I recently acquired a Lumintop Tool AAA. I have read threads dating from 6-8 years ago, stating that using a lithium 10440 (3.7 V) battery in the Tool had made it incapable of using 1.5V or 1.25V batteries afterwards. (The Lumintop literature says not to do it, too.)
I have been running a Lumintop Tool AA for several months with a Lithium 3.7V battery, for 15-30 minutes a night at levels 3 or 4, and have had no problems with it. It also still works with a 1.5V battery.
Has anyone recently had the experience of a 3.7V battery destroying or damaging the Tool AAA? I’d love to hear about it.
I beat the crap out of one with 10440 and never had a problem, but the drivers probably do vary over the years. Who cares, they cost less then McDonalds value meals now a days
I’ve always been a fan of using the head off of the 2xAAA versions on the AAA body . #1. Because it makes the lower low that lots of people wished these lights had . #2 . The smooth no knurled head just felt nicer . #3. The 219b was replaced by the 219c’s ? In later models ?
The driver from the 2x versions ip365?? might stand up to a 10440 better IDK just speculative.
Running the smooth head on a 10440 obviously wipes out any thought of a low mode even one too bright . It turns the low onto a medium , med. into high and impressively bright on TURBO .
I value the true moonlight mode over an impress the girls mode … and losing the very low low would be worse than any possible gain on high . I have a couple lights where the higher powered battery messed up the low mode . Sadly on one of my favorites.
Richard from mountain electronics was selling both stock versions of the drivers for 1$ each . Drivers he’d pulled to put his fet high powered driver into lights I’m assuming . I bought a few for a buck but have been kicking myself for not buying every one he had . If I had more of them I might be tempted to try it.
The lights I pulled heads off of were the early version of the IYP365 with the 219b emitter . They swapped the 219b for the 219c which wasn’t as rosey / and not as nice of a tint but a bit brighter .
The smooth head feels nicer and looks better and the low drops to a sub lumen on a regular nimh AAA .