I see many lights you guys like use 18650 cells. So far all my lights I have bought only use AA cells. Even if I like a light but it uses an 18650 I have no bought it because I am thinking I already have AA rechargeables and 18650 are expensive and if I am on the go and have no juice there isnt a disposable 18650 I can buy at the pharmacy. Am I missing out? I am hesitant to purchase a light that uses an 18650 or any other type of cell that is not as "everyday" as an AA.
What is your favorite flashlight of 2013?
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Solscud007
Flashlight Enthusiast
Tough. I got the A2L, Fury Combat, a Peak LED Logan, and a Petzl Nao. They all do something different than others. Petzl Nao is a neat piece of kit.
thedoc007
Flashlight Enthusiast
To be honest, despite the fact that I love 18650s, AAs are enough for most people. They provide decent power...but 18650s are in a different league. They have more than triple the capacity (actually closer to quadruple, if you get 3400s) so you just don't need to change them very often. It doesn't really matter how available replacements are if you can easily carry enough for multiple days or even weeks of non-stop use. To get the same capacity with AA batteries, you need a larger light. There is no way a 3 or 4 AA light can be as compact as a single 18650 light. Look at the Sunwayman C20C (or even the Zebralight SC600) as an example...it isn't that much larger than a Zebralight SC52 (a good compact AA light) but with an 18650 it will last over 3 times as long at any given brightness (ignoring the individual efficiency of the respective lights, which is not relevant to this discussion).
If money is tight, there are plenty of good AA options. But if you have the cash for the light, multimeter or battery tester, charger, and cell, you should at least get one 18650 light. If you don't like it, you'll never have to buy another. (This also assumes you don't mind working with lithium ion, which does demand a higher level of care and handling to be safe. You didn't specify whether you ever use 14500 cells, but I am assuming not.)
