Budget 18650 Recommendation

[idlingmike]

Hi- (first post! :) )

I currently have several 18650 powered lights (bike, headlights) and am looking to get a bunch more for around the house, leave in the cars, garage, work, etc, etc. I'm on a budget since I'd like to buy 5-10 of them and costs would multiply quick.

To give you an idea of level of performance expectation, I recent bought a couple of these and I am happy with them...
amazon.com Outdoor Waterproof 1600LM CREE XM-L T6 LED Headlamp

My priority would be buying 5-10 of these and not having to toss/return/warranty any of them for at least a couple of years of light to moderate use followed by durability/longevity (no harsh/extreme conditions, but I expect them to be dropped, tripped over, etc) then finally followed by performance.


Thanks in advance,
Mike

1) online
2) 25 (some flexibility, but I'm looking to buy several which adds up quickly)
3) flashlight
4) small to medium
5) led
6) manufacturer: traditional
7) definitely 18650, already have a couple of 18650 powered lights
7a) charger format: don't care
8) 15-50+ (low/high adjustability is a must have for runtime)
9) narrow to wide flood
9a) 5-20 yard distance
10) min 2-3 hrs runtime on low
11) durability: moderately important
12) switch don't care
13) ui: don't care
14) construction: aluminum or durable composite
15) slash resistance
16) glovebox
17) battery indicator would be a nice plus

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[Dave D]

Check out the Solarforce flashlight sales website, their 3 mode 18650/2 x CR123's come out about $30 but if you are looking to purchase 5-10 it may be worth emailing them to see if you can get a discount for multiple buys.

 

[Poppy]

Take a look at some of the reviews of the fasttech.com Convoy S2

I have a couple SolarForce hosts and a variety of drop-ins. I like them and use them but I found that I like the slightly smaller, slightly more floody lights for general purpose use. For example I like the body shape of the EagleTac D series lights, the Thrunite Neutron series, and my Niteye MSC20.

My most recent purchase was a Convoy S2, and IMO it is a great all around light.
Excellent build quality IPX8
glow in the dark tail and O-ring in the front bezel, A nice touch.
You can select how hard you want the emitter driven to determine the number of lumens, and run-time.
(I selected 1400 ma. I think it'll get about a little more than 2 hours on high ~ 500 lumens, 8 hours mid ~ 225 lumens, and 40 hours low 40 lumens.)
If you get it at 2100 ma it'll be a little higher lumens, and shorter run-times, and more-so at 2800ma also at 2800ma, it'll get too hot.
OTOH, you can select 1050ma, which will give you longer run-times, and a lower low (I'm guessing... 20-30 lumens)

It has an XML emitter, in a small reflector that gives a smooth floody beam.

You'll also be surprised at the price. Like Solarforce, it shows, that you don't have to spend a lot to get a lot.