L3 L10 14500 question

I have heard that the L10 can handle a 14500 but is not advisable. I am wondering if not advisable in this case is akin to the Olight i3s. Do the 4 modes still work? Does it just heat up fairly quickly on high like the i3s?

I guess what I am looking for is a 14500 light with a similar form factor as the i3s. Super small considering the size of the battery yet still is able to really shine at least for a few minutes. BTW- I am really impressed with the i3s in terms of size and output when using a Li-ion.

Cheers,
Ryan

I have a couple of the original L10 models, and they work fine with a 14500. Any caveats about running them like that would be the same as an I3S or any small light with a lithium-ion cell, as you said. And of course with those models, you can always run them on a lower mode. Have you checked out the Ti3? I personally think it’s better than the I3S, and I own both. The Ti3 is one of those few lights I keep a 10440 in. My L10s live in emergency kits, so they only see Eneloops. I’ve taken them camping and found that they work better with Eneloops for me personally. Most of the time at the camp site, I’m using the moonlight or low modes so as not to blind my neighbors. But the L10 certainly does fine on all modes with a 14500.

Yes, about same. All modes still working and heat up very quick on high.

Jumping in here as well. Also in the market for a super small AA/14500 pocket light. Currently own the Ultrafire UF-H2b and Solarforce SC01. Both run both battery chemistries. The UF-H2b is almost perfect minus the battery drain.

My list also includes the L3 L10 219 Nichia and the L3 L10C 219 Nichia. The clip on the C looks great, just the length of that light is turning me off. If the L3 L10 219 came with a screw on deep pocket clip the search would be over.

Then there’s the Thrunite T10 and T10S, but unsure if that light can take a 14500.

The Eagletac D25A clicky in neutral white is up there. Again, not sure of the 14500 cells.

Top of the list is the Eagletac D25A Ti 219 and the Zebralight sc52W. Both these lights check all the boxes, but more than I am typically willing to spend on small single cell flashlight.

Any other lights to consider?

Thrunite T10T NW (it’s titanium)
EagleTac D25A Mini
Fenix E12
Spark SF5
Original Thrunite T10 (which was a twisty)
Olight S15 Ti

My D25A Clicky Ti only works on 14500s since I put a 14500 in it. It no longer works with a regular AA. The D25A Mini I ended up giving to my sister worked fine with both. I’ve read that it’s not uncommon with EagleTacs so just FYI.

Some random pics of some of mine…

Thanks for those pics Racer. Very helpful.

Can I ask about the Thrunite T10 2014 - have you run it on 14500? Any changes to modes or issues? That light is $40 shipped which seems like a solid buy. Any other lights better at that spend?

Sorry for directing all these questions. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I have the T10S and the T10T and they both work fine with a 14500. As with most 3 mode lights running a 14500, the medium is a little higher than I’d like, and that’s about it. Other than that, the moonlight is a tiny bit brighter and on high it’s a beast like you’d expect. The Ti version is about half the weight as the SS version. I did a review for the T10S. I think the T10/S/T are fine lights and money well spent. Especially if you like the low profile reverse clicky that it has. Because you can also get the D25A Mini for about 40 bucks with 2 day prime. But personally I find the Spark SF5 and SF3 as my favorite lights. I run an 14500 in the SF5 and with the 4 modes (moonlight, low, med, high) + double click for turbo, that’s 5 modes, which gives me a better spread than moonlight/low/high of the T10s. And the SF3 is super compact with everything the same except it takes a 16340. But either way, you wouldn’t go wrong with the T10 series. I carry the T10T exclusively on road trips and everyone is jealous of it :wink:

Great stuff Racer, many thanks. Will need to decide T10S or D25A Mini for $40.

Adding the SF5 to the list. So many great options. :slight_smile:

Thanks a lot Racer and Calmaja! Definitely getting a L10 Nichia 219.

Those Sparks look and sound pretty nice…

Cheers,
Ryan

Glad to be of service. And I may be willing to part with my T10S for $30 shipped to the USA if anyone is interested, since I am trying to pare down my collection.

Olight S15Ti using NW tint and is good option for flexibility. If you’re going to use 2xAA, sales usually incl. extender.
Here is selfbuilt’s review! Olight S15.

The S15 Ti is a very nice light. But it’s on the heavy side for titanium—my other AA Ti lights are much lighter. It also has a tendency to come on in my pocket, which is why I stopped carrying it. It was even coming on in my pocket with the lockout set. It’s a fantastic light, but probably not the best for EDC. It’s nice that it does come with the 2x titanium extender. And it adapts to different battery configurations better than any light I have.

The T10s is a great looking light but doesn’t quite fit the small form factor that I am looking for in a EDC. I have been very impressed with the i3s since it is barely larger than the 10440 battery. The twisty L10 seems like it is the analogous version of the i3s for a 14500 light.

For some reason, I am having a tough time liking the blue side boot of the Olight baton and it is a bit larger than I am wanting (I have a Sunwayman s10a which isn’t that much smaller than a 18650 Convoy s6). Is the side boot of the baton replaceable? Like with a GITD or black boot?

I am really thinking of saving up and getting the ZL sc52w. A bit more expensive than I would like (BLF for a reason). It just seems like a near perfect light.

Cheers!,
Ryan

The Spark SF5 NW is a nice alternative to the SC52W. Better tint / driver / interface, no quality control issues, greenish tint, supply issues or other tomfoolery surrounding this model. It’s a tad bigger though. The SF5 and the T10T are my two favorite AA lights, with the SF5 having the best tint in my collection, in my opinion. I carried the L10-219 for a while but all the twists get tiresome. Oh, and I forgot to mention, the L10 and D25A Mini are almost the exact same dimensions minus the clip. And of course EagleTac has superior clips.

Are there any stateside vendors of the Spark? The clip of the D25A Mini looks like a winning design vs the not so ideal L10 added clip.

Not that I know of, unfortunately. There’s gotta be someone on this continent selling them, but I don’t know who. I got mine from HKEquipment in 6 days with the group buy, which beats a lot of the USA shippers on Amazon and Rakuten. I don’t know if they are still getting them out that fast, but it’s something to think about. I’m still infatuated with the SF3 as well; smaller and just as powerful. These are just fantastic lights.