(Yet another) Recommend me a few flashlights..

[elwood]

I've been visiting the forums off and on for a while and i'm finally ready to buy some decent flashlights. I have a few questions so i'll keep it all in one thread.

I wanted a Husky 4W from Home Depot but they seem to have discontinued them. So my search continues..

The first flashlight i'm looking for is something to use around the house. Something with decent throw and spill (i guess). I guess the best thing to do is answer the pre-defined checklist created for people like me instead of possibly babbling about useless criteria, so here goes:



I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.

I want to spend around $40 - $70

I don't care about the length

I don't care about the width

I want either a rechargeable light or something that can use drop-in rechargeables.

As far as how much light i want..for this one i won't be using it for anything too up close, mainly for lighting up things in our large yard or the sidewalk between our house and second garage which is about 60ft away in the dark. I'd like 100+ lumens but i don't know if my budget would allow.

Throw (distance)------------|--------------------------------Flood/close-up

Runtime 2-4hrs+ (could go for lower runtimes if my budget restricts me)

I'd like something with durability along the lines of a maglite i suppose.

I don't care about the switch type or location

A simple on/off would suffice but multiple output modes would be nice.


That's about it for the one for the home.
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The second light i want is to keep in my glovebox in my truck. I am considering the Romisen RC-G2 Q5 from shiningbeam.com but i'm wondering why BessieBenny rated it lower than the regular RC-G2 when it puts out more light. If you can recommend a better 1xAA light for around $20 that i can use eneloops (alkalines if i have to), please do so.

_____

Third question: I have a 2xD maglite. Is the maglite LED drop-in decent or is there something better out there for around the same price without any heavy modification?

And where can i find replacement parts online for maglites? I dropped it on the corner of the table and it put a nice dent in the face cap which is keeping me from removing it. I think the only way is to bend it back with some pliars. So i will need to get at least a face cap replacement and lense at the least.

Thanks for the help guys! :twothumbs

 

[hyperloop]

go check out shiningbeam.com, Romisen RC N3 II Q5, its a 2 mode, 2xAA or 1xCR/RCR123 light. Runs 3 hours on high with 2 additional hours on low, or 12 hours + on low.

It's a decent light for its price point, i paid just a hair under $30 to get it shipping included to singapore.

i'm running that light on either RCR123s (blazing bright for 45 minutes) and on 2xAA (using eneloops). I was most pleasantly surprised with that light.

 

[SFG2Lman]

for your around the house light i recommend this one from rayovac, i have the surefires and the solarforce etc, but that rayovac i bought 2 years ago and have used it for 2 hunting seasons, a lot of vehicle maintenance, and for 3 hours as a "candle" when the power went out...its still on the original set of "C" cell batts, solid and bright like crazy.

 

[StarHalo]

The first flashlight i'm looking for is something to use around the house. Something with decent throw and spill (i guess).

The Fenix LD series are perennial flashaholic favorites and would fit your criteria nicely - A good all-purpose beam that works nicely indoors and out, available in 1xAA (LD10) and 2xAA (LD20) bodies so you can use rechargeable NiMHs (and should those go dry, you can use any kind of AA battery found around your house in a pinch), both models are multi-mode and can output well over 100 lumens. And they fall right in the middle of your price range; see them here: http://www.4sevens.com/index.php?cPath=22_65

The second light i want is to keep in my glovebox in my truck.

A car flashlight is an important choice as they have to be emergency-ready and be able to withstand extreme temperatures over long periods of time. Ideally, in the AA format, you should use Energizer Lithium batteries and not rechargeables, as the Lithiums have much better temperature handling and will last notably longer. I don't know that I'd recommend anything in the $20 range since this is an important light; you can't skimp on the one flashlight that you will for sure be using in a car accident or late-night tire change. My own personal choice would be something in stainless steel to be as durable as possible, and with a simple interface so anyone else would be able to use it; the all-steel Jetbeam Element would be my choice, but it's in your previous price range: http://www.bugoutgearusa.com/elemente3p.html

Third question: I have a 2xD maglite. Is the maglite LED drop-in decent or is there something better out there for around the same price without any heavy modification?

