ok guys, i'm in need of a good led flashlight and i'm beside myself trying to figure out which one. some background here in that my first one was a maglight that i couldn't get the batteries out of it. contacted them as it was under warranty and all they said was send it to them so they will get them out and send it back. wonderful pr and service huh? i decided no more maglights even though i love the ability of focusing. confessing i did buy 2 cheapo maglights as i had to have something, but putting in nimh batteries doesn't work out very well as the lights are dimmer and die off rapidly.
next one to try was a coast hp7. it was powerful with 360 lumens and a very nice focus. i didn't even get to try putting in nimh batteries when i lightly bumped my tool box with it while looking for a few tools. using the light was easier than dragging the box to a better lit area. the bump caused the light to go off. i tapped it lightly a few more times and it went on again. as time went on it was apparent that it would go on and off at will and i took it back. i could get an older $2 flashlight to do that and need to hit it to work and at the time they charged $40 for this light at home depot. now it is down to $25 and i decided to look if it may have just been my light or is there a problem with all of them. i found many similar complaints so that company i won't deal with either.
next to try is the taclight or atomic light and so on as it goes by many names. not high quality, but has a focus and takes 3 aaa batteries in a holder the size of a 18650 li-ion so i gathered it can use those batteries too. it somewhat sufficed while i was draining the supplied alkaline aaa batteries and finally put in the nimh aaa batteries. with a full charge on them the light started dimming within minutes. this won't due. it's good as long as i keep a supply of alkalines around, but i want rechargeables and more light than this pos puts out even with alkalines.
now it looks like i have to bite the bullet and get a quality flashlight and most are li-ion 18650 types so that's a new battery and charger in addition to the light. i'm in a quandary as to what to get. i don't want to spend $100 and there are few with the focus option so i may need to go without that. i was looking at nitecore and they seem good, but what do i want? these btw do have a regulation circuit in them to keep the light consistent and without the focus i figure going to 960 or 1000 lumens for the long throw and using the lower output settings to use normally.
now i've been reading and burning myself out wondering what to go with so maybe i figured i'd run it past you guys to see if you can help me make up my mind. after that i have to figure out from where and at what price.
You won't go wrong with a Streamlight . I used them for years at work and they are solid. Cops use them too. And the company stands behind their product.
Two models I have both use standard AA and AAA batteries.
This stylus pro is small and bright -- easy to clip in shirt pocket .
http://www.brightguy.com/Streamlight/Streamlight+Stylus+PRO
This one is more the size of AA maglight - maybe a little bit longer.
http://www.brightguy.com/Streamlight/Streamlight+Jr+LED+Flashlight
Here is new model that looks good - two light levels
http://www.brightguy.com/Streamlight/Streamlight+ProTac+2AA+LED+Flashlight+88033
On any of the new flashlight does not hurt to put a little bit of silicone grease on the threads and o-rings.
Both of these have the pushbutton on the end - I like them there.
I have used NiMH rechargeable batteries with the AA light no problem. I think the AAA one too.
But there are lots of other Streamlight and other manufacturer flashlighs on Brightguys website.
I have also bought cheapy flashlights from DX and ebay . They work too - some are better than others in build quality .
I haven't tried using lithium batteries in a flashlight yet - haven't needed to. But when I do I will use lithium cells out of an old laptop battery pack. Those have high quality cells in them and usually quite a few or all the cells are still good - maybe the bms goes bad in the packs. Thing is you have to be careful or don't use two lithium cells in a flashlight unless you get the good protected cells - because they can catch on fire or blow up in those flashlights in the cells are unbalanced and put together - so I would stick with one lithium battery flashlights -- lot of energy in one cell anyway compared to NiMH .
Here is photo comparison of my two flashlights .
(//)
Larry
Here is a cheapy set - batteries , chargers two flashlights.
Says the have sold 12,000 of them !
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Sets-8000-Lumens-5-Modes-CREE-XML-T6-LED-Flashlight-18650-Battery-Charger-USA-/262440195338?hash=item3d1aa7950a:g:6dMAAOSwr2RYKXSP
Might be able to get them for less if you wait a month to get shipped from China. But there are clones of clones of these cheap things.
Larry
i had a streamlight years ago, but it was the older halogen type. i managed to drop it and break it. nice light, but too expensive.
the other end of the spectrum is that cheapo and that is also similar to that taclight i've got and, yup, there's tons like it. i think i need to go somewhere in between with this.
take a look at this one and tell me what you think.
http://flashlight.nitecore.com/product/p12
btw, my taclight did not come with rechargeables or a charger and cost $20 due to being an "as seen on tv" item being sold in a brick and mortar store.
