LED Flashlights
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
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LED Flashlights
Anybody ever use an LED Flashlight?
I use a mini mag light for doing home inspections for insurance claims. Its small but not much light out put. Looking for something small with a little more light.
How do the new LED flashlights compare to the regular flashlights?
I use a mini mag light for doing home inspections for insurance claims. Its small but not much light out put. Looking for something small with a little more light.
How do the new LED flashlights compare to the regular flashlights?
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 686
Likes: 1
From: Edgewood, Wa
I use them for work, a small one with 5 led bulbs illuminates like no other, and the tiny one that is the size if a pen, and fits in yer pocket is great also...
look for the rechargable ones, a few bucks more, but never have to buy batterys again!
look for the rechargable ones, a few bucks more, but never have to buy batterys again!
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,643
Likes: 35
From: Orange County, CA
I have one, has 3 LEDs, it's okay, a little better than a standard light, but not great on distance. For instance, the power wnet out here the other night at 8 pm, my LED was okay to see things closer, but my parents standard light gave off a better beam for distance.
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
I have one with 3 LEDs that clips on the brim of a ball cap. It is great for walking or working hands free at night. It is useless for distance. I have another one on my key ring that has a single LED and a lens which throws a spot beam that works fairly well for lighting up stuff within a few feet. It works for me inspecting floor joists etc but if you wanted to use one professionally you would need a multi LED unit. Battery life is great. 30+ hours with 3 AAA on the clip on unit. The keychain unit claims 100 hours with 4 button batteries like the ones in a watch. The LEDs will probably never burn out.
This is the keychain unit:
LED flashlight, V1 Power Lenser (white) by Coast Cutlery Co. $15
www.coastcutlery.com Lifetime warranty 1-800-426-5858
P.O. Box 5821 Portland, OR 97228
Uses 4 each AG13 (LR44) alkaline 1.5V batteries
100 hour battery life, 100,000 hr LED life
Purchased from Cabela's
This is the keychain unit:
LED flashlight, V1 Power Lenser (white) by Coast Cutlery Co. $15
www.coastcutlery.com Lifetime warranty 1-800-426-5858
P.O. Box 5821 Portland, OR 97228
Uses 4 each AG13 (LR44) alkaline 1.5V batteries
100 hour battery life, 100,000 hr LED life
Purchased from Cabela's
The Pacifier
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,245
Likes: 7
From: Cloverdale, BC
I have a single LED light that uses 3 AAAA (that's right, 4 A's) batteries that I use whenever I'm under a truck looking real close at stuff. Our foreman has a 5 LED flashlight. As said before, they aren't real good for anything other than up close stuff.
Here's what mine looks like:
http://www.theledlight.com/stylus.html
Here's what mine looks like:
http://www.theledlight.com/stylus.html
Last edited by bigrigfixer; Nov 1, 2004 at 11:07 PM.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 586
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From: Tottenham Ontario Canada
I have a couple of LED flashlights. As mentioned by others, they are great for up close but not good for distance. The ones I have use button cell batteries. In one case, I spent less money on the light than a set of replacement batteries will cost me... should have bought 10 of them and pitched the whole light when the batteries kacked.
I recently saw a headband-mounted LED lamp with 11 LEDs for $25 Cdn. It used AA or AAA batteries but I did not buy it. I think the headlights are useful if you are not in real tight quarters, but they look too geeky for me. A couple of co-workers have different LED headlamp models and they love them.
In general, I like how compact the button-cell LED lights are, but I would happily use a AAA powered LED light for the longer battery life & lower battery cost.
Cheers,
Eric
I recently saw a headband-mounted LED lamp with 11 LEDs for $25 Cdn. It used AA or AAA batteries but I did not buy it. I think the headlights are useful if you are not in real tight quarters, but they look too geeky for me. A couple of co-workers have different LED headlamp models and they love them.
In general, I like how compact the button-cell LED lights are, but I would happily use a AAA powered LED light for the longer battery life & lower battery cost.
Cheers,
Eric
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Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 2
From: S/C Texas
My cell phone has an LED flashlight built in to it.........its nice.
LED's are awsome.......use hardly any power, last about for ever, cant hardly break from abuse, and are very bright when considering the others factors.
LED's are awsome.......use hardly any power, last about for ever, cant hardly break from abuse, and are very bright when considering the others factors.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 2,007
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From: Oregon
Everyone I work with and I are hooked on the Energizer LED lights. They only have 2 white LED's, but they have magnifying lenses, so they put out the light. They are green with a headband, (although I rarely use it, the headband is great for crawling under houses or getting up in a drop ceiling.) I think it's the lenses that make the difference. They have a more focused beam than the other LED lights I've used. Plus they have a red LED, so you can keep your night vision on those midnight missions...
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 127
Likes: 0
From: Layton UT
We have started getting them at work (US Air Force) for use on the flightline at night. They are great for most purposes, have great battery life, are very durable (even compared to a maglight) and put out a nice even light with none of the 'rings of light' that you get with a maglight. But if you need to see something at a distance, forget it. Bright as can be when you shine it in somebody's eyes though. 
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
I don't understand why they are so bright when you look at them. That 3 LED unit I have is like looking at an arc welder, painful and it blinds you for a while. Much brighter than looking at a std flashlight bulb for some reason. The reason I got mine was a mini Maglight bulb burned out on me on a dark overcast moonless night... At least with an LED unit you don't have to worry about bulbs burning out.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 1
From: Prince George, B.C.
I have to agree about the distance thing, I have 2 flashlights, both are larger ones, one is a Mag-Lite that uses 3 D cells, and the other is a 11 Led one that also uses 3 D cells, the Mag is awesome for distance (like 500+ feet) but it goes through a set of batteries about every 3 weeks. (used about an hour a night) I have had the LED one for about 2 months and it is still on the same set of cheap batteries, they are starting to get weak but only noticeable because it will go on and off if you shake it, (the mag does the same thing) but the distance is about 10 feet, and the bluish light gets annoying after awhile. I am looking for an LED one along the lines of a mini Mag for working on car audio installs.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,532
Likes: 5
From: Trussville, Alabama
I have this one:
http://www.pelican.com/new_products/trade.html
Check out their entire line. They are GREAT products. (lifetime warranty).
http://www.pelican.com/new_products/trade.html
Check out their entire line. They are GREAT products. (lifetime warranty).
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,245
Likes: 0
LED lights don't have the range of a typical flashlight because the beams aren't properly focused. Most LED flashlights I've seen usually don't even have a reflector. With a proper reflector, I bet a LED flashlight would far surpass the range of an incandescent.
One of the less obvious advantages of LED lights (white LEDs anyway) is that they produce light that has a color temperature closer to that of natural sunlight, and our eyes are able to pick out objects and detail more easily under the "hotter" light.
Bart
One of the less obvious advantages of LED lights (white LEDs anyway) is that they produce light that has a color temperature closer to that of natural sunlight, and our eyes are able to pick out objects and detail more easily under the "hotter" light.
Bart