Best LED Flashlight for Under $70?

thenewkid

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Oct 24, 2009
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I'm trying to find a flashlight that I can use for work. I help with shows that load in to a space, perform, and then load back out again, usually at night. So I need a flashlight that can be bright enough to illuminate a shipping container at night, but can also become dim enough to just do some closeup work on some wiring.

I used to use Maglite LED flashlights, but I never really liked them, and want something better. But this will be my first real flashlight purchase, so I'm capping the price at below $70 (Yeah, I know this is high. If there's something that costs far less than $70 that you recommend, I'd be more than happy to buy it instead).

I like the Fenix LD20, though I think the strobe and SOS features are rather silly, and I also liked the NiteCore D20, especially the granular control for light output. But again, this is my first real flashlight purchase, and there's a good chance that I'm buying something with more power than I need, or buying a poor product.

What would you recommend? And thank you very much for your help!

Recommend a Flashlight Checklist:

0) What Region/Country/State will the light be purchased in?
I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.

1) Price Range: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest! :)
I could spend up to $70.

2) Format:
I want a flashlight.

3) Length:
4-9 inches. (Holster carry)

4) Width:
I don't care.

5) What batteries do you want to use?
I want common Alkaline batteries. (AA, AAA, C, D)

6) How much light do you want? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).
Variable. Basically, I want something that can give me a wide range of brightness.

7) Throw vs Flood: Which do you prefer, lights that flood an area with a wide beam, or lights that "throw" with a tightly focused beam? Place an "X" on the line below.
Throw (distance)----------------------|----------------------Flood/close-up

8) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims (like some LED lights). but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries.
240-360 min. (4-6 hours)

9) Durability: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.
Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box.)

8) Switch Type:
I don't care.

9) Switch Location:
I don't care.

10) Operational Modes: Check all that apply.
I want multiple light levels. (some lights have 5-16 light levels.)

11) Is it important whether the body is metal or plastic/composite?
I want a metal-bodied light.

12) Special Needs: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Circle any below or write in your own comment(s).
Non-reflective/dark finish (stealthy/hard to find)
Corrosion resistant or hard-anodized finish
 
Last edited:

Muddquez

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Jul 14, 2008
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Bakersfield, CA
The Nitecore D20 is a great light, I use mine daily. It has a solid feel and a nice wide useful beam. You should also look at the Fenix TK20, both very solid lights. What is it about the Maglite that you don't like?

Mario
 

thenewkid

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Oct 24, 2009
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I always found the mini maglites that I bought gave off a rather weak light, and whilst they were great for general work (we had a bunch of them at the last theater I worked at, and they cost so little you didn't really have to worry about them), they're not so good for what I need now.

I think I prefer the D20 to the TK20 for both the control over the lamp and the aesthetics. I'm not a huge fan of the warm tint or the yellow grip on the TK20, though I understand they offer it with a gray grip as well.

I'm going to wait a while to see if anyone else has opinions on this, but I'm growing more and more attached to the D20. Thanks for your help Muddquez!
 

hyperloop

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I'm capping the price at below $70 (Yeah, I know this is high. If there's something that costs far less than $70 that you recommend, I'd be more than happy to buy it instead).

$70 isnt high, its reasonable for a good light. The Nitecore D20 is a good light, the interface is easy to use too. It's also a durable light.

There are a whole load of options out there, perhaps you should fill in this checklist, cut and paste it here so that we can understand your specific requirements more.

The Nitecore D10 is a smaller light, uses 1xAA and is easily pocketable (esp with the clip, which is an add on). Go to 4sevens and have a look. The discount code is "CPF8".

It all depends on what you are looking for, if you need longer runtimes, go for a D20, if its versatility and pocketability in the light that you need, then the D10 may be the light for you.

There are a whole load of options out there, perhaps you should fill in
 

Henk_Lu

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Oct 31, 2007
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Golden Cage
Have a look on the Quarks at 4Sevens. For 70$ you get something nice and you have the choice between AA and CR123.

Definetely the best universal light on the market! :)
 

thenewkid

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Oct 24, 2009
Messages
3
Thanks for your help hyperloop. I think I'd prefer the longer runtime since load ins and load outs can take a while. The coupon code was very kind of you, especially since I was hoping to buy the flashlight from 4Sevens.

Henk_Lu, I looked at the Quark AA^2, and it seems rather good. I looked at selfbuilt's review, and it seems to have a wider beam, though the D20's is brighter. Is this an accurate interpretation of the tests in selfbuilt's review?
 

Gunner12

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Dec 18, 2006
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Location
Bay Area, CA
$70? That's within the reasonable price range. If you want a high price range, bump that 10x to $700.

The Quark AA^2 could be another option for you, along with the Jetbeam Jet-I EX. Eagle tac and iTP also have AA powered lights.

If you don't mind slow shipping there are a few lights a sites like Dealextreme. You'll have to read the reviews before you buy though, to check on the quality if the product.

