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I'm after a new torch, but a quick search on eBay has returned thousands of results, and I've no idea how many lumens is a good amount..?
I'm just after a small LED CREE type torch that takes either AA or AAA batteries / has ability to focus / metal casing / bright as possible for about £20..
I ordered one from HK (eBay) a few years ago, which was a bargain, but I think its time to upgrade..
Actually just had a thought.. Go into b&q, they do a range of cree lights in there. There's a 2xAA light which can focus, about £20, only about 120lumens though.
I've got a few AA lights, I use a jetbeam BA20 for work every day. It's 2xAA and puts out 270 lumens! Not bad money really http://www.jet-beam.co.uk/BA20/BA20.html
Then get yourself some Sanyo eneloop AA's and a charger and you're good to go.
Just don't get hooked on buying them and ending up with about 30 high power lights in a month lol
They are generally poorly made replicas of decent makes like mentioned above.
You could go onto 4sevens USA website or going gear USA website and they deliver here no problem. 4sevens do free delivery from USA and come in a week or so. You can also get 10% off codes. I've bought loads from USA and never been charged import duty.
That jetbeam ba20 I linked is pretty decent for an AA light.
It depends what you want from it?
It's amazing how many people don't know what's out there (obviously you do) but 99% of the population think a maglite is the daddy whereas my aaa keychain light would blow a 4xD cell maglite away! If you look on YouTube there's a guy does excellent reviews, Marshall from going gear. He actually uses a 4d maglite in every video to compare to everything.
They are generally poorly made replicas of decent makes like mentioned above.
You could go onto 4sevens USA website or going gear USA website and they deliver here no problem. 4sevens do free delivery from USA and come in a week or so. You can also get 10% off codes. I've bought loads from USA and never been charged import duty.
That jetbeam ba20 I linked is pretty decent for an AA light.
It depends what you want from it?
It's amazing how many people don't know what's out there (obviously you do) but 99% of the population think a maglite is the daddy whereas my aaa keychain light would blow a 4xD cell maglite away! If you look on YouTube there's a guy does excellent reviews, Marshall from going gear. He actually uses a 4d maglite in every video to compare to everything.
Cheers, I'll have a look..
I was just looking at my bike lights and they are apparently 900 lumens.. (sounds like a lot to me, but they are bloody bright)
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Scoobyless...
Last edited by 2000 sport; 05 February 2012 at 15:33.
What do they run on, 18650 batteries? There's certainly some amazing lights out there. I've got a few cheaper ones including some '800 lumen' Chinese copies but it's like anything, a cheap 1000 lumen no namer is probably a genuine 500 lumens. There's two ways to measure and the cheaper manufacturers show ratings at the emmiter, most manufacturers go for out the front lumens which is a lower number in comparison.
If your bike lights run on 18650 batteries then you could get a torch that takes those.
Cheaper lights are fine for what they are but the real difference lies in reliability and regulation. The better lights have better drivers, usually more efficient and will drive the led at a constant level rather than an ever decreasing dim like cheaper non regulated lights. The cheaper ones don't usually last with drops too well. The soldering is usually bad and comes away and the led wont be heat sunk well leading it to have a short life. Also the cheaper lights seem to run very blue emmiters so not very colour realistic.
The bike lights are powered by a large Li-Ion pack that straps to the frame... They are dedicated bike lights rather than a torch with a mount.
Cheers for your advice.. I'll try to wade through the crap and get something ordered later on today. My existing (cheap copy) style torch has been great for the price, however struggles to illuminate anything over about 50m away... If I can find a brighter version of that, it would be ideal.. I use the torch for work, so it will get quite a hard life... I just don't really want to spend much on something that will potentially get lost, smashed or nicked whilst at work.
I have Fenix PD20 Q5 and is small enough to fit on my keyring. Goes up to 190 lumens regulated output which means the light doesn't dim as the battery drains.
i have had one of these for over a year, was a bit more than the price listed but very happy with it i bought some rechargables from maplins, but im shocked how long the batteries last compared to normal torches, a friend has a lenser and this in my opinion is better for battery life and distance.
