Don't costly CR123 reduce the use/value of flashlights?

I see so many people like the quality of Surefire and I do too, but the fact that they use CR123 means that I'm sticking with AA lights.

Do you use some form of rechargeable for your surefires (or other CR123 light) whether its 16340 or 17670, or do you just consume batteries at $1 each? And if you use primaries, doesn't the fact that you're spending money each time you turn on the light reduce your temptation to just play with the light?

No, I've been using primaries for some time now and it hasn't been a problem. See, you just don't have enough lights yet, so you actually have to replace the batteries. :nana: I just rotate around and use lots of 123 lights so each of them only gets a little bit of use and then they last a long time, since you're only replacing them here and there.

But yes, you can also bore them out for 18650s, or use 17670s stock or 16340s too. It mostly depends on your usage as to what you need, what your setup can handle, and your willingness to either buy expensive primaries or expensive-ish li-ions. But if you use them alot, you may as well go with rechargeables.

I am going to be getting a couple 17670s very soon to run a C2 build I'm working on and my Milky KL4. So we'll see how that goes.

i'm still a big fan of using primaries...back when all my bright lights were xenon bulbs it was tough to justify paying so much for batteries while getting so little runtime. the LEDs we have now allow me to keep buying primaries w/out batting an eye. i do use Li ions alot but mostly for my larger, higher output lights.
i still prefer to use primaries for my tactical size or EDC lights, especially those that i use on a daily basis. those would be my lights that are exposed to the widest range of environments and temperatures and therefore i prefer the increased stability and consistency of lithium primaries.

I use primaries but my usage is almost always momentary on either low or medium, so batteries last me for months.

10 year shelf life.
I think you pay for the peace of mind that the cells will be there when you need them.

My most used Surefire (6P) runs rechargables with a Malkoff drop in. My main EDC Ra Clicky runs rechargables too. The only light I have that doesn't run on RCR's is my Surefire U2A. 2AA format lights are just too long IMHO - I will always choose a 1 x CR123 or 2 x CR123 over a 1AA or 2AA light! - more output for the size too!

James.....

My answer is yes.

I purchased NiHM batteries and a charger because my light happens to not work without batteries, therefore batteries are a part of the entire system and are therefore priced into the system. If I were to purchase lithium AAs or some other type of non-rechargeable, my costs would go UP considerably because I'd be continuously paying to support the system.

I don't really care about shelf life or what not, as a college student I'm mainly concerned with value, and overall cost. Plus, charged NiHM LSDs have plenty of shelf life before they self-discharge too much, and I always have spares that are charged.

My previous camera, a Nikon N70, used two CR123 cells. The cost of the batteries and their lack of availability when I was out traveling absolutely drove me nuts. When I replaced that camera with my current Nikon F100 that uses four AA cells, one of its selling points with me, I swore off CR123 batteries forever.

None of my lights use CR123s based on my camera experience and I sure don't miss them one bit. Sure, my AA lights don't perform as well as the CR123 powered ones, but I'm more than perfectly happy with them. There are really some nice AA lights on the market now.

CR123a's were a lot more expensive in the era when they were widely used in cameras. Now name brand ones are about $1.50 each online instead of $8 or so in stores. I use a dozen or so a year at most so the cost isn't really significant. In more heavily used lights I do tend to use rechargeables, but more specialized lights use 123's which is fine. My current main camera is a Canon A570 which I run on two AA lithiums that cost about as much as 123's. The camera works better with them than it does on 1.2 volt rechargeables, and the lithiums last a very long time, so again the cost isn't significant.

It does reduce my temptation to play with the light. But, they certainly have their advantages. Play with a QMini 123 for a bit and it's easy to understand. I use rechargeable AA's or AAA's for those lights that see lots of play time.

Geoff

i think it really depends on your usage.

for my work lights, i use rechargeables. and use my lights maybe a total of 1 hour on max setting, between 2-3 lights.

i have a quark mini 123 warm on my keys for about 3 weeks now, running on the same primary. and use it for very short moments. so far i have not changed the battery.

also, it depends on the availability or cr123a batteries. if you live in a place or situation where its easily available, cr123a have all the advantages.

I use li-ion rcr123s for EDC use, primary cr123 batteries for backups and when I'll have no access to a power socket for charging. $1 per lithium cr123a cell is not bad considering that I see AA alkalines in Australia costing $0.80-$1 each, also it's nice knowing that I won't get a leaked alkaline cell in my flashlight and end up with a big paperweight.....

I don't really think much about it. Used to I used D cell maglites whose batteries were also about a $1 each and during a typical summer and fall I could burn through some batteries. I try to add a few each time I order a new light from my favorite dealer and try to keep at least 40 on hand.

I just haven't found any AA lights that work as well for me as CR123 lights. They're either too lengthy or don't run long enough with alkaline batteries and the rechargables don't work well enough in the cold for me.

I use CR123 based lights almost exclusively. Most are incands and run off rechargeables. Why? And using a 9V bulb allows the use of 3.7V rechargeables, and in the case of 3XCR123 lights, 3 CR123's can be substituted in a pinch. And I have never, ever had a CR123 leak while in a light that wasn't being used often and ruin the light. Too many lights have been lost to leaky alkalines. And NiMh rechargeables don't hold their charge like Li-Ion or IMR's do.

It bothered me in the past, but since the 123s have gotten pretty cheap online I dont worry about it anymore. I generally order 50 at a time which brings the cost down a bit more.

AA/AAA are still cheaper though and I pick up a pack when I see them on sale so I try to keep 50 of each of those on hand as well.

One advantage of the 123 lights though...I dont have to remember to check them as often to make sure they are not leaking. I lost a nice little Fenix to a leaky AA...it was a Duracell battery too and had probably been in about 6 months.

The prices and availability of 123s varies widely as you travel, that's a factor. Everything has it's good and bad points. But AA light are catching up in terms of lumen output and run time, so why not use those? I have no reason other than the current problems with AA's alkaline chemistry and its tendency to run out and destroy things, plus I need Surefire's dependabilty- and they use 123s.

I spread out my flashlight usage and use all my lights here and there. That way all the lights get used and also I'm not stuck with one battery type in case of an emergency. If I'm going out I tend to bring different lights with CR123 and a AA/AAA as backup.

Most of my lights use 123 primaries.

Rechargeables are just not reliable enough for the way I use my lights.

When I turn one on I need it to glow in the dark, with no Drama.

Also you can carry extra 123's for YEARS, AND THEY ARE STILL GOOD.

The reliability of 123 batteries is worth the extra expense to me.

Mr Bigglow said:

I need Surefire's dependabilty- and they use 123s.

Click to expand...

...for now anyway.

once you figure in actual runtimes, cr123s are still more expensive than alkalines, but the price difference starts to get a bit better.
cr123s on a 1 amp load typically have about 3 watt/hrs
AAs on a 1 amp load typically have about 1 watt/hrs
Decent cr123s cost about $1.5 so 50cents per watt hour
Decent AAs cost about $.20 so 20cents per watt hour

at higher amp draws, the price difference gets much closer, since alkalines dont handle higher current draws well.

Me, I tend tward AA lights, simply for the convenience of easy rechargeables, and the option for pretty much any type of battery chemistry I want. All my lights are loaded either with eneloops or AA lithiums. I keep some alkies around for loaners as backups to my rechargeables for general use.

I do like the cr123 form factor, and love the 18650/2xcr123 form factor. I will be getting more of these lights