[Review] Lumintop Tool AA 2.0: Small, simple and super!

geraldL

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Aug 4, 2013
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Note: I received this light from Lumintop for an unbiased review after 1 month of usage.

Introduction


The Lumintop Tool AA 2.0 is an update from the Tool AA, and the bigger 'brother' of the massively popular Tool AAA (and also my favourite pocket EDC). With a single 14500, its max output is a whopping 650 lumens. Most of the times, I don't even use Turbo. I typically keep it on Low or Medium. Good enough when I took it on a holiday to Hongkong, Macau and Guangzhou. I handed it over to my family to use sometimes and I like that it is so intuitive I don't have to give them instructions. Click the tailcap clicky for on and off. (Non-flashaholics don't think about soft clicking for changing modes or even accessing the hidden strobe, which is perfect in my opinion)


What do I love about it?

  • Very portable/pocketable
    • I'd put it in the sunglasses pouch in my 5.11 Rush 12 when on the plane, but once I'm in the hotel, I'd take it out and either put it in my jacket pocket or my little tactical sling pouch for faster access when I'm out.
  • Uses a common battery type
    • The default battery is a 14500 but I know that I can easily pop in a AA non-rechargeable if I need to, and those are easy to find
  • Broad, floody beam with decent throw
    • The XPL HD LED illuminates a wide area, good for walking in dimly lit areas
  • Simple UI
    • Low-Med-High-Turbo (with hidden strobe mode well-hidden)
  • Comes with a free diffuser
    • Works really well, and great for softening the beam, especially indoors
  • Optional accessory: Magnetic tailcap!
  • Nice compact packaging, great for gifting


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The Lumintop came in a very nice, white box with the "QC Passed" sticker as an as assurance of its quality checking! I like this box - looks perfect for gifting.


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Inside the box, you get: the light, 2 spare O rings, instruction manual, diffuser, and the warranty card. Note: the magnetic tail cap is an optional accessory, but I would highly recommend it.


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This is the light with the diffuser on it. The diffuser is made of soft rubber so don't worry about it getting cracked. Great fit - it doesn't come off easily.


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The diffuser is also made of glow in the dark material so you can easily find it after using it. I must say that this is such a brilliant idea and the glow is just so bright and beautiful in the dark.


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While it isnÂ't the smallest 1 x AA light, it is still very small. Small enough for your pants/jacket pocket.

Specs


Dimensions:
Weight: 23.5g / 0.82oz
Length: 89.5mm / 3.52in
Diameter: 18.5mm / 0.72in


Material
Made of aircraft-grade aluminum alloy, premium type Ⅲ hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish, toughened and wear-resistant


MSRP
$17.99 USD from Amazon but they do have discounts occasionally, bringing the price down to $14.99 USD


LED
XPL-HD LED (CW option only)


Reflector
Smooth reflector


Battery
1 x AA/14500 battery (You need a 14500 for the Turbo mode putting out 650 lumens)


Modes/Output
[Alkaline AA]
Low: 3.7 lumens (60 hours)
Medium: 28 lumens (11.9 hours)
High: 140 lumens (49 mins)
Turbo: 220 lumens (21 mins)
Strobe: 140 lumens


[Ni-MH]
Low: 3.7 lumens (60 hours)
Medium: 28 lumens (12.5 hours)
High: 140 lumens (2.5 hours)
Turbo: 270 lumens (43 mins)
Strobe: 140 lumens


[14500]
Low: 16 lumens (37 hours)
Medium: 85 lumens (6h 9 mins)
High: 360 lumens (1h 19 mins)
Turbo: 650 lumens (33 mins)
Strobe: 360 lumens



Max Range/Throw
Turbo mode: 127m


Mode Memory
Yes (other than Strobe)


Waterproof
IPX8 (waterproof up till 2m, for 30 mins)


Lockout
Untwist tailcap for lockout


Tailstand
Yes


Lanyard Attachment
Yes


Reversible Pocket Clip
Yes


45873142124_1d922739a0_b.jpg
From left: Lumintop 14500 LiON, Imren 18650 LiON, Olight S1A Baton, Lumintop Tool AA


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Looking straight at the XPL LED and you can see the glow in the dark O ring around the inner bezel.


