18650 flashlight — recommendations?
 

I have two flashlights that burn 18650 batteries, and both are giving me trouble (one all but died and now gives but a soft glow; the other blinks off every now and then).

So, I'm shopping for a replacement.

I don't need a blinking function; a high and low would be good.

Any recommendations are welcomed.

this romisen has been solid for me for over a year.. 2 modes - high and medium - fantastic throw and decent burn time in high - go to medium if you need 2 hours

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...M-dsh-L/Detail

What flashlights do you currently have? If they are P60 compatible you may just be able to replace the "bulb" if that is the issue, plus you can have a wide choice of emitters and modes.

I have a P Rocket (also from Shiningbeam) that has been going strong for a couple years.

I like these flashlights, but they're frustrating for bike use. First of all, they're designed for maximum brightness, at the expense of battery life. Can't I get a good one that puts out 150 or 200 lumens and runs a few hours? I'd like it to be more floody than reachy. If it can burn TWO 18650 cells in parallel, it can run for a good, long time, but the two-cell models are just brighter, not longer lasting. I hope I'm wrong. Tell me I'm wrong.

Plenty of flashlights running on single 18650 cells have 200 lumen low or medium mode. I've used that for years before moving on to dynamo setups, then I retired these for household use, the high mode is way too bright for household use.

Adjust to Flood or Spot. I have three of them. Many models to choose from. I like the three mode.

http://www.fasttech.com/products/160...umen-3-mode-zo

http://www.fasttech.com/products/160...-mode-zooming-

Bright run time is 3 hours.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...ndyTrip003.jpg

OK, it's good, huh? What is the capacity of a 14500 cell? Will I need a new charger? I have two 18650 chargers already.

Didn't notice the 14500.

Just get one with 18650 batteries.

Lezyne Super Drive and Super Drive XL if you want something bike specific. The XL is regulated so it won't dim but supposedly the bluish light makes it seem dimmer than the regular Super Drive. I have the XL and I really like the bar mount design, makes it easy to rotate the light up or down on the fly. I try to be considerate to pedestrians and rotate the light down after dark so it's less blinding. I run it in flash mode during the day which helps prevent left-crosses.

I think the max you can get out of a 14500 Lithium Ion is around 1000 mAh. A good 14500 I have tried, the Sanyo UR14500P gives about 840 mAh. A good 18650 Lithium Ion can give you as much as 3400 mAh like the Panasonic NCR18650Bs. Most chargers can charge any 3.7 volt Lithium Ion cells from 10440s to 26650s.

Back to the OP, why not try C8s? Its a good thrower so seeing far ahead shouldn't be a problem.

I have four C8s and the Convoy C8s I got from FastTech are better than my other C8s. http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/224242247.html
It has very good finish and preforms better than UltraFire C8s. It also allows you to choose your modes and its driver automatically shuts the light off when the battery is low hence protecting your lithium ion from over-discharge. :thumb:

A good light can perform at its peak if you use good cells. Panasonics and Sanyos are my favorites and these cells have never failed me. There are a lot of good quality cell out there like Keepowers, LGs, Samsungs and Redilasts and many people are satisfied with them too. I wouldn't recommend cells with *&^%Fire brands though. :)

Nightbird, where do you buy those cells?

That C8 is a monster!

Thanks for all the comments.

One of the flashlights I have now is an UltraFire. The other, the one that now just murmurs with lumens, is another brand and I can't remember. It was actually a higher-quality flashlight, at least in "how it feels in the hand" measure.

I wanted a flashlight, rather than a bike-specific light. That's because this is a backup bike, as far as commuting (it is my road bike). My regular commuter has a dynamo hub that powers a headlight and a taillight.

I've got a handy handlebar mount that I picked up somewhere, so a flashlight is a good fit, and it is something I can use to find the dog when he gets into wolf mode in the back yard.

I have some Fenix lights that burn AA batteries. Those are well-made lights and have given me no trouble, so I went to the Fenix web site. Nice lights, but too expensive for this assignment.

I wish I had seen the post about the Romisen light before I went on Amazon, where I was seduced by an offer for an "UltraFire WF502B Cree T6," for $7.83 and free (but slow — must be on a horse-cart) shipping.

The SacredFire (what a name!) lights look interesting, but I don't know what a 14500 battery might be. I've already strayed into Weird Battery Zone with my six 18650s (the Batteries Plus store near my house doesn't carry them or a charger for them, and the people there give you funny looks when you mention "18650.")

That TrustFire C8 — do you need a license to carry that thing? Looks like it could peel paint! But I need a smaller light that my handlebar mount can handle. Not sure it could keep a long light in place going over bumps.

I agree with the earlier post, that it would be good if these lights had a longer burn time.

They sure do put out some light, though.

Thanks, everyone.

I have a 501b (or maybe it's a 502b) and it's nice but the battery runs down too fast.

I don't mind that 18650 cells and chargers are hard to find. I have about six cells also, and I have two chargers, so I'm set.

I buy most of my batteries from Fasttech. http://www.fasttech.com/category/1420/batteries/-/p/6/ http://www.fasttech.com/category/1420/batteries/-/p/9/

Oh I'm sorry. I have posted the wrong link. Its a TrustFire X-100 using four 26650s and it is indeed a monster.

Here's the link of the Convoy C8 from Fasttech:
https://www.fasttech.com/p/1212403

That'd have been a good choice at a good price.

Zebralight SC600

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...ps42c7ceac.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...pse744f94b.jpg

Small, light weight, i get over 2 hours run time and it has a turbo mode output of 1100 lumens.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...psc3c2936a.jpg

I have bigger and brighter torches, but the SC600 is by far the most used in my torch collection and i must have over 20 torches, so that's saying something.

this is what i use as a bike headlight - http://dx.com/p/ultrafire-th-t60-ha-...-x-18650-57007

i like it and it's cheap, so i bought a 2nd one. the 2nd one has no mode memory and the light is a higher colour-temperature (more of a blue tint).

i've also got an SRT7 - http://www.nitecore.com/productDetail.aspx?id=83

the SRT7 is amazing, but that $30 DX light is plenty "good enough" to strap to my handlebars with velcro.

That's Zebra is a nice light!

The $95 pricetag, though, puts it beyond my reach.

If this were to be my main cycling light, $95 would be OK — plenty of bike lights cost more — but for a backup light that mainly will be used around the house ... I'd have a hard time explaining the cost to management!

That looks like a well-built beamer.

Interesting safety precautions ...

Smasha's UltraFire TH-T60 looks a lot like the flashlight I have that is now in ultra-dim mode.

It gave me no trouble at all until last week.

I got mine from DealExtreme, too, but I'm not ordering from there any more. I got one DX light (another 18650-powered light, this one with a red LED that I used for a taillight) that was DOA. I got a replacement, but it was a bit of a hassle. Not condemning the company, and I know many people here have used DX with great success, just expressing my preference.

Now, that Nitecore ... what a light! Guys, check it out.

A lot of engineering went into that one. I've never seen an LED flashlight that could go red, green or blue light (blue, for blood-stain detection!)

The switch is in the ring behind the light head. All of my flashlights have the push-button switch in the end, which seem to vary in quality and reliability.

The Nitecore page did not give a price for "The Revenger." I'm guessing this is not a $30 flashlight.