2 AA LED flashlight recommendations for $25 or less?

[chadakin]

I was doing a general Google search for LED flashlights and came across this great site. I thought I would register and post a question in hopes you good folks would point me in the right direction or a few directions. So, is a Mini Maglite LED 2 cell AA flashlight the best 2 AA LED flashlight I can get for $25 or less? I understand "best" can be defined in a number of ways, but I am a flashlight novice so please indulge me.

Thanks,
Chad

 

[hyperloop]

hi and :welcome:

there are many budget 2xAA lights that you can look at. I'd recommend you take a look at the Romisen RC N3 II Q5 available at www.shiningbeam.com (don't forget to use "CPFuser" discount code when checking out).

For those newly entering the LED flashlight arena, this is a pretty decent light IMHO, it has 2 modes, and can run in 2xAA or CR/RCR123. It's gotten pretty decent reviews on CPF too.

It's a great light to begin with. Give it a shot.

 

[Ryanrpm]

+1 for the RC-N3 from Shiningbeam. I like the first version though.

 

[chadakin]

Thanks for the welcome and the recommendations. Would I be correct in assuming that the two of you, hyperloop and Ryanrpm, recommend the flashlight from Shining Beam over the Mini Maglite LED? If you don't mind, why or why not?

Any other recommendations and/or replies on whether or not the Mini Maglite LED is the best AA LED flashlight under $25?

Thanks,
Chad

 

[hyperloop]

Thanks for the welcome and the recommendations. Would I be correct in assuming that the two of you, hyperloop and Ryanrpm, recommend the flashlight from Shining Beam over the Mini Maglite LED? If you don't mind, why or why not?

Any other recommendations and/or replies on whether or not the Mini Maglite LED is the best AA LED flashlight under $25?

Thanks,
Chad

i do not think that the mag is using the newer LED technology, output may not be as bright as the Romisen. But to be honest i wouldnt know as i dont own the mag.

Best is to find out for yourself, order both and compare then you will know.

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

I don't know about "best" but the Mini Maglite LED (multi-mode) is a damn good light for the money and readily available, so you can run right out and buy one instead of having to wait for it to ship.

My advice: just buy the Mini Mag and never visit these forums again. Trust me, it'll save you money in the long run.

 

[eradimatrix]

Yeah, I'm looking for a 2 AA flashlight as well. How's the TerraLUX TLF-3C2AAEX LightStar220, is it decent enough?

 

[Scott_T]

I bought a 3AA mag back when lowes had them for $15 but I havent even taken it out of the package yet. The 3D I got had the new LED and is very bright.
Another +1 for the shiningbeam light too btw. Romisens are good bargains.

 

[chadakin]

Can anyone who owns or has owned two or more of the flashlights previously mentioned (and listed below) comment or provide a comparison? Feel free to weigh in even if you have owned only one of them or none of them. Are there any others we can add to the list that use 2 AA batteries and are $25 or under? As always, thanks for all that great posts and recommendations.

Thanks,
Chad


Mini Maglite LED
Romisen RC-N3 Cree Q5 LED
TerraLUX TLF-3C2AAEX LightStar220

 

[Robin24k]

Another vote for the 2AA MiniMag LED...there's a reason why I have three of them floating around. Made in USA quality, and good customer service and a lifetime warranty to back it up.

If you can get them on sale (I've seen them as low as $9.88 at Home Depot or $10.97 at Lowe's), they're definately a steal. I've got Duraloops or lithium primaries in mine.

 

[sol-leks]

The Romisen RC-n3 II is probably the best 2xAA light in your budget, but you should head over to shiningbeam.com and check out the other AA lights they have, one of the others that is either not 2xAA but rather single AA or just slightly above your budget might catch your fancy.
I can think of other 2xAA lights under 25, but the minimag or the romisen are probably the best.

Maybe the duracel Daylite 2xAA:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00176PH8G/?tag=cpf0b6-20

If you need a light that can do multiple colors, if you purchase it from the family store this guy is only 20 bucks, but I don't know much about it:
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=2000000984&categoryid=1185&brand=

 

[damn_hammer]

For sub $25 I agree that the Maglite LED Multi-Mode is a good choice. I picked up 5 of them between HD, and Lowes sales @ ~$10 a piece. Two of them live in the cars. They are slotted with Energizer Ultimate Lithium (L91) batteries which are lighter, have more "juice", won't leak, and perform better in cold weather then alkaline. There they can wait for up to 15 years until they are needed.