Quality


My first Lumintop was a Tool AAA and it's been in my pocket as my EDC for 3.5 years now. I love that the quality is top notch. Even though the anodising has rubbed off in certain areas, I have never needed to change the O rings, and the light works like it did on the first day. I have trust in the build quality of Lumintops. After 1 month using the Tool AA 2.0, I can tell that this is a quality light. My only gripe will be the thin barrel but it is by no means, weak or soft. I guess it helps to keep the light lightweight (haha geddit?) Right out of the box, the light has:

  • Responsive tail switch that requires a substantial click before turning on. Also, it lies flush with the portion for lanyard attachment. These prevents most accidental turn ons and in all the time I've carried it, it has never turned on, unlike the Olight S1A with its protruding side switch.
  • Strong clip (for you to clip onto your bag/pouch/cap/pocket)
  • Reasonable knurling for extra grip, especially around the head and tail area for you to unscrew the light with ease
  • Glow in the dark O ring around the inner bezel of the head. ItÂ's a tiny thing but it just goes to show how much Lumintop thinks about the end user. In complete darkness, this tiny ring of green helps you locate your light.



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Perfect anodising right out of the box.


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A close up look of the finishing and the printing


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A close up look of the head, and the glow in the dark O ring around the inner bezel.


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A close up of the clip and the threads


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Another view of the clip and the threads. Love the matte finish on the body.


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This is the light with the magnetic base. ItÂ's definitely much shorter, and you twist-untwist to turn on/off and change modes.


UI


The flashlight has 5 modes (including a hidden Strobe).
Hard press to turn it on/off. Soft press to change modes.
Low → Medium → High → Turbo → Low → Medium → Strobe (only if you click 6 times in quick succession)
*Since it has mode memory, it will come on in whichever mode you left it on (except Strobe).

Dead simple. I love it. However, I personally don't like lights with mode memory. I can never remember which mode I left it on, and sometimes in the dark, I blast myself with 650 lumens of cool white light. Not good for my eyes. Give me a light with no mode memory. I will click through to the desired output if
Beamshots

This time round, I tried to get some outdoor beamshots for you guys for a more realistic view of the illumination levels. This was a dimly lit path in Hong Kong (almost pitch dark in certain areas) so I took out my light for my sister while I snapped the photos.

Taken on a Samsung Galaxy S8.




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Low Mode




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Medium Mode




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High Mode


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Turbo Mode


Use Cases


Left in the car: When caught in an emergency situation, the strobe will be helpful for warning oncoming vehicles/emergency personnel. The optional magnetic tailcap is a good add on because you can 'stick' it to your car.


In an EDC pouch: This is how I will carry the light - as a secondary light when I need more output than my Lumintop Tool AAA.


On the shoulder strap of my 5.11 backpack: I can clip it and let it light up the area in front of me, without the need for me to use my hands, leaving my 2 hands free.



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Back view of the light clipped to my bag. Hands free!


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Front view!



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Clipped onto the Molle webbing for downward illumination.


Pros & Cons


Pros

  • Small form factor
  • AA batteries are easily available
  • 650 lumens on 14500!
  • Fantastic finish
  • Grippy knurling
  • Simple UI
  • Nice diffuser
  • Strong, reversible clip
  • Good price point

Cons

  • Coronas in the beam pattern up close
  • Only CW option
  • Lacking a moonlight mode, which is essential in every light, in my opinion
  • The light gets hot pretty fast on Turbo mode but that's expected given the small size
  • The grease on the threads were a little thin, but all good once I slathered some silicon grease over it


Conclusion


In conclusion, Lumintop is still one of my favourite flashlight brands. Despite the prominence of budget-friendly flashlight brands popping up, I trust in the build quality of Lumintop, and would gladly pay a little bit more for quality. This light is small and lightweight, good for trips where you don't want to add to the bulk of whatever you are carrying.