Great thread. I currently have a couple of maglites, not the real big thick one, next one down that takes about 4 C size batteries. Normally filument bulb. Getting a bit old now, so am looking at a new LED torch.
I liked a couple of the examples about, the £58 looked good, but dear. How do you measure whats a good or bad led torch ?? How do the maglite led torches compare ? Stil la good make ??
I would like a nice bright, torch, as power as I can get, thats reliable and good battery life if its just left alone, I suppose if it was a phone, its standby time. £40 budget.
Cree Trustfire for me - brilliant. 230 lumens. Seemed quite a bit better than the Lenser (lost) it replaced. Cheaper too. That was 12 months ago and no complaints yet
If you want mega bright with long range, go for a HID flashlight. It's the closest you'll get to holding a light saber!! There are also LED kits to convert existing Maglites from filament to LED, I did this with my 2xAAA mini maglite, much brighter that before.
Great thread. I currently have a couple of maglites, not the real big thick one, next one down that takes about 4 C size batteries. Normally filument bulb. Getting a bit old now, so am looking at a new LED torch.
I liked a couple of the examples about, the £58 looked good, but dear. How do you measure whats a good or bad led torch ?? How do the maglite led torches compare ? Stil la good make ??
I would like a nice bright, torch, as power as I can get, thats reliable and good battery life if its just left alone, I suppose if it was a phone, its standby time. £40 budget.
SBK
Do you know what batteries you want to use?
Most high end torches use li-ion batteries, 18650 being the most common (basically what laptop battery packs have inside)
Li-ion require special chargers and respect for charging and use.
I do have one of these for sale (with the 26650 batt and charger, boxed as new, never carried just tested) 4sevens Maelstrom S12. Puts out a proper 800 lumens. A lot of cheap torches quote big numbers but come nowhere near! Interesting to show what a proper little light can do against a huge, old tech light, like a 4 D cell maglite. Comparison near end starts at 4:50min
One of the best bargain torches that's got some decent poke is the olight i6 paladin. Genuine 420 lumens. You can get it delivered from USA for $58 so prob about £40? It takes 1 x 18650 or 2x cr123 batteries. The 18650's are obviously rechargeable but the cr123's are lithium non rechargeable, available here (although costly)
My recommendation would be the i6 and go on eBay and get some senybor, redilast or Panasonic18650 batts and a charger. It's about the cheapest way for a quality setup.
You can get a '1000 lumen' led light off eBay with 2 trustfire batts and a charger for about £15 BUT the light will be cheap and it'll show, it'll be more like 300 lumens and the batteries are usually dangerous or will seriously under perform. Peel the label off cheap 18650 batteries and you'll find they are reclaimed laptop cells with the tabs ground off.
You get what you pay for!
Last edited by jameswrx; 06 February 2012 at 16:36.
I work offshore and swear by my LED Lenser torches. They have stood up to a barrage of abuse from me (dropped from heights, submerged in oil and water and have outlasted every other torch I have owned) and I find they for the price they have a great light and can easily be focused or wide angled at the pull of the torch head.
I have an LED Lenser P7 which is a good torch and you can go from wide angle to spot beam easily, but my best torch by far is my Fenix TK12 R5 its a small torch but on full power puts out something like 270 lumens. Also use a Petzl head torch at work brilliant for hands free working.
I have an LED Lenser P7 which is a good torch and you can go from wide angle to spot beam easily, but my best torch by far is my Fenix TK12 R5 its a small torch but on full power puts out something like 270 lumens. Also use a Petzl head torch at work brilliant for hands free working.
I use a petzl tikka 2 at work but could do with something a bit brighter. *Going to try a zebralight next I think, maybe h51, 200 lumens out of a single AA cell is pretty impressive.
Torches / LED Lenser type..
