Lighter. Takes less space. Last longer (better capacity). Longer lifetime. Wont self deplete. Still function in sub-zero weather. A lot of people hate lipo cells because of complicated charging - you can get an USB battery pack with removable 18650 cell from ebay for ~3$, which will also charge said battery over micro usb. As for "AA batteries are more readily available" argument - it might be the case, but I've yet to find myself in situation where I can buy batteries but not charge them, on the other hand I find myself in apposite situation quite often.
You don't have to completely avoid AA lights though, some will take a 14500 rechargeable lithium cell or a AA primary cell, like my Nitecore D10's or that beautiful Xeno Cube which was posted on the previous page.
So a bit of advice needed if you guys don't mind! I know very little (I know which way to point it!) about flashlights, and need one that fits the following; Mainly for use in case it goes dark while walking/hiking, and for putting tents up, general camping use, and some poking about in the loft. The ability to hang it in some way would be good but not essential. As light (weight) as possible, but I'd rather it be a decent quality. The ability to withstand a bit of rain. Lasting a few hours on a full battery would be nice too, and bright enough to walk with. I'm not after spending a fortune, but I much prefer to buy once, and have something with a bit of quality about it. Anything I've missed off, let me know. Any advice gratefully received!
Wow, wish I had seen this thread before. Never really delved into flash-lights before. I just ordered a ThruNite TN12 for using on night shift at work. The lighting is pretty poor when we have to go out so wanted something to use. Anyone have any experience with the TN12 good or bad. Trawling around the candle forum seems to suggest it a fair budget range flash light I was also looking at the UltraFire 501B or 502B but they just seemed a bit cheap at around £10-£15 or was I wrong??? Good for a backup/car flashlight maybe??
There are lots of factors which decide which is the best fit for you. Do you currently own any rechargeable batteries like lithium ion 18650, 17670, RCR123A, 14500 or NiMh like AAA or AA? What's more important to you, raw lumen output or CRI? Is a thrower (distance) or flood more suited to what you're going to be using it for? Does it need to be mil-spec tough or "just well built"? What modes and runtime are you looking for? Does it need to have a moonlight or "candle" mode? Do you need an hour on max or several hours? What's your budget? Are you willing to spend £200 or more on a torch which will literally outlive you and everyone you know? In general, as long as you're buying a light from some of the reputable manufacturers on the list which I'll post later, you'll get a product that will impress you and serve you well compared to anything you've seen before buying your first enthusiast grade lighting instrument. I know I don't have to say this here, but I will anyway; Maglites (any of them) are not the be all and end all of torches. There are countless torches in the world from other manufacturers which not only put Mag to shame, but are also capable of sawing one of their lights in half too. Knowing what's out there and how many different points of use there are (no, it's not "just"a torch any more. Really) it's quite hard to choose just one light these days, but if you can give some more detail on what you're after I can recommend some good all rounders which will serve you well and last a lifetime. I haven't got any of their lights yet but TN get a good name on CPF and the TN12 looks nice! Ultrafire are pretty much the bottom rung of the ladder, and I believe some of the cheaper Fenix lights at only a few £ more beat them in build quality, output and functionality.
Anyone got a recommendation for a good light for handling such as night hunting, camping and a small amount of hiking? It needs to be steel ball kind of unbreakable, as falls and being dropped will be part of daily life for it. If it's small enough to strap to a bow that's awesome too, would help me in eradicating coyotes here. If not it's no big deal, could get strapped to a shoulder. Completely waterproof is a must, as I hunt creeks and the lake either bowfishing or out for water moccasins. Am I asking for the moon, or is there something that fits this bill without me making it?
Take a look at Cutlerylover's channel on Youtube. He has just done a series of destruction tests on a Thrunite T10S and that took a hell of a beating before finally giving up. Pretty impressive light output as well for a small one.
Will it be something you carry around or just at home? If it's something you carry around I say always get a torch which can use normal batteries as they are considerably easier to get ahold of than a charging point Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
It would be mainly used outside. I'd thought to get a couple of 18650 batteries to go with it. If not that one which torch, in that price range, with the same apparent build quality and size would you suggest? I'm finding it very difficult to filter through the hundreds of torches available.
I keep an ld22 in all my cars and if I go camping I take that with, all the ld series can take AA and rechargeable batteries For me it's a case of, if I'm out in the car, camping, fishing or whatever and I need a torch I can always find AA batteries but finding somewhere to charge a proprietary battery is more difficult Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
I'd say for camping/hiking go with headlight, nothing gets old as fast as holding flashlight in your mouth. If you decide to go AA/AAA route my advice is - stay away from 3-cell torches. Main problem with them is that batteries are usually sold in bathes of four (even if you go rechargeable, majority of chargers charge in bathes of two), so you always have that one leftover battery that you can't use for anything at the moment and probably loose it by the time you need it. Personally I'm eyeing fenix HP30, mainly because it can double as emergency USB battery pack.
I have the LD20 which has now been upgraded to the LD22 (might pick one up, not sure yet) and that runs on 2 x AA, has 3 brightness modes and whilst not the brightest out there, certainly enough to light up my whole garden especially with a diffuser on the end.
I would like a flashlight, I need an EDC that I will probably keep in my work bag, I have big hands, I don't think I want a tiny flashlight, but I don't want it to be massive, and I want to spend about 30 quid. Uses will be, looking behind things, looking inside things, looking underneath things, general illumination outside to impress my friends. What should I get, and where should I get it from? I can maybe spend a bit more, but, I don't think I really want to.
Something which runs on primary or NiMh AA's from Fenix or Nitecore is going to suit you best. Getting into Li-Ion batteries and chargers for torches gets expensive fast. For the roughly £1500 worth of lithium powered lighting instruments that I own, I have another £500 worth of cells and chargers to run them. The lithium alternative to a 2xAA light would be a single 18650 one and a 3400mAh 18650 cell is £20 at the moment, with one never being enough, so you're adding £40 plus the (roughly £10) cost of a charger to the price of the light, meaning that when you buy a single 18650 light at £50-60 you're almost doubling the cost just to buy something to run it on. As far as I'm concerned, Fenix and Nitecore are currently the market leaders when it comes to common primary cell lights at the price point you're talking about. I love both and actually own common primary cell lights from both, all of which get used in my EDC rotation on a regular basis. I think the Fenix LD22 is a great option and I'm actually thinking of buying one myself. It ticks all the boxes being 2xAA powered, having 215 lumen output, multi-mode operation, well regulated output and great run times on all modes. 200 lumens for almost 2.5 hours is brilliant compared to the hour that my D20 can do on max, and shows just how well Fenix have developed their driver circuits in line with newer emitters like the XP-G. The only feature it doesn't have which is almost essential for any EDC of mine these days is tail standing capability. This is easily remedied by getting a small holder made for the light though, which I will probably do if and when I buy one. My favourite reviewer is Selfbuilt and his tests are an invaluable source of information when making a decision on a new light. You'll find all of his reviews on CandlePower Forums and at www.FlashlightReviews.ca. I've made more purchases in recent years based on his incredibly thorough work than anything else.
