Thanks much for doing this!
A few random thoughts on some of these lights:
Defiant 3C, OK light only if you get a deal on it, I think I got mine for $7 a few years back when they where clearing them out after black Friday and I don’t think it’s worth anymore than that. I run it on a 18650 in an adapter I 3D printed. Not all that impressed with this light, not water resistant at all, cheap construction and I would much prefer a side switch. I hate having to cycle through the blinky mode to shut it off.
C and D cell Huskys – a step up in build quality from defiant, but way too heavy and the tail switches very awkward to use. Some of the Huskys cost almost as much as some of the Mags but Mags are much nicer than Husky.
Coast lights – look good but poorly made, poorly designed and high priced for what you get. Battery carriers don’t look like they are built to last and for zoomys, they don’t throw all that far.
The yellow $5 2/4 D cell Eveready flex lantern – works on fresh batteries, but when the Voltage drops a bit it gets super dim – this is another direct drive 2 cell light from Eveready. The old Eveready 50 lumen 6V LED lantern that HD used to sell was better.
The cheap 1D Evereadys are OK for the price but they are not water resistant and are not built to last, their claim to fame is that they will run on batteries too dead to work in anything else (they will also run on C cells).
Rayovac 6 AA spot light – OK for what it is, but feels clumsy and top heavy (it has a big internal heat sink). The trigger reminds me of a squirt gun. Doesn’t seem to throw any further than the Mag ML300 and costs the same – I would definitely go with the ML300.
Rayovac 300 lumen 2AA Indestructible – great light for $15. Only wish the it had a lower low mode like on the old 100 lumen version of this light.
Maglites – I think you missed the 100 lumen 2 AAA Mini Mag (it was on the bottom of the end cap shown @ 1:50 in the vid). I have the older 98 lumen version and I prefer this to the 2 AA Mini Mag LED Pro which has a spill that is too small and too bright for a single mode light – the 2 AAA has a bigger spill that is not too bright.
The 3C ML25 twisty might be the best buy of all the lights at HD – great light with a nice throwy hot spot for distance and a huge spill for up close. I run mine on a 18650 in a 3D printed adapter or AA Eneloops in an adapter sleeve.
The LED Solitaire is also a great value at $10.
The ones I would recommend: the Rayovac 2 AA Indestructible and any of the Mags, except for the 3 AAA XL50 and maybe the 2 AA Pro (the 2 mode Pro Plus is better but HD doesn’t sell the Plus).