Cheap flashlights that use a single 18650 battery?

[mikegideon]

17 minutes ago, DaveTN said:

I mean the light level. My Fenix PD35 is on/off with the tailcap switch and has a button on the side with memory for light levels. My Streamlight Protac HL 5-X is a very good well made light. But the more I use it the more I wish I had bought something else. it does everything with one button; and it sucks. Its not user friendly at all and I’ll never buy another set-up like that.

I'm a big PD35 Tac fan. I have 3 of them

[DaveTN]

1 hour ago, mikegideon said:

I'm a big PD35 Tac fan. I have 3 of them

I may have to Be Like Mike.

 

EDIT: you see this?? Shorter, lighter, brighter, and comes with a battery.

https://www.fenixlighting.com/product/fenix-e30r-rechargeable-flashlight/

 

Edited April 28, 2019 by DaveTN

[jgradyc]

4 hours ago, DaveTN said:

I mean the light level. My Fenix PD35 is on/off with the tailcap switch and has a button on the side with memory for light levels. My Streamlight Protac HL 5-X is a very good well made light. But the more I use it the more I wish I had bought something else. it does everything with one button; and it sucks. Its not user friendly at all and I’ll never buy another set-up like that.

Hmm. I have three lights with the button on the side.

They're Xanes cheapo18650 LED lights for about $7. They have one side button that is clicked once to turn on to bright, again to switch to low, again to change to strobe, and again to turn off. They're floodies with a sliding lens to zoom from spot to flood. They're adequate for indoors, but weak compared to the other lights I mentioned. I hate them. I can never find the side button when I want to turn them on or change the brightness. The BLF Q8 has a side button, too, but it glows green in the dark so it's not as bad.

To each his own, I guess... 

Edited April 29, 2019 by jgradyc
Clarify what happens with each click.

[DaveTN]

15 hours ago, jgradyc said:

Hmm. I have three lights with the button on the side.

They're Xanes cheapo18650 LED lights for about $7. They have one side button that is clicked once to turn on to bright, again to switch to low, again to change to strobe, and again to turn off. They're floodies with a sliding lens to zoom from spot to flood. They're adequate for indoors, but weak compared to the other lights I mentioned. I hate them. I can never find the side button when I want to turn them on or change the brightness. The BLF Q8 has a side button, too, but it glows green in the dark so it's not as bad.

To each his own, I guess... 

What I’m interested in is a light that turns on and off with a push of a button in the tail cap; not the side. I like having the brightness level setting, with memory, on the side out of the way. I’m not changing brightness levels much and have no need for flashing or SOS modes.

[quedz]

 DaveTN, I didn't realize I "needed" one of these until you started this thread.  Ended up ordering this...

https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Flashlight-Features-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B07FKGC9XM?th=1

[DaveTN]

4 minutes ago, hughd said:

 DaveTN, I didn't realize I "needed" one of these until you started this thread.  Ended up ordering this...

https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Flashlight-Features-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B07FKGC9XM?th=1

Cool... let us know what you think when you get it.

[Moped]

22 hours ago, seez52 said:

Not what you asked for but the two free lights with coupon at Harbor Freight are great lights in a pinch. They have redesigned both of them and are pretty darn bright. 

Man, I pick these up everytime I'm in there.  Can't have too many of these around the house!!!  And most of the time they are FREE!!!

[1fast4by]

https://drop.com/buy/folomov-18650s-900-lumen-tactical-flashlight

[TennesseeCamper]

On 4/29/2019 at 10:16 AM, DaveTN said:

What I’m interested in is a light that turns on and off with a push of a button in the tail cap; not the side. I like having the brightness level setting, with memory, on the side out of the way. I’m not changing brightness levels much and have no need for flashing or SOS modes.

Dave you know you can program your streamlight to high only,  or low high.  Then you don’t have worry about strobe or sos.  I programmed one of mine to high only.

[DaveTN]

On 4/29/2019 at 11:10 AM, hughd said:

 DaveTN, I didn't realize I "needed" one of these until you started this thread.  Ended up ordering this...

https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Flashlight-Features-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B07FKGC9XM?th=1

So what do you think of it?

[quedz]

12 hours ago, DaveTN said:

So what do you think of it?

I'm quite pleased with it. I even picked up some Pan. batteries, a decent XTAR VP2 charger and a right angle head lamp shell. It came in handy finishing up the "lawn" last night. I really had no idea what these little Li-ion batteries were capable of. 

[Colt4530]

Protac 1AAA

https://tacticalgear.com/streamlight-protac-1aaa

[Prod951]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F324081907978

 

Buy this you will be more then happy.

[DaveTN]

11 hours ago, Prod951 said:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F324081907978

 

Buy this you will be more then happy.

Thanks, I'll compare that. But its only $19.99 on Amazon.

[Prod951]

you get 2 for 29 dude

[DaveTN]

6 minutes ago, Prod951 said:

you get 2 for 29 dude

My bad. I wasn't paying attention, thanks.

[quedz]

Dude, it's been a year, you still looking?

[DaveTN]

7 minutes ago, hughd said:

Dude, it's been a year, you still looking?

Yes, I’ve had other things going on with guns to buy, etc.  

I have went with the 18650 as a battery on all new flashlights, so I’m always looking for quality flashlights at a low price.

[jgradyc]

5 minutes ago, DaveTN said:

Yes, I’ve had other things going on with guns to buy, etc.  

I have went with the 18650 as a battery on all new flashlights, so I’m always looking for quality flashlights at a low price.

In your price range, it's difficult to beat the BLF A6 at $16.99. As I said last year, I've had five; four are still working fine after maybe 5 years of use. The tailcap went out on one and I replaced the switch. It was... IIRC... maybe $4. I would suggest the 1A (6500k) bulb.  I bought one 5A bulb and it's too yellow and too dim compared to the 1A. It is highly programmable. I set mine at in 5 mode increasing brightness with no strobe modes. So I have firefly, low, med, high, and turbo. I can long click and it will open in firefly or I can quick click and it will open in the last mode it was in when it was turned off. The instructions for programming are on Budget Light Forum.

By the way, if you have any old laptops, you can break open the battery pack. It will have 4 or 6 18650 batteries.

https://www.banggood.com/BLF-A6-XPL-1600Lumens-74modes-EDC-LED-Flashlight-18650-p-991823.html?rmmds=search&ID=518106&cur_warehouse=CN

[tbenedict]

Where did you get the switch?  I have an old Shining Beam S-Mini that I think has a bad switch (reverse).   Came with two and both seem bad after cleaning and such.