Please help me to chooe a cheap light...

[MT7]

hey every one,
I want to buy for me a new cheap flashlight,and I saw some flashlights in dealextreme and ebay that look very nicer,who is the best for my needs?
I need a flashlight for trekking in the nature,and to search and rescue,I want a cheap flashlight,but a flashlight will not stop working after several uses,I prefer to buy a flashlight with zoom mechanism (flood to spot) that his beam distance is more than 270 meter,ha,and I want a flashlight that run on 18650 (1 battery or 2,it isn't matter for me),this is what I saw:
1 DX SKU 120922
2 DX SKU 114647
3 DX SKU 120691
4 Ebay Item number: 280878471813
5 DX SKU 57005
which is the best flashlight for my needs? or is there any other flashlight that better for my needs?
thanks advance....

Please Do Not link directly to sales web sites - Norm

 

[march.brown]

I have several "Solarforce" torches which are exceptional value for money ... I have a couple of L2 and a couple of L2i torches ... My personal preference is for the L2i torches ... They will accept three AAA batteries or a single 18650 (my preference) ... All my torches are fitted with three-mode drop-ins as I don't need any S-O-S or flashing modes ... The L2i has the advantage that it will also tailstand ... All my 18650 batteries are "Ultrafire" and have proved to be ultra-reliable ... Some are protected (grey) and a couple are unprotected (blue) ... I personally feel that Ultrafire 18650 batteries are very good value for money and they have worked perfectly with all my Solarforce torches ... I only keep three spare 18650 batteries and when they eventually die , I will buy more Ultrafire 18650's again from dealextreme.

As far as the Solarforce torches are concerned , I prefer the "sand" colour and the "grey" to my "black" ones ... Personal preference , but I can't see any point in paying more for a torch than this ... Buy the body-only version and then buy the drop-in of your choice ... You will not be disappointed ... Just make sure that you are very familiar with the charging procedures for the Lithium-Ion batteries and that you have a reliable digital voltmeter.
.

 

[MT7]

I have several "Solarforce" torches which are exceptional value for money ... I have a couple of L2 and a couple of L2i torches ... My personal preference is for the L2i torches ... They will accept three AAA batteries or a single 18650 (my preference) ... All my torches are fitted with three-mode drop-ins as I don't need any S-O-S or flashing modes ... The L2i has the advantage that it will also tailstand ... All my 18650 batteries are "Ultrafire" and have proved to be ultra-reliable ... Some are protected (grey) and a couple are unprotected (blue) ... I personally feel that Ultrafire 18650 batteries are very good value for money and they have worked perfectly with all my Solarforce torches ... I only keep three spare 18650 batteries and when they eventually die , I will buy more Ultrafire 18650's again from dealextreme.

As far as the Solarforce torches are concerned , I prefer the "sand" colour and the "grey" to my "black" ones ... Personal preference , but I can't see any point in paying more for a torch than this ... Buy the body-only version and then buy the drop-in of your choice ... You will not be disappointed ... Just make sure that you are very familiar with the charging procedures for the Lithium-Ion batteries and that you have a reliable digital voltmeter.
.

OK,thanks,but I want a even cheaper flashlight,something like UltraFire,TrustFire etc.
what are you think about the flashlight in the links in my post?

 

[Tegan's Dad]

I haven't tried any of the ones you posted, but I might also check out shiningbeam and see what you can find there. I know they sell some Romissen brand ones that zoom, but I think the lumen rating is lower than what you showed. The nice thing about that distributor though is the shipping is much faster and I believe the lights are all tested prior to shipping so you get no DOA lights.

I bought a Romissen from there and really like it, though it isn't a zoom model. I've heard good things about the brand.

I do have one trustfire (the Z1) and I like it a lot. I haven't tested durability, but I'm not very rough on lights. Build quality looks good on my sample of 1.

The 1 ultrafire I bought (the C3) had a loose clicky in the tailcap. After reading some threads here, I tightened it with a pair of needlenose pliers and it's been fine after that. Doesn't feel as sturdy as other lights, but again, I'm gentle on them so I haven't had a problem yet.

Both the Trustfire Z1 and Ultrafire C3 were purchased from DX, and I've never had a problem in very gentle use. Very small sample set, but my luck has been good.

 

[TEEJ]

I would not trust any of these to continue to work, in a mission critical scenario. IE: If the light NOT working would be a hardship/risk - these are NOT good choices. Search and rescue work requires that the light WORKS, as, if it doesn't, whoever you WANTED TO rescue will remain lost, in the dark. This can include YOU being lost, in the dark, if YOU were counting on the light to get you somewhere.

