Coleman CFL Lanterns

[sol-leks]

I hadn't checked the coleman website in a while, but I like to check in from time to time because they have a few nice things. Well, I just noticed they now have a number of cfl lanterns that look really nice. One that converts from a spotlight to a lantern and another that is just a collapsible lantern but uses a 15 watt cfl so it must be pretty bright.

Does anyone have any experience with these lanterns or know anyhting more about them?

Not only the specs, but the price is very tempting too, under twenty bucks!(if you go via the family store)

Currently, I have one of their 4D pack away led lanterns and it is nice, but these sound potentially much better as they are brighter and should put out a more diffused easier to look at light. 8D batters does make it sound kinda bulky though.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

the 4D fluro lanterns are pretty much limited to 9watts with the 15-18 watt ones 8D models. I don't have any experience with coleman I have 3 rayovac fluoro lanterns, 2 18watt 8D models and a 9 watt 4D remote control model which is hard to find. The rayovac lifetime warranty is awesome as I bought two lanterns used one would eat batteries in a day when turned off and I paid $7 to ship it back and got a new one. The remote one died on me and $7 to send it back. I expect over the next 5-7 years for LED to take over the lantern market with models in the 600+ lumen range.... perhaps even higher output but running off SLA batteries as D cells cannot put out enough current to run LEDs brighter than that I think.

 

[DM51]

I think these qualify more as Lanterns than Spotlights, so I'm moving the thread accordingly.

 

[sol-leks]

sorry about that thanks.

So it sounds like you haven't really had good luck with fluoro lanterns, do you think it was rayovac or using fluroescent bulbs in general? I feel like the led coleman lantern I have just isn't very bright and at the same time is hard to look at because it puts out just this single spot of intense light. Coleman also now has a quad xr-e lantern that claims to put out over 500 lumens and should be able to theoretically, but it is 50 bucks while the fluoro is 20.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

sorry about that thanks.

So it sounds like you haven't really had good luck with fluoro lanterns, do you think it was rayovac or using fluroescent bulbs in general? I feel like the led coleman lantern I have just isn't very bright and at the same time is hard to look at because it puts out just this single spot of intense light. Coleman also now has a quad xr-e lantern that claims to put out over 500 lumens and should be able to theoretically, but it is 50 bucks while the fluoro is 20.

I have had good luck with my lanterns. I I have just found I don't need that much output for myself alone. I don't have to supply light for a room just for me and a good LED headlamp and a CCFL 4AA light and a few LED lanterns will do fine as they all use rechargeable batteries I don't have to spend $12 on D cells each time we lose power for a day or two. I wouldn't pay $50 for an LED lantern unless I was using it once a month or we had long power outages every year as that will buy a lot of batteries my 3 fluoro lanterns and LED lights.

 

[AMelville]

The LED panels are brilliant, but I'm skeptical about the lantern itself. The plastic they used is cheap and brittle. If you try to pull one of the panels off without pushing the release button, the tab that holds the panel will break off and you will have a LED TRI Lantern + a lighted panel. This happened right when we took it out of the box. Granted, I know now you are supposed to push the button to release the panel, but keep in mind when you hold the lantern you are holding it by the panels, and with 8 D cells in the base it is only a matter of time before the tabs will break with normal use. The same cheap plastic is used at the base and I would bet a very minor drop would shatter the base. It is simply not durable enough as a camping lantern.

 

[SFG2Lman]

CFLs are great, it'll still be awhile before LEDs catch up i think, but if you camp like I do in the frozen tundra of Michigan during deer season, your CFL will put out a really angry purplish glow at the base of it and thats all the light you will get (10-20 lm at best). LEDs love the cold. This was my experience with them at least, maybe they have cold starts and higher jumping drivers...but i bet not for $20; however, if you camp/have power outages in relatively mild to hot climates the light output is still superior in a CFL...for now.

 

[sol-leks]

I ended up getting the coleman cfl lantern as I happened to find it on sale on amazon. Haven't had the opportunity to use it out in the wilderness, but it puts out alot of smooth white light which is very nice. it flickers a bit for the first 30-60 seconds but not a big deal and i was expecting this. Only complaint I could make is that the hi and low are fairly similar.


Out of curiosity, I was examing the cfl bulb inside the lantern and it is not a normal screw type bulb, where would one get the kind of bulbs that fit in this lantern?

Thanks

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I ended up getting the coleman cfl lantern as I happened to find it on sale on amazon. Haven't had the opportunity to use it out in the wilderness, but it puts out alot of smooth white light which is very nice. it flickers a bit for the first 30-60 seconds but not a big deal and i was expecting this. Only complaint I could make is that the hi and low are fairly similar.


Out of curiosity, I was examing the cfl bulb inside the lantern and it is not a normal screw type bulb, where would one get the kind of bulbs that fit in this lantern?

Thanks

you can get some bulbs at walmart and kmart and sporting good stores. One thing I should have warned you about it to choose a lantern with an easy to find CFL tube as coleman makes a few tubes that are more uncommon like 7 watt and some dual tubes while the 15 watt twister and 9 watt utubes are pretty common.

 

[sol-leks]

thanks, I'll keep an eye out. Do you know of anywhere that might sell them online?

 

[Lynx_Arc]

thanks, I'll keep an eye out. Do you know of anywhere that might sell them online?

what tube does it use?

 

[sol-leks]

It uses a 15 watt spiral with four metal pins on the bottom of the bulb.

 

[Phaserburn]

It uses a 15 watt spiral with four metal pins on the bottom of the bulb.

That bulb fits into the Coleman Retro rechargeable (SLA) lantern, btw. Runtime is cut some from using the 11W stock, but still. Nice and easy drop in mod. I've frosted the outside of mine, because a 15W fluoro in cool white is pretty darn bright.

 

[sol-leks]

Good to know, thanks.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

looks like that is #73862, you can order it but it should be easy to find locally.

 

[sol-leks]

I think its 61 actually, 62 is the 7 watt.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I think its 61 actually, 62 is the 7 watt.

yeah, you're right.. I copied down the 7watt number instead of the 15 watt.
Looks like they are about ~$12 each. I three CFL lanterns that use the 9 watt Utubes and have been looking for extra tubes for them on clearance. I will probably sell the two 18 watt lanterns and keep my 9 watt 4D remote control one when I either buy or make a high output ~500+ lumen LED lantern with decent output.

 

[jughead2]

anyone out there in the chattanooga,tn area that tinkers with the lantern circuit boards. i have one of the round ones that is a spotlite or a lantern. battery leaked. i caught it when the bulb went out. circuit board looks ok but this old man doesnt know ANYTHING about electronics. it is a coleman that is discontinued.

 

[Turbo DV8]

Regarding the Coleman lantern that converts from a lantern to a flood light by pulling the reflector down ... I've had two of them for a couple years now, and I love them. The lantern mode is OK, I guess, but the real winner is the flood mode. The faceted reflector collects and projects a perfectly smooth wall of bright white flood light, that you can carry by it's handle on the side. Great when you want to light the entire area in front of you evenly, without having to wave a flashlight around. There's nothing else out there with that reflector/CFL bulb combination. Not exactly EDC, though!

 

[ThirstyTurtle]

I know I'm bringing this back from the dead but I recently saw this lantern on The Walking Dead and was REALLY hoping it used a standard screw in bulb and I could use the Cree 60W equivalent 9W LED bulb with ~800 lumens but alas...it wasn't meant to be