LED Flashlights

[soundmotor]

My son gave me a Thrunite TN12 for Christmas. It has a Cree LED run off a single 18650 (3400mA) battery w/ 5-mode selector switch + on/off so it stays at the last setting you chose when you turn it back on again. The thing that floored me is the firefly mode. It's dim but usable light, you could navigate with it at night. The quoted run time is ~74...days! The other end is turbo mode w/ ~95 minute run time and may be the brightest light I've ever owned which includes an acetylene lantern. You could paint low-flying aircraft with the TN12 on a clear night. For a light that is ~4.00" x 0.875" that is amazing. Very happy dad with this one.

Here's an online pic of one in turbo mode -

 

[Hajidub]

My e-cig takes (2) of those batteries and last 8 hours! Unbelievable it would run that neat flashlight for 74 days!

 

[sKiZo]

LEDs are neat - and as you've noticed, quite bright. My only complaint has been durability. They do seem to go bad a lot faster than any of the old incandescent battery hogs ... Maybe just luck of the draw.

Just got an LED post lamp in the front yard, and I was fortunately bright enough to have them put a dimmer on the thing. All the way up, I'm sure they could see it from the ISS ... uses screw in bulbs, so I guess if I wanted to I could install standard types too, but the LEDs currently in the lamp are "warm white" and look great.

 

[nj pheonix]

I have a cree headlamp.
It takes 3 of those batteries.
I honestly believe its worthless.
You blind anyone you face.
Without adjustments, it's just too bright!
I'm not knocking cree lights.
I have a few that I'm very happy with. Enjoy!

 

[soundmotor]

For household lighting we are ~90% LED now. Once natural color temps entered the fray it made the move easy. We do get a get failures but those are a rarity. For the most part they just do their job and are forgotten. I rarely even think about incandescents since reliable and dimmable LED bulbs came out.

Switched to LED flashlights once price normalized but the Thrunite is the first A-grade one I have. It is most definitely an order of magnitude beyond the SK68s littered around the house with but there is a place for those too. I leave them anywhere I need a light and pretty much forget them in-between. NiMH batteries are a joy too, amazed how long they hold a charge. I "lost" one well over a year ago and found it again when I did the big car clean in the fall. Still bright and ready to go.

Deals abound on the single-mode SK68, ~$35 for a 10-pack if you search -

 

[blhagstrom]

I've been looking for a good pocket light.
The old one I found at a yard sale years ago finally gave up the ghost.
I looked up the maker but all they have now are big.

A nice slim AA type of decent quality is the goal.
I got some cheap things from China off eBay.
Took forever but they are not bad. I'll see how they stand up.

Those Pocketman look like a reasonable deal.

 

[soundmotor]

I've been looking for a good pocket light.
The old one I found at a yard sale years ago finally gave up the ghost.
I looked up the maker but all they have now are big.

A nice slim AA type of decent quality is the goal.
I got some cheap things from China off eBay.
Took forever but they are not bad. I'll see how they stand up.

Those Pocketman look like a reasonable deal.

There are literally dozens of brand names on the SK68 type and probably as many manufacturers with similar quality. When I started buying them several years back they were ~$7 and now less than 1/2. They aren't super slim but not bulky either. With a single AA they disappear in a coat pocket. AA's are nice as you can get them anywhere in a pinch. They also have a sliding focus from spot to flood feature that works well. I like the single-mode type vs. the 3-mode; I had my only failure with that one. One mode won't come on at all. Runtime on an IKEA 2450mA AA is quite good. Taking it out every night for walks over a several week period and it stayed bright. Even when it starts to dim you get usable light for some time.

 

[Pio1980]

Found a two 'D' cell Maglite LED model on the street that is now my default "Crocodile Dundee" flashlight. Very impressive with ordinary alkaline 'D' cells.

 

[MannyE]

Hey wait... does this mean that those super expensive incandescent mag lights are now thrift store fodder? Is there a glut of $5 aluminum bat maglite flashlights on ebay?? ::runs to ebay::

 

[ConradH]

Feit makes some good ones and sometimes the big box membership store has 'em cheap. Puts my old incandescent Maglites to shame.

 

[squirrelnest]

Craftsman Led Pocket Light.....5 bucks....use them in the car, motorcycle, & around the house.

