Yes Mandrake. The sleeping cabin is very small and contains a lot of white surfaces. The 25 lumen Ace light I now own is more than enough light for what I need. It’s just I have to bang it on the wall to get it to turn on. I’ve used contact cleaner, WD40 and light oil to try to loosen things up but like all the cheap Chinese lights I’ve bought locally, it’s a lost cause. The MagLite I had didn’t have a low setting. You could adjust the beam from wide to narrow but that was it. And flashing it on in the middle of the night was a dazzling experience. I put a piece of tape over the lens and that helped some. But the sucker got really hot and all-in-all, wasn’t suitable.
I was surprised when I saw that the new MinMag had a low setting. That must be a pretty new option. I had never seen it before. The 40 lumens might be OK.
As to the light that you currently are having problems with. Any kind of oil may not be a good idea. Except maybe on threads (a grease is better but only used sparingly on threads only). Oil can act as an insulator and will retain dirt over time.
When I have problems like what you describe I disassemble the light as far as I can easily. Clean every contact surface well with alcohol and Q-Tips. If you can get to them, a pencil eraser helps in removing light corrosion or dirt. This includes battery springs and places in the head and/or tail cap where the tube mates with it. Then make sure that the contacts mate well. Sometime slightly bending contacts or springs for a tighter fit can help. The circuit on that kind of light is very simple. Limited things that can go wrong. Mostly I have been able to get them to work. But yes, sometimes it can become more trouble than it is worth.
If 2AA batteries are essential, your choices are limited. I like my Convoy T4 with a nichia 519a high-cri emitter, but it is at the Convoy store on aliexpress, not on Amazon.
On Amazon, there is the Wurkkos WK05 with nichia 519a ( 5000K), the Thrunite Archer 2A V3 (neutral white), the Fenix E20 V2, and the Fenix LD22 V2.
Get this one too! Silver Convoy T3 519A Mini Flashlight with Clip,R9080 high CRI,12groups,400LM High Lumens Pocket EDC for Camping,Hiking,Emergency,Everyday Use,(no Battery) (519A 2700K) Amazon.com
You could consider getting the Convoy T4 or T4 and run NiMH cells. The torch can be configured to always start on 0.1% brightness when you click the button, and if you need more you can half-press to access higher modes. With mode memory disabled it will return to 0.1% brightness after it’s been turned off for around 0.5s.
A headlamp is also a good idea, but at that budget you might not be able to get a reliable one. If you consider one with built-in charging, as well as bringing a few spare cells a lithium one would do really well such as the Skilhunt H150. It can also be configured to always start on moonlight brightness.
I can only get the head off, Mandrake. Can’t reach the switch to clean. Yesterday I set the light on its end and filled the barrel with vinegar. I let it sit for three hours then rinsed and dried. No change, unfortunately.
Thanks, Fourstents, but these cheap lights don’t last long enough for the batteries to leak. I did have this trouble a dozen years ago, with Duracell batteries. Lost a clock, a tactical flashlight and a portable radio before switching to Rayovac. Not had a problem since.
It may sound trivial but the following Energizer flashlight might suit you. It’s IPX7 rated, it’s plastic, it works with 2 AA’s, it even floats on water! It’s only 55 lumens.