Opinions on torch for my cousin

Please refer to post #14 for an update.

Fenix E21 or Fenix LD25. The LD25 is a little over budget but there is a discount coupon, I believe its "cpf8". I think that works for both the fenix-store and four-seves? Not positive.

Solarforce L2R with R2 drop-in. I have one and it is nice and bright. More throw than flood. Beam is very ringy though, but this shouldnt be too much of an issue outdoors.

ITP SA2 Eluma. Has ramping which can be handy.

Overall though, I'd go with either the E21 or LD25

EDIT: The romisen rc-n3 with the R4 upgrade from shiningbeam might also be interesting. Doesn't have very good modes, they are too close together, but it should be very bright since it uses one of the most current leds, and is only 25 bucks. Definitely a good option.

Also check the buy sell trade forum, you might find a good deal on something used.

I've got both versions of E21, nice and simple lights, they now see more action than my LD20.
The only difference to LD25 seems to be sos and holster, and $15 in price.
If holster is needed, I think one can get better holster around $15 than what is included for most fenixes.

+1 for fenix E21. Two mode is quite enough for output and runtime need.

If he also does outdoor stuff at night then go for the neutral tint.:thumbsup:

EagleTac P100A2 or 4Sevens Quark Mini..or Quark Tactical AA²? The EagleTac is 39.95$ i think, at illuminationgear. and imo much better than the romisen, build quality is top-notch. you can also have it in either cool white or neutral white.

If he's doing delivery he's going to be using his hands alot and a flashlight might be problematic. Have you considered a headlamp instead?

There are several good options out there, particularly Zebralights and Fenixes. I'd say get him a Zebralight H50. Comes with a very nice head strap and a glow in the dark holder/bracket for the strap, runs on readily available AA batteries, and if you use disposable Energizer L91's in it is feather weight and will run for a very long time. You also have the option of using Nimh's in it and alkalines in a pinch. All versions of the H50 are on sale on ZebraLight's website right now and any of them can be had for $47 - $49 and they don't charge for shipping. I'd recommend the H50w. If he's going to be walking down long driveways or the like, then an H51 would be the better choice. It's more expensive, although it will be brighter, throw a beam a MUCH greater distance, and more versatile because it has more output settings.

Another good and inexpensive option is a Photon Freedom or Micro. They can live on a keychain and have an optional clip accessory to put them on the bill of a cap or the like to work as a headlamp. They won't be nearly as bright as a true dedicated headlamp though, so might be useful for backup duty on a keychain for when the battery in your main headlamp goes out unexpectedly. They are also available in multiple colors and can be used for signaling too if needed. I keep one in my cycling bag and use it when I'm off the bike and need just a small amount of light around me for seeing what I'm doing.

If you want to get a 1xAA for around $39, check out the Quark Mini AA at 4Sevens. In fact, if you use discount code cpf8, it will only cost you $35.88 with free shipping.

www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=297_355&products_id=2044

Or if your willing to spend more check out the ZebraLights like B0wz3r suggested.

They also have the SC50 which is a really nice 1xAA light, but may be more then you want to spend.

www.zebralight.com/SC50-Flashlight-AA-193Lm_p_24.html#

Good Luck... your cousin, has a nice thoughtful cousin.

speedster... Let us know which light you decide to get your cousin.

B0wz3r said:

If he's doing delivery he's going to be using his hands alot and a flashlight might be problematic. Have you considered a headlamp instead?

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I doubt he will need the light outside the car. He just needs something to use to see the house numbers from the curb. I will run this by him though, may be he never thought of a headlamp.

As for everyone else, I appreciate the quick response and i am looking into each and every light you mentioned.

speedster said:

2) Brightness- The higher the lumens, the better right? I do understand that high lumens and cheap dont mix very well.

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Higher lumens means less runtime. Many of todays brighter lights run less than 50 minutes on high. (The much despised 2AA plastic incan would last 2 hours on a set of fresh alkalines)
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You can get cheap high lumens. A P7 or MCE light with 18650 batteries and charger can be bought for the $40 limit at the HK/China online stores or fleabay. 400 lumens 2X to 4X the brightness of the lights mentioned so far. Not recommended due to explosion dangers of lithium batteries by people not familiar with their safe handling and lack of reliability of lights from those sources.
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The Mini AA mentioned by Starchaser is available for a limited time in neutral and warm white for $2 less than the regular cool white. Both do not have the too blue tint of normal LED but the warm might be too yellow.
There is also a Mini AA2 now. Cool white only but 2X as bright as the single AA version. Only 5 inches long and has a pocket clip.