To play with, as toys, sure...but these are not tools.

 

[march.brown]

I don't know what price you want to pay for a 18650 torch plus drop-in ... I have had a look on Ebay and a "Solarforce R2 Cree 3-Mode Drop-in" (0.8V - 4.2V) is available for £8-38 post free ... A "Solarforce L2 Body" in black , grey or sand is available for £7-82 plus £1-24 postage ... That makes a total of £17-44 ... This is not very cheap , but it is still excellent value for money ... I would certainly recommend this as a reliable torch based on my own personal experience over the last couple of years or so.
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[Ian2381]

I would suggest below lights from Intl outdoors
Crelant V8-T6
Xintd C8

Both is enough for your needs and in the higher end of budget lights with cheap price.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

but it is still excellent value for money ... I would certainly recommend this as a reliable torch based on my own personal experience over the last couple of years or so.
.

+1

To the OP: I know you want something cheap, but "trekking with nature" and "search and rescue" call for reliability first. You don't want to go with the cheapest light you can find only to have it fail in a critical situation far from home. Get an inexpensive but reliable light as your primary light (there have been several good suggestions here), then carry the cheap light as your backup. Never go out on an adventure with only one light!

 

[brted]

Some of those lights are over $30. You can get a Solarforce L2 with a Ultrafire 3-mode XM-L drop-in for that price. The C8 from KaiDomain with a XM-L is a nice light that is very bright and throws pretty well too. Less than $20.

 

[march.brown]

Never go out on an adventure with only one light!

Never go anywhere with only one light !

I carry an ITP-A3 on my car key-ring and another ITP-A3 on my house key-ring , plus an ITP-A2 clipped in my inside jacket pocket ... These are always with me.

I use one of my Solarforce (18650) torches (on low mode) for dog-walking in the dark and with one quick press on the switch it instantly goes onto high mode ... Perfect as a just-in-case torch ... I still have my EDC torches with me too.

At 74 years of age , I don't do very much of the "Trecking with nature" or "Search & rescue" ... But it is still essential to take torches "just in case"... Never only a single torch ... Never ... Never ... Why carry spare batteries when (for a few more ounces) you can carry spare torches.

Spend a few dollars more and buy into the reliability of Solarforce , but carry a couple of "el-cheapo" ones just in case !

I also have a couple of extra torches plus spare (Lithium primary) batteries in my car ... I have a Romisen RC-U4 (3AAA) which I don't like (hence it is in the car) and another five-mode (1AA) that I can't remember the make of ... I test the car torches almost every year or so , but as they are running on AAA and AA Lithiums , they just keep working ... The Energizer lithiums are dated 2023 so will probably outlast me.
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[gcbryan]

Your links have been removed and I haven't looked up all of the numbers listed however since you want a flood-to-zoom that works with 18650 the best one IMO is the Smallsun ZY-C10-S. You should be able to look that up at DX. It's $14 and does everything that you mentioned.

It's true that if you really use it for search and rescue or serious treking you will want several copies or different lights but I'm sure you already know that. If you don't really have to have a flood-to-zoom then the other posts have already given you some good recommendations of course.

 

[fishndad]

:duh2:i hope if i ever need a search and rescue team they werent on cpf looking for the cheapest light.

 

[Blitzwing]

ATM you can still get the sand coloured L2 from SolarForce for $8.99.


Add a dropin of some sort like the three mode XP-G for about $12.

Then you need batteries and a charger - Dealextreme is the cheapest place for those. About $20 all up.

If that's still too dear have a look at the Ultrafire 501B's on Dealextreme.

Please Do Not link directly to sales web sites - Norm

 

[mcnair55]

hey every one,
I want to buy for me a new cheap flashlight,and I saw some flashlights in dealextreme and ebay that look very nicer,who is the best for my needs?
I need a flashlight for trekking in the nature,and to search and rescue,I want a cheap flashlight,but a flashlight will not stop working after several uses,I prefer to buy a flashlight with zoom mechanism (flood to spot) that his beam distance is more than 270 meter,ha,and I want a flashlight that run on 18650 (1 battery or 2,it isn't matter for me),this is what I saw:
1 DX SKU 120922
2 DX SKU 114647
3 DX SKU 120691
4 Ebay Item number: 280878471813
5 DX SKU 57005
which is the best flashlight for my needs? or is there any other flashlight that better for my needs?
thanks advance....

