I live in a rural area and I am looking for a flashlight to keep near the backdoor that I can grab quickly to step outside and shine around the property. I would guess I would use it on average perhaps 10 minutes a week - more in the summer to check on the critters getting into the garden, but also less in the winter. The edge of the woods is perhaps 250 feet away so that would be the furthest distance I would need to cover.
For several years I have been using a large Dorcy 4 “D” cell light that would also take a 6-volt lantern battery and I would describe its performance as adequate but it could have a little more reach. Unfortunately it recently hit the deck and some of the plastic pieces broke both inside and out. That was the end of that and I am now in a market for a new flashlight.
My goal is to purchase something a little brighter and a lot more rugged than the Dorcy but that still uses standard “D” size alkaline batteries for convenience and longer times between battery changes. After reading a lot of posts it appears that most of the flashlights described in this forum are way overkill for my application regardless of the price. For example I see the HD2010 is not expensive and very well thought of but it appears to be way more flashlight than I need. I would pass on having the brightest flashlight in the world for the convenience of standard batteries as long as long as it is bright enough to do the job.
My current thinking is that perhaps the new Maglite Pro that takes two standard “D” cells would work. It seems rugged, or at least more rugged than the Dorcy, and I like the variable beam pattern. I am concerned however that I am perhaps being led down the garden path by my inexperience and years of hearing about Maglite quality in general.
My question is, do the experts here feel this would be a good purchase for my needs or should I consider something else? How would its reach and brightness compare to the Dorcy light I was using? There does not seem to be much discussion about it. I did look at Pelican’s etc but they seem very expensive versus performance. I would like to stay in the $30 to $50 dollar range. Thanks.
Maglite is pretty good quality, generally better than the budget brands and maybe similar to the medium tier stuff. If you don’t need the pro model the normal 2D go on sale on black friday.
I can’t really help you in the D size battery department other than the newest Maglites produces 134 lumens.
I can however comment on how pissed I was during hurricane Sandy that I couldn’t find ANY D batteries for backup power to a portable radio. Everyone was scooping them up to power their decade old 10 lumen flashlights. I must be spoiled by my knowledge from this forum. I was seriously pissed that the general public was still stocking up on D batteries for shitty flashlights.
Rant over… In your case I would recommend a Fenix E21. Around $34 and takes 2 AA batteries. Would recommend Eneloop rechargeables. High: 170 lumens, 2 hours 15 minutes. Low: 54 lumens, 11 hours. But I’m no expert…
Well, I am biased about Maglites, but if you can pick up one of the LED Maglites on Black Friday, it's a heck of a deal and they would probably be good for what you need. As far as Maglite quality, I have never had a Chinese light yet (in the D sized format) that comes close to a Maglite. The only Chinese light I have ever found that was close, was in the P60 format and that was a Solarforce.
The reason for Maglites to have plastic lenses is because they will not break as easily as glass. Yes they will scratch easier, but they don't break as easily. As far as dropping them, I don't know of any flashlight that will not damage or break, if it's dropped on cement, at the right angle. Bevels usually get damaged first, but I have seen some really banged up Maglites that still work fine.
Fenix TK60. However when using such an expensive light dont store your alkalines inside the light. They may leak. If you want hassle free you have to get NiMH batteries.
Really hard to beat a Mag LED for D cells. There aren’t a lot of options to begin with.
They’re definitely budget …especially if you pick up a Black Friday sale.
They’re high quality if not the brightest flavor of the month. A warranty backs them up too if there is an issue later.
They have a nice reflector that produces a pretty throwy beam. You’re looking at less than 80 meters. 2D, 3D, and 2D Pro all have more than enough throw to hit the far points of your line of sight.
It’s got to be a MagLite, only sensible option. Well made, well designed and they just work.
The current 2D and 3D aren’t bad and there’s the new 270 lumen 2D Pro. Remember it’s not all about lumens, these Mags still put out good light and with a large’ish reflector they throw very well.
If you want to spend a little more you’ve got the likes of the ML125, more compact and different battery options.
If you are lucky, you may find a JetBeam PA40 around the $50 mark when they come on sale.
It’s a great torch and very good quality. Nice and bright, feels great in the hand, and cheap to run on 4 AA cells. As others recommend, use Eneloops for reliability and best results.
I love my maglites and have a few that are modified to give much better performance,
but for a D cell torch “off the rack” you could check out this Pailide K105 flood to throw
and it’s pretty cheap. It will out perform a standard incan maglite for throw and takes 3 ordinary D cells
although I use 6 eneloops in D cell converters.
In a D cell, Maglite is the way to go. They are made well but don’t cost much.
If you are used to an old junky D cell light, you will be amazed at what even a single AA can do with a modern led.
I actually think the HD-2010 makes sense for your needs. Buy a rechargable 26650 and charger and never have to worry about buying batteries again. You don’t have to use it on high mode. There are three brightness modes.
$15 for the LED maglite BF special at HD or Lowes is pretty good for a D option.
Another option worth trying is a Sipik SK68 or clone for about $5-8.00 and I’d suggest trying at least a couple from different sources. These are really handy and in zoom mode can surprise you. You can find these lights on Amazon, Ebay, and most of the Chinese sites. Here is an example:
These can be run on li-ion but the brightness is pretty good with NiMH or even traditional AA batts. If you find a deal on them when you buy, the NiMhs are pretty cheap to recharge vs buying replacements. I think the NiMHs are less likely to leak and since you only need one per light, you can have spares ready at hand.
If you’d like an 18650 lithium option but without the overkill of the HD2010, then even though you can go cheaper, I’d suggest looking at the Solarforce L2 options with an XPG or preferably the new XPG 2 LED. solarforceflashlight-sales.com or www.lighthound.com could set you up with faster shipping.
Wow! It really looks like I came to the right place to ask for advice. First of all I want to thank every one who took the time to respond. I know writing a response takes time and time is a fixed commodity that everyone is generally short on. It is really appreciated.
I have read all the responses and they all make their good points. As it stands now I am still considering the Maglite Pro 2D but I am also now considering the JetBeam PA-40.
The Maglite has the adjustable beam and switch on the side.
The JetBeam takes “AA” batteries and I already have a stock of “AA” NiMH batteries with a good charger. That would be a plus but I am not sure how big a plus for amount I would use the light. I find the NiMH batteries tend to lose their charge over time even if not used while the alkalines do not seem to, or at least not as much. I could spend as much time charging batteries as using the light. A more substantial plus is the brightness of the JetBeam which might more than make up for not being able to adjust the beam. One disadvantage is the location of the switch at the end of the light on the JetBeam. For outside use I would rather have the ability to easily aim the light first before turning it on.
It could come down to a coin flip or who has the best deal on Black Friday. I think the suggestion to wait and see what that brings is good advice. As the say “Indecision is the key to flexibility”. Of course I could buy one of each, but then that might start me down the road to becoming one of you
Heh, I’ve still got some working NiCds, too. But they really suck for many devices.
The newest Eneloop NiMHs reportedly hold most of their charge for about 3 years now. In some lights, I prefer the white top Duraloops. Nice thing about regularly using a NiMH here or there is it helps to keep the whole set cycled and charged.
For lights I don’t use much, the new lithium primaries should last longer than alkys with less risk of leakage.
Bummer.
