> I like carrying multiple LED because if one LED fails, at least the others will continue to work.. unless I am misinformed.
I think you are transferring a thought that is true,
about incandescent bulbs that burn out,
to something that is not true for LEDs,
that do not burn out.
imo, LED flashlights fail mostly due to broken solder joints at other components, not due to failure of the LED itself.
therefore, I do not believe a multi LED light is more reliable than a single LED light. Multi LED lights run hotter, and use more battery power, faster.
> I wonder why Hanko does not make a single LED?
imo the reason some flashlight builders offer multiple LEDs, is because consumers will pay a higher price for a triple than a single.
For the builder there is some added expense, but the increase in market value is larger than the increase in cost of parts. iow, a triple is more profitable, because consumers place a higher value on multi LED lights.
One reason triples are perceived as more valuable, is because they can produce more lumens. Marketing promotes more lumens as more desirable.
Triples also look cool and are perceived as more special, than a single LED light. If I want to impress a muggle, a triple will have more wow factor.
To me, more lumens means more heat, and shorter battery life. Once I realized that triples spread the light out onto a wider area, which makes them dimmer than a small focused hotspot, I realized that triples actually use more battery power than singles, to achieve the same brightness on target.
The advantage of a triple is that it has a larger hotspot. This can be useful at close range. With a single LED producing a smaller hotspot, at close range the operator may need to swing the hotspot back and forth to cover the area that needs to be illuminated.
In my actual use, a single is more useful outdoors, and a triple is more useful indoors. When I leave the house, I EDC a single. My triples tend to stay at home.