Help finding a good EDC flashlight?

[Random Dan]

I know many knife nuts are also flashlight nuts, so I thought this would be as good a place as any to start my quest for the perfect EDC flashlight. These are the criteria I have:

No longer than ~5 inches
Reasonably deep carry pocket clip
Cheap, easy to find batteries (AA or AAA preferred)
Around $60 at most
Bright

Right now I'm looking at the 4sevens Quark MiNi AA2 based on brightness, runtime, and all the stuff in my search criteria. I don't really know very much about flashlights though so I'm perfectly open to other suggestions. Thanks for your help!

[maa14]

Quark aa2 with some eneloops or the quark mini aa2. If you are just looking for normal batteries but if you want to get some high power stuff then the 1232 quark or even for something really small then the quark mini cr2

[Blerv]

The MiNi AAx2 as you mentioned is exactly 5" long. The Preon2 would be a nice option as well. The MiNi AA or Preon1 are going to be really nice and tiny but about half as bright since you only have 1.2-1.5 volts to work with unless you go Li-Ion.

I'm personally a big fan of Zebralight as the user interface is genius and I like the side-button. They are about $60.

AA only SC51 (also available in neutral and High CRI LED's)
http://www.zebralight.com/SC51-Flash...00Lm_p_43.html

AA/CR123 SC80 (uses an extender for Li-Ion for more runtime and a little more brightness)
http://www.zebralight.com/SC80-220Lm...ight_p_71.html

Peak Logan HA 17500 QTC
http://www.em-mgt.com/LED/Logan.html
Twist-on/off light. QTC module allows almost infinite ramp up from about .1 lumens to max brightness. Flickers a tad on ramp-up but total control of brightness. Takes AA's to lithium batteries, like .8-4.2 volts for more or less brightness.


Of those they range from streamlined to quirky. 4Sevens makes a very solid and straight-forward design. Zebralight's UI allows more mode-control than the others and really impressive output on a single AA. The Peak Logan 17500 QTC is a more simple approach without all the electronics and no clickie switch or clip. It ultimately gives you the most brightness levels and battery options.

There are others of course too.

[Azwaiian]

Oh buddy, let me tell ya, I have spent countless hours on GoingGear.com's website drooling over flashlights. One of the many good things about that site are the videos they have for the majority of their flashlights. The video shows the user interface and how bright the lights are indoors and outdoors. The prices are also very good as well.

I like to recommend lights from Fenix, 4sevens, and Jetbeam, affordable and reliable lights. Though the lights that have already been suggested are great as well. Enjoy and happy hunting.

[R1Dave]

My current pocket light is a 4Sevens Preon 2. I also use a bunch on Fenix lights but most are CR123 powered.

[1623]

I picked up a Fenix PD22 from Going Gear about two weeks ago after spending hours (like you) reading specs on lights.

It replaced my Klarus NT10 which was a great little light, but I wanted something with more throw, less of a hot spot and a low ride clip...I found it all and then some with the PD22. My NT10 was rated at 230 Lumens and the PD22 at 190 and I'll tell you right now that the Fenix is far brighter than the Klarus, so either Fenix under rates or Klarus over rates.

I was never a fan of twisty lights so the NT10's side mode switch was a real plus in my book and when I saw that the PD22 had the same set up that was pretty much the final thumbs up for me, not to mention that it's less than 60 clams.

I don't like to carry anything in my pockets other than my thin County Comm NYLA wallet and a clipped Spydie (I don't even carry change) so I'm impressed when a piece of gear carries nicely and just about goes unnoticed.

Edit to add: While the Fenix doesn't meet your requirement of being AA powered, I'd say that you should still give it a look. The Surefire A123 Lithium cells are less than $3.00 each, have great run time and provide exceptional power and output.

http://www.fenixlight.com/viewproduct.asp?id=163

[clodus]

I'd recommend Fenix flashlights.
Although these lights are made in China. Quality in my opinion unsurpassed. All in IP-X8 rating. These are excellent lights, good value, excellent quality.

Personally I am a person who prefers light with 1xAA or 2xAA (no AAA for me) 'before'.
But after I have tried 16850 Lithium batteries. I got converted and this is now my preferred light and battery primarily. It has good value, higher output and longer run times at the same 'size'. Ni-Mh batteries (AA, AAA) just cannot compare to 18650 and CR123A (lithium) when it comes to performance and run time. Will explain further on the end of the thread if you are interested.

Answering your question: (will use Amazon as a basis for price comparison)

1x AA Configuration:
Fenix LD12, 115 lumens, about USD 51 in amazon.

2xAA Option A:
Fenix LD22, 190 lumens, about USD 60.00 in amazon. This will go beyond your 6in length.

2xAA Option B (budget version):
Fenix E21, 135 lumens, about USD 35.00 in amazon. Will also go beyond 6in length.
If you don't require 4 light outputs, SOS, and strobe function. E21 is a good buy, only 2 light outputs (low and high).

