what is the best flashlight for around $20?

[warriorz]

hi, l'm looking to buy a flashlight from these 2 places:
http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.942
http://www.kaidomain.com/WEBUI/SubCa...%20Flashlights

what would be the best flashlight i could get with around $20? l'm looking for something bright that goes far aswell. must use AA batteries please.

thanks

[Gunner12]

Bright and goes far at under $20.

I think the RC-G2 might have the most throw but the MTE Rebel 100 5-mode has the most output(the 20 mode version would be the brightest). The KD 5 mode would be the one that best fits you description.

[jasonsmaglites]

mte seoul single aa for $15 is my favorite for the money.

maybe the single mode ultrafire c3?
i hate the five mode, although has a bright high, i don't want to press a button five times to get to it.

[warriorz]

does throw mean how far it goes?

i like those lights, but would something with 2xAA be better? if it wont be much better, i might go for one of the flashlights you recommended (rc-g2, kd cree q2)

i was looking at this, what do you guys think? will there be much/any difference between this and the ones Gunner12 offered? (brightness and distance wise)

btw, mode means how many levels yeh? so a 20mode will have 20 different levels...

thanks again

[Marduke]

One of these, either can be used with either 1xAA or 2xAA.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4452
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7938

[Gunner12]

Yes, throw means how far it will project. Usually, for the same amount of light, a bigger and deeper reflector means more throw.

The MTE Rebel 100 20 mode(Works best/brightest with a good rechargeable AA battery, alkalines aren't up the the draw so the light won't be as bright) would probably be on of the brightest 1AA light available stock(especially at under $50). 20 modes just means it has 20 different things. It could mean light levels, strobe and so on. It is a bit above your price range and it could be hard to use at first(Once you get the modes switching, it should be much easier to use).

The KD 5 mode would be good if you want to stay simple, or the MTE Seoul if you just want on and off.

[Fallingwater]

I've heard good things about this one, and the users who've reviewed it are pretty happy.
I too should be getting one sometime in the near future (postal service willing)...

[sims2k]

For the price...I would go for one of these lights:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1995

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5346

[Sgt. LED]

I would reccomend saving up for better lights really. Just budget a little from each check and it adds up fast! @ my credit union I have them take $20 from each check and put it in a savings account as my private little light fund. Makes things easier for me.

[warriorz]

For the price...I would go for one of these lights:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1995

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5346

hrmmmm, would they throw far but? they look good and are under my budget, but if they dont throw far, then its not what l'm looking for

i have never owned a cree light before so i wouldnt have a clue on what to expect, so sorry if i am being a noob about things, i just want to make sure i get the best light for my needs.

l'm prepared to go for the $20 5 mode C3 if needed, but l'd like to know for sure if there are other better ones, or if it not good at all.

so far all the advice has been on single AA torches, wouldnt 2xAA be better?

anyway, sorry once again for my constant questions

EDIT: also, would someone have pics of their flashlight of it shining on trees.....like the one someone uploaded on the DX product page on the first link above

[bspofford]

Definitely the WF-400 Q2 (18650) @ $23 -- very bright, 2-mode, great throw, solid, runs on 18650 cells.

[warriorz]

Definitely the WF-400 Q2 (18650) @ $23 -- very bright, 2-mode, great throw, solid, runs on 18650 cells.

got myself excited for a moment...until i saw the type of batteries it uses
must be AA or AAA only, unless those 18650 batteries are cheap, but i dont think they are

[bspofford]

got myself excited for a moment...until i saw the type of batteries it uses
must be AA only, unless those 18650 batteries are cheap, but i dont think they are

Two protected 18650 rechargeable cells and a charger cost about $20. They provide about as much light as 2500 AA primaries costing about $1000. Any light that runs on rechargeable 18650 cells is MUCH CHEAPER to operate.

[scuzzy]

Get the L2D and end this matter that's where u'r gonna end up sooner or later anyways, for $30 more? I agree with him who said save and get a better one. In every forum of any kind there is one product or service most folks agree on and is like an standard. In knife forums I found out it was Spyderco Delica or Endura. In flashlights it's L2D. If you buy something you like more you end up using more. Buy something you enjoy using or even just holding or looking at.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...d.php?t=181022

[mmmflashlights]

I'd suggest the MTE 5-mode Rebel 100, or the MTE 20-mode Rebel 100 for lights in that price range. Both seem to have decent build quality, great output for a AA, etc. Both would be best used with NiMH rechargeables on their highest setting - alkalines can be used but runtime would be much shorter on the highest setting. The 5-mode light is a little simpler to use and I like the design of that light better, but it doesn't have a really low 'low', a commonly missing feature from most multi-level lights. It's nice to have a REALLY low output for certain things like emergency long runtimes, getting up in the middle of the night and not ruining your night vision, etc. The 20-mode has a 4th, lower mode that is genuinely quite low, so that's an advantage of that light.

[warriorz]

thanks for the advice everyone
l'm not sure if people will agree with this....but l ended up getting the romisen RC-G2...was this a good choice?
allthough its much less than my intended price range, i thought l'd try something basic for starters since l've never bought a flashlight before (i have no standards to compare with), plus someone said it throws far

i plan to get some more powerful ones later on aswell, with different battery types.

was the RC-G2 a good choice? how bright could i expect it to be? especially against the ones you find at the big retail shops.
thanks for the help once again

[mdocod]

honestly, if size wasn't a concern, I would have suggested a 2AA light over a 1AA as they stay in regulation longer and tend to be brighter to boot. (generally speaking, depends on the light).... but that little 1AA light you picked out looks to have some good reviews, I'm sure you're gona be blown away if you haven't experienced a cree style light anyways.

[mmmflashlights]

thanks for the advice everyone
l'm not sure if people will agree with this....but l ended up getting the romisen RC-G2...was this a good choice?
allthough its much less than my intended price range, i thought l'd try something basic for starters since l've never bought a flashlight before (i have no standards to compare with), plus someone said it throws far

i plan to get some more powerful ones later on aswell, with different battery types.

was the RC-G2 a good choice? how bright could i expect it to be? especially against the ones you find at the big retail shops.
thanks for the help once again

I don't have the light but I've read a lot about it and have looked into it. Good build quality, decent beam, throws well. What I didn't like about it is that it is bulky for a AA light (the larger reflector helps it perform nicer though), it's a single mode only light, and it uses an older, slightly less efficient Cree than almost all Cree lights being sold. It's still a great deal for the price though IMO, I may eventually buy one and upgrade the LED and replace the circuit with a multi-mode circuit.

[warriorz]

I don't have the light but I've read a lot about it and have looked into it. Good build quality, decent beam, throws well. What I didn't like about it is that it is bulky for a AA light (the larger reflector helps it perform nicer though), it's a single mode only light, and it uses an older, slightly less efficient Cree than almost all Cree lights being sold. It's still a great deal for the price though IMO, I may eventually buy one and upgrade the LED and replace the circuit with a multi-mode circuit.

thanks for your advice, l'll see how this goes for now anyway, i plan to start a little collection so the ones mentioned before might be on my list.

l've never tried modding but i wouldn't mind doing it one day when i understand the inner workings of these crees.....we'll leave that for a different time and thread but.

[Gunner12]

To might destroy the Cree LED if you try to open it up(Remember, Cree just makes LED, they don't make flashlights).

If you want to know the basics of how LEDs and a DC-DC convertor works, check wikipedia(link, link).