Durable cheap lights

RebelRAM

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Dec 16, 2003
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Huntsville, AL
A lot of time is spent here talking about innovative new lights on the high end of the spectrum. But what about cheap durable well made lights.

What I am talking about here are lights that the average user / non-Flashaholic would use, but also might appeal to a Flashaholic. Lights that normally cost less than $15 or so.

I have been very pleased with Garrity lights.

Firefighters and other emergency personell have trusted them for years. And they do even make a couple models that are fairly water-resistant.

What impresses me the most about them are the fact that they use non-smooth reflectors, I think Garrity calls them "Multi-Faceted"

So what other cheap brands have you guys found to be great bargains?

--Jason
 

jdb2

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Jan 3, 2004
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Before I discovered CPF, a few years ago I found the "Brinkman Long Life LED" 2AA cell light in Wal-mart for about $12. I have used it without problem around the house, and had bought several for relatives. I just saw it again in Wal-mart last weekend for about the same price. It is unusual in many respects (size, beam, etc), but curiously functional.

Jay
 

pedalinbob

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Dec 7, 2002
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Michigan
im with paulr. blast, rage, tec-40 are all inexpensive and excellent little lights.

also, the dorcy boss 4aa is an excellent little light...and only costs around $6.

positives? clicky switch, PR bulbs--and a spare in a little box on the lanyard, rubberized, GREAT beam (faceted reflector), inexpensive, pretty darn bright, water resistant (waterproof?). you can run lithiums in it.

negatives? a bit chunky/heavy.

i tried earlier this year to find an inexpensive stock 2d incan of good quality. there were some decent ones, but none really have any power. even upgrading the bulbs didnt help much. (i heard that there is a halogen bulb that really works well, but haveint tried it yet).

Bob
 

Avix

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Oct 9, 2003
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I've got a Garrity AA that has been rattling around my car for a couple of years now, got a momentary button and a on/off switch, very handy when I'm trying to dig the mail out of the mail box in the dark through the car window. I think I've replaced the batteries once.

for what I paid for it, I sure got my moneys worth
 

LightofMine

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Aug 2, 2003
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South Carolina
[ QUOTE ]
pedalinbob said:

also, the dorcy boss 4aa is an excellent little light...and only costs around $6.

Bob

[/ QUOTE ]

You can get it for 3 bucks at Dollar General stores. You are right, it is an excellent little light. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

James
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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Shepherd, TX (where dat?)
The little Rayovac 2AA Industrial is pretty nice for what it is. I don't imagine it would take well to swimming.

The 3D Industrial (If you get a USA made one) is an awfully decent light. Same applies as far as water.

There are three different Garritie 2Ds. The rubber one is nicest, the rubber coated plastic one is decent.

PT lights, while not as common are very nice for a good price!
 

Big_Ed

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PlayboyJoeShmoe, I've been looking for a USA-made Ray-O-Vac 3-D industrial flashlights for a while now. All of the ones I see are labelled made in Thailand. I've managed to find a few USA-made 2-D industrials, and a single 2-AA USA-made (PR base-new ones are foreign made bi-pin). No luck on the 3-D USA, though. I'm just a stickler for buying American-made products whenever I can. Buy American!
 

paulr

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Mar 29, 2003
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Koehler-Brightstar 3D's are $5 at Brightguy. I don't know where they're made.

I got my 3D Mag for something like $4 at a sidewalk sale. Definitely US made, but you can't find them for that price every day.
 

Lagged2Death

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Feb 11, 2003
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Cleveland, OH, USA
[ QUOTE ]
LightofMine said:
[ QUOTE ]
pedalinbob said:
also, the dorcy boss 4aa is an excellent little light...and only costs around $6.

[/ QUOTE ]
You can get it for 3 bucks at Dollar General stores. You are right, it is an excellent little light. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Another vote for the Dorcy Boss. The $3 price at Dollar General even includes batteries. And it takes PR bulbs, so you can experiment with different bulbs if you're so inclined.
 

Zelandeth

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Energizer Impact R250 (2D) has to be one of the best I've had in that category. Was $10 or therabouts, not blindingly bright, but with a decent beam and excellent runtime, good for around the house use, and I've never had a bulb blow in it yet.
 

Double_A

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Jul 15, 2003
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Sorry I don't believe in cheap flashlights. Generally you get what you pay for, there are exceptions of course and I can name a couple (Streamlight TT-2L for one and several Princeton Tecs).

But the very thing that drove me to find better and better flashlights was the frustruation of "the cheap flashlight".
The flashlight that goes out when you need it the most, the flashlight you have to bang it's head to get it to come on, crap.

I'd rather have one good flashlight than six cheap ones.

The cheapest durable flashlight I'll buy is a C or D cell Maglight. Durable, decent switch, fair beam.

When you buy cheap you buy twice.

