Best flashlight?

[Don Klipstein]

I've been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

Lately, LED ones have improved to the point where some now beat krypton, xenon and halogen ones.

Keep an eye out - every several months, some of these LED lights keep on leapfrogging each other. I am usually fairly happy with Dorcy and Inova ones with high power LEDs. Also look for ones claiming at least 80 lumens, even though I consider the lumen figures to be often from the marketing department.

A KPR3 higher power krypton bulb (usable in a in a 3-D-cell Mag), at "full 4.5 volts" (usually not achieved), produces about 95 lumens - before optics losses. It produces 44 lumens (before optics losses) at "nominal voltage", assuming typical alkaline batteries "of average of condition other than of batteries needing to be replaced", along with typical minor voltage drops in conductors in the flashlight.

One thing about LEDs - their efficiency does not vary directly and disproportionately with power input the way that of incandescents (including halogens, kryptons, xenons) does.

Most 3-cell LED flashlights, including many Dorcy and most cheapie ones, are good at "going into energy conservation mode" as the batteries weaken. They will keep on trucking at reduced but largely usable output for many times as much time as that at which an incandescent one gets as dim as an idling cigarette.

[zek]

All of my 9 led ones failed in some manner. I have bought many flashlights, and most I have to bang on them to get working. The best and most reliable ones I have were bought at Target and are River Rock but not available any more at Target or anywhere ?? I bought many from Deals Extreme and have to bang on them.

[Don Klipstein]

The common cheap 9-LED 3-AAA flashlight, in its earlier days, had a switch that I found to be "cranky". Lately, the switch has been better.

However, I am still a bit concerned about the switch, and the connection between the tailcap and the body feels cheap and cranky to me.

Same for the 3-LED but otherwise-similar light from Dollar Tree. I also once had one those have its body short to one of the AAA cells when using a slightly-beaten AAA cell, due to the battery carriage not fitting well with AAA cells - regardless of their condition.

Dollar Tree has a somewhat larger plastic-body 3-LED 3-AAA flashlight, with a pushbutton switch on the side of its body. That one appears to me well-made, especially for its price - except the switch feels "cheap" to me, and I wonder if that switch can get cranky. Its output is weak as far as most flashlights go, but plenty for getting around in the dark.

I also like those MAG LED flashlights, especially the 3-AA one. The

2-AA one appears weak in output to me. They appear to me reliable, but expensive for their capabilities.

What I also like are Dorcy 3-cell LED flashlights that have high power LEDs. They appear to me well-built, though the 3-D-cell one I had appears to me to lack means to limit the LED current. I found it to work well anyway.

(The MAG and Dorcy ones that I have experience with are 1-2 year old models using LEDs of specific types now discontinued.)

One that I am very happy with - the 109-LED one from Harbor Freight. It feels well made to me. Its switch is "low-high-off", using only 25 of its 109 LEDs for low. Performance appears to me fairly good for its price. I am expecting excellent battery life, especially on "low", since it uses 4 AA cells - which generally don't cost more than AAA ones but have about twice as much juice. However, this one is larger than pocket size, especially with its head being over 3 inches in diameter.

Harbor Freight also has a 32-LED 3-AAA one. That one appears to me to be well-made, though its performance appears to me a bit weak for its price.

[HeyBub]

Hmm. I've mentioned before that HF flashlights come in representative political colors: Red for Republicans, Blue for Democrats, and Black.

Now you tell me the blue ones don't have their heads strapped down correctly.