friend needs reliable aa light... help

[jasonsmaglites]

ok, in my circle of friends i am the flashlight conesseur. i hooked a friend up with a 2d mag with terralux dropin and he loves it. now he wants something for his wifes car. he said he wants something she wont have to worry about replacing the batteries in all the time. (he has seen my aaa 100 lumen lights with their 20 min runtime, and on my keychain, they're dead half the time)

so... i'd like some advice. i'm worried that a $20 light from china will break down on him, cause i've hooked a friend up with a light that only lasted 2 months, and i've had 2-3 bad lights myself. so for him i want worry free reliability and good runtime. single or two aa batteries probably best. keep a non-flashaholics budget in mind. thanks,
jason

 

[superflytnt]

I'd be going with something like this: https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=334

Long runtimes on primary mode and a very bright high mode if needed plus a forward clicky w/momentary and simple hi/lo UI. It's a simple, tough light with a good beam and plenty of runtime or output (whatever is needed)

BTW, they make a 2-AA version as well: https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=335

 

[jasonsmaglites]

cool option but i already thought about the fenix l1d and l2d and ruled them out because of cost. this one is $10 more than the old cree fenix's on clearance if i'm not mistaken.

can you get me some options $30 and below.
thanks,


edit: if it meets his budget, you're right that is a great non flashaholic light because of its simple ui, especially a woman needs that. i doubt his wife wants to "learn" how to use her flashlight

 

[superflytnt]

I'm sorry, you'd mentioned a bad experience with a $20 light so I figured you'd be going a bit higher than $30.

If price is still an object then this light (loaded with lithium batteries) would make a superb light for the lady's car or purse. http://www.brightguy.com/products/Streamlight_Stylus_PRO.php

I have the smaller Microstream version (same output, less runtime) and it's a great little light for the money and can compete with much larger lights...............

If you do some searching you'll find many favorable reviews on these two lights, they are fantastic!

 

[jasonsmaglites]

thanks for another good tip but i think he wants aa for the bang for your buck factor. i wouldn't mind a $20 light that had some reliability to it. made in america perhaps? i know some of our lights we like are a $10 bulb shoved into a $3 flashlight and for his i was wanting it the other way around. i was thinking of a aa maglite with a dropin but wanted a more creative idea.

 

[sol-leks]

This comes up like once a day, but I always recommend shiningbeam.com. Get one of their romisens, great budget brand. All the stuff you'd get from china, but with better leds and always tested, so you know youre not getting a dud. That or the lumapower lm31.

 

[EricTarini]

Coleman 2AA Cree Xlamp, only available at Walmart, at $24.88.

Buy one for yourself. Nice forward clicky. Almost as bright as the Lowe's Task Force Cree 2C. Feels like a real American flashlight.

I'll bet you'll decide to give one as a gift.

 

[Marduke]

Might want to consider the 1xAA Energizer at Target. Knurled, good clip, single mode. Uses an older emitter, but I don't think a non-flashaholic will care.

 

[superflytnt]

thanks for another good tip but i think he wants aa for the bang for your buck factor. i wouldn't mind a $20 light that had some reliability to it. made in america perhaps? i know some of our lights we like are a $10 bulb shoved into a $3 flashlight and for his i was wanting it the other way around. i was thinking of a aa maglite with a dropin but wanted a more creative idea.

OK, is this for his wife or for him LOL? If he's honestly looking for a great light for his wifes car then the Stylus Pro (with lithiums) is fantastic. If he's looking for an ultra bright toy then that's another thing.

I'm just curious as to what the expected uses will be for this light because the SP is a sweet light for this task if you can get over the "made in China" thing. It's plenty bright for most uses if you're worried about that..............


BTW, if you want made in USA reliability (LOL) you're going to have to up your price......................

 

[kramer5150]

If you absolutely must have a USA made product for under $25-30, you should consider mag, streamlight, pelican and inova for starters.

As far as Chinese lights go I'd recommend the ROV sportsman extreme or Romisen RC-N3-Q5.