Niel check out the 3 packs of flashlights at Costco, about $20 up here, Snap-on brand can focus the beam... don't know the lumens or ? but works on a bear over a 200 yards away in a tree
Quote from: niel on January 20, 2017, 10:40:58 PM
take a look at this one and tell me what you think.
http://flashlight.nitecore.com/product/p12
btw, my taclight did not come with rechargeables or a charger and cost $20 due to being an "as seen on tv" item being sold in a brick and mortar store.
With all the choices out there I would probably call those Bright Guys and ask them for advice.
I haven't been on it for years but used to go on CandlePower forums where all the flashaholics hung out . Let see it is still there .
yeah it is still there - look up your potential flashlights and see what they say on there
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?45-LED-Flashlights
Larry
i tried looking around on there before and it's a needle in a haystack. here we can general speak without going through hundreds of threads.
i picked that one at random and all seem similar within that company. add to the fact that there's quite a few companies out there, it makes me wonder just what differentiates them all? that particular example i gave would run about $60 give or take and then the charger $15-$20 and finally the li-ion battery or batteries which vary widely in price and capacity. most likely i could get away with one battery barring a long outage, but that's where differing power levels are great. as i figured it's about $100 give or take. i'm sure there are many others that could fall into this price range and capabilities. differences are apt to be small, but are there any that stand out a bit farther?
i don't belong to costco, but are those aaa, aa, or li-ion? if aaa or aa then odds are they will drop off fast with nimh types due to no voltage regulation in them just like my cheap lights do. those cheapos are pretty much all like that as they want you to feed them with the higher voltage alkalines. this is why i concede the need for something better. it just needs kicked around before i decide.
flea bay - search for " led flashlight 14500 "
results
3 Sets-Tactical-Police-6000LM-CREE-XM-L-LED-Flashlight-Torch-Battery-Charger-US $16
These are single AA lights, many of the brands that pop up, will run with AA or Li 14500
many come with battery and charger.
The fit into the watch pocket on jeans, and I prefer the 3 mode models Bright, Dim, Flashing, and I usually am happy with Dim, unless I want to light up the hillside. More than a few minutes on Bright, and they start heating up pretty good from the LED.
I had one batch that did not work with plain AA batteries, so look for that feature in the description.
For the price, you can't beat them
And NEVER look into the beam with your eye, it will not be good.
mike,
that is cheap. are they really 6000 lumens as that would drain a battery in no time flat? does it have different output levels as i didn't see that said? anything else you can add about them and thanks for this added info and extra option for flashlights?
cdn-vt,
can you clarify what you said?
Most of these are not really 6,000 or 5,000 lumens.
But they are insanely bright, and nearly all are 3 modes, some are 5 modes.
They will drain a alkaline AA pretty quick, but with the lithium battery, you get a pretty good run on the dim setting.
I use them for walking around the ranch at night, on dim (still dang bright) or daytimes, checking water levels on the battery bank. I recharge about 1x a month
The best part is most will work with a plain AA battery if you don't have a charged Li battery. And a single AA is about equal to 3 AAA. I hate messing with a AAA holder and then putting the holder in the flashlight.
they must be pumping the lights up a bit to make sales as nobody really needs 5000 lumens that aren't already on cars, trucks, and planes. it's a flashlight after all. i can say the one i had at 360 lumens was blinding if it caught your eye and many that i had looked at online already were in and around 3x that being at or near 1000 lumens. i don't think i'll need such bright lighting as in the thousands of lumens and the lights don't operate for long in that range anyway 1stly due to heating and 2ndly due to battery drain.
interesting that a single aa will still power it. how long did it last for you like that? i'm sure the brightness went way down on it that way. what brightness level did you use with the aa?
if you meant an aa is roughly equal in power to the 3 aaa batteries then i would agree, but the voltage being 1/3 from an aa will drop the brightness while 3 aaa's won't.
The quality comes down to the machining of the tubes, the quality of the on off buttons, and the electronics that step up or regulate the voltage. Some of that cheap stuff just fails where the good stuff won't . I have cheapy lights and if you compare them to the good lights - you quickly see the difference. The other part of that story is you can get a whole bunch of cheapy lights for price of a good one.
The capacity a lot of vendors claim on inexpensive lithium cells is really blown out of proportion. Better make sure you get some good ones if you get a good flashlight to go along with them.
