Suggestions for a GOOD rechargable flashlight

Factual Questions
21

This puts out 3800 lumensand literally lights up the night but requires 3 18650 rechargable lithium batteries that you’ll need to get separately along with a special charger. You should be able to get everything for under $70-80 delivered.

You can use it with just 2 of the batteries but you’ll need the extension tube (comes standard with the kit - or is supposed to, one of mine didn’t and had to send it back) if you want use 3 and get the full 3800 lumens. But if you do, it really is freaking amazing.

I’ve used it in a brightly lit parking lot and had people staring at me like ‘wtf?’

edit: don’t know what the run time is but I know smaller models with CREE LEDs and these batteries that are high output tend to get hot if you run them continuously for say 5-10 minutes.

22

until they corrode and destroy the flashlight. Had to throw away a good maglight because of this and the batteries were only in there for a couple of years.

23

I got a flashlight from Hong Kong that appears to be this one. Very pleased with it. Stays charged and is very bright.

24

I have one of these.

It’s not my brightest flashlight, but it’s brighter than any flashlight you currently own. Works very well, and no batteries to mess with.

25

I was impressed by the use of the strobe lighting torch in the movie Kick Ass. Is that really useful? I see Surefire doesn’t have that feature in their lineup.

26

Did not see the movie but Surefire has surely jumped on the strobe bandwagon. The theory is that it interferes with the eye’s natural reaction to contract its pupils in the presence of a bright light. Supposedly one flash per second is optimal. I’m dubious about the claims but it’s an inexpensive option and with LED bulbs it shouldn’t cause the bulb to wear out any sooner. Another application is signaling. I have an emergency omni-directional flash that runs from a single D cell that usually lives with my canoe gear.

27

Just fyi, that uses a 16850 lithium battery, it’s just that the charging circuit seems to be tied in with the battery itself. I guess that’s more convenient that pulling the batteries out and charging them, but in my case, I have several flashlights that use those batteries so I prefer using the generic 16850’s with a charger.

28

Shirley - you jest!
Every light here strobes, and if you’ve not seen it in action, you’re in for a treat.

I saw my first one maybe 3 years ago at FRI here at the GA World Congress Center. It’s a display show for fire & rescue equipment. Standard convention hall, 40 foot ceiling, well light, wide open.

The Surefire guy had me stand about 40 feet away, and strobed me with the M3LT.
I almost went to my knees. The brightness is unbelievable, and the strobing is very disorienting. I now have strobing lights on several weapons, and my beside table.

You don’t have to shoot anyone who’s crying on the floor covering their eyes!

It’s a Good Thing[sup]TM[/sup]

29

I went with a Maglite Pro LED 2D , with a couple of Battery Junction 3 AA to D adapters, and put Sanyo Eneloop low self discharge rechargeables in there.

It’s basically the same as that one that Orionizer linked to, only it can take regular old primary batteries, and has a MUCH better life using alkaline D cells (12 hrs vs. 6)

The way I see it, I have an extremely flexible and adequately bright flashlight (274 lumens). I can use the rechargeables for everyday use, and know they’ll stay charged until I need them, and in a pinch, replace the rechargeables with either alkaline AA batteries, or D alkalines for the very longest run-time.

Plus, the flashlight is the size and heft of a small club, so that might be useful as well.

30

This is a problem with mag lights in Hawaii. They corrode.

31

You can see that scene here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVMQSaGGJ5Q the audio is out of sync, though. It flashes at much more than 1 Hz.

Ok, now I see the R1 has a strobe mode, but it’s not listed as a feature. Thanks.

32

Really!
It uses batteries?

I was sure it was powered by a captured demon.

:smack:

33

I original poster says (post #17) that she’d (?) prefer not tio have batteries, so this is a relevant comment. As I pointed out, hand-crank flashlights that use supercapacitors ij plaxce of batteries don’t have the problem of being unrechargeable when they’ve been left in a drawer for a year, so they’re the perfect emergency lights.
And, despite what someone wrote above, supercapacitor flashlights are just as bright as those running off batteries. I love mine.

34

The point I thought was obvious. The specific battery is a 16850 - the same as in the flashlight I had mentioned and which you will commonly see in lights that have high discharge CREE LED chips.

35

isn’t that 18650?

36

Probably. I’m ever so slightly dyslexic.

37

You say 225 lumens is enough to blind any intruder. Is lumens the primary measure of brightness? I see 4,000-lumen Trustfire lights for sale in Amazon links I jumped to from other links in this thread. Would a 4,000-lumen Turstfire be brighter than a 750-lumen Surefire, or is there technical distinction I’m missing (like volts/amps in electricity, where a high voltage rating does not necessarily mean a big shock)? Would it be 5 times brighter?

Those Trustfires are shipped from China, is that some sort of pirate brand ripoff? The prices look good.

38

(edit period expired)

And here’s a suspiciously-similarly-named brand that claims 11,000 lumens. For cheap.

39

You might want to see whether they’re self-rated at 4000 lumens, or if that’s actual ANSI FL-1 standard lumens.

Also, peak beam intensity is important - it’s the intensity of the projected beam that doesn’t vary with distance.

Some lights can be high in lumens and have less peak beam intensity and range than lights with lower lumen ratings- that Maglite Pro LED 2D I have is in that ballpark- about 135 lumens more than the Maglite LED 2D, but slightly less peak beam intensity and about 22 meters less range. I have 50% more run time though.

40

The lumen ratings of all flashlights need to be taken with a boulder-sized grain of salt. Either go to Candlepower forums and try to see if someone has profiled the particular flashlight, or buy it yourself and try it.

I’ve had pretty good luck with some of the generic China-made knockoffs, but the lumen ratings are always way, way optimistic…