Please Do Not link directly to sales web sites - Norm

I really do prey that people *looking for me in a search and rescue situation did not include you in any search party.Using *cheap flashlights in something that could be life saving is just plain dumb and very very silly.

By all means buy cheap and cheerful for every day use but smell the coffee and buy something decent to save someones life.

 

[march.brown]

I really do prey that people *looking for me in a search and rescue situation did not include you in any search party.Using *cheap flashlights in something that could be life saving is just plain dumb and very very silly.

By all means buy cheap and cheerful for every day use but smell the coffee and buy something decent to save someones life.

Torches nowadays are (virtually) all very reliable ... Let's face it , they only consist of a bulb , a switch and a body with a battery inside ... I have lots of torches including several ultra-cheap ones (£1 or so) with multiple LEDs running on 3 AAA batteries and none of them have ever let me down ... I also have several similarly priced torches with single LEDs using a single AA battery ... I have given quite a few away to friends and relatives who would otherwise not have a torch ... These people are not into torches and to them these free ones are amazing.

I don't have any of the expensive torches , but all my ITPs and Solarforces are totally reliable and because of this I can't see the point in buying expensive items that (in my personal opinion) will give me no significant advantage ... No doubt people will say that a Rolls Royce or a Mercedes is better than a Honda or a Ford ... Over the years , I have owned all these and each one was reliable ... They all do the same job ... They get you from A to B ... I admit that there is a difference in the comfort afforded by these cars , but they will all do the job ... With torches there is no "comfort" factor to consider and given that fact , why bother with a "posh & expensive" torch ... Only a dedicated torch collector or a regular reader of CPF would know the difference between an expensive torch and a cheaper one ... So , buying (and using) an expensive torch is not exactly like owning an expensive car where everyone knows the prices of the top marques.

All my torches are checked over and cleaned & lubricated when I get them particularly if I am going to give them to a non-flashaholic ... I do also maintain mine when I replace the batteries ... So that's my "two-pennyworth" or "two-cents-worth" on the subject ... Even if I won the lottery , I would not consider getting any of the posh , expensive torches ... But cars are a different matter.

p.s.. If I was lost in the wilderness at night , I wouldn't care in the slightest if my rescuer was only using a £1 torch with seven LEDs running on three cheap AAA batteries.
.

 

[mcnair55]

Torches nowadays are (virtually) all very reliable ... Let's face it , they only consist of a bulb , a switch and a body with a battery inside ... I have lots of torches including several ultra-cheap ones (£1 or so) with multiple LEDs running on 3 AAA batteries and none of them have ever let me down ... I also have several similarly priced torches with single LEDs using a single AA battery ... I have given quite a few away to friends and relatives who would otherwise not have a torch ... These people are not into torches and to them these free ones are amazing.

I don't have any of the expensive torches , but all my ITPs and Solarforces are totally reliable and because of this I can't see the point in buying expensive items that (in my personal opinion) will give me no significant advantage ... No doubt people will say that a Rolls Royce or a Mercedes is better than a Honda or a Ford ... Over the years , I have owned all these and each one was reliable ... They all do the same job ... They get you from A to B ... I admit that there is a difference in the comfort afforded by these cars , but they will all do the job ... With torches there is no "comfort" factor to consider and given that fact , why bother with a "posh & expensive" torch ... Only a dedicated torch collector or a regular reader of CPF would know the difference between an expensive torch and a cheaper one ... So , buying (and using) an expensive torch is not exactly like owning an expensive car where everyone knows the prices of the top marques.

All my torches are checked over and cleaned & lubricated when I get them particularly if I am going to give them to a non-flashaholic ... I do also maintain mine when I replace the batteries ... So that's my "two-pennyworth" or "two-cents-worth" on the subject ... Even if I won the lottery , I would not consider getting any of the posh , expensive torches ... But cars are a different matter.

p.s.. If I was lost in the wilderness at night , I wouldn't care in the slightest if my rescuer was only using a £1 torch with seven LEDs running on three cheap AAA batteries.
.

So a £1 torch is no better than a £40 Fenix then.

What a real silly response from someone I know to well understand in terms of quality and engineering the difference.You better go and tell your ideas to the local RNLI-Mountain Rescue services and others.Never seen a £1 torch used by those.

I really do shake my head in disbelief.

 

[march.brown]

So a £1 torch is no better than a £40 Fenix then.

What a real silly response from someone I know to well understand in terms of quality and engineering the difference.You better go and tell your ideas to the local RNLI-Mountain Rescue services and others.Never seen a £1 torch used by those.

I really do shake my head in disbelief.