1x CR123A Configuration
Fenix PD22, 190 lumens, about USD 55.00 in amazon, as 1623's suggestion above.
Smaller than a 1xAA configuration, offering 2xAA performance at the same same runtime.
Battery is available off the shelf (lithium). Rechargeable batteries also available. Chargers are affordable
A very compact, high powerful light, deep pocket clip. Only the battery falls out of your requirement

What I use now
1x 18650 configuration (can accommodate 2x CR123A for versatility)
Fenix PD32, 315 lumens, about USD 68 at amazon
Why, this unit is smaller than 2xAA, slightly longer and slightly more in diameter compared to 1xAA. But the performance is almost double.

18650 batteries (buy one with protection circuit) are re-chargeable.
Batteries and chargers are also quite easy to find and affordable. Gives a good runtime. If you are worried about Lithium battery performance and explosion reason. From my experience, there is nothing to worry about. Let me put it this way. If you use a laptop everyday and if it has not exploded on you yet then you don't have to worry. Most notebooks, tablets, cameras, portable game devices, mp3 players, etc. are powered by lithium rechargeable batteries. Lithium was chosen due to its long run time and higher power output.

Shall you go to the outdoors and worry about battery and availability. CR123As are lithium batteries available from the shelf.

To justify performance of 1x16850.
The PD32, 315 lumens with 1x16850 battery closest practical AA counterpart is the
LD40, 248 lumens with 4xAA batteries. 4x AA bulk cannot even match the 1x 16850's output. So rather than carrying multiple AAs which will add bulk, I'd rather carry multiple 16850s.

Batteries are really a big factor on Flashlight performance.
AA, AAA (alkaline, NiMH) technology really cannot compare to CR123A and 18650 (Lithium) technology.
Think about it as a knife blade steel. It is like comparing 420HC to ZDP189 (with the bonus that you don't need to re-sharpen anything when it comes to batteries). So if you really need the performance, go for Lithium batteries. But if you would want a normal light the AA are sufficient.

To help you better have a comparison on flashlight outputs and compare with different brands.
go to 'fonarik.com' it is a site that compares light output of different flashlights at various lumen output using a controlled environment. have fun. it took me hours comparing lights from that website.

Eventually I decided to go with PD32 due to size, performance, and value ratio.
Sorry for the long post.

[Anonymous]

I had an older model Fenix 1xcr123a and I liked it a lot. I've had other flashlights that were awesome like the E2E Surefire G2 LED Surefire, and the E2D Surefire. I usually carried my Surefire lights but if I wanted something small/light to throw in my pocket I would grab the Fenix. Amazing light for such a small light and it had three brightness levels with strobe.

[Blerv]

With lights the majority fall into China and USA as mentioned. The difference is that China, similar to the Tenacious from Spyderco, produces two grades of flashlight. Awesome performing and corner cutting. Luckily price almost always guarantees what you will end up getting. Within reason at least.

As for Li-Ion power it's not necessary but is a more efficient power source. Some Ni-Mh batteries like Eneloop can push quite a bit of power without going to battery Heaven. That said, if you are trying to eek every last drop of power out of a LED voltage wise it's nearly impossible to do it on 1.5v. Likewise conventional batteries (and often CR123's) are not going to handle massive draw for very long. That usually leaves hard-driven XM-L's and such to batteries like IMR 16340's larger cells of that chemistry.

If the goal is a small "EDC" light the Zebralight SC51 pushes 200 lumens ANSI OTF with a Cree XP-G R5...on a single Eneloop! Better yet on high you get over an hour of runtime.

Switch gears and say you want an XM-L because you like things that are floody and bright for pocket carry. If it's powered by AA's it's not going to push 700 lumens. Honestly though, that amount of light in an EDC light is for getting drunk and shooting yourself in the eyes for fun .

I use CR123's (aka primaries) in my lights. I definitely prefer higher voltage power and IMR's at that. Still, in single-cell applications the chance of having an explosion, even with the crappiest and lowest voltage cell, is extremely rare. It's pretty dang rare with multiple mismatched cells honestly or half the people buying lights would be walking around with primed hand grenades. Since far more people who adore flashlights have 5 fingers on each hand I have to think the horror stories are few and far between (albeit impressive when they surface).

For people looking to get into the flashlight scene it's pretty easy to get a very powerful light for not a ton of cash. Chargers are great but a pack of Energizer "Advanced Lithium" are disposable, safe, and have a TON of capacity. They handle cold temperatures, don't leak like Alkelines, and are even lightweight to boot. Plus you can buy them at the grocery store.

I'm more impressed these days with functionality. Size, operation, low-low modes, warm tints, and classy pocket clips. When I drink too much though the Aespheric Dereelight DBS and the Tri-XML come out to play.