Larry
now that's the $64,000 question. which ones are the good batteries? in fact, which are the good flashlights?
take this one for example, how do you know it's good?
https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Flashlight-Water-Resistant-Rechargeable-Pocket-Sized/dp/B01KH2JP5G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485030055&sr=8-1&keywords=Anker+LC90+LED+Flashlight
Quote from: niel on January 21, 2017, 03:22:23 PM
now that's the $64,000 question. which ones are the good batteries? in fact, which are the good flashlights?
take this one for example, how do you know it's good?
https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Flashlight-Water-Resistant-Rechargeable-Pocket-Sized/dp/B01KH2JP5G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485030055&sr=8-1&keywords=Anker+LC90+LED+Flashlight
With 375 reviews I think you could be pretty sure it is worth $24
and it comes with a battery and 18 month warraty - looks good to me.
You will have to go on Candlepower forums and read the battery section there- sure they have their favorites identified.
Larry
just ran across this battery charger Neil
75 cents
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5V-1A-Micro-USB-18650-Li-Ion-Battery-Charging-Board-Charger-Module-Protection/262686630844?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40778%26meid%3D66e895fd111c4d1da6b3ec61c74f47f6%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D302179335784
just because they say 5000 or 6000 lumens, does not mean it actually delivers that. I'm sure most of these LED's are factory culls and they all have a PCB driver board, which is why they can run AA or 14500 cell. And that driver board is what gives the multi-lighting modes, bright - dim - blink I mostly use the dim, and even AA cells last me a week or so.
No fade, no warning, it reaches the limit of what the driver board can extract from the cell, and it dies.
But the cheap ones are so cheap, even going through a couple of a batch of 5, they are a bargin when you get a working one. Most of the trouble I have is the switch in the end cap, goes bad, falls apart....
i appreciate all of the input guys. i would rather buy a known good one than a cheap bunch of bad ones. but then again the battery may be worth the price alone.
so which one are you going to get ? That one on amazon you linked or the nitecore or fenix or streamlight ?
good question. i'm just as undecided i guess as i was to start and maybe more so as mike brought into the equation the cheaper element as a worthy option. i guess i have to look further and kick this around in my head as well as here. :-\
of course they're replaceable items, but i don't want to have to do it at the time or not long after i buy. you go for quantity due to failures? i do hear you about the failing eyesight. that reminds me that i have an eye doctors appointment coming up next month. it'll be more bad news i'm sure.
i do have a headlamp, but i don't use that quite that often and it can take a li-ion, but i have the aaa batteries in it now. i bought that some time ago at one of the local brick and mortar stores. works well.
maglight could've become a good product, but they went down the wrong path and streamlight stayed good and is way too expensive. nitecore seems pretty good from what i've read, but it's semi up there in price too. who'd have ever thunk it that flashlights could be so expensive and difficult to make a decent one. :o
btw, i was thinking the 18650 types and using lower power settings to extend use time, but on models that start at the highest setting every time, it could be a pain to need to run through the settings. also, note that the usb type i mentioned i won't get due to the battery being permanently in there, as in not meant to last long. in models where the battery is accessible then no problem. having a charger and extra batteries for other items i can use the 18650 in is extra and makes a usb chargeable light somewhat moot as i'll need the charger anyway.
i still haven't checked out the battery list on candlepower forum yet, but too early yet until i decide on the path for the flashlight.
Neil,
You might be worse than me for making a decision on what to get !
I thought that Amazon one you posted was worth a try.
But you would be happy with one of the quality pocket lights by Streamlight, Fenix, Nitecore too.
I have one of these - cheap lots of light runs on AA
http://www.dx.com/p/sipik-sk68-cree-q3-wc-120-lumen-convex-lens-led-flashlight-black-1-aa-1-14500-39585#.WITmFVzSkXg
Larry
Figure I'd jump in,
I have mag lights-4 of them -old ones are o.,k
The new led ones suck... forget about putting rechargeable batts in them- can't get them back out.
I also tried a Gerber lx 3.0 - mutch better.
I'm also looking...
G
Quote from: grgdgreek on January 22, 2017, 01:04:09 PM
Figure I'd jump in,
I have mag lights-4 of them -old ones are o.,k
The new led ones suck... forget about putting rechargeable batts in them- can't get them back out.
I also tried a Gerber lx 3.0 - mutch better.
I'm also looking...
G
Hmm - I never have any problem sliding the NiMh in my flashlights. At least with AA and AAA . I suppose some cells may have been too fat in the past or maybe they have made the tubes on flashlights a bit larger.
