Help me pick a new EDC light

S

soloz2

Joined
Jul 27, 2012
Messages
84
I currently have a maglight solitaire that I keep in my pocket and would like to upgrade to something a bit more powerful. I'd like to keep the size about the same if possible... I don't want something significantly larger.
It doesn't need to be super bright, but I'd like to be able to use it to see maybe 20-30 feet or more. I keep an Icon Rogue 2 in my car and nightstand as well as several 3D led maglites around for general purpose.
I was looking at maybe a Fenix e05 or ld01? Would I need the ld01 over the e05? Is there something better for the money?
 
Between the two options you mentioned, I would recommend the LD01 over the E05 as the E05 has more of a flood beam with it's diffused optic. The LD01 uses a reflector, so it will throw it's beam out further than the E05.
 
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4sevens makes double AA versions that give a variety of outputs.

I prefer them over Fenix or Olight because if you ever have a problem they are a US based company and you can easily contact them. I have had issues with the other companies lights and I might as well have been standing on the beach shouting at the sea when tying to contact them for so called "warranty service".
 
I really like my LD01- amazing amount of light for a AAA, good battery life and compact size have kept in my left pocket since the first CREEs came out. How many years is that?
 
Another Fenix fan here.

The LD01 is an awesome little light. I used one for EDC until recently i switched out to the E15.
 
blt-2-drg said:
Another Fenix fan here.

The LD01 is an awesome little light. I used one for EDC until recently i switched out to the E15.
Click to expand...

Would you be able to post a pic comparing the size of these two lights? Do you find the fatter light feels larger in your pocket than the ld01?
 
AAA clicky lights w/ pocket clips:
4sevens/foursevens preon 1 w/ optional clicky switch
or streamlight microstream c4 led if you want something solid, simple/single mode, forward clicky & relatively cheap ($20+-)
 
I prefer the iTP A3 EOS upgrade version to the Fenix LD01, a little brighter and I like the 3 levels a little better. There's also the Olight i3 EOS both are almost exactly the same as the fenix but run around $20 instead of $35.
 
I've had an E05 for a year or so and I really like it. It's not ridiculously bright but it's definitely more than I expected for its size. Weighs next to nothing, cost $20. It stays on my keychain and doesn't take up much room in my pocket, which is nice. I haven't had to recharge the AAA battery in months, but I do use it for short periods of time, less than a minute at a time. Its max output is 27 lumens. The LD01 has a max output of 80 lumens. The E11 does 105 on high and 32 on low.
 
I currently use a Maratac AAA. It's a great little light. It's slightly bigger than a single AAA battery. Their website claims the new model High mode is 115 lumens and low mode is 1.5 lumens. The new models are different than the older one I have. Mine is only 80 lumens on high mode. The older one has 3 brightness settings. The new one has two. Overall I'm pretty happy with the light.
 
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Thanks for the recommendations. Does anyone have a Tank 007 e09? This light looks to get great reviews for $13.

I have $15 credit from amazon so if possible I would prefer to order a light sold by amazon. I have prime so fast shipping too! It won't be a dealbreaker to order elsewhere though.

On a side note... Yesterday, the Streamlight Manor I ordered for my wife came in. It reality puts my maglite solitaire to shame... lol
 
I've been carrying a 4 Sevens Quark Mini 123 for about a year now.
For such a tiny light, it throws out a ridiculous amount of light.
It'll easily fit into the coin pocket of your jeans and has a stupid simple user interface.
Only down side is the 123 batteries are a bit expensive.
But you can buy them by the dozen at many places on the net which brings the price down.
Lenny
 
I decided to give the LD01 a go as t was only $32 on amazon and I could use the $11 amazon promo I had towards it. Sadly amazon seems to have changed around prime shipping so instead of having it Sat or Mon I might not get it until Tues.

I have some rechargeable batteries. If i order some Sanyo Envelopes do I need to order a matching charger or will any one work?
 
I bought the E05 first, and really like it. After awhile I started thinking I'd like the versatility of the LD01's multiple outputs, more focused beam, and the ability to use a 10440 cell for high output. After buying and using it for awhile, I find myself still mostly using the E05.

Here's why: I love having a tiny light in my pocket that does a great job of lighting up any dark room/hallway I go into, is always there for peering into dark corners, and lasts a long time with regulated output. The E05 has an extremely wide spread of light, (close to 180°), with no hotspot. This is perfect for the vast majority of what I need a light for -- to see a wide area. The E05 is significantly shorter than the LD01, which is nice. I wish the light had a low mode for when I only need a little bit of light, though.

Pretty much the only time I use the LD01 is for it's low mode, when I'm checking on my kids at night, or don't want a bright light for reading something up close. The LD01 has a much narrower beam than the E05, with sharply defined edges. I would never have thought of this as a problem, if I hadn't first used the E05 with it's wonderful wide beam and soft edges that just sort of fade off.

The higher mode on the LD01 isn't really enough to make it a very useful outside light, so it only has one more useful mode than the E05, which is it's low mode. In the LD01, the 10440 cell puts out a ridiculous amount of light, which is pretty cool. The downside to this is that the high output heats up the light extremely fast (within seconds), only lasts about 20 minutes or so from reports I've read, and you no longer have a low mode. I don't mess around with the 10440's any more -- just keep a regular AAA in it.

So now I often carry two lights on me, with a high output light in my pack for when needed. If I only had one light, it would probably be the LD01.

2lights.jpg
 
I picked up a pack of duraloops at staples yesterday. Now I just need a good charger. Both units I already have are 'dumb' timed only chargers.
 
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