My wife wants to buy a flashlight for her dad, but not to bother with 18650, 26650 etc. I am wondering, Is there any flashlight similar to TK70 which takes 4xD batteries (or 3xD), but not at that price?
Budget?
You will regret not to get TK70
You will regret if your father in law has a TK70 and you don't.. ;)
LOL get 2 then
Hehe, that also!!!
Anything less than $100 ???
Well, both Fenix TK41 or TK60 are slightly above $100.
Any output level is accepted or just XM-L?
Mmm, XM-L…
Can you still find M-Flare Rebel 90 (Model 40421) from somewhere near Greece (or with free shipping)?
It's 4D, about the same brightness than one XM-L. 2 modes, Flood to Throw. Big & heavy like TK70.
..or then just buy a Cyclone C88 XM-L and few packs of Eneloops..
The Cyclone looks to be a good idea, I didn’t know it worked with 3xAA !!! 
This seems to be a good alternative, compatible with 3xAAA, but I don’t expect the current draw will be high and as bright with Fenix. Pocketable size and $16 anyway if you really look for a budget one 
Take TK35.
u will get amazing flashlight with amazing price
There is no alternative that I know of that will actually compare to the TK70 for price and throw. And if somone says there is, I want to see the pictures and the manual settings that prove it.
A 4D maglite with the Terralux 3 emitter 1000 lumen dropin
It’s a $60 dropin thatll turn a 4-6D cell incandescent maglite into a useable light.
$30 Dcell mag + $60 for the maglite. It wont be as awesome as a TK70 but it’ll be a great alkaline light 
I have the Maglite 4D with the newer 1000 lumen Terralux Drop-in.
For around $60 for the Terralux drop-in and a Maglite body for around $30 this is a good deal for under $100 all up.
The link to the right product is below.
The right one for the 4 to 6 cell Maglite is the TLE 310MEX as in the Ebay link above.
There is another 1000 lumen model only to be used in Maglite Rechargeable lights, it has a different mounting on it and that is the TLE-310MR-EX.
Don’t buy a lower output Terralux Drop-in that is the older one which is usually cheaper, it has strange artifacts and flares around the edges of the beam.
The new one works great and it has no more lens adjustment to worry about and is mainly very floody but still throws that wide beam a fair distance.
The Drop-in has 3 fixed leds and nothing moves anymore.
It just screws into place after you unscrew the old globe.
You remove the old reflector and put it away for a spare for another Maglite maybe.
It does not have the thin beam like the older Maglites.
It works on 3 light levels just by softly pressing the button and stopping on the level when you lift your finger off the button.
Very handy lower levels when you want to save on battery power.
Or when you install it you can switch the dipswitch to make it go only to high all of the time.
Or just a hard press gives you high straight away.
And you still have a handy tool to swing around the place when trouble appears!!
Cheers
The next batch isn’t due out yet and I didn’t read every post but if you can get a Lambdalight VPT2 you’ll leave the TK70 on the shelf.
I doubt that.
And do tell how much that custom light is that you would have to wait on for no telling how long. And it won’t look near as good for fit an finish as the TK70. Sort of looks like a rigged up job from parts as far as switch goes.
Most guys that take pictures of them over at CPF don’t know how to use manual settings either. So they aren’t what they are showing them to be. But then again if your the guy tying to sell them it does the seller a world of good.
Dollar for dollar the TK70 is hard to beat.
Now look at that, ILF has become a setting-snob. 
Honestly, Taz, there is nothing that compares to the TK70 for less money (or more for that matter). Your best bet is to go with the Cyclone C88 like the suggested. Cheaper cells, especially with eneloops, and pocketable.