At roughly the same price, which you would you guys prefer and why?
Struggling to make a decision! Thanks.
I’ve got both these lights and I find that I like the A01 better than the Tool. They both function great. I just find the A01 easier to use with my big hands. The Tool is a little small for me. I also find the shape of the A01 feels better in hand.
I have both too. Tool Ti and A01 without PWM.
I prefer A01. Better modes spacing and superb moon mode.
Mike
Can’t speak about the LT Tool, but I do like the A01. Great light from the 219, bright even with an alkie AAA, really like the 1pc tube/tail (ie, no separate cap).
Got both
Better warmer tint fro indoor on the A01, lighter weight, the strobe is a useless feature in this form factor. Great colour range
Tool - I love it for its robustness and the clicky is solid as (a bit stiff if anything) I think it will out live the A01
Bought the A01 thinking my wife would love it but since giving her the tool she handed the A01 to one of our kids - says a lot I think
I’ve got both.
The tint of A01 is better, but it’s a twisty (don’t really like them).
Tool AAA has clicky switch (that I prefer), reversible clip and looks like the bigger EDC flashlights.
As you can understand, if I had to buy only one (away from me these evil thoughts :disappointed: ) from these two, I’d go for the Lumintop Tool AAA.
But if I was looking for an AAA flashlight, I’d go for the UltraTac K18. It’s got a side button switch (which I prefer) and you can use a 10440 Battery. 
I have both and I prefer the tool.
I have reviewed both, take a look at the plot also.
Im a fan of the Lumintop Tool w Nichia, it is MLH mode sequence
The A01 has a Much lower Low, and is LMH
I have read reports that latest A01 shipping now have PWM, a weird Next Mode Memory, and a cooler LED than the ones everyone here likes (the original Manker model).
if you want a light that starts on firefly, the A01, personally for EDC I prefer a light that starts on Medium.
depends if you want a clickie or a twisty too…
Of course you should buy both and decide for yourself 
Consider if you’re walking in the dark along a road with no sidewalks. Hang the A01 from your backpack or belt loop and put it in strobe. It offers you some visibility to vehicles without blinding them, because it’s pointing downwards.
Can anyone confirm the A01 has fallen due to quality fade as mentioned above?
I guess that’s inevitable. Scares me that these folks are also building rockets and nuclear power plants.
Remind me, who built the Columbia and Challenger space shuttles, and Three Mile Island nuclear power plant again?
Yup, mine has PWM and next mode memory 
The most annoying part is that the “hidden” strobe setting is no longer hidden because of it.
I have both the original A01 and a Tool (standard aluminum model that’s been selling for around $10 lately). I bought the A01 to replace the Olight I3E I keep on my keyring. However, the A01’s “dogbone” shape made the light feel a lot bigger in my pocket so I left the I3E on the keyring.
I like the tint and modes of the original A01 (although the firefly mode is a little too dim for my 57 year old eyes unless I’m in a totally dark room) but always find myself taking the Tool instead because I can clip it to a pocket and not even feel it. The A01 goes in my suitcase to use when I’m traveling.
Good points above
Tool pocket clip reverses to let me use it on a hat
A01 has no pocket clip
Iirc the copper A01 are still shipping the original manker driver but the aluminum ones can be the new astrolux driver. Depending on old or new stock in inventory.
Story goes that manker astrolux parted ways, then the PWM with next mode memory driver showed up, not marked manker.
More A01 details here
Egad! I didn’t know that Mateminco were building rockets and reactors 
It would appear that there has been a shift in quality based on a few comments, but it might not be so much to do with quality fade and more to do with the confusing manufacturer change that may or may not be owned by the same parent company.
> building rockets and reactors
I’m just hoping that the people who will do those are learning the basic technical skills in entry-level jobs building flashlights, including how to do QA and QC and how to speak up when management tries to do cheeseparing to cut costs. You saw what happened with the Russian Proton rockets? Nobody at that factory said anything when the cheap parts were substituted. No pride learned, somehow.
Tool but only in Reylight Ti iteration. Black one is plain ugly, wrong mode order and doesn’t tail stand. I use a black one with LiIon which gives a bit more lumens but no modes.
A01 best value for money and the right mode order for in-home use.