LED Flashlight Recommendation?

[Tungsten dipper]

Any suggestions for a small powerful flashlight that has just an on and off switch? There are hundreds out there with multi function buttons; I have one that you have to push the on/off button 6 times just to shut it off. When you are in the middle of a project the last thing I want to worry about is my flashlight shut off! I don't need one that flashes, just on/off.
Thanks.

[deltaenterprizes]

511 makes a nice pocket flashlight for about $25 from Midway USA!

[wierdscience]

I think they have multi-setting switches to prevent blue blindness if you accidentally flash your eyes at night. It's irritating for sure, I carry a Thrunite Ti4 V2 penlight, great light, but two clicks to get anything useful, it is bright, but the four settings are Useless,getting there, WOW is that bright and Turkish disco.

https://thrunite.com/ti4-v2/

[Mike279]

I have a few Coast brand which seem pretty good for quality and moderate price. Then I also bought 5 for under fifteen dollars(small, one AA battery) from Amazon as throwaways. The throwaways work pretty well and placing them around the house and work shop is handy. Either way there are plenty to choose from.

[GadgetBuilder]

I carry a Lumintop IYP365 penlight, 200 lumen. Tail click switch, comes on at medium, half click for low, another half click for high. Full click for off/on, no memory - always comes on at medium. There are two versions, the Nichia has better color rendering, the Cree is a bit brighter. Lists for $20 but often on sale, I paid $12. I've had it for 2 years and am surprised how often I use it poking into dark corners etc.

[Moxiedad2001]

I finally got tired of checkout counter cheapies and took a friend's recommendation to get a Ledlenser (ledlenserusa.com). It's not simple, as you wish, but it is mode-programmable with a few steps. As I have it set now, the light turns off with a single click providing I don't do a quick on/off. (A quick "off" requires holding the button for a couple of seconds, which triggers a rapid blink prior to shutdown. I don't know why a person would want this.)

I love this flashlight, but I'm with you. I hate electronic gadgets that have cheap, programmed "features" that get in the way of everyday use.

[Danl]

I finally got tired of checkout counter cheapies and took a friend's recommendation to get a Ledlenser (ledlenserusa.com). It's not simple, as you wish, but it is mode-programmable with a few steps. As I have it set now, the light turns off with a single click providing I don't do a quick on/off. (A quick "off" requires holding the button for a couple of seconds, which triggers a rapid blink prior to shutdown. I don't know why a person would want this.)

I love this flashlight, but I'm with you. I hate electronic gadgets that have cheap, programmed "features" that get in the way of everyday use.

Sounds like a nice flashlight. I really loath the idiotic, forced, you absolutely NEED this SOS blinky garbage so many designers hardcode into these for our own good. It is amazing to me how many people actually like this feature. I say, let the free market determine the useful features, not some cretin sitting in some cubicle somewhere.

I do wonder if you could program out the rapid blink prior to shutdown, since all I'd like would be a simple single press to turn off feature.

[danlb]

Unfortunately, modern flashlights are swamped with features that people never asked for. Don't get me wrong. I like having a pocket light that can go from 15 to 500 lumens, but there is always a tradeoff. I used to collect flashlights, and I have every style made from 1995 to 2010. That's when I gave up trying to chase the next biggest and best.

The least intrusive that I've used was the Fenix P2D. The interface was simple. The clicky button on the end managed all the features. On click and it was on low. One more click and it was off. When it was on, a partial click would progress to the next brightness level. Alas, they don't sell that one any more. It's nearest replacement is the PD25XPBK which uses a tailcap button for on/off but a button on the side to change output levels.


But if you don't need to have a blinding light, the Fenix e12 has the easy 1 hand operation of the P2D. Only a max of 150 lumens, but 15 years ago 150 lumens was considered blinding in "tactical" situations. https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-e1...veryday-carry/

Dan

[eKretz]

I like Coast lights pretty well. I have several. The only thing I don't like is that they aren't regulated, so the light dims as the battery dies. However, regulated lights generally just are on one second and off the next when the battery dies, so that's annoying too. What they should implement is a regulated light that let's you know when you have only a few minutes of light left with a few blinks on and off or something. That would be nice.