Speed,

You just greatly clarified your cousins needs; read the house #s from his car.

I'll take that as "needs decent throw". That would point towards an Cree XRE emitter based light, XREs have the most "throw" in typical EDC and hand sized lights [think SureFire 6P size].

I'll also posit that he'd prefer a light that can use commonly available batteries AA.... Eneloops are the superior choice for rechargables and he can find regular AAs just about anywhere.

Does this $40 budget include the $$ for batteries charger? If it does that seriously limits the $$ for lights.....

P100A2 fits all the criteria perfectly. Its about 40, uses AAs, has good throw and can take some abuse. Flashlightconnection has great CS and a good discount. Your not going to see a difference between this and the 18650 lights anyway. I'm sure your cousin will be impressed.

If you really want a good thrower on AAs consider the Javelin from Dereelight. It may be 70 but well worth it.

The Quark XPE 2xAA is no longer being sold. Quark XPG R5 is 60 and probably going to be too floody to reach out. The Turbos go for 75. Fenix would normally be a good choice too, but they have phased out their XRE lights and even if they didn't it would be around 60 for a 2xAA one.

speedster said:

I doubt he will need the light outside the car. He just needs something to use to see the house numbers from the curb. I will run this by him though, may be he never thought of a headlamp.

As for everyone else, I appreciate the quick response and i am looking into each and every light you mentioned.

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Ah, that makes a lot of difference.

He needs a good thrower, in general, lights with a smooth reflector are going to be throwers. A good choice would be the new Fenix E21. Less than $40, built like a tank, uses 2xAA, and available in a neutral white tint which will give better depth perception and color rendition as well.

speedster said:

Hello CPF, long time since I made my first thread. Ok, here is the situation: My cousin just started a job as a delivery guy. He works from 4-10 p.m. The area he works in is a old town with alot of money. The thing is, the town does not have alot of street lights. I lend him my Jetbeam but I can't constantly lend him it. So i've decided to buy him his own flashlight. Hopefully, the great people on CPF can help me make a decision.

There are only a few requirements that I would like:
1) Price- Please try to keep the price down. I would like for the flashlight to be 40 the most. I will spend an extra 10 if the light seems well worth it.
2) Brightness- The higher the lumens, the better right? I do understand that high lumens and cheap dont mix very well.
3) Batteries- AA or AAA, if possible.

I thank you in advance for the help. Don't worry about reviews, I will look into all that myself, all I need is just a name and model number.

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Sorry for such a late reply guys. I have not bought anything for my cousin yet because I was able to to convince him that the flashlight he will buy is more like an investment that he probably will use for the rest of his life.

Now with that said, I showed him a few different brands and models. He took a liking to the Eagletac P10c2. One question about this is: does the clip come off? He said he doesn't want it, something about trying to grip it and it would seem like its in the way.

The P10c2 sells for around $62 on the eagletac website. That seems to be a good price to him. Any recommendations for anything that is around the same price? AA or cr123 is just fine. Warm white or neutral.

Once again, thanks for all the answers and replies.

Does any have the eagletac p10c2 or anything from the eagletac line? An honest opinion on quality would be greatly appreciated.

Another +1 for the E21.

Also look into the Fenix Tk20. It retails for 50.00 buy you can probably find it cheaper. It's been out awhile and is proven, takes 2 AA's. It's basically on overbuilt E21 with a rubber grip, pocket clip, and a different emmitter but it's been out long before the E21.

Bladedude said:

Another +1 for the E21.

Also look into the Fenix Tk20. It retails for 50.00 buy you can probably find it cheaper. It's been out awhile and is proven, takes 2 AA's. It's basically on overbuilt E21 with a rubber grip, pocket clip, and a different emmitter but it's been out long before the E21.

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Def looking in to it. Thanks for the quick reply.

Is the P10c2 even still produced? Im having a hard time finding it besides on their official website.