The big name in serious Mag drop-ins is Malkoff; you have to cut the bottom/"cammed" portion of your reflector to use one of these, but once it's in, you've got a whole new and improved light that's even more durable than before. http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop/...ite-p-2.html?zenid=cfgo3sl2qsdr6qor59h2of7nn5

And where can i find replacement parts online for maglites?

There's a few places that sell Mag parts, here's one of the bigger ones: http://www.action-lights.com/department-572/Maglite-Replacement-Parts.html

 

[elwood]

for your around the house light i recommend this one from rayovac, i have the surefires and the solarforce etc, but that rayovac i bought 2 years ago and have used it for 2 hunting seasons, a lot of vehicle maintenance, and for 3 hours as a "candle" when the power went out...its still on the original set of "C" cell batts, solid and bright like crazy.

Thanks for the recommendation.

The Fenix LD series are perennial flashaholic favorites and would fit your criteria nicely - A good all-purpose beam that works nicely indoors and out, available in 1xAA (LD10) and 2xAA (LD20) bodies so you can use rechargeable NiMHs (and should those go dry, you can use any kind of AA battery found around your house in a pinch), both models are multi-mode and can output well over 100 lumens. And they fall right in the middle of your price range; see them here: http://www.4sevens.com/index.php?cPath=22_65

I'd like something a little bigger with more output.

A car flashlight is an important choice as they have to be emergency-ready and be able to withstand extreme temperatures over long periods of time. Ideally, in the AA format, you should use Energizer Lithium batteries and not rechargeables, as the Lithiums have much better temperature handling and will last notably longer. I don't know that I'd recommend anything in the $20 range since this is an important light; you can't skimp on the one flashlight that you will for sure be using in a car accident or late-night tire change. My own personal choice would be something in stainless steel to be as durable as possible, and with a simple interface so anyone else would be able to use it; the all-steel Jetbeam Element would be my choice, but it's in your previous price range: http://www.bugoutgearusa.com/elemente3p.html

I already ordered a Romisen RC-G2 II Cree Q5 for my truck. I have a cheap muti-led 3xAAA in my glove box already and i will keep it as a backup.

The big name in serious Mag drop-ins is Malkoff; you have to cut the bottom/"cammed" portion of your reflector to use one of these, but once it's in, you've got a whole new and improved light that's even more durable than before. http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop/...ite-p-2.html?zenid=cfgo3sl2qsdr6qor59h2of7nn5

I am really considering this. There's only one module left in stock. I may use this as my house light.

There's a few places that sell Mag parts, here's one of the bigger ones: http://www.action-lights.com/department-572/Maglite-Replacement-Parts.html

They have almost everything but what i need. I need a new face cap (the ring that holds the lense and reflector in) since i dropped and dented mine.

I'm still looking for more recommendations for an all-around house light.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[njet212]

I'd like something a little bigger with more output

If you think the 900 lumens flashlight with 5 mode is match your criteria check out this flashlight, both are sold under 60 bucks ( Black ver / SS ver )

 

[elwood]

I'm seriously considering an EagleTac T100C2.

 

[Mjolnir]

That is also a good choice for your budget. As far as AA options go, the TK20 and Eagletac P100A2 have pretty good throw, but they can't match lithium/lithium ion powered lights like the T100C2.

www.Zbattery.com also has all of the mag replacement components. There are a lot of incandescent mods that you could use your 2D maglite for if you are interested, but they can get expensive.

 

[Wyeast]

If you're looking for throw, and was using the Husky 4W as your original intention, I'd suggest the Lowes Task Force 2C. Nothing on the Fenix's, they're fantastic lights. But most of them will have a wider focus, so at 60 -100' it starts to get hard to pinpoint at, say a raccoon hiding under a logpile.