Princeton Tec 40 VS. Princeton Tec Rage

As a proud owner of both, I'm writing a review on them, and was wondering what you guys see as the major differences (positives and negatives) between the two. Obviously, the Rage has a shorter run time with the Xenon and the AAA's, but according to many documents, the Rage is putting out 41 Lumens vs. the 40's 28....is this because of the Xenon vs. Halogen or something else?? Thanks for the responses in advance.

I own both too, and I prefer the 40. I've always been wary of proprietary bulb assemblies like the Rage uses. You can't just run down to the local hardware store to replace them. In my real life experience the 40 completely outclasses the Rage in both throw and spill. The 40 also gives you a choice of reflectors and bulbs, and a lithium battery option.

Of course, more light isn't always better and the Rage certainly has its place. It is much more pocketable than the 40 and probably puts out more light for its mass.

I'm not that crazy about the Rage. I liked the idea of it enough to go to the store to buy one, but once I actually had it in my hand, it felt overlarge and awkwardly balanced. So I bought a Blast instead (2aaa version of the Rage, basically similar bezel but shorter battery tube). I liked the Blast enough that I've bought about 3 more since then to give to people. I also retired my Arc LSL-P second as an EDC light and carry the Blast instead.

The Blast is a great EDC. The PT40 is in a different class, much brighter, but too large to EDC, more of a glovebox light. The Rage seems like an awkward compromise, combining the disadvantages of the PT40 and the Blast. I like the UKE 2L much better than the Rage: it's brighter, more narrowly focused, and is smaller and lighter. It does cost somewhat more, unfortunately.

Jbroker83,

Deja vu... I answered the Lumen question in this thread which you started:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1&Number=393161

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Please re-read my response on the difference in the Lumen ratings. My Lightbox Apparatus demonstrates that PT's Lumen readings are questionable.

Yes, Thanks for the answer Quickbeam...I like your site. I was more asking on this thread the positives and negatives of the RAGE vs. The 40---Darkaway and Paulr both made some really good points....it looks like the Blast is a popular choice for Paulr, and I liked my Blast so much, I gave one to my wife. She had to use it the other day, as she was traveling for her job...she used it at night in the hotel room cause she wasn't familiar with where the lights were-and was quite surprised with how much light the little thing put out...she also told me to take back my Mini Mag (which she used to carry in her purse) as she now has the Blast with her all the time. She also has a little Pulsar on her key ring. Using Lithiums in the 40---is this recommended??

My main criticism of the Rage is its very short bright runtime. The PT40 is an excellent light but the oversize bezel and two hand on-off make it much less convenient than the UKE 4AA which has that marvelous switch and small bezel. The Mini Q40 is a little shorter than the 4AA and has convenient one hand operation if properly lubed (though occasionally you'll get an unusually tight one). The 2L is a winner.

Brightnorm

I prefer the petite Rage over the large PT40. For its size, the Rage gives out a great deal of light, and is perfect for gifts because of its use of AAA batteries.

[ QUOTE ]
flashfan said:
I prefer the petite Rage over the large PT40. For its size, the Rage gives out a great deal of light, and is perfect for gifts because of its use of AAA batteries.

[/ QUOTE ]Interesting... why would you say that an AAA-based light is better than an AA-based one?

Depends upon your use/needs. Rage fits better in the pocket, is lighter, more compact. True it doesn't have the bright runtime of the Tec40, but sometimes you don't need that long of a runtime for a light to be effective.

BTW, the two most important women in my life love the Tec40 because it's easy to grip and easy to turn on and off with the large bezel and flat body shape despite the fact that it takes two hands.

Yeah--I'm almost split over which one I take with me...when I wear my winter coat with larger pockets...it's the 40...but most of the time, I have at least the rage and/or Blast with me. QuickBeam---I agree---I do think it comes down to the individual and the personal preference of the user. The 40 seems to me like a pretty good buy at about 15 bucks...(batteries included)
Most Rage's I see in my city are about 11-12.

It does really depend on what you want...

For me, I really love the form factor of the Rage/Attitude. The AAA vs. AA issue depends a lot on whether you use rechargeables or not. If you are using throw away batteries routinely, the AA clearly gives more energy for the buck. AAAs and AAs basically cost the same, but the AA gives well over double the energy.

For myself, I use NiMHs routinely with Alkalines for emergency backup. Since my battery cost is neglible for routine use, I really like the smaller, lighter, more compact body of the Rage/Attitude. You can toss this in the glove box or pants pocket and hardly know it is there.

I don't especially like the proprietary lamp assembly of the Rage vs. easy to find bulbs of the Tec40 but in the end, I've decided go with the lamp assembly approach 'cause I end up with a more compact light. I use LED lights for 95% of my flashlight needs (mostly the PT Attitude or ARC AAA on my keychain) so in the end, I'll be using very, very few lamp assemblies.

For a AA light, I definitely have chosen the UK 4AA AS2 over the Tec40. I owned a Tec40 and ended up returning it when it deformed my NiMHs so much (lack of springs in body) that they simply became unusable in the light. The UK 4AA AS2 is nearly perfect IMHO.

Ikendu, have you tried a Blast? It's much easier to forget about in your pocket than a Rage.