Hi all, this is my first post, but not my first light.
I'm looking for suggestions on a nice AAA EDC flashlight.
What I like very much:
2 or 3 modes. I like to have the option of long lasting moonlight and 'portable sun' in one package.
ability to run on AAA. I like 10440 but it tends to get hot in small lights. AAA can stay on for a long time and is more universal.
tailswitch vs twisty: I prefer small size over tailswitch, so if small size calls for twisty, twisty it is.
under $10
waterproof, not diving
good switch. Many cheap lights develop unreliable switches over time. Can't have that. Rather have twisty than unreliable tail!
What I care less for (I value the options above over these):
tail switch - is nice but the options above are far more important.
Strobe.
10440 - is nice but I find the small lights get fairly hot. So 10440 option is nice but it must support AAA.
tail end - tailstand is but I'd prefer the options mentioned above over a tailstand.
What I have at present:
Darkvim C30 - pretty cool, cheap, but good looking small twisty light. Runs AAA and 10440 but I find it gets very hot on 10440. It has only one mode and it draws 1 amp at that.
A Trustfire which came with a 10440 battery. Small light, it can take a little while running on high because the head is large (more thermal mass). Unfortunately it has strobe so it has only two useful modes; mid and high. It's this one:
I have no experience with the Tank007, hugsby, olight.
If you want something reliable.... to not stay in the dark when you need a light... I would suggest buying a "proven" light rather than a cheap light that fits your requirements.
Not to hijack your thread but does anyone know if the Lumintop has a sturdy reversible clip. I like to use aaa lights as headlamps and my Maratacs have really crappy clips.
That thing is literally built like a tank. My 3 year old son killed 4 branded flashlights while playing with them. 1 Quark, 1 Nitecore and 2 Sunwaymans (they were all different models)
He also killed a couple of sk68 but NOT THE TANK…
I love mine for it’s selection of outputs, it’s balance of spill and hot-spot, but mostly because it takes the huge abuse I heap upon it without a bobble. E-fest 10440 on high till the cell fades without toasting anything and still impressive on AAA. My only gripe is the way the keyring attaches. I also liked the Fenix E05 but my sister absconded it before I could torture test it or run it on a 10440; it’s probably a close runner-up though. There’s better and there’s cheaper but these two are awesome values for off-the-shelf AAA size lights.
Just thought I'd check back in to let you know I have bought the Tank007 E09.
I'm very happy with it. It's 7cm so it fits in my EDC. I very much like the modes: Silly high, insanely-long-endurance (right now 16 hours on a single NiMH and still going), and medium-in-between.