Reliable AAA Light for Car Keys

[HaileStorm]

Hi guys! I'm looking for a light that's cheap and small, yet tough and very reliable for my car keys.

I've seen a Fenix E05, a Klarus Mi6 and a Lumintop Worm. I really like the E05 since it's very cheap @ $20 but it doesn't have any low modes. Plus, it's the weakest of the bunch churning out a measly 28lm.

I do edc a Nitecore SRT3 although I'm not sure if I should still edc this when I have a light with my keys.

What do you guys think? Any other suggestions for a cheap and rugged single AAA light?

 

[gravelmonkey]

For keychain carry, stainless steel is usually reccommended, however, I'm not convinced the extra weight VS aluminium is worth it for the well being of the ignition barrell. My personal solution is to have housekeys, leatherman PS4 and stainless 10180 peak eiger on one clip and the car key on it's own.

Have a look at the Maratac AAA or the Olight i3S, both come on in medium first. The Tank 007 E09 seems to be quite popular and is ~$20

A search brings up loads of recent threads on AAA lights.

 

[Rosoku Chikara]

When you ask for a "Reliable AAA Light for Car Keys" you pose a question with many potential answers (assuming that price is not a factor). But, I see that in your last sentence, you add "cheap" to the equation. In my opinion that greatly limits the potential "solutions."

For my own money, I find it extremely difficult to to find a better quality AAA light than a TANK007 E09.

Hard to know for certain just how "rugged" it truly is. But, I also like the Leatherman PS4, and I frequently give them both away as a "set" and I have never had any "claim" or complain of a failure yet. Also, the E09 that I have on my own keychain has suffered (and survived) considerable abuse.

The E09 has 3 modes (Hi/Med/Low) selected by, what I feel is, a relatively easy to use twisty switch. Here is a picture of my typical "Gift Set":



(My packaging job is far from perfect. I use the standard EO9 "can" and increase the size of the lower two openings to form one larger symmetrical opening to fit the PS4.)

Cost:

Approx. $13.00 for the Tank007 E09
Approx. $3.00 for a Lithium Primary AAA Cell (typical price where I live)
Approx. $20.00 for the Leatherman Squirt

 

[HaileStorm]

Thanks for the suggestion, guys! I will definitely take a look at the tank007 e09.

Gravelmonkey, why is stainless preferred? Is it because the anodizing of aluminum lights tend to wear off (and merely a cosmetic preference)? And added bonus in durability or is it the same as aluminum lights?

 

[HaileStorm]

Okay, i did a quick search for the tank007 e09. It apparently has pwm and qc issues... Any othe suggestions? Anyone here owns an e05?

 

[gravelmonkey]

Thanks for the suggestion, guys! I will definitely take a look at the tank007 e09.

Gravelmonkey, why is stainless preferred? Is it because the anodizing of aluminum lights tend to wear off (and merely a cosmetic preference)? And added bonus in durability or is it the same as aluminum lights?

Correct. Generally speaking, the stainless is a more durable material and will 'wear' better when it's on a keyring and can be polished back to it's former glory when it becomes scuffed up.

Other than split-ring holes wearing through, I'm not convinced a stainless steel light would be much more reliable than a HAIII coated aluminium one- if these things are going to break, I'd have thought it would be an electrical connection. Some people prefer the weighty/solid/quality feel of Stainless (I suppose you could argue that the added mass means there is more chance of damaging the internals when you drop it...).

Nice photos showing wear characteristics here and (for a long thread, here)

Okay, i did a quick search for the tank007 e09. It apparently has pwm and qc issues... Any othe suggestions? Anyone here owns an e05?

Personally, for keychain carry, I prefer multiple modes but the E05 seems to be reasonably popular - I have an Olight i3, Peak Eigers in 10180 stainless steel, and an aluminium AAA.

It's a little outdated as it's from 2011, but I think this AAA lights comparison by CPF member HKJ is fantastic to get an idea of how AAA's compare.

 

[Streamer]

Do what everyone else has ended up doing. Get the Fenix LD01 and never look back. @30 bucks. One of the best.