I use rechargables in my LED lights all the time. Some older LED lights may not work with them because the 1.2v NiMh wasn't enough but most of the new LED lights have step up voltage boosters in them - for instance that cheapy LED light for $3.50 runs on just one AA battery and a superbright LED like that takes a lot more than 1.5v to run .
Anyway I have run one set of NiMh batteries for years in my LED flashlight no problems. They seem to run for just as long or longer than alkaline batteries do - don't keep track because I just toss the NiMH in the charger every once in awhile and they never run out on me.
Larry
cc, i couldn't access the site you posted as it's down right now. i got one of those errors, i think 502. anyway, yes the lights i have don't have the up conversion circuitry in them to make rechargeables viable in them. if they did, i might not have been looking for something new. the lumens i'd like to be in the 200-300+ range as a first choice option that i'll use and lower settings available. seeing as how i want the 18650 type battery to extend run times, many lights will have enormous lumens as a high setting, but i'm not in need of that high setting, just the extended run times lower settings offer. the ones with 4 and 5 settings not counting the dumb stuff like sos and strobe offer the most versatility in the settings, but i don't like the idea of starting at 1000 lumens or so. take the nitecore p12 for instance as it has the 1000 lumen high setting that i can use as a replacement headlamp that i'll most likely not need, but nice to know i can.it can remember starting at lower settings. next is the 240 lumen setting which falls into the lower range of my primary requirement area. it also has a 70 lumen setting good for general lighting not requiring huge amounts of light or for reading at close proximity. the last setting intrigued me at 1 lumen. i'm not sure just how much light that will actually be, but may be like a candle in my guessing and suffice as a night light or general low level light to illuminate say during an outage and not need to worry about it giving out being it has a whopping 520 hours run time. yes, the p12 was one i was leaning to, but there's so much out there and $60 is a tad steep and it did not focus. btw, the run times they based on a 2600ma 18650 and i can extend it going with the better capacity batteries.
as to maglite having batteries get stuck, this is a problem area for them and the ones that got stuck in mine were the supplied duracells. rather than give me a new flashlight free of this problem they only offered to get the batteries out and send back the same problematic flashlight to have it happen all over again. after spending the $25 on it that i paid i feel i got ripped off by them and got poor customer service. that's just my opinion. i did otherwise like the flashlight.
The focus stuff isn't that important - the light levels are.
Having a light that will remember what mode you want it to go to first would be great. I had a light that had 5 modes and you needed to go through them every time and that was kind of annoying.
That nitecore sounds like a good investment.
I was just looking up the p12
Saw this other nitecore model has almost the same specs but costs less - not sure what is different
http://www.brightguy.com/Nitecore/Nitecore+EC20+High+Lumen+Compact+Light
Larry
cc, having had a focusable light i did find it useful. a lower powered light with say 400 lumens could focus more power into the beam to go the distance many higher powered lights do. in a power outage i was able to widen the focus and stand it on end to illuminate a room. i do know what you mean about the nitecore lights as they are impressive. take a look at some of the others they have too and that is only for the explorer series.
http://flashlight.nitecore.com/product-category/e-series (http://flashlight.nitecore.com/product-category/e-series)
to check other categories go to products from the bottom link and scrolling down on the left hand side will show all of the other series flashlights. the output on the ec20 is a tad lower than the p12.
http://flashlight.nitecore.com/
edit to add the ec25 is a handsome light.
Quote from: CDN-VT on January 22, 2017, 10:21:16 PM
Quote from: ClassicCrazy on January 22, 2017, 11:52:32 AM
I have one of these - cheap lots of light runs on AA
http://www.dx.com/p/sipik-sk68-cree-q3-wc-120-lumen-convex-lens-led-flashlight-black-1-aa-1-14500-39585#.WITmFVzSkXg
Larry
Those are the 14500 cell lamps I use .
http://www.dx.com/p/3-7v-800mah-rechargeable-lithium-ion-14500-battery-blue-315312#.WIUCuo6dRqA
Cells type I use^^^.. in the AA cell is low beam only .
Mine are 3 mode , bright ,dim ,flash and I do have one that is just on also .
Under 20 bucks you could start with lamp,cels & charge if you look for deals on DX
VT
I like that they are honest in their ad that they say it is measured 800mah despite being labeled as 1300mah.
That way they keep their reputation.
Larry
Hi, I know you have had maglite before as most people have.