I have dropped my ROV sportsman extreme countless times and it is going on strong. One time, hard enough to put a small flat spot on the (once round) bezel, and it works fine. IMHO a glass lens would have shattered from that kind of impact on the concrete. Of all the plastic lenses I have, the ROV is the most scratch resistant. You can get two for under $30. At ~65 Lumens of floody warm light, its a good all-round tool. It has a twistcap that is bomb-proof and wont fail. To top it off its heavy-splash resistant. I use this light to fix my cars and change oil, so it gets a severe beating on a pretty regular basis.

I'm really happy with my RC-N3-Q5. For $25 it is on my EDC belt and has partially replaced my SF-6P at work inspecting TELCO racks, where I have dropped it countless times. Its around 90 Lumens in 2AA mode and runs for about 4 hours.

The 1AA Energizer Marduke suggested is also a good candidate. It was my EDC for a few months, before getting the RC-N3-Q5. Now my wife (non-flashahaulic) EDCs it in her purse and she likes it a lot. Here are my reviews...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0raI95vy7cY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWH2mSAOwmI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia4sUpvnBSk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpI2fsAy3QE

 

[jasonsmaglites]

heres a stupid suggestion.
what do you guys think of a simple aa minimag led?

that sure beats a regular minimag for runtime/brightness and wont break the bank either

 

[Marduke]

MiniMag LED switch is rather unreliable. It's also quite overpriced for what it is. The RayoVac 2xAA 1watt Highbeam/Sportsman Extreme would be a better choice over that IMO

 

[n4zov]

The Streamlight Propolymer 4AA LED would be a great choice and it's cost is under $30.

 

[kramer5150]

heres a stupid suggestion.
what do you guys think of a simple aa minimag led?

that sure beats a regular minimag for runtime/brightness and wont break the bank either

IMHO you are better off getting the incan minimag for ~$8 and upgrading it with a drop in module. But, thats just my opinion. I am not a big fan of the mag-LED, it just seems like a lot of $$$ for an out-dated emitter, in a oddly large head. I gave some to my nephews (non-flashaholics) for christmas last year and they like them.

I have had a 2AA minimag-incan since 1997. Currently I use a nite-ize 3LED drop in and it has prooven to be very reliable. Its a nice floody 10 lumens for 6-7 hours that won't impair night-adjusted vision, but it certainly won't "WOW" your friends. There are brighter drop ins for that. I have no complaints about my 2AAMM as a host.

If you are wanting to WOW your friend... definitely consider the Lowes task Force, the Cree version. It will throw out a beam of light across a football field... and then some. It gets pretty good run times too from its 2C cells. My son uses it to spot bats when we go out on hight hikes. Unfortunately its tight beam is only marginally useful for close-range use.

 

[superflytnt]

heres a stupid suggestion.
what do you guys think of a simple aa minimag led?

that sure beats a regular minimag for runtime/brightness and wont break the bank either

So sad..................

 

[RWT1405]

May I suggest a Streamlight ProPolymer 2AA LED $17.95

http://www.brightguy.com/products/Streamlight_2AA_LED_ProPolymer_Flashlight.php

I think this will work well, I like the one's I have anyway.

My .02 FWIW YMMV

 

[mdocod]

I'm not sure about the reliability or build quality or anything on this because I have never seen it discussed: BUT: if you can dig up whether or not this one is worth beams or not it might be a good candidate:

http://www.batteryjunction.com/tlf-3l2aa-.html

I believe it's made by Nuwai, which is who is making many of the better re-branded chinese lights that make it anywhere. (I think the 2AA Rayovacs are Nuwai made, and many others)

You could slap some lithium primaries in it, which should last years in the car without a problem, Plenty of brightness there for an emergency situation.

 

[cheetokhan]

If you're looking at BatteryJunction, check out the Lumapower F1 they are clearing out for $20. I got one a while back for about twice that much $ and it's OK, but it was my first twisty style light and I found out I don't like twisties :sigh:

 

[Sgt. LED]

For that price,
LM 31.

 

[mdocod]

+2 on the LM31,

I bought a whole slew of them to hand out as gifts a year ago (for my wedding, groomsmen and other good friends who helped out). So far all the ones that haven't been lost are still working, lol...

I lost mind in an engine bay a few weeks ago while doing a valve cover gasket job on my Moms Caravan. bummer deal as it was one of my favorite little lights.