Best AAA keychain <$100

[Starik1]

Hi, CPF. This is my first post. I read some of the other posts first to try to get an answer to my question, but I just wanted to make sure I picked the right one.

I want a high quality keychain flashlight, and I'm willing to spend up to $100. I'd prefer it to be AAA so I can replace the battery easily. I'd like the UI to be simple, maybe just a high, low, and off; no strobe lights or anything.

Im not sure how many lumens I need. I am considering the peak eiger AAA with QTC even though it is twist on rather than a button.

Mainly, I want something small, durable and easy to use. Water resistant would be nice too

Thanks for reading this,
James

 

[yoyoman]

McGizmo Sapphire is more money, but is legendary and a very special light. Not the brightest AAA out there, but great runtime. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?253425-Standing-wave-of-Sapphire-25-s-NEW-GS

I like Peaks and buy them from Oveready only. I have the large optic, XP-G2 N on a non-QTC body with a momentary switch. The clip from the Streamlight Stylus Pro fits perfectly. Very bright running on a 10440 Li-ion. I also have the Nichia 219 mule on a 10180 QTC body. Both are SS and built like tanks. You can get the momentary switch on the long keychain body. Peaks are anemic on primaries. They really shine on Li-ions.

Olight i3s, Dereelight DA3, Tank007 E09(?), Titanium Innovations Illumina Ti (in Ti or Alum) ThruNite Ti2, Maratac copper AAA (with emitter swap by Vinhnguyen54) - many, many choices. Lumintop copper Worm is another. Most are under your budget and possibly your expectations.

 

[Rosoku Chikara]

Olight i3s, Dereelight DA3, Tank007 E09(?), Titanium Innovations Illumina Ti (in Ti or Alum) ThruNite Ti2, Maratac copper AAA (with emitter swap by Vinhnguyen54) - many, many choices. Lumintop copper Worm is another. Most are under your budget and possibly your expectations.

Yo! Yoyoman! What's up?

I think you knew when you wrote what you wrote that Starik1 wants to spend "big bucks" on a AAA light. So, why recommend anything so "common" (and low cost) as a Tank007 E09?

Truth is though, I wonder if anyone can get much better value ("bang-for-their-buck") than a Tank007 E09? So, I guess the question becomes... do you want to spend money on a Casio or a Rolex?

Assuming that the "Casio" has a reasonably solid build... Then, as far as keeping time, both watches are capable of equal performance.

 

[Starik1]

Thanks for the replies.

I like the look of the mc gizmo. That's a collector's item for sure. Does he usually ship it within a week?

Anyone else have suggestions or can second one of yoyoma's?

 

[melty]

I always recommend the DQG AAA as it dwarfs every other AAA light. The titanium version is my favorite (and has been on my keychain for a year now), but doesn't seem to be available anymore. The regular SS version is also very good.

The Preon P0 is also a very good light. It's actually slightly shorter than the DQG AAA, but is a "mule" (bare LED, floody, unfocused beam).

Here's a photo from a different thread comparing many of the lights you are considering (including the DQG AAA).

It is indeed difficult not to love AAA flashlights these days. I love the form factor and the fact that you can get batteries everywhere (even salvaged from other equipment) if necessary. The problem is which one to choose! These days I usually carry the McGizmo Sapphire 25, although I like the Sapphire Mule even more and like the Mako and the Fenix LD01 a lot too.

Here's a crappy cellphone pic of my current collection. From left to right:
Fenix E05 alu, Mako 15° ti, Peak Nichia 219 SS, Peak High Cri XPG SS, Fenix E01 alu, Titaner xpg R5 ti, DQG III SS, Fenix LD01 xpg R5 SS, McGizmo High CRI Mule ti, McGizmo Sapphire 25 GS ti, Preon Revo neutral xpg R5 SS, Arc-P alu, Fenix E01 alu

 

[JJohn]

Also over your price level but the Tain Piccolo is amazing. You should also look at the DQG AAA Neutral White (Ti or Stainless). Extremely small, fairly well made, nice levels (Lo/Hi), and good beam quality. Not in the same league as the previously mentioned lights but way less $$'s and great on a keychain because it is so small.


EDIT: Melty and I were typing at the same time. Yes, the DQG is now available again, this time with an XPG2 LED. It is a great little light. I use it for night runs.

 

[archimedes]

There are lots of great AAA lights towards the upper end (or even over) your listed budget ... but of those currently and readily available, the Peak and the McGizmo are both great choices, but rather different from each other.

The Eiger is bright and tough, while the Sapphire is elegant and runs forever. A bit of an oversimplification, yes, but should give you a sense of their differences :)

McGizmo typically ships immediately, and has outstanding personal customer service.

:welcome:

 

[yoyoman]

Yo! Yoyoman! What's up?

Chikara-san, chotto matte kudasai. I started with the Patek Philippe and the Rolex and then presented a list of Casio lights.

The Tank007 E09 is good value. I got mine branded and it was even cheaper than list price. It is very throwy compared to the others. It runs well on a Li-ion (i.e. it doesn't loose modes like some lights). My idea was to throw out an interesting list and let the OP do some research.

I didn't mention the DQG AAA and I'm glad someone mentioned this little light. I have one with a neutral white emitter. I have the SS, which is an advantage if you want to put it on a key chain. You can get it with either a magnet or a glow dot on the tail. The magnet is very useful. As the picture shows, it is very small. Mine came dry as a bone, but a little nano-oil fixed that up. Another good value light.

 

[Starik1]

I ordered a DQG AAA. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Starik1]

What kind of battery should I use in it?