Also, this will be the light I reach out for when one of my non-flashaholic friends ask for a light. Hard click for on and off. Soft click for changing modes. It cannot get easier than that. Pair that with the diffuser and they have a nice tent light. I love it, and my friends are going to love it more.
 
Last edited:

tjb

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Feb 23, 2018
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Great review! Question (and forgive me if I didn't see the answers in your post): how strong is the magnet (for real)?
 

Javora

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Feb 18, 2014
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In the stats you listed the same ratings for Ni-MH and 14500. But in Pros, you list 650 lumens with 14500. Otherwise a very good review. Thanks.
 

geraldL

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Aug 4, 2013
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78
Hi all, edited the lumens and runtimes for usage with 14500. Thanks to Jovora for pointing it out!
 
Last edited:

geraldL

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Aug 4, 2013
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Great review! Question (and forgive me if I didn't see the answers in your post): how strong is the magnet (for real)?

Hi thanks for the kind words! I didn't particularly talk about the magnetic strength. It is definitely strong for such a small light, and it can hold its own weight up. Even on rounded surfaces e.g. pipes/rods. I have an Olight S1A and their magnets are equally strong. Hope that helps!
 

geraldL

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Aug 4, 2013
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In the stats you listed the same ratings for Ni-MH and 14500. But in Pros, you list 650 lumens with 14500. Otherwise a very good review. Thanks.

Good eye, Javora! I have made the edits. Thanks!
 

Javora

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Feb 18, 2014
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No problem, glad I could help. Thanks again for the review...
 

koziy

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Dec 19, 2018
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I got one of these and a Thrunite T10 II at the same time a little while ago to compare. I'm still blown away at how inexpensive and bright flashlights are these days. Here's a quick rundown of my comparison in case anyone is interested:

The Tool AA's tail switch and twisty cap are preferable for pocket carry to the Thrunite's side switch, which could be switched on by accident very easily. The T10 II's side switch is also hard to locate by feel in the dark. I like how you can change modes on the Tool AA with either a half press of the tail switch or by twisting the front cap.

The beam on the Tool AA is a little wider and does better at flooding the immediate vicinity than the T10 II, which has a slightly tighter hot spot that throws just a little farther outside. My T10 II's LED is in neutral white, so I will skip a brightness comparison (I assume the NW emitter is putting out a few less lumens).

Both get warm pretty quickly on turbo. The Tool AA gets a little warmer, though, and borderline hot after 1 minute on turbo. Neither light has gotten hot enough to burn skin, but the Tool AA does feel a few degrees warmer than the T10 II when I run them simultaneously on turbo. It is entirely possible that this is a result of the NW emitter in the T10 II being less bright and maybe the CW T10 II is more comparable to the Tool AA in heat generation, I don't know. I have not run them for super long on turbo, but in 2 minutes, I am not noticing any sort of step-down in brightness for either of them. Might just be my eyes.

The one significant black mark that the Tool AA gets against it for me is that the pocket clip doesn't allow the light to be carried deep in a pants pocket. The tailcap will always protrude, snag on things and rub my hand when I reach for things in my pocket. The T10 II has a deep carry pocket clip, which is much easier to carry the light with; however, it also has a magnetic tail with no option for otherwise, which I also don't like, and I worry about the side switch coming on by accident. At the end of the day, neither is a perfect EDC flashlight in my opinion, but for under $20, they are both fantastic value lights.
 

geraldL

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Joined
Aug 4, 2013
Messages
78
I got one of these and a Thrunite T10 II at the same time a little while ago to compare. I'm still blown away at how inexpensive and bright flashlights are these days. Here's a quick rundown of my comparison in case anyone is interested:

The Tool AA's tail switch and twisty cap are preferable for pocket carry to the Thrunite's side switch, which could be switched on by accident very easily. The T10 II's side switch is also hard to locate by feel in the dark. I like how you can change modes on the Tool AA with either a half press of the tail switch or by twisting the front cap.