[lugnut]

I have several flashlights that I have had for years. If they have good switches and are tough enough to withstand a drop to the floor, I keep them.. As far as battery life, I have installed LED bulbs that match the old incandescent bulbs that came in them. The LED bulbs are available on Amazon. com. I started putting in the LED bulbs about 5 years ago, and so far I have not had to replace the batteries in any of them. The older I get, the more light I need to see with, so I have flashlights stationed at convenient locations around my house and shop, plus in my car and truck. The bulbs cost about $5, but I have saved way more than that with the added battery life.
A example of the extended battery life: I have a large Mag-lite on my desk in the shop, it normally sets standing upright on the lens. A while back I found it turned on, but still bright, and thinking back to the last time I had used it was two days back. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

[LKeithR]

My go to flashlight now are Maglite, mainly because thay have switches that keep on working.
I've had many flashlights over the years and the first thing that wears out is usually the switch.
Maglite switches, on the other hand, never seem to have problems. For a pocket flashlight I
prefer the Maglite XL 50...

https://maglite.com/collections/led/...-tactical-pack

[lynnl]

I am in no way a flashlight connoisseur. My only requirement is having one at hand when I need it. In fact those Harbor Freight give-aways suit me fine ....I have dozens of them scattered about.
Having said that, I do really like one my son-in-law gave me. It's a promotional item from Matco tools, a Stream Light Stylus Pro. Rechargeable, with a usb port for that purpose, and just a click-on/off switch (it's a bit stiff), and it is one bright little sucker!

[eKretz]

I have several flashlights that I have had for years. If they have good switches and are tough enough to withstand a drop to the floor, I keep them.. As far as battery life, I have installed LED bulbs that match the old incandescent bulbs that came in them. The LED bulbs are available on Amazon. com. I started putting in the LED bulbs about 5 years ago, and so far I have not had to replace the batteries in any of them. The older I get, the more light I need to see with, so I have flashlights stationed at convenient locations around my house and shop, plus in my car and truck. The bulbs cost about $5, but I have saved way more than that with the added battery life.
A example of the extended battery life: I have a large Mag-lite on my desk in the shop, it normally sets standing upright on the lens. A while back I found it turned on, but still bright, and thinking back to the last time I had used it was two days back. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Be careful with leaving those batteries in too long. I have lost more than one 2 D-cell MagLite due to the batteries leaking, corroding and locking themselves into the aluminum tube to the point I could not remove them even with severe and brutal banging against a 2x4 on a cement floor. And the batteries still had plenty of juice to light the flashlight! The battery companies will replace the flashlights but it's a bit of a pain.

[lugnut]

Be careful with leaving those batteries in too long. I have lost more than one 2 D-cell MagLite due to the batteries leaking, corroding and locking themselves into the aluminum tube to the point I could not remove them even with severe and brutal banging against a 2x4 on a cement floor. And the batteries still had plenty of juice to light the flashlight! The battery companies will replace the flashlights but it's a bit of a pain.

So I just took the batteries out of my flashlight (2 D cells) setting here by my computer, NO sign of corrosion, they are Duracell and the date on them is MARCH 2011. Still lighting the lamp bright. I have had batteries in my camera go bad, corroding to the point of not able to get them out, and Duracell sent me a check for $400 to replace the camera. Those batteries was AA's and we're dead. That camera was a battery eating machine.

[gellfex]

My current favorite is Duracell headlamps, 3 pack from Costco for $16. Not only is the headlamp option handy, but these are smarter than average low end units and do a few tricks. It does have several lighting modes on the main lamp, but it's smart enough to know if it's been on a certain amount of time and gets clicked, you want it off, not to cycle to the next mode. It also has a set of 'ambient' lights on a 2nd switch, so it lights a greater area with soft light rather than a tight area with a spot beam, great for just tossing it under a sink you're going to be working on without having to position it. Holding down the spotlight button dims it, and use the 2 buttons to lock it so it can't turn on in your pocket or pack. Best of all, it's a 3 fer, so you can have em everywhere.

On the Maglite front, I have a drawer full of them destroyed by leaking batteries. Done with that. I don't need an EDC light, I have that on my Moto phone with a 'shake to light' feature that is real handy.