One of my favorite little lights. I have the black version with a nichia emitter and magnetic tail cap. Nice review.
i liked mine a lot but i let an alkaleak leak into it and it made the switch somewhat unreliable
plus i lost one too
neither is the fault of the light, but i decided not to buy another one because
a. i hate alkalines
b. i don;t like that it starts on M instead of L
c. i wish it would tail stand
d. price went up
wle
Point A is simple to address: don’t use alkaleaks.
Otherwise, the Tool AA v2 ramps up, has mode memory and tailstands. And you should be able to get it pretty darn cheap at Lumintop’s AE store; got mine from there and it was worth every nickel.
i think the tool AA still does M-L-H — right?
there also seems to be a 2nd version with a turbo mode
what is its mode order?
i also thought the AA did NOT have mode memory - which is good, i hate that too
does it?
how come there are 2 versions?
[at least on aliexpress]
wle
I have the Lumintop Tool AA V.1. It’s mode sequence is L/M/H. Purchased from Amazon. Version 2 is currently the only one sold on Amazon. Many 1 star reviews about the light there. Seems poor QC at the moment.
That’d be the Tool AA v1 you’re thinking of. No idea what is its mode ramp, I refused to buy the v1 when I saw how much the Low and Medium modes overlap.
The updated v2 features L-M-H-T distribution and mode memory. But since you don’t like the latter, I can’t help you.
the trouble with mode memory is, I don;t have mode memory
i would rather it just come on the same way every time
wle
I got mine off Lumintop’s Ali store, and it’s perfectly fine.
Lots of unethical sellers on Amazon. Buyer beware.
My Lumintop Tool AA v1 has no strobe or S.O.S mode. Always turns on in low mode. That means no mode memory. Just wanted to state the differences between v1 and v2.
Low freq PWM for Low and Medium on both correct?
Yes low frequency PWM on both low & medium modes on the v1 as far as I can tell.
I really like Lumintop flashlights. The tool aaa always comes on in medium mode and that is just too bright to use in the middle of the night if you have a wife or significant other. So I just save the tool aaa’s for emergencies. I have a Lumintop EDC 05 that I use in the middle of the night. I have the one with a natural tint. At 2 lumens on the lowest setting I usually do not bother my wife. I just have not gotten around to see how the Lumintop Tool AA does on evening walks but I will soon.
I received the Tool AA v2.0 from Lumintop for review but I wanted to use it before I wrote my review. However, just to address the ongoing comments here:
1. The AA v2.0 goes L-M-H-T. It even has the strobe function but that’s hidden. You’d require 6 soft clicks of the tailcap clicky to get to Strobe mode.
2. I find the Low mode a little too bright but for things like dog walking, it’s perfect. Wish it had a moonlight mode somehow.
3. It has mode memory and I dislike that function. It’s not just Lumintop. I dislike that function across all my lights.
Checks out with my experience with the TAA 2.0. Always ascending mode distribution, mode memory, hidden strobe (that I still manage to activate regularly :confounded: ), and the Tool AAA’s brighter-than-moonlight lowest mode.
Hey Jack,
Thanks for pointing out my mistake. This light DOES NOT have mode memory. I just clicked through the modes too quickly previously.
The bright low mode still gets to me but I honestly think this light is made to be Xmas gifts for our non flashaholic friends. They will probably use it as a single mode light and the low mode is pretty darn good for most situations. Also, the diffuser and the magnetic tailcap option is lovely for a car light.
I appreciate the review after 3 years.
I would like to see more such reviews after longterm use.
That’s a strong recommendation, better than the “new flashlight of the week” marketing we are seeing a lot.
Thanks for your kind words, Hank! I also think reviews after long term use carry more weight than first impression reviews. It’s the lights that last that we should all consider getting.
Has anyone reviewed this light since they switched to the checkerboard lens? I was going to buy this light (as I have the Lumintop Tool AA) and changed my mind after I saw this change. I would think the light output is going to be completely different after this change and I’m not entirely sure I would like it. Would love to a comparison with this new one and the old one.
Copper Tool w reflector on left, New TiR Tool on right.
(leds are modified, ignore the tints)
imo the TiR Tool has a very nice floody, smooth beam, no hotspot, good for a hatlamp to see things in my hands with a larger field of close range illumination, than the reflector Tool, that has a hotspot plus spill.
If you have not tried any TiR beams, and if you use your light at close range, imo the TiR Tool is worth a try, if you are open to a floody beam with no defined hotspot and spill.
for close range (within arms reach), and when using a light on my hat indoors, I like floody beams because they dont need to be moved around as much as a hotspot beam, that tends to be too bright in the middle, and too dim on the sides.
more Tool TiR, and Tool Reflector beam photos, in this post