Are there inexpensive, quality lights out there?

Thanks to the OP for this thread! I was going to post a similar question asking for recommendations on an EDC light - Fenix seems to have hit it with their single AA lights. Anything else I should look at?

Thanks!
:thumbup:
 
jaydub13 said:
+1 to Olight
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I had an AA Olight that was ~$20 delivered and it was a really great light. Unfortunately I lost it out of my pocket somewhere.

Fenix is another brand that has a moderate price and really good long term performance and reliability.

I've scored some 4Sevens lights at 50% off and feel they are every bit as good as the SureFire LED's at a fraction of the price. Their "turbo" heads have really good throw and the regular heads have really good fill for shorter to intermediate distances.
 
Could anyone explain the 4Sevens lights to me? Is this a retailer? Or, manufacturer of different brand lights?

Thanks!

:thumbup:
 
I went shopping at Costco and got a three pack of 200 lumen Lumen Master flashlights for like twenty bucks that take up three AAA's. Very nice build and finish. No pocket clip though.
 
how does battery life factor in? what battery retains power the longest? i am in the market for a flashlight for my new car since it didnt come with one (my bmw did and it plugged into a built in charger in the glovebox). i dont want to worry about checking the battery or charging it all the time unless i use it a lot.

thanks

liquid
 
I guess I must be a peasant by nature. A year and four months ago, I graduated from an old Gerber sonic I had carried for five years, to a Fenix EO1, and been happy as a clam in the mud. I looked at the Fenix EO5 a while back, but I really didn't need the added lumens when I thought about the long run time. For a edc flashlight, I figure the longer run times are more handy that searing the eye balls out of a racoon at 100 yards. I love the fact that Iuse the heck out of my EO1 and so far in a year and four months, I've changed the battery twice. It's been my main fglashlight through a 4 day power outage last summer, a vaction in Key West, a power outage during a winter blizzard, and every day or night, it looks for dropped items under a table or couch, lights up the very back or the shelf in the basement storeroom while looking for something. I think people have went to nuts over lumens, and are not pacing enough run time. I find too much light at night screws up my night vision. The EO1 is my regular light for the dog's last walk of the night before bed, and it lights up the trail in the woods behind the house vry well, but dose not interfere with my vision when I look off to the side in the woods.

For 12.95, and a insane run time with good light output to see by, I think of the humble EO1 as the Smith and Wesson model 10 of the flashlight world. Gets the job done without a lot of fuss or bells and whistles I don't need like different levels of light or strobes.
 
Grease said:
I want to see if I can locate some $5-10 lights that I can point him towards that won't stop working after a week spent in a drawer.
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About a month ago I picked up a Nebo light impulsively at a local hardware store. It is a single AA model called the CSI Edge (silly-ass name). It seemed like better than average quality for a ten dollar light, and I quite liked its brightness, size, and simplicity. Nebo lights seem to get good bang for buck reviews too.


Unfortunately mine died due to a bad switch within three weeks of pretty light use and carry in my coat pocket. Maybe I got a dud? For ten bucks I was willing to roll the dice and picked up another one yesterday. We'll see how this one goes. If it dies too, then I'll invest in a Fenix.
 
Fenix LD01. Hands down best flashlight I own, including a 3 D cell led maglite. It uses a single aaa battery, but is still ridiculously bright. I used it all summer for work on a single battery. It's roughly the size of a tube of Chapstick, and it's just as bright as my maglite. And it's only $35
 
Liquid, regarding battery life, choose a light that can run on some sort of lithium battery, be it CR123's or AA/AAA lithiums. Lithium batteries don't begin discharging like alkaline batteries do upon their first use. For a light you don't use much, a light with lithium batteries and a set of spares will get you taken care of.

Most of my lights are Surefires, but they're all old. I now have busy kids and can no longer afford to buy them like I used to. If what you're using the light for isn't hard stuff (combat applications, etc) then any of the lights listed above will do. Some of them might even survive combat situations (not insulting the makers), I just use that because Surefire has been tested in that arena. For a general purpose light, one should not have to pay more than $30, with that being the expensive end of the price spectrum.
 
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