 

[yoyoman]

I have a Tank007 E09. The build quality is good. It does have PWM that is a bit slow. It is throwy for an AAA. I consider it a good cheap light.

The Peak Eigers are built like a bank vault and are more money. The SS will wear a little better than anodized alum and will weigh more. I buy my Peaks from Oveready. Different bodies, heads and emitters are available,

I have a copper Maratac AAA modded with an XP-G2 N and ruuning on a 10440 li-ion and it is a nice light. It would do well on a keychain. The small size compensates for the heavy copper.

There are many nice AAA lights and you can search for the reviews. Olight i3S, ThruNite Ti2, Pelican 1910, dereelight DA3, Lumintop Worm, Lumintop Tool, FourSevens Preon PO, P1, Klarus m1x5, Streamlight microstream, and more.

 

[jorn]

The maratac is great, but hits my knee while driving (when on my keychain).
The 4sevens p0 or dqg aaa is a nice size for a keychain light. 2 modes. No pwm. Great runtimes.

 

[FlashKat]

I have been using the Klarus Mi10 on my keychain, and it has been a great light.

 

[skyfire]

for AAA keychain, i like fenix E01, currently i have a streamlight nano on my keys because its smaller.
i also have an E05, and preon 0.
i rarely ever use my keychain light, its more of a back-up. but when needed, i would like to know itll work. so durability is the most important aspect for me.
thats why i suggest the fenix e01. proven to be very durable, more so than the preon and e05. the preon0 i did not like at all. too slippery, didnt like the mule beam, or tint, poorly cut threads, plastic lens.
the e05 was carried on my keys for many months and still works, its been assigned to some gate keys now.

 

[Serenity]

I chose the Fenix LD01, as that seemed like the most durable. The stainless steel version was not available, so I got the alu one, but the anodizing is holding up fine after more than a year on my keychain. The UI could be better, and I would prefer a neutral white one, but I didn't know that at the time I got it. Any way, it's just for emergencies, so reliability is more important, so I would probably still end up with the same one.

 

[HaileStorm]

Thanks for the replies! After doing some research, I nearly ended up buying a Peak Eiger. Man, those lights are nice esp. The stainless steel one! Had to convince myself that it was too expensive for something to hold my keys together.

The Lumintop Worm in stainless steel also looks awesome but shipping this time of the year worries me. The gitd o-ring is a cool touch.

So I guess I'm gonna go with the E05. It's cheap and reliable according to most people. I do hope it lasts me a long time.

I'm also thinking of getting a foursevens mini ml-x. Looks like a nice little light for the keys.

 

[jimboutilier]

Thanks for the replies! After doing some research, I nearly ended up buying a Peak Eiger. Man, those lights are nice esp. The stainless steel one! Had to convince myself that it was too expensive for something to hold my keys together.

The Lumintop Worm in stainless steel also looks awesome but shipping this time of the year worries me. The gitd o-ring is a cool touch.

So I guess I'm gonna go with the E05. It's cheap and reliable according to most people. I do hope it lasts me a long time.

I'm also thinking of getting a foursevens mini ml-x. Looks like a nice little light for the keys.

Tried a SS Peak Eiger myself. Was disappointed. It redefines primitive and not a particularly well executed (looks like someone's shop project). It's bigger and much heavier than some AA lights I have but not as bright. It's pluses are a very simple design and extremely strong construction.

I've carried a Fenix LD01 for years and it's been a great keychain light. I think the E05 is similar but with a single brightness level.

Recently got got a Foursevens Mini and I think it will be a terrific keychain light - very small and light and bright but it is a bit thicker (and shorter) than an AAA light.

 

[Rosoku Chikara]

Just as jewelers maintain a set of "Master Stones" for purposes of grading diamonds, I have a set of ten AAA keychain lights that I use to "grade" any new AAA keychain light that I purchase.



The single mode UltraFire on the left is primarily a "spaceholder." I will eventually add another light, and since this plastic case only has room for ten lights, the UltraFire will soon have to "go"...