 

[Rosoku Chikara]

I started with the Patek Philippe and the Rolex and then presented a list of Casio lights.

Excellent point. (And excellent Japanese.)

I was just trying to "poke a little fun at you." (To tell the truth, I guess I am a little jealous of the fact that I cannot spare the $100 to spend on a really nice AAA light!)

 

[melty]

What kind of battery should I use in it?

Any quality NiMH AAA or Lithium L92 battery. Alkaline will work in a pinch :green:. I use Eneloops pretty much exclusively. Do NOT use lithium-ion 14400 as they will destroy the light.

Runtimes on high:

Alkaline ~ 40 minutes
NiMH ~ 90 minutes
Lithium ~ 150 minutes
Lithium-ion = 0 minutes, this kills the light

 

[Danielight]

If you decide to get a less expensive AAA for EDC, consider the Olight i3 EOS. They are available on the Shining Beam website for $19.75. These are 3-mode: Low (2.5 lumens), Medium (20 lumens), High (70 Lumens), twisty switch with a nice pocket clip and attached keyring.

 

[bigchelis]

For AAA EDC lights I think a Mule type of beam is best. Especially since were not exactly expecting any throw out any AAA lights, for that I have bigger non EDC lights.

Peak Eiger AAA Mule from Oveready.com is absolutely amazing. Feels like a high quality piece and threads are nice. The QTC is not my thing and I like single modes. However you can purchase an extra body for like $30 bucks plus the momentary switch and you will get a rear switch option. You have to wait till next month for the Mules at oveready though.

The DQG I have feels cheap and just doesnt make me feel comfortable carying it. As if it was made with less care.


I have Stainless Steel AAA types and they are heavy as are the brass ones. So, for trully light stay with Aluminum. For the cool factor go with Titanium. Peak Eiger Titanium X.


bigC

 

[Starik1]

After reading bigc's post, I'm thinking about getting that peak mule when it's back in stock and gifting the dqg

 

[melty]

After reading bigc's post, I'm thinking about getting that peak mule when it's back in stock and gifting the dqg

And so it begins... so many lights...

bigchelis is talking about the DQG I (poo, sorry. I just realized he said "DQG" "I have". I mistook that for "DQG I". So ignore the rest of this.). The current revision is DQG IV meaning there have been three generations of improvements (based off of user input) since the original release. I'm confident you'll like it.

If you're going to go mule I would suggest the Preon P0 for keychain duty, it's even smaller than the DQG.

I have a Peak Eiger AAA; it is a solid light, but I find it to be too large for my keychain. My Eiger is the QTC version and I don't think the threads are fine enough pitch for good control over the QTC, it works OK though. Very well built. Single mode lights aren't my thing as I rarely need or want to use full output.

If you want *really* small, you could look at the Quantum D2 (or Quantum DD, b̶o̶t̶h̶ ̶m̶a̶d̶e̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶M̶c̶G̶i̶z̶m̶o̶). It uses QTC and has extremely fine pitch threads; the QTC is still a bit finicky but the finer pitch threads make it much more pleasant to use. However, it uses a very tiny li-ion battery (like 1/3 size of an AAA) so it's not going to last long at full blast (which is very bright for its size, ~150 lumens). Like I said, I generally don't use full blast.


Welcome to the world of flashlights. Grab a seat and stay a while!

 

[archimedes]

Quantums ( Quanta? ) are made by Veleno Designs ( kuku427 ) , not McGizmo :)

 

[Starik1]

Lol "Quanta"... Quantii!

Yeah the DQG I ordered is the IV, good catch. I almost got that McGizmo. Since this is my first light that isn't a Walmart cheapo, I decided to take it slow. I have a tendency to go overboard when I first venture into the hobbyist territory of things.

 

[VeloWeave]

Where does one get a Peak Eiger Titanium X? I can also recommend the Eiger AAA. It's a little bit longer for a keychain light but you can get different size bodies that range from around 3inches to 3.75inch range. Add a nice clip and you have a nice little pocket carry light with momentary or get a short body and a keychain it. Lots of options for heads, narrow, medium, mule, Hi CRI or XPG warm or cool.

For something smaller you could go with a FourSevens Preon 1 for way under budget.

 

[yoyoman]

I have a DQG AAA but left off my list for some unknown reason. It is very small - even by AAA standards. It came dry as a bone, but a little nono-oil fixed that. Did you get the magnet or the glow dot for the tail? The SS is good if you want it on a key chain. The neutral tint and SS are nice and this light is a very good value. I don't think that it feels cheap, especially considering the price.

I have the Oveready Nichia 219 in a 10180 SS body. Very small and very (all) flood. I find the QTC is very good considering the limitations. You can't exactly duplicate a setting and you need to be careful that you don't crush the battery. Peaks are direct drive and get dimmer as the cell fades. If you are not aware, you may keep twisting to get brighter output and crush your battery. Be careful and know your own strength. I really like my Peak Eiger Nichia 219 mule 10180 and it is always in my pocket.

Em-mgt.com (aka peak led solutions) has the Ti. I don't think they have the AAA currently. I can't deal with them - they won't ship internationally and I don't find them to be customer service oriented. There are some critical threads, but I don't want to flame them here. I understand why some places don't want to deal with overseas customers. Their loss and not my problem. I only buy Peaks from Oveready - they have outstanding products and great customer service.

The McGizmo Sapphire is elegant and has super long runtime. It is on my list, but I haven't bought it yet. Too many other lights on the list...McGizmo also has amazing customer service. When you order a light, you get a shipping notice that tells you how much to pay - not an invoice! Amazing customer service.