days than in the past. Almost too many to choose from.

For me, I narrow down the choices to size as I prefer ones that use AA size batteries. I don't like the ones that have 3 AAA in an inner barrel as the batteries are difficult to remove.

 

[HI Bill]

I'm not sure how bright / what burn time you're looking for, but I love this one: Nite Ize INOVA X1 LED Flashlight, 125 Lumen Shockproof, crush-proof + Waterproof Flashlight With Pocket Clip, Black Aerospace-grade Aluminum Body $21 on Amazon. Takes 1 AA battery. Superbly reliable. 85 minutes on high, 70 minute on low. Just 4" long. I have 3, plus a smaller one that takes just one AAA battery. No problems, whatsoever.

https://www.amazon.com/NOVA-X1-LED-...ds=inova+led+flashlight&qid=1573605469&sr=8-5


185 lumens for just a couple bucks more:
https://www.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-Fla...ds=inova+led+flashlight&qid=1573605469&sr=8-9

 

[Gumby]

My standby for years has been a three D-cell Maglite. When I bought it, it was a regular bulb, but I have since converted to LED. The new ones are all LED. It is sturdy, bright (168 lumens) and you can focus and un-focus the beam as needed. They're $24 on Amazon.

It would also be a pretty handy billy club, if needed.

 

[MichaelB]

Another satisfied Maglite user here. I have a couple of of the 3D ones for home and car, and a couple of small 2AA, including one I travel with.

 

[braumeister]

Maglites are great and very, very sturdy.
For a smaller, more easily handled flashlight I like Surefire.

 

[catii]

As a retired engineer, what I've done is change to flashlights that use rechargeable 18650 batteries. You can order 9800 mAh batteries on eBay & Amazon, & plunk them into equally-inexpensive LED flashlights. When the LED dims, just recharge. No more playing with AAA batteries!

 

[Boho]

I bought the Nite Ize NL3A-01-R7 about a year ago. I'm happy with it. Two brightness settings, 250 lumens high and 25 low. Pull the front forward and it becomes a lantern which I use when I change the light bulbs in the bedroom. It's discontinued but Amazon still has it: https://www.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-Radiant-LED-Flashlight/dp/B016B8TWE4/

 

[6miths]

Also have a few Maglites acquired over the years. All now converted to LEDs. Costco frequently has 2 or 3 packs of decent quality LED flashlights in various sizes.

 

[NW-Bound]

For less than $20, you can now get a pocket flashlight using Cree XM-L2 LED which puts out an astounding 1000-1200 lumens, and has a rechargeable Li-ion battery of 18650 size.

I was given one, and cannot find the exact one on Amazon, but there are several like it.

Here's one that has good reviews.

PS. Not sure about the one shown here, but mine has a sliding lens that can turn it from a pin-point beam to a flood light with a beam wide enough to cover my house as I stand on the side walk.

 

[GreenEggs]

I really like the free LED flashlights from Harbor Freight. The blue one that shaped like a bar of soap. There's a few LEDs on the end to use like a regular flashlight & about 20-30 LEDs on the flat side to use for lighting a larger area. It has a magnet on the back and also a hook, so you can hang it. The size is perfect to fit in a pocket or stash in the glove box.

And they usually give them away for FREE.

 

[NW-Bound]

I really like the free LED flashlights from Harbor Freight. The blue one that shaped like a bar of soap. There's a few LEDs on the end to use like a regular flashlight & about 20-30 LEDs on the flat side to use for lighting a larger area. It has a magnet on the back and also a hook, so you can hang it. The size is perfect to fit in a pocket or stash in the glove box.

And they usually give them away for FREE.

Yes, I also have that one, and find it useful when I do not need a light that is as powerful as this.

 

[travelover]

I really like the free LED flashlights from Harbor Freight. The blue one that shaped like a bar of soap. There's a few LEDs on the end to use like a regular flashlight & about 20-30 LEDs on the flat side to use for lighting a larger area. It has a magnet on the back and also a hook, so you can hang it. The size is perfect to fit in a pocket or stash in the glove box.

And they usually give them away for FREE.

Yea, these rock and the price is right.

 

[6miths]

For less than $20, you can now get a pocket flashlight using Cree XM-L2 LED which puts out an astounding 1000-1200 lumens, and has a rechargeable Li-ion battery of 18650 size.

I was given one, and cannot find the exact one on Amazon, but there are several like it.

Here's one that has good reviews.

PS. Not sure about the one shown here, but mine has a sliding lens that can turn it from a pin-point beam to a flood light with a beam wide enough to cover my house as I stand on the side walk.

Agree that these are handy. The USB rechargeable 18650 batteries are excellent. I usually take 3 or 4 head lights with a pair of these batteries to leave each time I go to Africa. Very reliable and versatile and many people have micro USB chargers for their phones that can be used for charging.

 

[Jerry1]

For less than $20, you can now get a pocket flashlight using Cree XM-L2 LED which puts out an astounding 1000-1200 lumens, and has a rechargeable Li-ion battery of 18650 size.

I was given one, and cannot find the exact one on Amazon, but there are several like it.

Here's one that has good reviews.

PS. Not sure about the one shown here, but mine has a sliding lens that can turn it from a pin-point beam to a flood light with a beam wide enough to cover my house as I stand on the side walk.

I agree, this is the kind of flashlight you want. While many exaggerate their lumans, you do want to look for one that claims 1000 or higher. I have one and I have lesser flashlights in the low hundreds and there is a huge difference.

