Most reliable mini AA light

Just recieved my 4sevens mini AA and what a lemon. Turns on in the wrong mode, flickers then completely turns off. Shake it and it flickers. Sending back to seller tomorrow.

Are there any minis with a better track record or are these problems commonplace with most minis?

I like the looks and the pocket clip of the eagletac clicky series but from my research flickering seems to be common problem. I don't require a clicky, turning the bezel is easy enough but I would really like a pocket clip. No clip is not a deal breaker though.

I've bought four Fenix lights (no minis) and haven't had a problem yet. Bought three 4sevens and one is a lemon. The other two work fine. Love the AA2 and the mini 123 but it worries me.

Edited to say: This light is for emergencies when out on the town with my wife. Reliability is of utmost importance, no different than my handgun.

Look at Peak's ElCapitan. Bulletproof.

jabe1 said:

Look at Peak's ElCapitan. Bulletproof.

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Definately. Peak would be my choice..

I'm a big fan of the EagleTac D25A Mini.

Jetbeam ba10.. Thicker barrel than most other aa's but extremely reliable and tough little light.. Very reliable twisty UI.. My next choise would be a mini maglite led

Have you tried cleaning the threads and contacts?

I'd probably say Peak. The QTC is flakey, but the light should always "light".

UpstandingCitizen said:

I'm a big fan of the EagleTac D25A Mini.

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+1

Surefire carries a 2xAA if you wanted to go that route. It's called the E2L-AA.

I have had four or five 4Sevens Mini AAs.

Never had any problems with any of them.

Sounds like you got a bad one, but in my experience they *are* bulletproof and reliable.

And incredible performance, from AAs, AAAs, lithiums, 14500s, or 10440s.

Try that with your old Gerber Infinity!

So maybe Blackbeard is right about yours needing a thread cleaning?

Blackbeard said:

Have you tried cleaning the threads and contacts?

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I did not. I probably should have but if I did something wrong and voided the warranty in some way I would be mad at myself for not sending it back in the first place. I feel like this should be done at the factory, and would be willing to pay a little more for better assembly technique. I tend to be a bit of a hard *** when it comes to my tools. From my research, for what it's worth, this problem seems to pop up too often in lights (in general) not just 4sevens.

lampeDépêche said:

I have had four or five 4Sevens Mini AAs.

Never had any problems with any of them.

Sounds like you got a bad one, but in my experience they *are* bulletproof and reliable.

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I did alot of research on the minis and couldn't find anyone having problems, so I'm sure you are right that I just received a bad one. My thought process is, if the assembler did this then what other short cut did they take while making my light. Not bashing 4sevens, just dissapointed. My other two 4sevens work fine. I have been eyeing the Etac D25A Ti. Looks nice, kind of blingy and I like a pocket clip. I wish the Sunwayman Ti's were a little smaller.

I have been using an Energizer e2 Lithium single AA since Nov 2010. Bought it at Target for $27. Ultra reliable, 65 lumens, variable output, tailstands, 30 minute timer, lithium AA -15 yr shelf life, and a clip. I also have and use its siblings: the 4AAA and 2AA versions. Since you're a handgunner, you might like the style of the bezel, very JHP-ish!

bushmattster said:

Just recieved my 4sevens mini AA and what a lemon. Turns on in the wrong mode, flickers then completely turns off. Shake it and it flickers. Sending back to seller tomorrow.

Are there any minis with a better track record or are these problems commonplace with most minis?

I like the looks and the pocket clip of the eagletac clicky series but from my research flickering seems to be common problem. I don't require a clicky, turning the bezel is easy enough but I would really like a pocket clip. No clip is not a deal breaker though.

I've bought four Fenix lights (no minis) and haven't had a problem yet. Bought three 4sevens and one is a lemon. The other two work fine. Love the AA2 and the mini 123 but it worries me.

Edited to say: This light is for emergencies when out on the town with my wife. Reliability is of utmost importance, no different than my handgun.

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gunga said:

I'd probably say Peak. The QTC is flakey, but the light should always "light".

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I like the looks of the El Capitan's but the QTC makes me scratch my head a little. I have so little experience with modern lights and no access to handle them in person, it's hard to know what to think sometimes. Thank god I found this place. The help that I get here is unmatched from any type forum I've ever associated with.

Are there any lights that are a step up from the 4sevens, Fenix types that are in a mini platform besides Peak?
I like the HDS lights but they seem a little large to carry in my pocket or on a key chain.

A couple things about Peak lights. First of all, remember that you don't have to get the QTC. It eliminates the modes, but if (as you mention) the most important thing about this light is that it will turn on when you want it to, it's really tough to beat.

Regarding the QTC: Peak has improved their QTC pill by leaps and bounds recently. Many of those folks who complain about how finicky they are have not used the new ones. That's not to say that the new pills have %100 smooth ramping all the time, but they're much better than they were. For my money, I like knowing that I have the ability to run the light at one of an infinite number of outputs including extremely low mode, but that no matter what, if I need light, I can crank down on that head and light will come out.

Remember that Peak avoided making multi-mode lights for a long time even when almost every other flashlight maker was doing it because they weren't willing to sacrifice reliability/simplicity/toughness to achieve multiple modes. Only when they figured out how to leverage QTC did they start to offer multiple modes, presumably because there really is no way to break it.

bushmattster said:

I like the looks of the El Capitan's but the QTC makes me scratch my head a little. I have so little experience with modern lights and no access to handle them in person, it's hard to know what to think sometimes. Thank god I found this place. The help that I get here is unmatched from any type forum I've ever associated with.

Are there any lights that are a step up from the 4sevens, Fenix types that are in a mini platform besides Peak?
I like the HDS lights but they seem a little large to carry in my pocket or on a key chain.

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Even if the QTC breaks down, the light will still light. The brightness modes may be messed up, but it will always light.

bushmattster said:

Are there any lights that are a step up from the 4sevens, Fenix types that are in a mini platform besides Peak?

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Fenix LD15, 2-mode no brainer UI. Center piece here.

I carry a Zebralight SC-51 and have never had any problem with it. It has six levels with a very bright high setting and a very low firefly setting.

Got a first run neutral mini AA. loose threads.. light comes on or skips modes when the head is pressed. Very bad mode skipping.. 50% of the time, it bypasses low.. Love the tint! I never had problems with any of my Fenix LD01's. Yes, I have cleaned it several times.

I will stick with my trusty old ITP A2's and A3's ... Never any problem ... I always carry an A2 clipped in my inside jacket pocket and an A3 on my car keys and another on my house keys ... Wouldn't be without them ... Not keen on my ITP A1 though , so it lives on my bedside cabinet.
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