GregR
 

paulr

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Mar 29, 2003
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I think the Eveready 2D Halogen ($7 from cheapbatteries including two Energizer D alkalines) is at least as good as a Mag. The Koehler/Brightstars ($5 from Brightguy w/o batts) are also in use in factories all over, so they can't be so bad either. And I've bought about a dozen PT Blasts by now ($6.50 at TTS when they had them as a regular item), my favorite small cheap light. I've given several out as presents. At $14.50 (or more like $20 retail) the CMG Infinity series are probably expensive by the flashlight standards of most non-flashaholics, but they're very durable. Finally, the new Luxeon-based UKE 4AA eLED ($20 from Brightguy) is probably close to indestructable.
 

Double_A

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Jul 15, 2003
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My last two employers bought the cheapest lights they could find, junk. So just becasue employers buy them doesn't mean they are any good.

Often a plant will have a UPS system, that powers 20% of the building (Computers, Safety systems, etc) usually few if any lights. That is their excuse for NOT buying flashlights, "we have a generator". Our generator (60kva), powers NO interior lights only computer and emergency safety systems. The company has a dozen cheap 2 D cell lights. I'll have to check what brand.

I heard on a board here of a great suggestion a while back. Buy the County Com LED lights for $1 each. For a small employer lets say 15 or 20 employees during a power failure pass them out to employees as a freebee to enable employees to safely evac.

There I found a good reason to buy cheap lights! To give away for a short term emergency! Non-flashaholics will love you for them and for thinking of their safety!

GregR
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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I found my most recent USA 3D at an ACE Hardware store.

The differences in it and a Thailand light are:
1: Color. The USA is YELLOW. The Thai is orange/yellow
2: Bezel. Colors different and threads slightly different.
3: Lamp holder. USA is spring, Thai is plastic non flexible. As result USA makes a better beam, but Thai isn't horrid.
4: Tailcap: USA has a flat spring and single body contact. Thai has coil spring and two beefy contacts.

Additionally the USA switch works easier, especially when switching off. That COULD be different between any two lights whether USA or Thailand.

They are both CONSIDERABLY different fron a several year old USA 3D!!! It is made of grippier plastic, has a different switch location and look, a better tailcap to hang from etc.

My older USA 3D and three SAMS Choice 3Ds are some of my most prized lights!

My Thailand 3D has a two led PR bulb in it that isn't very bright and isn't bothered by being not perfectly centered in the reflector. I figure it will burn WEEKS if needed.

[ QUOTE ]
Big_Ed said:
PlayboyJoeShmoe, I've been looking for a USA-made Ray-O-Vac 3-D industrial flashlights for a while now. All of the ones I see are labelled made in Thailand. I've managed to find a few USA-made 2-D industrials, and a single 2-AA USA-made (PR base-new ones are foreign made bi-pin). No luck on the 3-D USA, though. I'm just a stickler for buying American-made products whenever I can. Buy American!

[/ QUOTE ]
 

paulr

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Mar 29, 2003
Messages
10,832
AA, Brighstars are real industrial lights, used by folks who depend on them every day, e.g. phone installers, plant workers, whatever. They have to work reliably or the users would buy something else instead. It's not anything like that situation of having some cheap 2D's around in case the power fails, so that all that matters is they have some reasonable chance of lighting up if you hold them the right way.

Also, the Brightstars (at least some models) have a spare bulb tailcap, sort of like the Mags. That's pretty important in any large incan light, IMO.
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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Shepherd, TX (where dat?)
If it wern't about the most horrible time for me to be broke, I'd pick up a couple USA 3Ds.

Hold on a sec, let me get you their phone number... maybe they would mail order you a couple?

Central Ace Hardware
11767 Beamer
Houston, TX 77089
281-481-6482 or fax 281-481-0162
 

Rail

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Nov 20, 2002
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MA
As far as price vs. practicality, I think PT and UK have the best value. PT 40s and UK 4AAs are not far off from your $15 mark either. Pelican flashlights are also very good, but slightly more expensive.

The first time I saw a UK 4AA was in Canada. I was touring the La Grande Complex hydroelectric plant in Radisson, and my friendly tour guide proudly carried one with her the entire time. Apparently HydroQuebec issues them to their plant employees. I've heard that fire departments use them as well. Anyways, I was, and continue to be, quite impressed with the light.

I believe Pelicans are also popular among firefighters, I know at least two who prefer Super Sabrelites, and a S&R diver who also uses them.

Before I discovered my first Brinkmann Rebel 2AA, LedMuseum.com, and finally CPF, the best lights I had were my military lights (F/X991U? & F/X993U?). Heavy duty, 3 stage switches, spare bulb and lenses in the tailcap. Also have the garrity/eveready value packs from Costco/BJs wholesale. For roughly $20 you get 3 or 4 really beefy task lights with batteries, can't beat that.

When you think about it, Minigags are still $9-12, M*g3Ds are about $20 per, or sometimes you can get them bundled together in a value pack for low $20s. By non-flashaholic standards, these are pretty decent lights. For the same cost, or 50% more, you can have a nice UK, PT, or Pelican, with a lifetime warranty, that outperforms the average light by a large margin.

On the other hand, I think my Garrity lights back home had a warranty as well.
 
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