The other option I like is that it turns on the way that it was when you turned it off. I don’t want to cycle through the SOS (worthless) or the strobe (equally worthless) functions every time I want to use the flashlight. If I can find one that just has brightness levels, all the better.

I have this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014FNFDO...olid=1X1RBILQIM7TV&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

However, it unfortunately discontinued. The ones being sold are close outs and aging fast. I’m looking for a good (equal) replacement.

I kind of like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Promier-Lite...1X8HFZSN9YH&psc=1&refRID=H3AQH9QJR1X8HFZSN9YH

 

[Elbata]

From Jerry: "The other option I like is that it turns on the way that it was when you turned it off. I don’t want to cycle through the SOS (worthless)"

So that's what that is. Yep, I have one of those lights. And it is annoying. But it is a great flashlight. I haven't changed the batteries in a few years and it stil works great.

I can't believe how well flashlights work nowadays compared to the past. Just no comparison. Do all of today's newer cars also use this technology? If so, the lights do seem brighter and I guess would have a lot less maintenance problems.

 

[Boho]

I used to post to a flashlight forum. The button cell and rechargeable battery flashlights are by far the most popular among "flashaholics" but the safest are the ones that take "regular" batteries, and the safest among those are the single battery ones. And among the single battery ones, the single AAA ones probably cause the most problems because pressure will sometimes build up in their little battery compartments. I prefer AAA, AA, C, and D, like I grew up with. (I keep an AAA one in my key case.)

 

[NW-Bound]

This thread reminds me of my free HF blue LED light. It's not in its usual place. What did I do with it? When was the last time I used it?

This is driving me nuts!

 

[like2]

These are good quality, I used them when I was a lineman and frequently worked at night...

https://www.pelican.com/us/en/products/flashlights

 

[MuirWannabe]

I appreciate all the replies. And so quickly. Where else to go with my flashlight questions than an ER forum. [emoji39]

I’ll investigate most of these. My early favorite recommendation is the maglite, but we will see. The free one from Harbor Freight sounds great, except I’ve never heard of Harbor Freight.

 

[ERD50]

I really like the free LED flashlights from Harbor Freight. The blue one that shaped like a bar of soap. There's a few LEDs on the end to use like a regular flashlight & about 20-30 LEDs on the flat side to use for lighting a larger area. It has a magnet on the back and also a hook, so you can hang it. The size is perfect to fit in a pocket or stash in the glove box.

And they usually give them away for FREE.

I've got a couple, in fact I used one earlier today. Lots to like but I hate the sequence of pushing the button OFF - FRONT_LIGHT - OFF - SIDE_LIGHT.

I just want to turn it on or off. If I'm using the side light, I don;t want to have to cycle through to get that on/off. I keep planning to wire a switch to each light so I can do that. One of these days.

-ERD50

 

[Sunset]

I'm also a fan of the HF blue lights, they are great !

I've gone largely away from handheld lights, and enjoy my headlamp light so my hands are free.
It has an econo mode and a bright mode 180 lums.
I found using it camping (no electricity) that I'd change the 3 AAA every 2 weeks.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rayovac-...-e32-16e6324dcb1252&athancid=null&athena=true

 

[NW-Bound]

I agree, this is the kind of flashlight you want. While many exaggerate their lumans, you do want to look for one that claims 1000 or higher. I have one and I have lesser flashlights in the low hundreds and there is a huge difference...

All these lights use the Cree XM-L2 LED module. I went on Cree's Web site, and indeed the spec of 1200 lumens is achieved at a current of 3A.

But 3A? That's a lot of current from a single 18650 cell, which would not last long under that load. Additionally, the 10-Watt heat generated at the LED die would be very difficult to dissipate to keep the LED from overheating.

So, I just have to measure the current of my light to see what it is.

OK, here it is. The current at the "Bright" mode is only 1.7A. The current at the "Medium" mode is 0.85A.

So, it is true that the output of these lights is exaggerated. Brightness of the LED is roughly proportional to current, so the max output for my light is only around 700 lumens. It is still brighter than any light I had, and the brightness is impressive for something so compact.

And perhaps more important than brightness is the long-life of the battery, due to the energy density of the lithium battery and the efficiency of the LED. Technology is wonderful.

This thread reminds me of my free HF blue LED light. It's not in its usual place. What did I do with it? When was the last time I used it?

This is driving me nuts!

I found my elcheapo freebie HF LED light! Now, I can have a good night sleep.

 

[Sunset]

For less than $20, you can now get a pocket flashlight using Cree XM-L2 LED which puts out an astounding 1000-1200 lumens, and has a rechargeable Li-ion battery of 18650 size.

I was given one, and cannot find the exact one on Amazon, but there are several like it.

Here's one that has good reviews.

PS. Not sure about the one shown here, but mine has a sliding lens that can turn it from a pin-point beam to a flood light with a beam wide enough to cover my house as I stand on the side walk.

You have really tempted me to get this light.
I notice the charger has a usb plug, so this would be great at my cabin, to recharge off my planned solar system.

I love all the LED tech in flashlights !

 

[NW-Bound]

If 700 lumens for less than $20 is not bright enough for you, then there's a 32,000-lumen light on Amazon for less than $400. These lights have thermal management, and will reduce power when the LEDs get hot. One has a spec that says the max output is only maintained for 3 minutes, then the light will automatically dim to avoid burning the LEDs.

And then, there are some even brighter. How about 100,000 lumens for $1500? I think searchlights for anti-aircraft guns in WWII only went up to 200,000 or 300,000 lumens, but I could be wrong.

Here's what you can do with 50,000 lumens.

And 90,000 lumens.