The beam on the Tool AA is a little wider and does better at flooding the immediate vicinity than the T10 II, which has a slightly tighter hot spot that throws just a little farther outside. My T10 II's LED is in neutral white, so I will skip a brightness comparison (I assume the NW emitter is putting out a few less lumens).

Both get warm pretty quickly on turbo. The Tool AA gets a little warmer, though, and borderline hot after 1 minute on turbo. Neither light has gotten hot enough to burn skin, but the Tool AA does feel a few degrees warmer than the T10 II when I run them simultaneously on turbo. It is entirely possible that this is a result of the NW emitter in the T10 II being less bright and maybe the CW T10 II is more comparable to the Tool AA in heat generation, I don't know. I have not run them for super long on turbo, but in 2 minutes, I am not noticing any sort of step-down in brightness for either of them. Might just be my eyes.

The one significant black mark that the Tool AA gets against it for me is that the pocket clip doesn't allow the light to be carried deep in a pants pocket. The tailcap will always protrude, snag on things and rub my hand when I reach for things in my pocket. The T10 II has a deep carry pocket clip, which is much easier to carry the light with; however, it also has a magnetic tail with no option for otherwise, which I also don't like, and I worry about the side switch coming on by accident. At the end of the day, neither is a perfect EDC flashlight in my opinion, but for under $20, they are both fantastic value lights.

Thanks for weighing in! Very insightful and I'm sure everyone can benefit from your perspectives as well. I have the Olight S1A as well and while I like lights with a side switch for ergonomic reasons, it tends to get turned on accidentally. So I have a habit of loosening the tailcap to lockout my lights these days.
 

geraldL

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Aug 4, 2013
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This light misses 3 things:

1. Copper/Titanium body;
2. Neutral white tint;
3. High CRI emitter.

:p :D

Hi Vadimax, I agree! While I'm not so much a fan of titanium lights, I fully agree with points 2 and 3. Hope Lumintop sees enough demand for it and make it happen!
 

SpyderHS08

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Aug 27, 2009
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214
Location
KS, USA, Earth
Just got the silver version in, love it. However when I run a 14500 rechargeable in it the tail cap glows blue when it's off, constantly. Any way to turn that function off to prevent drain? It doesn't do it with a normal AA battery.

thanks!
 

jon_slider

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Mar 31, 2015
Messages
5,108
some possible solutions, varying complexity

lock out with 1/4 turn of the head
or
remove the two surface mount resistors on the tail switch board
or
ask lumintop to sell you a switch with no lights

question
About how often do you need to change batteries?
 

SpyderHS08

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Joined
Aug 27, 2009
Messages
214
Location
KS, USA, Earth
some possible solutions, varying complexity

lock out with 1/4 turn of the head
or
remove the two surface mount resistors on the tail switch board
or
ask lumintop to sell you a switch with no lights

question
About how often do you need to change batteries?

thanks Jon, I haven't figured out the battery change time quite yet as I just got the rechargeable battery for it. But I've had it a few weeks running standard AA. Didn't realize the blue tail light til installing the rechargeable 14500. I may just stick with the 1/4 turn lockout method. I do this with many surefire when packed in bags or traveling so that's no biggie! As for a lumintop switch with no lights? Wasn't aware these existed. Thanks again.
Harry
 

jon_slider

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Mar 31, 2015
Messages
5,108
glad the lockout is an option for you

the AA tool last year did not have a lighted switch.. but Ive never tried to contact lumintop to buy one..

Ive heard different guesstimates on the amount of time the 14500 will last, with the tailswitch lights on. One person said one week, another said 2 months.. I dont own the light, not sure what is correct.

I hope you enjoy your lights!
stay safe
 

Tiredeyes69

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Sep 15, 2023
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Location
West Midlands
I got two lumnitop top. Just got them. 1 black, 1 red. Love the end light, helps me drift to sleep.
I forgot the soft click to change light power. Thanks ! Wish I could post a photo of the two end lights. The red aa goes from green to yellow to blue to red. Very relaxing.
 
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