Advice needed please.

I need some advice about the ultimate EDC light. My criterion for "Ultimate" is defined below. Thanks for taking the time to ponder!

I am looking for the smallest keychain/EDC light I can find (<P1, Peak Shasta size=perfect), it preferably uses CR2 or an N battery (though I suppose CR123, AAAA, AAA or AA would suffice, if the other criterion were met), it is very bright (>65 lm, preferably >107 lm), impervious to the beating it will inevitably take from my keys. (By impervious, I mean has a coating that will not scratch off--this one is NON-negotiable. (I wish I understood what HA II and HA III really mean! lol)). I don't care about battery longevity (assuming >1 hour w/ no dropoff), and it must cost under ~$100.

To review:
Very Small,
Very Bright
Very Durable
Does not have to spare the battery
Under $100 (preferably WELL under! )

I am interested in y'alls opinions about production lights that meet most of these criterion, but would certainly be willing to pay one of you UBER modders to make or modify one (or advise me on how and what to modify, knowing I have never modded a flashlight before, other than dropping in a P61, etc. ).

Thanks for taking the time to read through this. I am new to EDC lights, but to be honest, I wonder how I ever got along w/o them, as when I go out forgetting one now (usually a P1D CE Nat), I VERY often find little situations where a bright light would make all the difference. Though I guess many of y'all think the same way about knives (which is totally insane, of course--one cannot live w/o a knife!)

Have a great weekend!

fenix LOD-CE

Well, other than the Lumen output, scratch resistance & size, I'd be all over it. Ironically, an L1S is my current EDC (that I am trying to replace.)

Thanks!

How about a Natural L0D-CE( Natural because scratches will be less obvious then black) with a 10440 battery(charger). I think it is more then 100 lumen on high, definitely brighter then a L1S.

Or for something even smaller, try the Cree Draco/Drake(100+ lumens, ), above your budget and does not run on any common cells but probably has one of the best brightness to size ratios.

There is no "HA II" only HA III. Type II anodizing is the stuff you see on Maglites and Type III or HA III is the stuff on most expensive Surefires, IIRC Peak has HA III on all their aluminum lights.
Type II is much easier to scratch off but easier to color(And probably cheaper). Type III is much harder and wear resistant but is usually only available in Black or Natural.

Hmm, well maybe I should be asking for advice on batteries. That rechargable can DOUBLE the output of the Fenix? If I have known that, I should just have looked for an UBER CR123 rechargeable for the Nat P1D CE I just sold.

That Drake is nice, but were I willing to spend that kind of money, I would have lots of choices. I am looking for an affordable one--I should say I would LIKE to spend lass than 50, and that off brands are fine, as long as they dont get scratched up and are small and bright. Not looking to get a status symbol.

Thanks for the links!

Well, the P1D-CE is a CR123(3v) light and a rechargeable(16340, 3.7v, 4.2v off the charger) won't up the output by much, unlike the L0D-CE(1.2-1.7v normal, 10440 is a 3.7v battery), and you'll also loose all the light levels in the P1D-CE (the P1D-CE goes into direct drive when there is too much voltage) but since the L0D-CE uses PWM, all the light levels will still work.

Most cheap brands don't offer HAIII so scratches will show up quickly. If you can live with the scratches and one mode, then these two lights might work for you, Mini Ultrafire Seoul, HF-1 Compact Cree(seems like this one has virtually no grip).

You could also cover you lights with either used bicycle inner tube(ask your local bicycle store) or shrink tube to protect you lights and increase grip.

Good luck finding the perfect light.

:thinking: The LOD-CE in natural sounds like a pretty close fit.The output of my LOD-CE is pretty good for a keychain light on a lithium AAA.If you really want the higher output you can get the rechargable 3.7v and charger at a reasonable price.I could be wrong here but from reading these forums I believe scratches are almost impossible to prevent on an aluminum light attached to your keys.Personally I carry my LOD-CE clipped to the inside of my front pocket.The only light on my key ring is a Photon II and it doesn't scratch because it's plastic.The Photon II isn't that bright but adds little bulk to my keychain.

Surefire E1e with Lumens Factory bulb. I carried a e2 for years with the original bulb, very bright, no bulb issues. At the time no LED at that price could touch it. I believe that Lumens Factory bulbs can work with RCR123s.