I realize that HaileStorm has already made his decision, so this post is intended only as a sort of "hot wash." (By the way HaileStorm, you really cannot "go wrong" with an E05, so I am sure will be happy with your purchase. It is a very solid single mode light.)

Personally, however, I decided long ago that I prefer multiple brightness levels on my own Keychain light. Assuming that your Keychain light is to be your "last line of defense against absolute darkness" then I prefer having something that can potentially run for many many hours (at low output). But, at the same time, for everyday convenience, I want something relatively bright. Therefore, I tend to prefer having Hi/Med/Low (in that order).

Anyway, my "Master Set of AAA Keychain Lights" are arranged left-to-right by price. I have a Fenix LD01 on the far right. I know that there are much more expensive and "better" lights available out there, but I am seeking the best value, so I am not likely to consider spending much more than $30.00, so long as there are lights of similar performance and quality out there that appear to be able to completely fulfill my requirements at a lower price.

Skipping over the "El Cheapo UltraFire," I have both a Thrunite Ti & Ti2. Both are nice (and seemingly reliable) 2-mode lights, but they are not necessarily all that cheap in comparison to some of the remaining lights, which are all 3-mode.

The next four lights are noticeably shorter than the rest, and I consider them to be "of the same form factor." Best I can tell, the Tank007, Olight, iTP, and Bronte, are all extremely similar lights. Of the four, the TANK07 E09 is noticeably cheaper, but I cannot find any significant differences in performance or quality. (Obviously, ability to tailstand, pocket clips, etc., varies with each model.)

The next two lights: Brythe and Balder seem (to me) to be Fenix LD01 "wanna be" lights. Their performance and quality seem excellent, but their price gets to be so high that you might as well purchase the LD01 for just a few more dollars and be done with it.

 

[Theron]

I love my E05, but I ordered three of the coming Prometheus AAA lights.

 

[HaileStorm]

Tried a SS Peak Eiger myself. Was disappointed. It redefines primitive and not a particularly well executed (looks like someone's shop project). It's bigger and much heavier than some AA lights I have but not as bright. It's pluses are a very simple design and extremely strong construction.

Recently got got a Foursevens Mini and I think it will be a terrific keychain light - very small and light and bright but it is a bit thicker (and shorter) than an AAA light.

It's a good thing I was able to refuse the temptation then :eek: but aren't eigers supposed to be state of the art 200lm aaa lights? Or is that just marketing fluff?

Same thoughts on the mini ml-x. I don't really mind a fatter light, I just need it to be small. And in contrast, I think these mini cr123 lights are the way to go when considering power/runtime ratio. I was hoping to get the ti version but it's almost as expensive as an eiger so i'll stick with the black one. I wish I could strip the anodizing though, I imagine it will have a lot of scratches after a few days in my pocket. :(

 

[HaileStorm]

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I realize that HaileStorm has already made his decision, so this post is intended only as a sort of "hot wash." (By the way HaileStorm, you really cannot "go wrong" with an E05, so I am sure will be happy with your purchase. It is a very solid single mode light.)

That's quite a collection. I, too, have found myself looking at keychain lights for quite awhile. Sort of an itch you have to scratch :D

Thanks, i'm really looking forward to my e05. I'm planning to abuse the little thing so I'm hoping it's as tough as people say it is. Looking forward to this and my ml-x, both due to arrive mid-oct. Can't wait :thumbup:

 

[HaileStorm]

I love my E05, but I ordered three of the coming Prometheus AAA lights.

Do they have a website? I looked at mbi's torpedo, I think it's an awesome looking (and performing) aaa light. Just too expendive for the keys. Would be a different story if I owned a ferrari though, then i'd gladly hang it there with my key :cool:

 

[FlashKat]

The Prometheus is a kickstarter project that is scheduled to ship out in December. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...etheus-Lights-AAA-Beta-QR-LIVE-on-Kickstarter

Do they have a website? I looked at mbi's torpedo, I think it's an awesome looking (and performing) aaa light. Just too expendive for the keys. Would be a different story if I owned a ferrari though, then i'd gladly hang it there with my key :cool: