I use the efest 10440, in…hmm. It’s that small Xtar charger. I forget the model.
And I run the Tool on high no more than about 80 seconds. Probably could go 10-15 seconds longer safely but I don’t like to risk it. And in any case on medium it seems fine for much longer. It gets warm but not hot. I don’t typically use a small light for all that long. But even after 5 minutes it was fine.
Re- Li-Ion in AAA Lights.
Just my Penny’s worth.
I seem to recall reading somewhere on this site that sometimes 10440 usage can make the Driver unusable to AAA’s after prolonged usage. So it’s a one-way trip if you do.
I had something similar happen in one of my first lights, a AA Hugsby, worked fine on AA, then on Li-Ion 4.2V, but then not on AA batteries afterwards.
Could be why Lumintop tool not recommended for 10440 use?
Thanks for all the info.
Cheers,
S-L 
It can knacker the boost drive that ups the voltage of a 1.2 volt battery, so after that it needs higher voltage 10440 or it just won’t work
Many Thanks for the proper Technical Jargon, and Good explanation!
That makes sense to me.
Cheers,
S-L
that kind of makes sense when looking at the lumens… 10440 medium and Alkaline High are close to the same lumens
I respect that people use their lights in different ways and settings.
For my personal needs I dont want to use 10440 in a Tool, because I would lose the normal low and medium modes, which are what I use the most.
If someone wants to run a Tool on 10440 and still have the option for a low and medium below 40 lumens, look at the ToolVn
note that a 10440 will only run for a total of about 10 minutes on high, but it will definitely be bright!
this is not what Ive been reading from others who actually do it.
but anyway, if someone is invested in a charger, meter, and the skills to operate 10440, its their choice, they are intentionally not choosing to use Primary batteries… so for them, going “back” is not a priority. In fact the ToolVn is LiIon ONLY.
the question for me is, do I need hundreds of lumens for a few seconds at a time? no, personally I dont… If I did need hundreds of lumes, I would use a battery that would last longer, in a light that did not get too hot to hold… YMMV
fwiw Here are some of my favorite AAA legos, my edc, a backup, and a backup to the backup… I also have a backup to the back… welll…… you get the idea :_
fwiw, here are the best prices I know of today, and this might be a one day sale, for a Tool w Nichia
$21 for a Copper Tool w Nichia (MLH modes)
code CopperNY
$25 for a TiTool w Nichia (MLH modes)
code TTINY
for more info about the pros and cons of Copper vs Titanium Tools
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/39928
and regarding 10440 in a TiTool
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/43128
^ thanks for the codes for the 2 Lumintops.
Just placed an order for the TiTool.
My 1st flashlight order for 2017, and maybe many more to come 
Danm, I can’t pass up $21 for the Nichia Cu version. My XP-G2 one is working great w/10440 and I have an empty pocket on a new hoody.
Lumintop Tool is great flashlight, for something cheaper with memory i like jetbeam Jet-μ.
Me also, ordered just in time, price is back up to $59!
Same here, I also tried to resist the Titanium version at $25…but failed!
I have both a tool and a hugsby Xp-1 I like the modes of the tool and the quality is second to none. I like the Beam on the XP-1 more and its not any slouch in the quality dept. Plus I was able to order 5 for just a hair over $23
I vote for the UltraTac K18, It`s the best AAA light i have ever bought.
John.
I have the maratak in brass. Carry it daily on my keychain. Very solid little twisty. And after I put Teflon tape on the threads it no longer turns itself on in my pocket. If it were a clicky, I’d of had to loosen the tailcap to achieve this, and would still likely need the tape to keep the loosened tailcap from falling off.
I love my lumentop tools. (copper and aluminum) but I ordered that GREEN Ultratac K18.
Looks like a nice 10440 finger burner!
for some people, so is the Tool
Well, I just received my Nichia Cu Tool, very nice presentation, box, vacuum wrapping, antioxidant insert.
Works fine with efest 10440, all three modes, tho low isn’t really “low”
The tint is really orange-y, butt makes most colors “pop”
I prefer the neutral 5k tint in the BLF348, side-by-side on white wall (low vs norm), the diff is very apparent
Comparing apples/apples, I actually think I prefer my XP-G2 to the Nichia. There is less color bias introduced in the one.
Iffn they can get it like the BLF348 tint, I’d buy another one.
yes, when I compare 4500k, and 6000k, the highest number looks “whiter” when my eyes are adapted to daytime light, and the lower number looks slightly “orange”. It is a tradeoff I am willing to make, for the sake of more red rendering from the Nichia.
When I wake up in the middle of the night, 6000k is very blueish and glaring, and I prefer the 4500k Nichia at night.
I mostly use low and medium, brightness is not my priority. If I was prioritizing brightest, instead of highest CRI, I would go with Cool white. It is a direct trade off… If I use a light during the day, cool white looks more “natural”. otoh, at night 4500k looks more natural.
I understand you would like 5000k instead of 4500… and I can understand why. I have a couple 4500k lights, a couple 5000k also. I actually use my lights in very dark places, so for me even 4000k is quite nice. 5000k is a bit on the Cool side, for the ambient light adaptation my environment has. I use 3000k incandescent at home. a 4000k light to me looks noticeably cooler…
its all relative to how we use our lights, depending on what the background light levels are that our brains are adapted to at the time, what distance we are trying to put light on, etc.
Warmer tints definitely look better in dimmer situations. 5500K is about the color temp of sunlight, but it looks too cool to me in a LED. I prefer something closer to 4000K.
Not coincidentally, our eyes are most sensitive the green wavelengths which peak in the 5500K color tint. So cool white (around 5500K) does look brighter, given the same amount of energy in the light. I think that’s why high intensity light looks good in cool white tints; it looks more like sunlight.
The warmer tints are better at cutting through humid air. Redder wavelengths scatter less light than blue wavelengths. So a warm tint thrower may not look as bright, but it might be better at reaching the target.
yeah have to agree
I love my Ti. Lumintop Tool, McGizmo Sapphire, and my Sure Fire Titan Plus.
