Looking for decent flash light and head-lamp........

brino said:
Okay, I will shoulder my share of the blame!

I recently picked up a Coast brand head light and small flashlight as I needed something immediately.
They were available locally, were decently priced and have a lifetime warranty.
They do NOT say gold-plated contacts (which was one thing I wanted) but I'm hopeful that if they start flickering I can use the warranty.

I did do some searching on 18650 stuff, but there's just so many....I had no idea how deep this particular "rabbit hole" was.

-brino
Click to expand...
Brino,
I'll let you know what I think about the Banggood one. After I ordered it I kept surfing and came across several glowing reviews on it. It would be nice, as at less than $30 including battery it's not a bad deal.

I ordered the Nitecore based on reviews, but mostly because it had a normally placed switch (in battery geek speech "side button") and the mode switch is close so I don't need two hands (can be awkward when juggling the leashes). Also the operation supposedly doesn't require a 6 year old to figure out (I looked at the Fenix at REI and both the salesperson and I were baffled on how to just get the thing turned on to the right power).

By the way, who knew flashlights have flippin' software?!

Evan
 
We run an HVAC company... headlights are a regular thing, used daily...
Here is the one we use... found it more by accident than a thorough search:

Amazon.com: Smiling Shark SS-K12 2000 Lumens XML-T6 LED Headlamp, 3 Modes Adjustable Focus Zoomable Headlight Waterproof for Outdoor+2 X Rechargeable Batteries+1 X Charger: Sports & Outdoors

Buy Smiling Shark SS-K12 2000 Lumens XML-T6 LED Headlamp, 3 Modes Adjustable Focus Zoomable Headlight Waterproof for Outdoor+2 X Rechargeable Batteries+1 X Charger: Headlamps - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com

Yeah, funny name... however they seem to work quite well!

They tend to last a year or so... in daily use (includes dropping them and being exposed to weather).

Bought a few extra batteries and a 4 slot battery charger (Amazon)... keep a small box of charged 18650's charged all the time.

GREAT light... bright, and works for 2-3-4 hours depending on which brand of battery you use.
 
brino said:
At work I was using a flash light (and an old hard drive platter as a mirror) to inspect some fans and my light kept blinking.
I would turn it off then on and it was okay for a bit, but then intermittent again.
I could bang it or lightly touch the switch and it was okay for another few minutes.
Click to expand...

Intermittent contacts are probably the worst kind of problem, because there are so MANY. Your original problem sounds like
a damaged cell. Alkaline batteries build up a bit of gas pressure when current is drawn, and this depresses the voltage
and (if lucky) flexes the case or (if unlucky) squeezes some caustic alkali past the seal.

The flex-the-case scenario allows for a loss of spring pressure between anode and external button of the cell, so the cell loses continuity
(but only until the pressure subsides, and that happens in seconds as the current is no longer being drawn). Usually,
you're fiddiing with the switch when this occurs, and blame the switch.....

You also mentioned that there were three cells; that's common when the LED is driven by the voltage and resistance of the
cells WITHOUT any current-control elements. Some such items will take damage if the cell chemistry is changed (you
occasionally see 'use only with...' warnings). A damaged LED of the plastic-case type will often become intermittent, and
I've fixed a few lamps by replacing intermittent LED elements. I think using rechargeable NiMH cells broke one flashlight,
it got VERY bright then very dim.
 
A couple updates.
1) It seems in addition to the Banggood flashlight I also ordered a "cheap" Sofirn 18650 flashlight from Amazon. I am quite impressed for $20 shipped (sans battery) it is a very nice little light. I doubt that it actually achieves the claimed 1600 lumens, but it's plenty bright for me.
2) I also popped an 18650 battery into a "dual fuel" flashlight I've had for a few years. It seems much brighter than with the 3 AAAs. Also, what I thought was flaky switch behavior I'm pretty sure was just the strobe mode. When I was experimenting last night I think I discovered it has 5 modes: dim, med, bright, and 2 strobe modes. It would go into strobe mode unintentionally and I thought it just had a flaky switch (it still might).
 
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My 2 cents
Yes on the rechargables 18650 or the smaller 14500 (same charger and volts). I also hate the "flash, strobe, shine your shoes" but it's hard to find many that are just on/off. If you have the really cheap small colored aluminum, like the Harbor freight giveaways that use 3 AAAs in a holder, you can convert them to use a single 14500 by throwing out the holder and putting a piece of 1/2" slit hose around the battery to keep it in the middle of the cavity.
Buy a good safe charger (XTAR VC2). It charges both sizes of battery and has multiple safety features.
I've converted all sorts of things to these batteries. That being said, buy in quantity!
Aaron
 
First time seeing this thread. For headlamps I like the Streamlight 61601 (Amazon link). Picked it up because I liked that it uses a rechargeable lithium ion pack but also can use 3 regular AAA batteries. Spot and flood, high/low in each and the on/off is easy to use with gloves. Works well, no complaints. That said: i'm not a flashlight guru like some of the other folks here. :)
 
My EDC, shop and now all my home, boat, etc flashlights are Fenix. For my EDC and shop my choice is their PD35 - I'm partial to that one because it utilizes the CR123 batteries which have great shelf life and plenty of power. It also has a reliable tail switch which gives momentary light with a little pressure and on/off with a firm click. It is also completely separate from the intensity selector. I haven't moved to rechargeable as it hasn't seemed necessary.

For headlamps I'm a longtime Petzl customer. Started using them for outdoor activties - hunting, scouting, etc. Now I have one in the shop that gets used more than you might think and one in my vehicle. Sometimes being able to go hands free AND see what your doing makes all the differences.
 
I've received all the flashlight-related orders. Here are my initial assessments.

1. Nitecore EC4S ($100 delivered): Outstanding flashlight. Great quality, easy to use, comfortable. Highly recommended.
2. Sofirn SP32A ($20 delivered): Outstanding flashlight. Great quality. Not as bright as the Nitecore, but bright enough, plus smaller and more compact--basically a little bit larger than an 18650 battery.
3. Banggood BLF A6 XPL 1600LM with Samsung 3000 mAh battery ($30 delivered): Meh. Really disappointed after reading and seeing the great reviews. The flashlight is ok, but I don't like it as much as the Sofirn. Plus the battery won't charge. I've filed a claim with Banggood so we'll see.
4. Nitecore Intellicharger i2 2016 2-Channel Charger ($15 delivered): Seems to work fine. Recommended.
5. Samsung 3500 mAh button-top 18650 batteries ($40 for 6 delivered): Too early to tell, but boy they sure seem brighter than the Tenergy 2600 mAh batteries I had on hand, and I think I paid $15 each for those.

Conclusion: Come on down the rabbit hole! The weather's fine!
 
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