Can you help me find a $25 light for a friend?

[Fooboy]

This is my big moment to show my flashlight knowledge to a friend - ha! But I need help from the master flashoholics!

Criteria:
- LED
- Brighter the better!
- Small (pocketable, edc)
- $25 or less
- single AA
- doesn't suck

Not a criteria but high / low would be great

Help!

 

[flash_bang]

hmmmmm, I'd have to say that you should get a Fenix light, but those are around 60 bucks. One built-like-a-tank single AA light is the Inova X1, not sure about the output, but it is only 20 bucks. It's also small. Not sure if this is what you're thinking about, but a Krill light takes AA's, then again, it's kind of a chem light replacement (think snap and shake).

HAGO,
Flash

 

[e2x2e]

Rayovac 3-Watt(Or 1-Watt) Sportsman Xtreme. Great light, price and availability. 3-Watt is ~$25 1-Watt is ~$20.

 

[Nitroz]

This would work, but they don't have them in stock.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2944

 

[Gunner12]

There are quite a few DX/KD lights that will fit that description. But they are on vacation right now so it would take till next month for the products to arrive.

Lights(simple on-off):
MTE Seoul
RC-G2
C3 Q5
RC-P3
RC-N3
RC-H3
RC-I3

 

[this_is_nascar]

Instead of the AA format, go with the AAA format and get your friend a Streamlight MicroStream. AAA cells are just about as easily available as the AA. In addition, I find the AAA format somewhat better to EDC for those who travel. I travel a bunch for my job and I always have a couple AAA based lights with me. Mostly because I can always get a battery if I need one in the hotel room. Most all remote controls use the AAA format, so if my light needs a cell while I'm travel and I had forgotten to bring one, I can usually get one from the hotel room.

 

[BigBluefish]

Hmmm. A little bit more than $25, but BatteryJunction has some Fenix L1Ps for $28, and Lighthound has the Civictor (well, sort of a Fenix) for about $28, also. They also have Fenix E1s for about $24, but those are AAA, and are rated for only about 12 lumens, which, I think, is a little bit brighter than an incan 2AA Mini Mag. Never tried any of them, but from the reviews I've read, they all seem to be nice little lights.

 

[Beastmaster]

Two that I can recommend - decently built, decent brightness, and can handle the abuse a 6 year old can put out. Both can be bought at Target.

1) River Rock Luxeon - $22.95. 1W Luxeon. Single AA, 2 hour runtime. Reverse Click, and a black anodized finish that's rough enough to not slip and has a pocket clip.

2) River Rock .5W Nichia with TIR lens - under 20 bucks. Has two modes (blink and on). Decent throw, slighly purplish tint, 20 hour runtime.

-Steve

 

[Bror Jace]

In addition to the DX lights that Gunner12 mentioned, be sure to consider this one:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5338

This is as bright as any 1xAA light I have (and I have several Crees, Rebels, Seouls, etc ...) and the build quality is as good as the best MTEs (very good to excellent). Excellent for $15.55.

Also, DX is out-of-stock of a lot of lights. In my last order delivered this week, I got only half the SKUs I ordered.

 

[qadsan]

I've had my eye on one of these MTE Cree Q5 5-mode flashlights for $26.19. I like the looks of this light, its features, simple UI, etc, but I don't have any first hand experience with it yet. I would recommend finding more opinions on this light if it looks interesting to you, but here's where you can buy it from...

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.10688

And here's the manufacturer's web site...
http://www.mteccd.com/c3.html

And here's one thread with a little info on it, but I'm sure there are more if you do some searching...
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=185687

 

[bspofford]

The Romisen RC-G2 is among the nicest AA lights in your price range, and it is under $11. http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=188590

 

[SafetyBob]

I second going to WalMart and getting the Ray-O-Vac 3 Watt 2xAA flashlight. Easy to find, easy to get.

Next, go to Lowes and get the Taskforce 3 watt 2xAA for about $20.00 also. Or at least it is close to twenty. Go to thirty and you can get the outstanding Taskforce Cree 2C flashlight. There is a huge thread about this flashlight if you do a search for it here. Got most every male relative in the family on the the Taskforce 2C's and everyone was extreamely happy.

Bob E.

 

[gOhAsE]

Please bear in mind that most of those flashlights need NiMH rechargables to get decent runtimes.
E.g. a Romisen RC-G2 is useless when you are using alkalines. Estimated runtimes will be less then 30min.

So I would go for a not-so-bright flashlight that pushes your battery not so hard. (If your friend plans to use alkalines.)

 

[Bror Jace]

"The Romisen RC-G2 is among the nicest AA lights in your price range, and it is under $11."

"a Romisen RC-G2 is useless when you are using alkalines. Estimated runtimes will be less then 30min."

I too think the Romisen RC-G2 has an amazing build quality (especially given its price) but it has its faults, too. The beam quality is so-so (it uses an older P2 Cree, I believe) and it doesn't stack up well against the newer Crees, Rebels and Seouls when 'white wall hunting.'

And it's best feature, it's build quality, won't be apparent to someone who doesn't disassemble it now and then for cleaning, re-lubing the o-rings and threads, etc ...

If you want to buy a light as a gift in the $20-$25 range, there are better choices, I believe.

 

[Fooboy]

I blew away my price range and am suggesting this for him: http://www.batteryjunction.com/t15-olight-aa.html

 

[phosphor]

I blew away my price range and am suggesting this for him: http://www.batteryjunction.com/t15-olight-aa.html

Good choice ! Also, I was going to suggest that if your friend could increase his budget another $5.00, the LumaPower LM31 would be an excellent choice. It's a great little light for the price, and sure to dazzle, amaze, and please the non-flashaholic; as important.....when you buy it from Battery Junction, if the light should develop an "issue", you have Matt and his crew and LumaPower backing you up. The "process" of sending back a defective light for a refund or exchange to DX can be a major headache...or I should say, I have found it so.

- regards