HOLY CRAP I hate when that happens! Spend 15 minutes writing a thoughtful reply and the browser crapps out losing all the text. Grrrr.

Anyway, thanks and if anyonce can direct me to a good used L0D-CE and that battery, id be much obliged!

Grrrrr.

https://www.fenix-store.com/product...d=257&osCsid=c7a52bc84e8d945930f874e8a1033f78

you also get a discount here, discount code is CPF8

Charger here, and batteries, Cheaper batteries or AW's 10440 battery. I don't think any of the 10440 batteries have a protection circuit so be careful not to over-charge(above 4.2v) or over-discharge(under 2.7v) them.

The L0D-CE is $42.78 when you use the coupon(CPF8) and shipping is included with that price.

A light with chrome plating is more scratch resistant than HA, or so I am led to believe. Also, uncoated lights such as those made in brass or stainless steel or titanium are less prone to scratches and dents as they are harder metals than aluminum. What makes this a good idea is that there is no coating to lose. So I guess what I'm saying is, consider a Peak light in stainless or aluminum.

Fenix P2D Rebel100

carrot said:

A light with chrome plating is more scratch resistant than HA, or so I am led to believe. Also, uncoated lights such as those made in brass or stainless steel or titanium are less prone to scratches and dents as they are harder metals than aluminum. What makes this a good idea is that there is no coating to lose. So I guess what I'm saying is, consider a Peak light in stainless or aluminum.

Click to expand...

Absolutely. Actually, I'll qualify that. I have found that most keys are brass or chrome-plated or nickle-plated brass. Some may be stainless. Stainless steel lights may scratch on the surface, but not nearly as bad as brass/aluminum/etc.

If you really worry about this, a quick polish with Flitz once a month (takes maybe a minute on a AAA light) will shine it right back to new. If you have a light that starts to get slightly deeper scratches that Flitz isn't polishing out, try Eagle One Nano Metal Polish. It's available in the auto section of your local Wal-Mart, and some Napa's and other auto parts stores. The E1 Metal Polish will fill in small scratches (works great on my polished gold wedding band, too!) I actually just pass over my wedding band and stainless and brass lights with it once a month all at the same time. The Eagle One stuff polishes to a mirror finish and it has nearly zero odor, especially compared to the old standards "Brass-O" and "Nevr-Dull." With birds in the house, they get irritated even if I open the Flitz, so the Metal Polish was a lifesaver!

There are a lot of recommendations here for the L0D-CE, which is a great "wow"-light on 10440s. I EDCed it for a few months. However, I eventually realized that my only uses of it were to impress people with its output and size. That was literally the only thing I used it for. I never used it to illuminate a dark area for the purpose of seeing... Never.

I have since switched to a LiteFlux LF2. I use it frequently, I love the UI, and it has spent a couple months with an Inka, pill fob, flint/striker, and Trident in my pocket, and the finish is still virtually perfect.

L0D CE w/10440 is my pocket EDC. The low is low enough to be pratical and the bright is very bright, but is also useful for me. I don't think there's anything better for near the money. And mine is actually used for seeing stuff.

As what the others here stated regarding the Fenix L0D.CE series. But if you are willing to spend a tad bit more, then check out modamag's Draco.

Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!

A long overdue THANKS to those who recommended the L0D with the rechargeable battery. I now own both the L0D Rebel and the L0D SE (red xmas design) and both are SERIOUSLY bright with the rechargeable battery. Shockingly bright in fact! This light type has become my favorite! I was THRILLED to see the Q2 red come out, and will be ordering it (along with my T1 of course) in the next few days.:twothumbs

A special thanks to Dave (4sevens) for the AWESOME customer service! (And I just got the P2D Q2 SE "scratch and dent" Natural...man what an awesome light!)

6 months ago I had never heard of Fenix. I now own 7 Fenix lights with 2 more inbound w/in the month!

Hell, I'm not even a flashaholic! Doesn't everyone have 25 flashlights for emergencies?

25 flashlights...
Bah,that's nothing. I'm just getting warmed up. (oops,there goes my PayPal account.)

Did I just say what I thought I said?

BTW,try ordering a Arc AAA.Very useful light that won't break the bank.