AA Flashlights Endurance

Toulouse42

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Messages
429
Location
Jersey
I just tested some single AA flashlights to see how long they last if you just start them on high and let them run. I hate flashlights that just die on you without warning. Its so much better if they go from high/medium/low so that you have time to change batteries before they're dead. I used the same Alkaline AA batteries all round and checked that they registered 100% on my ZTS Tester.

Eagtac D25A - This was dead in an hour. The battery tested at 0%. I repeated the test but got the same result.

Acebean Pokelit - This was dead at about 1 hr 45 minutes. The led was still glowing but produced no meaningful light. Battery tested at 40%. I repeated this test too and after over 2 hrs 45 minutes its still producing meaningful light.

Olight i5T - After 6 hours this is still producing meaningful light. By that I mean that in low light conditions you can still light up the other side of the room.

Klarus Mi7 - Same as the Olight. Still going strong.

The surprise was the Lumintop tool AA V2. I have a few of these and tested 2 of them. The grey one died at about an hour. I repeated the test with the same result. Battery tested at 40%. The silver one is still going strong after 6 hours like the Olight and Klarus.

Now my test wasn't very scientific but it does tell me that I won't trust the two that died at one hour. It also goes to say that you can't generalise about any flashlight until you've actually tested the one you own.

Interestingly I also have an old Fenix LD41 that I never use. I put 4 of the depleted batteries in it and after 2 hours it too is still producing meaningful light. Obviously a vampire.
 
I believe the lights you have listed all use a 14500 but are capable of using alkaline AA as a back up. This always comes at a reduced output and run time. You also didn't mention what mode the light was on. I think its the ANSI spec that rates the runtimes to 10% of their rated output but that still doesn't mean the light output is usable under general condition

Funny you mention the Pokelit, I found mine inside my jacket pocket this morning turned on low mode. I hadn't touched the jacket in 14 hours but the light was still usable if needed.
 
The Olight i5T can't use a 14500 but the others can. I only tested with alkalines as they are cheap enough. I don't want to waste Energizer Lithiums. As far as mode is concerned, I just started them off on the highest mode they can handle on Alkalines. The Eagtac was slightly different. If you tighten the head it comes on High first. Because it died after only an hour, on my second run I loosened the head and (half) clicked from low to high to start the test.

In day to day use, I use 14500s where possible. I don't have 6 identical 14500s so to test with these I will need to do it in stages. Plus some of my 14500s are longer and won't fit in the Eagtac.

I like the Pokelit a lot and its the one I use most. The Eagtac on the other hand has a great moonlight mode so it does get quite a lot of use.
 
I'd never use alkalines, they just go to landfill creating pollution. Made in Japan NiMH every time. I do agree with you, my Jetbeam RRT01 died outdoors, sudden darkness, no emergency lighting at all.
 
But but but.....They tell us that all this stuff is recycled don't they?
It depends on the region, in many areas in the UK items placed in the recycling bin are not recycled, and some is just burnt. But even if it is recycled, that's still going to require energy and time to smelt down the metals, and recover recyclable materials in the anode and cathode. Good quality NiMH can last many years of regular use i.e. 1,000 or more charge cycles.
 
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