In Praise of Cheap Flashlights

Spork

Enlightened
Joined
May 25, 2001
Messages
594
Location
USA
how much did it cost you? I always liked the disposable flashlights. last a long time and just throw them away when your done.
 

BuddTX

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 27, 2001
Messages
2,521
Location
Houston, TX
4.99 for two with batteries from Office Depot.

I was going to head over to my local Wal-Mart / K-Mart / Dollar Store / Auto Zone and look there for some 88 or 99 cent lights, but then I need batteries, and that is going to run me (even with a discount for work at Office Depot) about a dollar a battery. So I am still at 3 dollars a light.

When you are in total darkness, and your only choice is a 2.50 2 D cell light, or nothing, you are thankful for the light, and there is not too much discussion about beam quality!
 
D

**DONOTDELETE**

Guest
great idea! when i go night catfishing(read mucho beer drinking) with the guys i hate to hand over my e2e/m2 when somebody asks!

especially considering what's between the ()'s
grin.gif
 
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**DONOTDELETE**

Guest
It's a pretty good idea, and a whole lot cheaper than buying a case of G2's and giving them out like candy
blush.gif
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Eric
 

txwest

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 30, 2001
Messages
1,773
Location
Houston, TX
Now all you have to worry about is are the batteries going to be any good when you need them. I don't know why they date the alkalines. They seem to be useless long before their date.
TX
 

lemlux

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 27, 2002
Messages
2,366
Location
San Diego
Is it the alkalines fault or do some cheap flashlights have cheap switches with less than perfect insulation that allows for slow current leakage.

Certainly, alkalines don't like to be termperature cycled in the car for long periods of time.
 

Evan

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 6, 2002
Messages
296
Location
Maryland, USA
Cheap flashlights are a great start for a mod, and if it doesn't work out - no problem.

I took a cheap Eveready 2-D flashlight and replaced the bulb with a 4 volt krypton and the 2 D cells with a pair of Gates 2.5 Ah gell cells & a jack to charge them. It was my first mod. A modest little light that was a whole lot brighter than others expected, and it looked not worth carrying off. Didn't have all that much money in it anyway. Of course that was about 15 years ago. These days I've been eyeing the cheap little 2-AA light that came with my RayOvac Flourescent; maybe a DC boost and a Luxeon and ...
 

BuddTX

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 27, 2001
Messages
2,521
Location
Houston, TX
I just bought a whole bunch (like 40) of really cheap, 2-D cell flashlights for work, and I cringed at first, but then I started thinking. I can't really justify purchasing "what if" emergency flashlights that were 15-25 dollars each. Cheap-O 2 d-cell plastic lights that you can keep a whole boat load around, in case of a power outage, or hurricane or flood, you can hand these out to anyone who needs them.

I guess in this case, it's quanity not qualitity.

Of course that is NOT what I keep in my desk!

You keep these around in case of emergencies, if you have an emergency, you hand them out, and never worry about getting them back, and instead of handing out a couple of precious "good" lights, everyone gets a light in an emergency.
 
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