Sidenote:

The only other 2xAA LED light that I own is the Eagletac P100A2, which is an outstanding light. While I got the light for $25 at a dealer closeout, that is not the normal price. There's a chance it could go on sale since Eagletac may be refreshing their product line very soon with newer LEDS. I would try PacificTactical Solutions who carry Eagletac and have provided me with good service ... most dealer discounts for CPF members are located here http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=181841.

 

[Robin24k]

Five...wow, I picked up six of them, but two were for friends and one was for dad. In hindsight, I could (and should) have picked up a couple more. Ahh, the CPF disease is spreading...

 

[kimck99]

Hi,

Per the.Mtn.Man's advice: "My advice: just buy the Mini Mag and never visit these forums again. Trust me, it'll save you money in the long run. " ... So true....

If you haven't already, take a look at the 2xAA Round-up Review from Selfbuilt. It a bit outdated but he has a mini-review of the Romisen RC-N3 II for comparison with other premium lights.

Anecdotically speaking, I first started with the Romisen/Saik/Trustfire lights and then quickly moved up the food chain to Fenix lights. Then Nitecore. Now I am on Surefires with drop-ins. Also, I started with the AA (NiMH) lights then moved to Lithium Ion rechargables for greater output. Next step will be to move to modding some lights. I'm sure many on this forum progressed along similar path.

So, starting with Romisen will be a good choice but I suspect that it will only quinch your thrust for a short while and then you will be back here to see all the great beamshots and mulling over the lux/lumen numbers ad nauseam. So, good luck and be strong. Resist the "light", turn back!

Oh, to get back to your original question, a friend of mine purchased the EagleTac P100A2 and likes the light. It's a bit over your budget but something to consider. Also, go here to get discount codes from various dealers - including shinnigbeam.

Good luck.

EDIT: I see damm hammer beat be to the punch on the discount code and EagleTac P100A2 Got to love the folks on this forum for being helpful. I sure have appreciated the sharing of this community.

 

[liketotallyrandom]

The RC-N3's are nice, and brighter than the multi-mode MiniMags, but the Romisens correspondingly use more energy and don't last as long on a set of batteries. Also, the two brightness modes of the MiniMag, while dimmer, are better spaced than the modes of the two-mode Romisens. These qualities sort of complement each other, so I carry one of each as backup while caving. BTW, the 5C tint available in the Romisens is really nice.

 

[chadakin]

Thanks so much for the contributions to my post. It seems as though there are not many choices with my all my criteria. Can anyone else think of a 2 AA LED flashlight under $25 that would be better than Mini Maglite LED Romisen RC-N3 Cree Q5 LED?

I also had a couple related questions that I was hoping to get responses to. Are there any reasonably priced LED flashlights that run on 1 AA battery or 2 AA batteries in a similar way that the Romisen RC-N3 accepts 1 CR123A or 2 AA batteries?

As for the Mini Maglite LED, can the tail cap be interchanged with the tail cap of the non-LED Mini Maglite?

Thanks for everything,
Chad

 

[Robin24k]

The problem with CR123 and 2AA interchangeability is length. 2AA is much longer. I don't think there will be many that are compatible with both.

If you get the latest revision of the MiniMag LED with the lanyard tailcap, yes. The latest revision (some call it version 2A, others version 3) says multi-mode on the packaging and has the lanyard tailcap. If you don't see the lanyard tailcap, beware. It could be v1 (bad) non-multimode with Luxeon III, or v2 (incompatible tailcap) multimode with Luxeon Rebel.

 

[chadakin]

So, are you saying that the newest Mini Maglite LEDs have a lanyard tailcap or one can be used with them? The reason that I ask is because there is a Mini Maglite LED on Amazon that is multi-mode, but does not have a lanyard tailcap. Let me know.

Thanks,
Chad

 

[Robin24k]

You shouldn't buy it online, the SKU for all three models is the same, so you won't know what you're getting. Ebay...maybe, but be sure to check with the seller to make sure the image is of the actual item.

That's my 2AA with the Nite Ize simple clicky.

 

[Scott_T]

I forgot about the shiningbeam code, CPFuser I think? Another thing to consider comparing the romisen and the maglite is that the maglite is a twisty switch. I dont like that myself, hard to do one handed.