 

[MaxxVolume]

A few examples of single-18650 powered flashlights, save for that big gold-anodized job, which, despite being smaller than a soda can, contains three LEDs and FOUR 18650s (that`s fourteen-point-something volts !), on the high setting it will function as an aircraft landing light. Not sure what the lumens rating is, but it will light up about a half an acre at night, has both tremendous throw and spill. Was designed to be a copy of the Nitecore Tiny Monster, and does an admirable job. Also has a more sane setting, maybe one-third to one-fourth the full-power mode, which is quite usable.

 

[pdm4606]

I replaced the ceiling lights in our kitchen with the LED version and swear that our electric bill is lower. There were 4 60 watt incandescent that now have LED. The LED's are also brighter. They use around .05 watt at 120v.

 

[BruceRPA]

I've been looking for a good pocket light.
The old one I found at a yard sale years ago finally gave up the ghost.
I looked up the maker but all they have now are big.

A nice slim AA type of decent quality is the goal.
I got some cheap things from China off eBay.
Took forever but they are not bad. I'll see how they stand up.

Those Pocketman look like a reasonable deal.

I have been carrying a Streamlight Microstream in my pocket, usually my shirt pocket, every day for years. It is surprisingly bright, very well built and it gets a lot of use. It has survived several trips through the washing machine without any problems. They run on one AAA battery that seems to last forever.

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1...MImd6_muWr2AIVBEsNCh0axAkiEAQYAiABEgJQ6PD_BwE

 

[BruceRPA]

I admit to being a flashlight junkie. That flashlight in the OP looks excellent! Thanks for posting the info soundmotor. I am about to be on the hunt for one momentarily!

 

[blhagstrom]

I have been carrying a Streamlight Microstream in my pocket, usually my shirt pocket, every day for years. It is surprisingly bright, very well built and it gets a lot of use. It has survived several trips through the washing machine without any problems. They run on one AAA battery that seems to last forever.

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1...MImd6_muWr2AIVBEsNCh0axAkiEAQYAiABEgJQ6PD_BwE

Hmmm, lifetime warranty.
Thanks

 

[Danddd]

For household lighting we are ~90% LED now. Once natural color temps entered the fray it made the move easy. We do get a get failures but those are a rarity. For the most part they just do their job and are forgotten. I rarely even think about incandescents since reliable and dimmable LED bulbs came out.

Switched to LED flashlights once price normalized but the Thrunite is the first A-grade one I have. It is most definitely an order of magnitude beyond the SK68s littered around the house with but there is a place for those too. I leave them anywhere I need a light and pretty much forget them in-between. NiMH batteries are a joy too, amazed how long they hold a charge. I "lost" one well over a year ago and found it again when I did the big car clean in the fall. Still bright and ready to go.

Deals abound on the single-mode SK68, ~$35 for a 10-pack if you search -

As of today 12/28, now down to $23.19/10. These are great little flashlights. https://www.amazon.com/Pocketman-Mo...2&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=sk68+flashlight&psc=1
No Affiliation, just a nice quality flashlight

 

[soundmotor]

As of today 12/28, now down to $23.19/10. These are great little flashlights. https://www.amazon.com/Pocketman-Mo...2&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=sk68+flashlight&psc=1
No Affiliation, just a nice quality flashlight

If you have an IKEA nearby, these are $6.99 a pack (Japan made too). I've been using them for ~2 years now and they go great with the above.

 

[whoaru99]

Did someone say LED flashlight?

 

[N8Nagel]

I have been carrying a Streamlight Microstream in my pocket, usually my shirt pocket, every day for years. It is surprisingly bright, very well built and it gets a lot of use. It has survived several trips through the washing machine without any problems. They run on one AAA battery that seems to last forever.
https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1...MImd6_muWr2AIVBEsNCh0axAkiEAQYAiABEgJQ6PD_BwE

Streamlight, Surefire, and Pelican are all targeted at the "tactical" markets and should be dead nuts bulletproof.

There are other boutique mfgrs that make high reliability lights with more EDC friendly features, I'm thinking of HDC and Malkoff Devices, but you pay for those.

Me, I carry a single 16350 powered Sunwayman V11 on my belt daily, I'm on my second one but you can pick them up for about $40ish and they do everything I want from a light. I would love a high CRI version but again that's a feature that e.g. HDC offers for the price of quite a few little Sunwaymans (Sunwaymen?)

If you want to go down this rabbithole you could run over to candlepowerforums and read up for a while.