Suggestions: Coleman or... ?

DreadArchon · Jul 22, 2011

I mostly want a good light to carry around with me. Right now I keep a Trebor "Triggerlite" hanging from my belt, and I enjoy the whole "I have light whenever I want it and I don't have to worry about maintenance or batteries" feeling. But I saw some neat flashlights in WalMart, and my tendency to launch into research projects got hold of me. I've been reading posts here for a while, I figure I might as well just ask directly, as apparently this is a deep subject.

So, there are two Coleman flashlights I'm looking at. I'm not sure which I like better, as the 90 lumen model is shorter and has a longer lifetime but the 115 lumen model is brighter and has an adjustable beam profile. I think only one may have a button that turns on if you hold it partially, but I'm not sure which or how to check. Both use 3xAAA for power.

What I like about these is:

"Durable and water-resistant"
Bright but long-lasting
common battery type (though I gather AA is better)
Crenelated bezel
Switch style
Ability to hang compactly from a key ring (via the little ring that holds the wrist strap to the body)
small enough to go in my pocket if absolutely necessary (less so on the 115 lumen model)
somewhat affordable

Really, I'd probably get a Maglite XL50 (multiple settings seems awesome), but at this point I'm becoming fond of the idea of a crenelated bezel. And after a day or two of reading, I wonder if there might be something even more suitable for me that I'm missing.

Does anyone have any suggestions for improvements over the flashlights I'm already aware of? (Or, does anyone have any preference between the three I mentioned?)

<$40 is strongly preferred... For now.

papageorgio · Jul 22, 2011

Deep subject is right! If you are looking for a keychain light, you will probably want to look at a single AAA light, but the runtime wont be very good if you use it a lot and you wont be that happy. Lights that have 3 AAA's store less energy than 2 AA's. Personally, I would recommend a 4 sevens quark AA Tactical (100 lumens) or a zebralight SC51 (200 lumens) Both a LITTLE more than 40 bucks, but not much. (what 10-20 bucks in the long run anyway?) The zebralight you can get in a "warm" emitter which give you much better color rendition outdoors but neither would be a good keychain light. You would need to invest in some Eneloops for the zebralight. They can handle the amperage better that the Zebralight requires. A good keychain light would be the ITP AAA OR a 4 Sevens Preon Revo. I personally like to use a single AA and i clip it inside my pocket. 3 AAA's would be too fat to be comfortable. A Nitecore EZAA is also nice and small with 160 lumens, but its a twist head. I highly recommend staying away from any 3AAA lights. Not to mention, i dont believe either one of them has regulation that will keep the light consistent for the life of the batteries. The Quark seems to fit more closely to what you want in terms of a forward clicky with momentary on. I would give a good look at Zebralight personally. They are TINY and really nice lights. Little more than you want to spend, but worth it. Happy hunting!

think2x · Jul 22, 2011

I've had a couple of those coleman lights apart and it's true, no regulation. There's just the LED board and a resistor. If you shop wisely and apply discounts found over in CPFMarketplace you could pick up a Jetbeam BA10(single AA) for under $35. I like the Quarks but for the money the BC10 I just bought my wife I a great value IMO.

DreadArchon · Jul 22, 2011

Thanks guys, that was helpful--you pointed me to some things I hadn't seen.

The Jetbeams and Nitecores look OK. I'm particularly looking at the Jetbeam BA10 and PA01 now. Continued research has made me lean toward wanting a flashlight that runs on a single AA, has a switch at the end, and can stand up.

I still want a crenelated bezel, though. The Fenix LD10 has a little bit of one, but it seems to be a bit lacking in both brightness and runtime! The Nitecore Defender has a nasty bezel, but it's rare and expensive and apparently high-maintenance (and I think maybe it can't stand up like a candle).

I'll keep looking at the basic Jetbeams and Nitecores, but are there any more suggestions for crenelated bezels on 1xAA or 2xAA flashlights?

papageorgio · Jul 23, 2011

for 40 bucks, you could look at the novatac's. I have the storm, but its CR123. It's crenelated, but thats not why i bought it. They make another model thats 2 aa's i believe. Any reason you want a crenelated bezel? In my opinion, it just makes it easier to get it caught on your pocket. If you're thinking self defense....well. Thats just silly. :) Crenaled bezels look neat, but not very practical unless you face the light down, but i would rather tailstand and put it on a low setting. I would take a good look at the zebralight if you are thinking 1AA. No switch on the end, but a really nice light and puts out more power than most 2 aa lights.

DreadArchon · Jul 23, 2011

I don't really expect to be whacking people with a crenelated bezel, but they look like they're made for whacking people, and I just like the way it looks. I'll give up on that point if I can't find one. It just seemed to me like there would be some available, especially since it's so easy to get one on a Coleman from WalMart.

Edit: And my intention is to put the flashlight on a keychain, so I'm avoiding the Zebralight simply because it has no little hole to put a ring or strap through.