But I came across cheap 3 cell, led full size maglites posted for $20 each on a site here in aus.
I bought over 200 and resold many for $60.
Point is they are great with the led head. To make them lighter I use 3 eneloop AA to D cell adaptors in the torch and eneloop recharable
batteries. The torches are great and the battery setup last many many hours and spare batteries do not weigh much to carry.
You can shoot out to 100 meters at night if you have older eyes and a scope and probably 150 meters if you are younger with good eyes.
If you want cheapies you can buy single battery adjustable led torches from tomtop.com for $5 us or less each. I have several of these and they are over 5 years old and still going strong.
My two bobs worth!
Good luck.
russ,
well, that's one way of getting around the stuck battery problem. they have inserts that you can put 2 aa batteries into the shell giving even more power and thus prolonging battery life. saves on carrying spares.
https://www.amazon.com/Size-Battery-Adapter-Case-White/dp/B0094DH1E2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1485206543&sr=8-3&keywords=d+spacer (https://www.amazon.com/Size-Battery-Adapter-Case-White/dp/B0094DH1E2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1485206543&sr=8-3&keywords=d+spacer)
they must have the regulator board in it or you'd be complaining just like i've been of them dying off quickly. am i to assume it's focusable like most maglites? you had more than $4k to invest in flashlights? hi buddy. ;) :)
Hi,
Yeah I had some of the elcheapo chinese 2 x AA adaptors, but I found the retaining clips broke off them. Still have a few.
Yes the led maglitte is focussable.
Ok, I did not tell she who must be obeyed I spent $4 K on torches! But to be fair I doubled my money on what I sold and kept 15 as spares for myself! When I got medically retired from work I decided I was going to be an ebay retailer, lol!
Neil if the postage was not such a killer between our two countries I would send you one gratus! ;D
ok understand about your circumstances and i know what you mean about the wife. on the deal itself you were to be smart or lucky going into that flashlight deal and we'd like to believe it was both by the result. if it were me, i'd have been burned somehow.
no need to send me one even if post was cheap, but appreciated.
Np, I like to share in the spoils of profit, lol.
so, i have found a flashlight that fits all my likes, but the cost is high. it's a fenix fd30.
http://www.brightguy.com/Fenix/Fenix+FD30+Focusing+Flashlight\
anybody hear bad on this one or have thoughts on it?
Looks good-
75$ and china?
Only one year warranty?
I would keep searching
IMHO, George :-)
Quote from: niel on January 27, 2017, 08:11:12 AM
so, i have found a flashlight that fits all my likes, but the cost is high. it's a fenix fd30.
http://www.brightguy.com/Fenix/Fenix+FD30+Focusing+Flashlight\
anybody hear bad on this one or have thoughts on it?
In case you go with the Fenix I just got this in email from Brightguy
Use coupon code "FENIX10" for 10% off all Fenix products!
how about this one
http://www.dx.com/p/ultrafire-th-t60-ha-ii-xm-lt60-5-mode-1200-lumen-white-led-flashlight-with-strap-1-x-18650-57007#.WIuHCX_SkXg
Take a look around on here
http://www.dx.com/c/lights-lighting-1399/flashlights-1307/led-flashlights-1360/18650-flashlights-1364?sort=popularity&sortType=desc
Larry
the fenix website offers a better savings and it says a limited lifetime guarantee. not sure what that is. the cheaper ones have compromises in that they lack some desirable aspects. i guess that's what you get for the cheaper compromised price tag. there might be some real quality bargains in there, but without in person inspection one doesn't really know. that's the trouble with ordering online and even something one might expect to be good might turn out not to be.
in revisiting the streamlight link this may be the cheaper option on quality. this subject can have you chasing your own tail. rats no focus on it.
Quote from: niel on January 27, 2017, 04:00:38 PM
in revisiting the streamlight link this may be the cheaper option on quality. this subject can have you chasing your own tail. rats no focus on it.
Ha ha - you won't go wrong with a streamlight .
Get a cheap one, get a Streamlight and compare the two and report back !
Larry
http://www.ebay.com/itm/8000LM-XML-T6-Zoomable-Tactical-LED-Flashlight-Torch-Lamp-18650-Battery-Charger/272479706056?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D2220071%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3D463f08f1a94a4f5db4ce296d59c1e2e1%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D252736237464
I have this flashlight. Well made, focusable, Long lasting lithium battery and super bright. Don't know how they can build and sell them so cheap
yes, they are cheap and so cheap that it semi-scares me to get them. tell me more about it like number of light settings and if known the lumens for each. does it have last setting memory? etc. etc.
i've also never bought from ebay so what's involved there?
The listing has most details. It has 3 light levels plus strobe and SOS mode. Not sure of lumens on lower settings. Claimed lumens, 8000.
I've been an eBay buyer and seller for over 10 years now. Contrary to some belief, There is a large percentage of quality merchandise available from 10's of thousands of sellers. Of course there is some low quality junk from one of our far eastern neighbors. I will say this, You can find virtually anything on eBay short of human organs. They draw the line there. lol. You can pay with credit/debit cards but the simplest way is through Paypal, which is actually an online bank which is linked to your regular bank account.
Anyway, Nice flashlight
ok, you have the light so does it remember the last mode used so one doesn't have to cycle each time you turn it on? as to lumens does it not have a manuel with specs and do know that that cree led is not capable of exceding 1100 lumens. now if i miss my guess here, this will come from hong kong and would take awhile to get here. that's a double minus and not being the least bit familiar with pay pal is minus #3. i know, it's so cheap and i'd only lose a couple bucks right? my level of trust to ebay is very low and even though i referenced amazon before i have yet to use them either due to trust issues. maybe i'm just being too paranoid to go swimming with the sharks?
Anything with a switch offering more than on and off will fail!
All the chinese on/off led torches I have are still going after 5 years.
The ones with strobe and dim etc died in the switch.
FYI!
Everybody has their own comfort level when it comes to new and unknown actions, or in this case purchases. Personally , as of today I have made 1132 purchases and have only had a handful of disappointing transactions. Ebay will always make it right whenever there is a problem. I'm not here to preach the virtues of eBay. I'm just relaying my own experiences. As to the flashlight, if you turn it off while in high mode , yes it remembers where it was. I have owned one of these lights for about 3 years now and it is still working perfectly. The other two have given me no reason to think they are going to fail. The switches feel as firm as the older one. But you never know, right? Ill take my chances.
Btw I've had more than my fair share of high dollar Mag Lights fail or have batteries corrode and fuse themselves in, never to work again.
russ,
good to know that and i guess that puts a nail in the coffin on nearly all of them.
littleharbor2,
i'll shorten that to lh2 as i like to try and type faster than my snails pace. it's why all is in small letters too as anything that speeds up the process helps. no i'm not illiterate even though it might seem like it in this thread.
anyway, you hit it dead on about my greenness to it to the point of being gun shy. i think it will be a long wait for it to arrive too, which would drive me crazy. by chance do you remember how long it took for you and i'm not sure where you are even at? i'm in pittsburgh, pa btw. i'm so a little of this way and a little that way in my decision that it might pay for me to go both ways. i'm thinking the fenix immediately and the ones you pointed out can then take a slow boat from china. ;D going into details if i'm helped out on this ebay stuff is better done on the pm if you would be willing to give me the aid when i'm ready to take it on. i've got some doctors appointments coming up at a very tight time in the coming week or so and i'm not sure if the timing would go right. if you could semi walk me through what i'm seeing and what i should or should not do at what point it being you have a good deal of experience would be appreciated as it is the fear of the unknown that holds me back. yup, i'm that lost on it. too used to brick and mortar dealings i guess. :-\ ??? <<<<that's undecided and lost. i guess you understand now why i started the thread.
Neil, Gotta run out now but I just thought it might ease your mind a bit to know these flashlights are available by many USA based ebay sellers. Typical shipping times for domestic orders usually runs 3-7 days.
very good, lh2. we'll talk some more when the opportunity presents itself. 8)
Neil - as others have said - Ebay guarantees your purchase.
Using paypal is the best way to do it.
I have made lots of purchases from ebay . Find what you want , list it by price and shipping lowest first, then choose Buy it Now so you don't have to see any auction stuff. At the left you will see where you can choose US only for those dealers. For the flashlights you will see that you can get the same things already in US and they will cost usually 3 to $5 more than getting it direct from China.
When I order from China or overseas sometimes it gets here in about 10 days but often takes 3 weeks to a month. I don't usually worry about it when I am buying things that cost a few bucks each . They arrive eventually ! When you get the stuff the sellers like you to go to your purchase history and leave feedback - leave a nice comment and 5 stars because that helps others who are purchasing and their site too.
I recently ordered some soldering supplies - some got here in 10 days - others are still on their way. This time of year China pretty much shuts down a few weeks for New Years until February 5 everyone will be back in action .
You have caused me to order some inexpensive flashlights because I have been looking them up for you !
Larry
I was not bagging ebay!
At one time I was making adjustable stocks and kits for ruger 10/22's and ruger chargers and in the process consumed over 150 led torches
mainly on/off switches and some 3 position switch types.
I only ever had some 3 position ones come back out of the packages I sold.
A lot of my bulk purchases come from Tomtop in china and some from evil bay.
Yes paypal is the best way for protection especially now they have extended the period of protection on a purchase.
But putting it in a nutshell, for the money they charge for the lower end products you would be crazy to spend anything over $30 US on a torch as the cheaper ones will last as long and you can buy more and store for ron (later on).
Can relate to the maglite with leaking batteries :'( :'( :'(
russ,
no problem, but the point is true that if cheap parts are used that the switch would be most vulnerable to damage due to it moving. even a good switch can wear out if pushed enough times. if they ever come up with a good alternative way of switching without movement or physical contacts they'd have the majority of problems licked. i don't see that happening none to soon. this is partly why i am asking for advice here as steering me to known good products is a plus. the ebay guarantee is nice, but how many actually follow up if the item is so cheap in cost to begin with?
excuse me?
Quote from: CDN-VT on January 30, 2017, 12:13:09 AM
Get over IT !!!
Cheap Neil !!!! Buy a setup , that's cheap & decide !!!
Ya are starting to sound as a twin tail .
Yur lucky in your country , you have better rights (cuz if not , you can nuke em) while In CDN, Nada !! so they sell us seconds !!!
You have grown up , but learn't you need!
VT !
what's your problem? you don't like my trying to make up my mind with the aid of others then move on and keep your opinion to yourself if you can't help.
edit to add-you've got problems you need to talk to a professional about.
I think Nigel must have been having a bad day. Or a stroke affecting his language centres:)
he keeps this up and he may have a stroke. i suspect high blood pressure, but definitely mental problems.
Looks like another "Sunking" for anybody who knows who he is.
naw, sunking is in a class by himself and russ over there protects him as if he owes him his life.
settled for now, i hope.
Ok, what did I do???? Sigh!
what makes you think you did something?
to get back to the topic, I was looking at one of the links and went looking at a mid-priced LED light, and suddenly realized I did not really know what they meant by ''Tactical''... when they listed the strange raised lip around the lights lens cover...
Can someone/anyone define it differently than Wiki does? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactical_light
essentially associates it with shooting
Quote from: Westbranch on February 02, 2017, 12:32:09 AM
to get back to the topic, I was looking at one of the links and went looking at a mid-priced LED light, and suddenly realized I did not really know what they meant by ''Tactical''... when they listed the strange raised lip around the lights lens cover...
Can someone/anyone define it differently than Wiki does? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactical_light
essentially associates it with shooting
I always thought it meant that ribbed rough end could be used as a self defense weapon - blind someone and then bash them with that end of the light when clenched in your hand would hurt . So that is why I think they are called tactical.
Larry
Pretty sure the raised lip is for busting an auto window out in an emergency. Probably not the best thing for the flashlight but in an emergency....
From Prepper journal, http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2013/07/01/why-you-should-carry-and-know-how-to-use-a-tactical-flashlight/
Self Defense â€" Flashlights can easily assist you in a self-defense situation. For starters, most modern tactical flashlights are very bright. By bright I mean it hurts your brain to look at them â€" bright. If someone is threatening you, just flash the light in their eyes and blind them temporarily while you make your get away or maneuver into position. Also, a lot of tactical flashlights have bezel edges. These are supposed to assist you in breaking a window, but I wouldn’t try that with my flashlight. What they would be good at though is cracking a skull. If you blind an attacker and then smash him on the head with your flashlight that will definitely get their attention and will break the skin at a minimum
Some of the "tactical" flashlights I looked at had various features.
Dazzler, flickering insanely bright blinding light.
Zapper, AKA stun gun or tazer.
Thumper, as thump on the skull or busting glass with reduced impact area for intense Pounds / foot impact for given weight.
Even saw one that had a tazer that shot out the pins / wires so you didn't need to get close to zap an assailant.
So, I say, "Tactical" can mean many things. Most of which I am uninterested in.
If I need to defend myself, I ain't getting in close and don't want half measures like a light or skull thumper. I much prefer a more effective point and click method.
Anyway, typically, you probably need to read closely what they are selling.
