I am a bit out of the flashlight loop currently, so I am unsure what’s out there right now. I am looking for a flashlight to let my dogs and foster dogs out at night. So here are my requirements:
Built-in recharging - no removing cells
Some flood, some throw
1000+ lumens
>30k lux
< $100, the less the better (I could be persuaded for more if performance is great)
form factor - prefer 3-4 side-by-side 18650s, no toilet plungers
electronic sideswitches preferred
hidden or no strobe
not too nice - WILL get dropped/scratched
I am currently using a SWM T60CS and a Smallsun ZY-T08. I like them both, though the Smallsun is a bit a too throwy. I would get the charging base for the SWM, but the cells are in series, so there is no balancing.
Hi there, I think you can’t go wrong with this one: http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=80&product_id=250 .
That’s a Supfire M6 with 3 XM-L2 and 4 x 18650.It also has a side switch. You should get up to 4000 lumens and decent heatsinking. It’s out of stock now, so if you don’t want to wait and wish to buy it from different store, make sure that it isn’t fake.
Did you ever consider a bad ass (the only one worth it actually) lighted dog collar, the best money i ever spent dog or flashlight related.(i tried a lot other led dog collars they are totally useless compared to this)
Orders of magnitude more practical than scanning the land with a flashlight, i walk my dog every night and i can spot it much better than in daylight from hundreds of meters away thanks to this collar.
The premium model i own works on 2 AAA batteries (i use eneloop in it, very safe and easy to charge batteries), it’s very bright and last 10+ hours.
I’ve heard good things about lighted dog collars, but I don’t think that will help with my situation.
This year, one of my foster dogs and one of my own got quilled by porcupines on separate occasions. So when I let the dogs out a night time, I need to see them, what they’re doing and what ever else may be lurking in the darkness(lots of coyotes around too).
The more light, the better . . . any budget-friendly multi-cell, multi-emitter rechargeable flashlights out there?
The problem with dogs and porcupines is that dogs being predators, they do not like to lose. Being quilled by a porcupine is a “loss” to the dog. Some will keep on trying every porcupine in an attempt to “win” again…
Light helps you for sure, but the dogs psychological state may work against you…
I use a keychain rechargeable flashlight with a diffuser. Clipped onto dog collar, it works fine for me. Packaging indicates maximum 2 hour runtime. Cost: under $4.
Note: If you buy the mini-flashlight, the instructions state that the LED charging indicator will show red when charging and turn green when fully charged. It never turns green, no matter how long it is recharged. I’d recommend that you stop recharging after 30 minutes, it should be fully charged by then.
You are 100% correct! Once the dog chases the critter and gets a few quills, they will pursue no matter what and will not listen to the owner. By the time you can get between them, the dog has a hundred more quills. That makes for a long and expensive night at the E-vet.
For this reason, it’s all the more important to see the critter before the encounter occurs and have the dog return the house.
I really had a hard time finding a reasonably priced rechargeable multi-18650 with good throw and output. Still interested to see what others recommend. There’s just so many lights out there, I must be missing other good candidates.
We have the same one, I can definitely recommend it as it’s so easy to use and good quality although it’s not cheap.
Just slip it over the dog’s head and away you go, the buckle is the heaviest part of the collar so that slips to the bottom and that’s what switches it on. When you take it off just stand it up somewhere with the buckle at the top and after a few seconds it will switch off.
