Flashlights: Do the Twist

I guess you could say that I’m a connoisseur of flashlights. I live out in the boondocks where streetlights don’t exist. As a solar installer I paradoxically spend a lot of time in people’s basements, poking around with wires in the dark. I have about a dozen flashlights, many of which live in the backs of drawers due to their poor functionality. In no particular order, here are some ideas about buying flashlights.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are the only way to go, this side of law enforcement work. If you need to blind and disorient a perp or illuminate the far end of an alley to get a clear shot, then go with one of those lithium powered xenon tactical lights. If you are anyone else, get an LED light or an LED conversion for your existing light. They last 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs and you’ll get astounding run time out of your batteries.

On the subject of batteries, get AA powered lights. You will see neat looking little clip lights powered by coin batteries, but the coin batteries die quickly and are expensive for the time you get out of them. You will also see LED lights powered by three AAA batteries in a cylindrical holder. The manufacturer did this to achieve something close to the right voltage in a small package. These lights tend to go dark quickly and the holders get cranky after a while. See my previous post about rechargeable batteries.

There are three kinds of switches that you’ll see on flashlights: slide, button, and twist. Slide and button switches tend to die young. Only the large Maglites seem to have decent buttons. I bought a Nite Ize brand “IQ” switch with the LED conversion for my Maglite. It screwed on in place of the regular tailcap and offered three intensity settings, three blinking rates, and a small red LED for finding the thing in the dark. Cool, but it died within a few months. The twist-head method of the small Maglites and the large Petzl headlamps seem to go on forever.

In the realm of LED lights, get the single 1-Watt or 3-Watt products and avoid the ones with arrays of LEDs set in the face. The multiple LED lights don’t focus well and the weaker LEDs go dark as the battery runs down.

My two favorite lights are my LED converted mini Maglite and my LED converted Petzl headlamp. The headlamp is a twist-on type with a large reflector and a separate 3-AA battery pack on the back. It is bulkier than the nifty little ones you’ll see in camping stores, but it throws a truly functional beam suitable for working in dark spaces and the batteries last for hours.

For your perusal:

My Maglite with the head taken off. The LED conversion bulb looks like a flying saucer with two wire prongs sticking out the bottom. It is a slide in replacement for the original halogen bulb.

My Petzl headlamp. The lower picture is with the lens taken off – blinding.

Two multiple LED lights. The one on the left is redeemed by the fact that it runs on one AA battery and is a twist-on. The one on the right has three AAA batteries in it and the option of twist-on or a tailcap button switch that I don’t use. I had another of the same model that was crippled by a quickly broken button switch.

My recommendation: Get a mini Maglite and convert it with a 1-Watt LED. It will last forever, or at least as long as you do. If you feel the need for hands-free light, get a Petzl headlamp. You can get an LED conversion for those as well. Here’s the link for Nite Ize flashlight products and one for their dealers. Here’s the link for Petzl headlamps.  The model I have isn’t available any more, but the Duo Atex LED 5 and the MYO 3 look good to me.

Comments

[Anonymous]

Dear Maven,

I got a "charge" out of finding another person who had discovered the Nite Ize web site and product line. I've retrofitted my small and large Maglites with LED bulbs and the smaller of the two has the clickable switch at the back end. I guess I've had slightly better luck with the flashing red strobe than you have as mine is still up and running. Have you tried any of the Figure 9 rope tighteners? If not, and you have need for a quick, reliable method for securing loads without needing an encyclopedic knowledge of knots, these clever innovations are just the trick. I keep a collection of both the small and large sizes and the pre-cut nylon ropes (available as a package) and they have yet to let me down. Now, I'm going to look for the rechargeable AA batteries you've recommended and the charger, as well. I hate buying package after package of AAs and throwing them away and, as you point out, the rechargeable AAs I've been using discharge very quickly and never seem to have any life left when I need them.

I'd like to pose a different question and perhaps prompt a topic for one of your articles. Have you ever conducted one of your typically thoughtful and thorough researches into the cost-effectiveness of full-hybrid vehicles? My wife and I are currently revisiting the notion of buying a hybrid car and are looking at 2009 Priuses and 2010 Honda Insights. Toyota seems to have set the bar for technological innovation and fuel efficiency, but the Insight is priced competitively and seems to be garnering some positive press regarding the driving experience and "feel" of the car. To make this decision even more difficult, there's the added guilt associated with buying a new car at all. We could probably make due with our tired, old gas-engine hatchback, but the poor thing's not as reliable as it once was.

Thanks so much for your work. I continue to suggest your site to friends. like-minded and otherwise.