Looking for a good zoomable flashlight and other general questions

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

Hello all I'm new to LED flashlights (well technically that's not true I have a shake rechargeable LED flashlight but I never want to use it because it's a pain in the butt) and I was interested in getting a zoomable flashlight because I think they're very cool!

Here are some things I definitely want: different modes, AA or AAA usable, good build quality, and preferably 150+ lumens, at least 120. I've looked at just about every single one and I can't decide which is better. Here are a few I've narrowed down. If you have others to recommend I'd love to hear them.

The one I've got my eyes set on is the TANK007 TK-737 Cree XR-E Q5 http://www.dinodirect.com/ltank007-ed-flashlight-cree-xre-q5-5mode-zoom-210lumens.html?ddse=Tank007%20TK%20737&utm_source=Tank007%20TK%20737

after seeing this video I was pretty impressed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpgFc6vvjVM

I know the guy was only standing about 10 feet away but the flood beam still looked awesome! It looks like a good flashlight, even though it's twist zoom instead of push/pull which I think I would like more but maybe that makes it more waterproof?

Some others MTE M-2 Cree Q5 http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=10718

SIPIK SK68 Cree Q3-WC http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.39585

MXDL SA-28 CREE Q2 http://kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=9567

PowerStyle W109 http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/powerstyle-w109-floodtothrow-3mode-180lumen-memory-cree-led-flashlight-p-4355

And then finally this one from LED Shoppe: Saik SA-18 http://www.ledshoppe.com/Product/ledp/LP1098.htm

I have not seen this one anywhere else. Does anyone have any experience with this? If not could anyone do a review on it? I know Saik is made from the same company as Romisen which is lauded for its excellent build quality. The description says SA-30 but I guess that's just a typo and everything is the same as SA-30 except for zoom but I'm wondering if it could be a good quality bright flashlight?

Also I have some various questions to ask.

1. I've read lots about the various battery types people use with these flashlights: alkaline, NIMH, and Li-ion, but what about rechargeable alkalines? Can we use these in flashlights? Are they the same as primary alkalines in every other way?

2. Why are forward clicky flashlights so rare? Most people seem to prefer them to reverse clickies and people always complain about it but the companies don't seem to care. If it only cost an extra dollar or two to have it with a forward clicky I think people would pay for that.

3. Why isn't it possible to have both a forward and reverse clicky in a flashlight? Like when the flashlight is off, a half-press turns it on and when the flashlight is on a half-press turns it off or changes mode. Is this totally impossible?

4. What do you think of this universal charger? http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14885

It's gotten good reviews and seems to charge very slowly which I hear is a good thing. It would be nice to only need one charger to do it all.

That's all I can think of right now. I apologize if this post was too long. I just wanted to get all my questions out there. This is a great forum and I hope to read more reviews here!

2

Welcome to BLF, sobe. Also, Happy New Year to everyone! Out of all the flashlights you mentioned, I only own a Tank007 TK-737. I really like it, but most people on BLF think that the MXDL SA-28 is a better deal. If you decide to get the Tank007, I wouldn't buy it from DinoDirect; I don't like DD's shady business practices. I would order either a silver one here: http://www.wsdeal.com/LF470S/Super_Bright_Flashlight_Torch_Silver.ws or a black one here: http://www.wsdeal.com/LF470B/Super_Bright_Flashlight_Torch_Black.ws. By the way, the black and silver photos on wsdeal are mixed up; the text descriptions of color are accurate. Some people say that wsdeal is only for wholesale, but wsdeal honored my small orders (my first order was of one flashlight and my second order was of two flashlights). You do have to pay shipping with wsdeal, but even after shipping it's cheaper than DinoDirect.

Also, if you choose a flashlight that takes 3xAAA or 1x18650, then later on you could get some 18650s for a much longer runtime. Hope that helps. Good luck with your quest for a great flood-to-throw flashlight.

3

Both SK-68 and SA-28 are excellent lights which I can recommend. Have them both.

Different batteries though! The first one needs a 14500 to really perform and the

SA-28 are brightest on a 18650. Also takes 3xAAA.

Regarding your questions start here: http://flashlight-wiki.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

4

Hi there sobe, a warm welcome to BLF! Enjoy your time here!

Great first post, and great questions. Don't worry one bit about the length of your posts! I'm not an expert, but I'll try to give you my uneducated opinion.

First of all, about the battery type. You mention that you prefer AA or AAA batteries, which I also prefer, since they are ubiquitously available anywhere you go if your battery runs out. But I noticed most of the lights you chose are 3xAAA models. Keep in mind that a AAA battery is so small that it contains very little energy. So using 3 AAA batteries takes up quite a bit of diametrical space and ends up supplying not much more energy than a single good AA battery. I personally avoid 3xAAA lights for this reason. On the other hand, the 3xAAA lights you mentioned also support an 18650 battery, which many of our members here prefer. But the disadvantage of an 18650 is that it is a much less common LiON battery, so less flexible.

