Hi,
I am looking for a cheap but good quality 18650 flashlight. I just love the SK68 and its clones, imho you get a very decent flashlight for 3-4 bucks.
So is there an equivalent as far as quality/price is concerned ? In other words, which is the best budget 18650 flashlight ?
(budget meaning, under 10 dollars S/H included, if possible).
Thanks !
Thanks, I might even maybe go for one of the coloured versions, they are cheaper (6.28 USD) !
“If you are to do that, a grreat dissapointment for you in the future I foresee.” - Yoda said.
Cheers ^:)
When I refer to Sipik SK68 and Sipik SK98 herein, you should understand the products are not always made by the same manufacturer and in the same configuration.
Sipik SK68. I had about 20 of them. Very cheap. Take a single aa battery. Give them away as gifts. Most purchased for under $3 shipped. I have had at least three fail within a year - having nothing to do with any usage or battery leakage. I have the salvageable parts in a bag and one day, there will be enough parts to do a build!
Sipik SK98. I have about 8 of them. I also have the Ultrafire SK98. Prices have gone up to about $8.50 shipped. Believe it. Some take an 18650 flat battery and some take a button battery. So, you have to test and sort and/or mark them when they come in. They have replaced the Sipik SK68 in every application.
A 18650 battery is not a 18650 battery. Buy only name brand items like Panasonic from a reputable dealer. Many off brand 18650s will read that they have enough power (lies). The same applies to 18650 chargers.
If you still like a single aa battery light, then go with the $30 McGee Engineering item. I prefer the single mode unit. When the first, multi-mode unit came in, I made the mistake of showing it to my girlfriend. I haven’t seen it since!
Hello! :-)
Nice necro, bdcochran.
My previous recommendation and findings with regards to that newer XM-L2 Ultrafire SK98 seem to have been comfirmed by subsequent customer reviews.
I also have a couple of cheap SK68 clones over the table, three and single mode units with slight differences (the tailcap button among them). Both came mounted with the same kind of emitter, something I can clearly recognize as not being Cree and being a PoS (bluish tint, horrible CRI, maybe a LatticeBright). I have modding plans to them, replacing the emitter in both, which I'm going to execute:
- I'll stick a well kept EZ900 XR-E on the single mode one, using special flux to solder the board to its hollow pill.
- For the three mode device, a DTP copper mounted Nichia 219B is in the works, which I'll also solder to the pill, and I may raise the driving current a bit (from 1'2 to 1'64A, setting a R330 over the R120 current resistor).
By the way, I recently read a thread where someone commented on these new UR16650ZTA 10A 2400mAh batteries from GB. My SK68 clones' tubes are slightly wider than 16mm∅, now if someone could machine some 15mm lenght extension tubes for these SK68s, that would be awesome, IMHO. :LOVE:
Probably not a bad idea since that should be pretty easy and SK68s are so widespread. $)
Cheers everyone ^:)