Hi Mcnair , I haven't heard from you for ages ... Hope you are keeping well , up there in the North of Gods chosen country... Not as good as the South , but there we are ... We can't all live in glorious West Glamorgan ...

Not all Mountain Rescue squads have very expensive torches ... As I said earlier "If I was lost in the wilderness at night , I wouldn't care in the slightest if my rescuer was only using a £1 torch with seven LEDs running on three cheap AAA batteries".

Lots of money spent on a torch doesn't necessarily make it the ultimate in reliability ... Cheap ultra-reliable torches are available ... It was a bit "tongue-in-cheek" when I quoted £1 for a torch , but I would certainly back my Solarforces and ITPs against any of the ultra expensive hand-made torches ... My torches work perfectly and are more than adequate for any normal useage.

A lot of people with those ultra-expensive torches don't even keep batteries in them ... They sit there on shelves and in glass fronted cabinets ... My torches all have batteries installed and all are used regularly ... None of them are expensive as you know ... They are all that I will ever need or want in a torch ... So , I'm happy.

I just hope that all our readers are as happy with their torches as I am with mine.
.

 

[TEEJ]

Hi Mcnair , I haven't heard from you for ages ... Hope you are keeping well , up there in the North of Gods chosen country... Not as good as the South , but there we are ... We can't all live in glorious West Glamorgan ...

Not all Mountain Rescue squads have very expensive torches ... As I said earlier "If I was lost in the wilderness at night , I wouldn't care in the slightest if my rescuer was only using a £1 torch with seven LEDs running on three cheap AAA batteries".

Lots of money spent on a torch doesn't necessarily make it the ultimate in reliability ... Cheap ultra-reliable torches are available ... It was a bit "tongue-in-cheek" when I quoted £1 for a torch , but I would certainly back my Solarforces and ITPs against any of the ultra expensive hand-made torches ... My torches work perfectly and are more than adequate for any normal useage.

A lot of people with those ultra-expensive torches don't even keep batteries in them ... They sit there on shelves and in glass fronted cabinets ... My torches all have batteries installed and all are used regularly ... None of them are expensive as you know ... They are all that I will ever need or want in a torch ... So , I'm happy.

I just hope that all our readers are as happy with their torches as I am with mine.
.

sigh

As someone who does disaster response...yes, there ARE people out there with el cheapo lights if we are talking about a line of folks spread out shoulder to shoulder methodically sweeping through an area...because they typically TRIP ON who they are searching for rather than SEE them in those small dim yellow beams.

Where it gets serious, is when you DON'T have enough people to cover every square inch of terrain to be searched. Like you are trying to see across a valley or set of cliffs, or scan a large area at once due to flooding or other time is of the essence scenario.

This is where the el cheapo light have trouble...there's a flood, the wind and rain are whipping through you...and the el cheapo's blink out, need to be banged against something to light sometimes, get dropped and broken, etc. And now the RESCUERS are lost in the dark.

A teeny key chain light, etc... is NOT going to get you out of a canyon...you can't see far enough to tell which way is "out"...and if you need to get "IN" to get somewhere on purpose...a weak light will leave you unable to tell which way to go.

We need to see at least 400-600 meters to have a shot at that sort of thing, and the further the better, unless it makes the beam's spot of light too small to really get a context for what you're looking at.

If you are in a rough terrain/weather situation, and you drop your light and it breaks...it MATTERS. You need a light that you can drop it, on a rock, into water, off your truck, etc...and pick it back up and have it still work.

There's a difference between a cheap light that will work as long as its never stressed...and one that will continue to work under duress.

If you've never experienced that type of violent situation, where people DIE, and equipment FAILS, due to the conditions you are trying to save them from, it might be hard to imagine a given light as simply not being suitable for the task, but, trust me, some lights are not up to the task.

 

[Danielight]

If you're interested in an inexpensive flood-to-throw light that runs on an 18650, you might check out the Romisen RC-C8 II R2 Flood-to-Throw offered on the Shining Beam website. For the price, Romisen makes pretty decent products; this three-mode light sells for $20.75. (Is that "cheap" enough for you? 😀 )

 

[Bigpal]

With those cheap ebay lights, you get what you pay for. I purchased a 'Beamtech' light rated at 4000 lumens. I expected it to be about 500 lumens.

While it is close to TK45 brightness, I had to make a few solders and make some adjustments to the 18650 adapter because there was not good contact and the light would flicker.

Now it's all good, but don't expect high quality from those cheap China lights. If you are in critical situations, like police or search and rescue, I wouldn't depend on them.