wind up flashlights

S

Shann

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Sep 2, 2004
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Has anybody reviewed\used a wind up flashlight? I saw one at a department store the other day. A handle comes out and you crank it up. It had either a single LED or triple LED for the light.

I keep a flashlight in my truck, but the ony thing I've done with it for the last couple of years was to put in new batteries as they die. I very rarely actually need to use the flashlight but I always like to have one handy in the truck.

This seemed kind of handy and it was pretty cheap too.
 
Have not tried them, but have seen them at COSTCO.

Might even be cheaper there.
 
I have one as seen on this post, it works OK, truth is I don't use it much, a bit large and heavy for the light output. Might be fine if you want to leave it in your truck for emergencies but you'll have to crank it up on the spot since it will discharge without use.

Seems that it can be recharged about 500 times, I saw somewhere on the web about someone who would turn the crank on it several times a day and the battery died (would not recharge any more) in a few months, if you leave it alone for several months it will discharge but will charge again with about 200 turns.

Luis
 
They're mostly imported crap, and usually powered by a small lithium watch battery, even though they're advertised as being powered by the hand crank.

For the price, you get a handful of the small Photon-type button LED flashlights... or a slightly more expensive 1AA light that you can load with a lithium battery (doesn't leak and has a long shelf-life...it'll be there when you need it, even if you don't use flashlights very often).
 
I have a NEBO brand of crank-up flashlight, and I couldn't be happier with it. With just 15 seconds of cranking, the flashlight will run for a LONG time, and it holds a charge for at-least 3-4 months. It also has 3 leds, and can be used with just the center bulb, or all 3 with just a couple pushes on the button switch. It also has a plug on the side where you can plug something into it to charge something (like a cell phone.).
 
I keep mine as a loaner, just like the loaner knife. you wanna borrow it, you crank it up. and even if the battery dies, the ones I've seen can run straight off of the crank, not ideal for sure, but better than nothing.
 
I have and have used three identical wind-up flashlights, and what Glockman has described sounds like mine. The one in the link supplied by Don Luis also looks like mine, except for the color. The one pictured there is pink with black trim, but mine are silver with black trim. I keep one beside the bed, and I give it maybe 30 seconds to 1 minute of vigorous cranking once in awhile. It always works well whenever I turn it on. These things don't put out much light, but they are adequate to see your way around in a dark house if the power is out. You could probably find your way down a dark trail with one, too, or read inside a tent until the sasquatch quits chunking rocks at you and you can go to sleep. I haven't used mine a lot, but they are still as good as when I took them out of the boxes a few years ago. I think all these lights are made in China if that matters.
 
I made one of these many years ago when my boys were small to show them some electronic principles. Take the motor from an old disk drive and a large capacitor and an led. You can easily hook them up to make a system that will light the led fine. The advantages are no battery needed. The voltage created by cranking the motor is stored in the capacitor. The bigger the cap the more electricity can be stored. Bigger caps are usually leaky so the voltage might not stay for long. Depends on the the size and type of cap. Fun to play with and show the kids.

KR
 
How many times has someone tried the flashlight in the car and the batteries have died? Problem eliminated with the wind up even as a back up or primary.
 
There are now several crank/wind-up LED flashlights sold at WalMart and Target at relatively reasonable prices.

I bought one of these
Black & Decker DFLL1B 3 LED hand-crank flashlight -

BDCrankLitePk.jpg

for a ridiculously low price at WalMart (it was probably mis-priced) -
it seems to work well, has at least a well known (respected?) name.

It uses Li-Ion rechargeable battery for charge storage - which is a good technology - the 3 LEDs are switched > 1 (low) -> all 3 (high) -> off.

DFLL1B_A2r.jpg


Because of the lens focus and 3 LED arrangement, although the beam is well converged, does give an uneven pattern.

Basically it works as a light, and only a few cranks will give some light.

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akabu said:
How many times has someone tried the flashlight in the car and the batteries have died? Problem eliminated with the wind up even as a back up or primary.
Click to expand...

Yup. thats my problem. I leave the light in my truck in my BOB and unless I remember to replace the batteries, I've got nothing when I need it. I was thinking of getting one you can plug into your lighter, but the wind up ones were cheaper and more convenient. Its a just in case kind of light.
 
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