[Random Dan]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I fear though that if I do too much research into lights I'll start trying to justify more expensive ones, and it will become a massive money pit. That's exactly what happened when I started doing too much research into knives

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I fear though that if I do too much research into lights I'll start trying to justify more expensive ones, and it will become a massive money pit. That's exactly what happened when I started doing too much research into knives

You are not wrong, lol. Your expectations of a good flashlight will grow as will the price....just like knives.

[Blerv]

Like all hobbies you can scratch the surface or push to the nth degree of geekery . Fact is having a small light on you is extremely handy.

I probably use my light twice as much per day as my knife. More in the winter time when it's dark by like 4pm, lol. Of those times it's probably on brightness levels of .1 to 80 lumens. Once you get used to easy illumination it's hard to go back. Digging for a USB slot on a desktop is maddening otherwise.

[clodus]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I fear though that if I do too much research into lights I'll start trying to justify more expensive ones, and it will become a massive money pit. That's exactly what happened when I started doing too much research into knives

Honestly I think it is about self control and contentment with what you have. I also love collecting but I control my 'want' urges. lol! (mostly because of budget and practical reasons) Will share my thinking and personal view on EDC tools and collecting. (this will be long, so if you don't really care about it. Just read the 'flashlight' part and skip the rest)

Flashlight: My EDC flashlight is actually my mobile phone. I just buy a mobile phone with LED on it. Typically, the light coming from the LED of a cellphone is pretty okay for normal lighting tasks. So I get to lessen the bulk from my pockets. My current phone is the old Noka 5800 which comes with dual LEDs, so I'm pretty okay with it.

My main portable flashlight (times when I really require performance) was a Leatherman Monarch 500 (made by Led Lenser), powered by 3x AAA batteries. This was quite affordable in Costco so I grabbed one. After buying this, that is the time I saw Fenix but did not buy as I already have one although not that powerful, but usable. Eventually the duracell alkaline leaked and destroyed the switch of the flashlight. After taking it apart for cleaning (this is how I found out it is made by Led Lenser) it still does not work. Still searching for a micro switch for a switch transplant.
This now gave me an opportunity to buy the Fenix PD32. Now I don't have to worry about battery leaks as batts are lithium. :P

Knives: as I'm also on a budget. Got my self the Spyderco Persistence. At most I will only allow myself to buy one lock type of each for all Spyderco knives. Shall I have budget to spare, my next purchase might probably be an H1 dragonfly or Salt1 SE. Hitting 3 birds with one stone ( I get almost VG-10 performance on the SE, H1 capabilities, and the back lock). This might be my last Spyderco purchase unless the paramilitary mini comes out.

Multi-tools: I have a leatherman wave and a leatherman squirt P4.
Tempted to buy the new wave or a charge tti. and the new squirt PS4. But I still have both old units and still functional. So did not bothered to change. Have a Victorinox Tinker now gathering dust somewhere in my drawer.

So my everyday EDC is my Wave, cellphone(flashlight), and the rest basically stays at home sitting in the drawer. This made me conclude (as to my standards), that how many tools I collect, they will always end up sitting in my drawer as I will always tend to carry a select few favorites. Unless I feel like batman and have to change my 'utility belt' accessories everyday! lol!

So in the end I only stuck to a few types of EDC.
Everyday EDC (85%)= cellphone flashlight + Wave
Formal wear EDC (5% of the time) = cellphone flashlight + squirt
Field work EDC (10% of the time) = Fenix + Wave

Although collecting is fun I try to make myself contented with what I have. Well, this is just my opinion and how I handle myself on not collecting 'too' much. But of course the temptation is always there, and it doesn't hurt to splurge at times. It is just a matter of personal preference.

[Anonymous]

I've heard of led lenser. If I remember correctly they were bought by leatherman.

[phillipsted]

I really like the 4Sevens Mini Quark lights. They are incredibly small and slip right in your pocket. I've got several of them - one in my briefcase, one on a leash to put around my neck when walking the dog, one on my weekend EDC rotation, one in my wife's purse...

Great little lights.

TedP

[Random Dan]

I think I might be getting a Fenix LD22 from REI this weekend since they have 20% off.

[rg02]

Fenix PD20 is what I went with. It is CR123, but bright as heck, small, and deep carry clip. Great value IMO.

[jackknifeh]

This is perfect for me. Fenix LD01.

Three brightnesses with a twist head. That's it and all I need. No strob, SOS, etc. Twist head once and you have medium (most used), again you have low, again you have high. It is a AAA single battery light. It is by far bright enough to walk my dog with. I have a 16' retractable leash and can see way way farther than that using the meduim setting.

The lumens are 3, 26 and 72.

Here is a picture of it attached to a Jester with a quick release clip for size comparison. I use the clip on the light to quickly get the knife out also. The knife can hang out of the pocket or be inside, out of site.

I went through 4 or 5 lights until I ended up with this. It does just what I want and is very easy to use one handed.

Jack

[SpinDoctor]

I have 3 Fenix lights and I've been very happy with each of them. Good product at a reasonable price. China made of course, but I don't think they are cheaply made at all.