I do like Tank007 quality and many of their designs. But the Tank007 TK-737 you linked at DinoDirect is extremely overpriced, don't even think about paying that price. You might check these options:

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=9781

http://www.goldengadgets.com/led-lights/led-flashlights/tank007-led-flashlights/tank007-tk-737-twist-focus-120-lumen-led-flashlight-with-cree-q3-wc-bulb.html

http://www.shenzhen-wholesale.com/tank007-tk737-5-mode-regulable-foci-q5-led-flashlight_sku1284.html

Notice that the first two there are only 3-mode lights, but the last one is a 5-mode. I'm not sure how much shipping would be from shenzhen-wholesale.com. Our user raccoon city mentioned Wsdeal.com. Did you know that Focalprice.com is the consumer-orientated arm of Wsdeal.com? You can find the same light here:

http://www.focalprice.com/LF470S/Super_Bright_Flashlight_Torch_Silver.html

http://www.focalprice.com/LF470B/Super_Bright_Flashlight_Torch_Black.html

But notice that this light at Wsdeal / Focalprice is only a single mode light, so probably not what you want.

Don't forget that the Sipik SK68 only has a single mode.

Have you thought about either of these multimode zoomable 1xAA lights at DX?

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.44714

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.50121

The last one is new, but it looks promising.

As for your other questions:

#1: I also wondered about alkaline rechargeables. But there are a lot of disadvantages. They are finicky with their recharge cycles, and don't recharge well if you run them totally dead. They also don't support a very high number of recharge cycles compared to a good NiMH. And they have high internal resistance, which means they can't supply peak current for very long. On the other hand, a good LSD (Low Self Discharge) NiMH battery (Sanyo Eneloop seems to be the runaway favorite here among all of us) can supply peak current during almost the entire runtime, and can be recharged around 1000 times, and it holds most of its charge even after 1 year in storage. Although a NiMH can only supply 1.2V compared to the 1.5 of an alkaline, I have noticed that some lights will give overall brighter output with a NiMH than with an alkaline. Sanyo Eneloops are an expensive investment (somewhere around $14 for 4xAA), but they last a long time and they are seriously good.

#4: I don't know if you want to charge the more exotic battery types, or if you mainly want to charge AAA and AA LiON/NiCad batteries? I think you'll probably want to charge more than 1 battery at a time. I found a nice cheap 4xAA / 2xAAA charger on eBay. This is just one of many here. Just search for "smart charger" or "intelligent charger" on eBay and look for the ones that look like the one I reviewed. It's cheap but surprisingly effective. And a major advantage of this charger is that is has 4 channels, which means you can charge 1 single battery or 3 batteries or 4 batteries, and they will all be metered separately and shut off individually when their cycle is over. This appears to be the only charger in this price range that has that feature.

That's all for now. Welcome once again!

5

WSDeal/Focalprice used to send out 5-mode TK-737s. Apparently, now they are sending out 1-mode models. I withdraw my recommendation for WSDeal. I suggest getting a 5-mode elsewhere if possible.

6

In continuation of my earlier post I think that (thanks to sixty545) that the

Sipik (or similar) are on sale again here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250599954715&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_7336wt_1122

Obs! This is a Q5.

7

The Sipik Sk68 I can wholeheartedly recommend - it is a VERY good light, and one I've had for a few months. I don't, unfortunately have experience with the other lights you've mentioned, though Tank007 is a pretty good brand - just don't get it at DinoDirect. Extremely shady business practices.

As for batteries, alkalines are not a good choice for high-drain devices such as flashlights. Because of the high internal resistance, their output tends to sag under heavy loads and you don't get near the watt-hours (available energy) that you should out of the battery. They also have a much greater possibility of leaking and ruining your lights. Rechargeable alkalines are equally as problematic as single-use (primary) alkalines - they really shouldn't be used in flashlights.

As for other battery types, NiMH is the most common - either Sanyo Eneloop 2000 Mah Low-Self Discharge batteries (LSD) or Duracell rechargeables with the white tops (they're re-branded Eneloops). For emergency lights, you can use Lithium primary (single-use) batteries as they have shelf-lives of about 10 years. I would avoid rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for now as they can be extremely tricky to deal with, require special chargers and can be dangerous if handled improperly. A lot of LED lights these days (and most of the ones you've linked) support both regular alkaline/NiMH/lithium primary batteries and rechargeable lithium ion batteries, so if it's a route you decide you want to take in the future, you definitely can.

8

Thanks for the welcome and the replies. I think I've narrowed it down to either the Tank007 or the SA-28 but I have some more questions.

The Tank007 at dinodirect is rated at 210 lumens. The one at goldengadget is 120 lumens. The one at shenzhen is 200 lumens. The one at KD doesn't say. Which is which?? If there is a 120 lumen version I don't want that because I'd rather get the SA-28 which is brighter. Shenzhen doesn't say how much shipping is which is annoying so it might be a lot.

The SA-28 also looks good but a review at KD seems troubling. It said:

No current stabilization. This means that AAA is fine because it's internal resistance limits the current sufficiently however freshly charged 18650 gives almost 1.4A which is way more that max spec for Q5 (1A). So you better swap the driver if you plan to use 18650.

Is this true and if so what does it mean?