My favorite flashlight is an LED unit with like 4 AAA in a cylindrical holder in it, nice light, batteries go on a long time. Bought years ago in a truckstop when I needed one to do a repair, it was cheaper than replacement batteries for the 4 cell Mag Lite I had that had dead batteries. Nothing fancy, no "features" just a solid, useful light to have in case you need some light. No idea on the brand, doesn't have any info on it. Has like 30 LEDs, and is made of aluminum. Works fine with rechargeables as well. but works best with good alkalines and they last a long time.
Anyway, my point is cheap is not necessarily bad. That lite has been abused and used hard in all weather even left in the bed of the pickup for a week or so of rain and it is still working fine after a decade or more.
Probably no help but just my experience.
Unless you have a specific need for the "tactical" features I would avoid them. Just more stuff to fail and learn how to use.
Just my opinion, likely not shared by everyone.
Tom
i paid 0 attention to the term tactical as that's wide open for interpretation. this could also mean the light isn't rugged for hitting whatever, but for just mounting to a gun. if one uses it like a hammer, i seriously doubt it'll still work afterwards. they often give drop specs at 2 meters and hitting someone or something is certainly worse than the 2 meter drop they specify. that's about 6ft and not much of an impact. it's a selling term imho.
Neil,
Did you ever get a flashlight ? What did you choose ?
A week or two ago I received the cheapies I ordered on ebay when you got me looking at them.
I was just outside with the tiny 1 AAA light - geez that thing really throws a lot of light out and even will focus a spot farther away.
I remember when the two AA mini mag light with the xenon bulb was the best . Now one of those seems like dim light - this little tiny single AAA battery light are 10 times brighter than the old mini mag. So who know how long it will last - actually feels pretty solid.
Amazing for the $1 it cost.
Also received the 1 AA light from same place . The AA light I haven't used yet because I only have NiMH rechargeable batteries and it doesn't seem to like that - is dim so will have to scrounge up a decent alkaline to try it out. Although I have another single AA LED light that is bright as can be with same NiMH battery .
Just looked up the new light and see that it is supposed to be 18650 battery so no wonder it is dim on AA ! That is like half the voltage so it should really be bright when I get a proper battery in it . Will have to find an old laptop battery pack I have and take one of the cells out of it - lots free high quality 18650 cells in there !
Larry
Yeah CC those new led torches are insane for their size and durability and cost! :o ;D
well, if any are interested in this, what many here seem to deem to be from a troll, i have decided on the fenix fd30, but i have to wait to get a few bills out of the way to be sure i have funds available as this isn't cheap. i know i'm probably spending far too much, but i have to have something that fits the bill and is loaded with quality. any secondary buys can go by the way of the cheaper stuff for more than 1 light is a good thing to have and i'll probably get them later.
btw cc, how are those lights working out for you over this stretch of time? are the nimh aa still not doing well? might be due to no electronics boosting the battery in that model.
Quote from: niel on March 03, 2017, 11:22:04 PM
well, if any are interested in this, what many here seem to deem to be from a troll, i have decided on the fenix fd30, but i have to wait to get a few bills out of the way to be sure i have funds available as this isn't cheap. i know i'm probably spending far too much, but i have to have something that fits the bill and is loaded with quality. any secondary buys can go by the way of the cheaper stuff for more than 1 light is a good thing to have and i'll probably get them later.
btw cc, how are those lights working out for you over this stretch of time? are the nimh aa still not doing well? might be due to no electronics boosting the battery in that model.
I never did get the Red bigger light working yet - I was going to stick in a 18650 lithium out of a laptop pack but it won't fit .
The little AAA light I just have a cheap heavy duty alkaline in and it work fine . In fact I ordered two more for a buck each. Guess I can give them to friends or just have them laying around everywhere !
Larry
give me the link to that one again as i wish to view that over.
i know the one i have that is the taclight i got from a local store takes the 3 aaa batteries or an 18650 and it does not last very long with the aaa batteries. i can't see me in an outage or much else with that taclight where the light needs to work for an hour or more. no memory on last setting either so one has to cycle it with a light touch on the rear switch. the strobe is the 4th setting so on turn on it will need to go through 3 other settings before the blinding strobe. a useless feature imo. most bright led flashlights today will be able to blind somebody without the strobe so the 1st turn on setting will blind an attacker about as well without giving the attacker the time to attack by playing with the light.
i'm still thinking about that anker too, but in my readings it has a funny way of switching the different output levels from the off position and not while in operation.
Get some eneloop pro series batteries as seem a lot better than most on the market.
Give you a longer light time when needed.