The Romisen RC-N3 from Shiningbeam could be a good starter for you. They also come in warm white (less "white" then a normal LED, and more yellow like an incan).

Coupon at shiningbeam is "cpfuser"

:welcome:
 

PhilR.

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Sep 20, 2009
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You might look at the JetBeam Jet1-Pro, which can be found for $70 (and sometimes less). It can use the universally-available AA's, or you can use rechargeables as well. It is small enough to carry in a pocket, but also bright enough to fulfill your requirements quite easily. You can also set three different levels of brightness as well, so you can customize it to match your requirements. Lastly, it is available in both warm and cool tints.

The NiteCores are pretty nice too. I have an EZ and an EX, and I have come to like the EX's piston drive switch over the twisty switch. Both have a quality feel to them, just like the JetBeam....
 

rumme

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Sep 30, 2009
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Once again, I think the Terralux 220 lightstream would fit most of your needs .

$31 shipped of ebay.


takes 2 AA batteries, no strobe or SOS functions,

simple to use with only 1 lo setting for closeup work and 1 hi setting for distance work. Rated 220 lumens , its small, light and my favorite flashlight I currently own. It has a nice amount of both flood and throw and its less then half the price of the max you are willing to spend.


WIN WIN situation if you ask me..

the only negative I cna think of, is that the switch is tailmounted whcih means the light will not balance on its own in a upright vertical position on a flat surface .
 

hyperloop

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Durability, 2xAA, reasonably long runtimes, infinite variable brightness, take a look at the jetbeam jet i pro EX v2.0 and also the Nitecore D20 on 4sevens. Take a look also at selfbuilt's excellent 2xAA roundup

+1 on the Romisen RC N3 warm white from shiningbeam i own both the warm white and the Romisen RC N3 II Q5 (2 mode light) both are great budget lights, in fact, with your budget you could get both those lights and still have change. Have a short look here for a quick review

hope you have fun here :welcome:
 

JBorneu

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Sep 12, 2008
Messages
233
I think you should try a headlamp. They really don't look that dorky when you wear one when working with your hands. It's just plain common sense.

Look at the Zebralight line of headlamps, they are amazing worklights, with low and high modes and a nice flood for working up close. The reflection of an intense hotspot will probably be a pain when you're in a shipping container, so flood is a good thing.
 

Larry237

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Jan 18, 2009
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Arvada, Colorado
+2 on the Romisen RC N3, I have one and have given a couple to my neighbors. They offer flexibility in batteries, either C123 or AA. In a year of use no one has had any problems with them. My neighbors think that they are great.
 

waddup

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Oct 29, 2008
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mg-pli from shining beam gets my vote.

3 x as bright as any 2xAA light.

low-med-high.

small cheap ($57) and built like a tank.

will definitely be a big upgrade in output from the led mags.
 

BentHeadTX

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Sep 29, 2002
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A very strange dark place
A 2AA light that you want to run 4 to 6 hours on ALKALINE batteries?

First of all, you won't get runtime past 30 minutes if you use the 200+ lumen settings on any of the 2AA lights. Yes, shocking levels of ultra-high output 2AA lights rock but not when they die a quick battery death.

Soooo.... I would say to get a Quark 2AA with the new XPG LED coming out, make it the "tactical" UI. The reason for this is it can be set for an 85 lumen "high" output AND run for 5 hours on NiMH. It should make it to 4+ hours on that setting on alkalines with no problem and longer on lower modes.

I'd get the Quark 2AA with XPG-R5 emitter and set it for 85 lumen out the front high and maybe the 22 lumen "medium" setting when you don't want to blind yourself. Twist head tight for high and turn head for low. Those two settings when used 50/50 percent of the time will get the two alkalines through 6 hours of use.

I am doing something along those lines with my Quark AA2 "Turbo" big headed light. Head tight for max output (over 200 lumens out the front) when I go bike riding at night. If (when) I get brain damage and forget the time, the Eneloops will start to die under the very high current drain. I'll switch the light of for about 5 minutes, drink some water etc and switch it to the 22 lumen level. The batteries will have recovered and it is a high enough level to ride home. Since the current draw will be 85mA instead of 1,500mA, the batteries would of recovered enough to give me an hour of runtime.

If you decide you want to use rechargables later, the Quark AA2 tactical can be reprogrammed to whatever 2 levels you want. 85 lumens out the front in a large shipping container is more than enough and it will be much kinder to you alkaline batteries.

Your mileage may, and will, vary...
 

BentHeadTX

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If you had to buy a light right now, the Quark Turbo would be it (they ship out in about 12 hours) David will announce more lights on Thursday and I'm betting the regular head Quarks will become available with the XP-G R5 LED. Get the tactical version so you can program the high to be 85 lumens and "low" to be 22 lumens.

After all, at work people tend to borrow your light and you don't want to kill the alkalines with 200 lumen output bursts so they hand it back dead. 85/22 lumen levels out the front should give you the runtime you need on alkalines and the twisting of the head for the two levels make it easy to use .
 
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