I was planning on getting that universal charger I posted because it was recommended in the flashlight wiki and if I buy either of these flashlights they both support 18650 which works out well. I can just buy 2 18650 batteries and since both lights only use one 18650 I only need to charge one while I'm using the other one but if the SA-28 has problems using 18650 then I would have to use AAA NiMH and would probably have to buy a different charger since charging only one at a time could take awhile.

I read a quick review from Nautic about the SA-28 http://budgetlightforum.cz.cc/node/219 where he said he changed the metal O-rings it came with to rubber ones. What size O-rings did you use?

Just out of curiosity does anyone know an expensive brand zoomable flashlight that has all the features I'm looking for?

And can someone review that Saik SA-18 please! :)

9

The Tank007 will be the exact same flashlight from all three locations (or wherever else it's sold) as long as it's the same model. They're all sourced from the exact same supplier.

10

DO NOT buy from FOCALPRICE they RIPPED ME OFF thay did not send all i payed for and i cannot recomend the SIPIK SK68 i orderd 5 only 3 were sent 2 have failed the switches fillapart i am not the only one to be ripped off by them

11

It looks like I would have to order the flashlight from http://shenzhen-wholesale.com/ to get their shipping price, which is silly. I used a search engine website (http://www.ngshopping.com/) to find a 5-mode tk-737 for $26.02 from http://www.mostbuying.com. That's a little bit cheaper than DinoDirect, but I've never heard of mostbuying. Here's the URL of that flashlight: http://www.mostbuying.com/cheap-discount-TANK007-TK-737-Cree-XR-E-Q5-5-Mode-210Lumens-Precise-Adjustable-Focus-LED-Flashlight-(1-x-18650--3-x-AAA)--Flashlights-by-Brand-dz02303-online-shopping_g17402.html?pro=SAS

12

I would rather take two of these for the same price.

http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/powerstyle-w109-floodtothrow-3mode-180lumen-memory-cree-led-flashlight-p-4355

If it must be a twist action zoom light, then this. It goes from flood to zoom with only a half turn on the grey ring. The only thing it needs, is to put a metal spacer underneath the LED star. In original condition, it goes overfocus in zoom and the moon is to small on flood position, because the LED sits to deep into the pill.

13

raccoon city, goldengadgets.com has the TK737 for $17.99 w/ free shipping and they have a 15% off coupon code so the total price is $15.29. It looks like a good deal. I'll probably buy this one. I just hope the rating of 120 lumens is a typo and it's actually 210 or 200 lumens like the two other sites say.

Oldienea thanks for the suggestion. This is my first real battery powered LED light and I don't know anything about modding so it would probably be confusing. I don't want to have to mod my first flashlight just to make it operate normally. After seeing that youtube video again I posted of the TK737 it seems to take about 7 turns to fully zoom in or out. That's kind of irritating. I wished it was less than 1 turn but it's not a dealbreaker.

The SA-28 looks very nice too. But it seems I would have to change the metal O-rings to rubber ones to make it better. Again I would like my first light to work perfectly out of the box. I hope the TK737 is it. If anyone knows anything wrong with this light please tell me. The Sipik SK-68 looks good too even though it's only 1 mode but it's less than $10. Ahh I can't decide! I don't want to start a whole collection of flashlights. At least not this fast!

Also I will need to buy some 18650 batteries can anyone tell me a good cheap one to buy?

14

The sipik's 68 are very decent for the money. I bought around 10+ from dx. Now are even under 10USD!

This one was also very well made:

http://www.lightake.com/detail.do/sku.Romisen_RC_C8_LED_Flashlight_Black_-29416

15

The only problem with the TK737 that I am aware of is that getting a 5-mode version is much more expensive than it used to be. By the way, to go from flood to throw, you have to twist the flashlight about 432 degrees. With my large hands, I can do that with 3 turns. My smaller zooming flashlight, the Romisen RC-29 has to be twisted about 1035 degrees, which takes me about 8 twists. And the Tank007 twists more smoothly than the RC-29.

Some of the best 18650s that I know of are these TrustFire on DealExtreme: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20392

Also good are these HI-MAX 18650s sold on eBay by pingyi.co.ltd: http://shop.ebay.com/pingyi.co.ltd/m.html?_nkw=18650&_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A1%257C39%253A6%257C72%253A4030&rt=nc&_sticky=1&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_sop=15&_sc=1

16

Regarding o-ring in SA-28. It comes with a metal one. No good. Removed it and put in

a new. Just took a suitable one from my toolbox. Lubed it first.

Use 18650 batteries in this light. 3 modes

The Sipik is smaller and just as bright as the SA-28. For 10$ it cant go wrong! 1 mode.

If the light is for EDC, buy the Sipik

If you want to pay a little more buy a Romisen C6. Very bright. Uses RCR123A´s

17

Today DX added this. Romisen quality! 3 modes! AA/14500 support

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.50679~r.43033281


Probably acepts 17mm driver

18

It's 16mm unless they have changed it.

DX claim it can take 14500 batteries but none of the other suppliers do.

19

The body of the flashlight clearly says "AA/14500 flashlight"

20

They have obviously changed the driver, mine didn't support 14500 until I changed the circuit.

It now puts 1400mA into an R5.