My math says for a 1Ahr alkaline AAA (standard AAA battery) you will deplete it completely in about 4.5 months with a 30uA current draw. I would agree an eswitch is not a good choice for a small cell rarely used flashlight.
That’s what I feared. I really like the Nichia in these things. Can it be converted to a standard clicky?
The M-L-H isn’t bad, actually. I have that on my Fenix L0D. I wanted to get this light, but… the parasitic drain from the eswitch killed it for me.
The easy answer is to just unscrew the two parts of the light 1/4 turn. Verify the light does not turn on via the eswitch. Now you have disconnected the battery, and it will last much longer. If it is an alkaline cell, be sure to check it 2x a year anyway, as they leak and ruin lights periodically. Alkaline batteries are also know as alkaleaks.
Storing the light with the lockout mode described above is fine, but the capacitor will have to charge when you screw the tail cap back on in order for all modes to be available… usually only a couple of minutes time does this cap charge. This is what allows the e-switch to work in the tail. 
I bought three of them - two for gifts. I could do that for mine, but I can't suggest that for the others, especially since it takes several minutes for the internal battery/capacitor to charge again. I may just have to sell them and get something else.
I gifted one to my son-in-law and he’s brought it to me twice saying he broke it. He DID leave it in his pants through the washer/dryer, but a new cell and a couple of minutes had it working good as new. He just keeps forgetting that it has to charge up first. So yeah, “muggles” might have issue with it.
I seldom use mine. Probably ought to check the cells…
A Thorfire TK05 is a nice little light that takes both AA/Ni-Cad/NiMH and Li-ion. Might be worth a look… that or the Utorch UT-01, also a neat little light that is compatible with multi chemistry. I’ve found the Thorfire TK05 to be more reliable though…
"A Thorfire TK05 is a nice little light"
The beautiful look of the outside and Nichia light is why I wanted these though. I can't find an alternative.
Right, I have the copper and titanium versions and like them both quite a lot.
Make sure you convert that from microamps as 0.03mA, not 0.3mA. That’s a mistake I find myself making from time-to-time.
Using 750mAh for an Eneloop, I calculate 2.8 years.
I’m curious if anyone has seen any runtime testing of the Tool recently. When Maukka tested it a few years ago, it seemed like there was room for improvement, especially in the e-switch version:
Yep, I goofed. data entry error, not on the 30uA but on the capacity, I left off a zero. 1388 days, not 139 days. 1388 days is 3.8 years with a 1000mAhr alkaline cell. iamlucky, I agree with your 2.8 year number for a 750mAhr eneloop
Apologies to the OP, I saw you posted your lights for sale, maybe reconsider.
Um, 1388 days is 3.8 years… just sayin
Yes, my calculation was based on a 1000mAhr alkaline, while iamlucky used a 750mAhr eneloop. I updated my post to clarify, hoping to avoid EVEN MORE confusion. :person_facepalming:
I notice, in all this, that my brass Tool with rear e-switch has a different UI than my Ti Tool with rear e-switch. Odd, I’d forgotten that…
Maukka liked the eSwitch on the Lumintop TiTool so much that he uses it on his copper tool body.
I bought Massdrop Copper Tool more recently, so I now have a Copper Eswitch tool and a Copper Lumintop tool w clicky switch. I like both, I use the eswitch more
there is no meaningful parasitic drain issue with the E switch
the only issue with the e switch is it takes about 20 minutes for the capacitor to charge up before High mode works…
Lumintop tools, such as the Copper Tool and TiTool maukka reviewed, are MLH
the Brass Massdrop Tools are LMH
the Copper Massdrop Tools are also LMH, and use a 219c now, no longer 219b
the Blue Ti Massdrop Tools are also LMH, but TiTool heads are unique, and do not lego to the other Tools, nor to the Maratacs.
the mode sequence of a Tool is in the head, I put my Maratac MLH head w 219b on my Massdrop eSwitch tool body, so now I have MLH 219b with eSwitch, instead of LMH 219c w eSwitch
both the brass and copper eSwitch tools are also currently available at Massdrop.
Nice clarification jon, the Titanium version uses a split head design that allows a ring of the brass pill to show through for heat dispersion. That’s why it isn’t interchangeable. I’ve thought about re-creating this pill in copper and allowing for a few fins that are enough wider than the light’s diameter such that they’d get more air movement through the fins. Probably would put an FET driver in it if I get around to doing that and have it make some real lumens to go with the fins. 
Perhaps a Black Flat to make it a mini-thrower. 
yes, I dislike that HotRing feature, and that is why I sold my TiTool
after tailstanding my TiTool for 5 minutes on high mode,
the Ti Head and body of the light insulated the heat.
Meanwhile, I was unaware that the brass ring got extra hot, until I touched it and burned my delicate hands.
Not a Fan of a Hot ring in the middle of a cold Ti body!
imo the TiBoss has a similar design flaw:
Quite the opposite, I think they did a good job with that exposed ring… Titanium does blanket heat transfer and as such there had to be a provision to allow heat out. I think it looks good too.
My hands, of course, are far from delicate… too many hot mods and too much file/sandpaper work I guess… x about 44 years.
I intended to refer specifically to the efficiency. The regular Tool had relatively lackluster efficiency, and for the e-switch version, it seemed very low. I’m wondering if Lumintop has been able to improve that.
Both switches seem like fine choices ergonomically, and the e-switch lends a very refined look to the light.
I also find the eSwitch elegant, I like that it is quieter than the mechanical switch, and the eSwitch tailstand option adds appeal, despite the eSwitch quirk of needing a few minutes with a battery installed, to charge up the capacitor that fires the High Mode.
current model Tools, both mechanical and eSwitch have similar runtimes, iirc high mode spec is about 30 min…
maukka and I have had copper tools w mechanical switch from a few years back, that ran longer, and were more flat regulated, specifically on High mode. The other modes have not changed in efficiency or regulation, iirc
there is a long thread about all the variations here:
Im still a fan of the current run Tools, I added one of the Massdrop copper tools to my accumulation, because I wanted the eSwitch. They are 219c now, which I dont like as much, so I lego the head of one of my 219b Maratacs onto the Tool eSwitch body
the main inefficiency is on the High mode, which is not a mode I use much… I still really like the about 20 lumen Medium level, and it is regulated and runs long enough for me to consider it practical…
there are other differences, the Massdrop models head is LMH, while my Lumintop Tool and Maratac Heads are MLH, which I actually prefer (contrary to other’s preferences)
imo the brass Tool that is the subject of this thread, has many nice qualities… although no single light I own has every feature I like… and in the case of the Brass MassTool, though its brighter, I dont prefer the 219c, but, at least its High CRI