I need some good flashlights?

[John K Jordan]

I never purchased any of the high priced flashlights. Most have been Home Depot specials and the like. Maybe that's why I have so much trouble with them. Any suggestions on a good quality flashlight with the following limitations? I want to purchase about 4 of them.
Dependable
Battery operated, not rechargeable
Not made in China
Only 1 setting, on and off. I don't want to go through a bunch of unnecessary settings like flashing lights, light intensity, etc.
LED
Small and compact using AA or AAA batteries

I'm a bit of a flashlight freak and have bought a bunch, some quite expensive. I am incredibly picky about my lights. I give away those that don't measure up.

My hands-down all time favorite flashlight is the Fenix LD22. I use them around the farm, house, shop, cars, crawl spaces, etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Fenix-LD22-20.../dp/B01418RAZY
I see from my Amazon orders I've bought eight of these so far.

A small thing, two AA batteries. Fits nicely in back pocket.
Extremely well built.
Comes with clip and lanyard and belt case.

The switch gets an A+ rating in my book:
- it's a simple ON/OFF switch
- has no annoying brain-damaged flashing modes to click through.
- a partial press turns the light on momentarily, press further to click on - perfect for occasional blips of light when walking at night.
- the light is shaped so I can hold it up between two fingers and press the switch on the back with my thumb

The light output gets an A+ rating. The reflector gives a very smooth light pattern.
There are four brightness settings controlled by a SEPARATE switch button on the side.
- the dimmest is perfect for walking around the farm at night (rated at 150 hours on one set of batteries)
- the brightest is like a spotlight - I can spot the horses across the pasture at night (only 2.5 hr battery life)
- you can set the desired brightness once and it never changes by itself, but the different levels are there if you ever need them
There is an SOS and strobe mode but they did it right - only activated by pressing and holding the side switch button

I don't know where they are made.

These lights have been incredibly reliable - never had a failure and I use one every day, carry them when traveling. Some have had a lot of abuse.
Claims waterproof to 10 ft. Machined aluminum, o-ring seals.

I do use the different brightness settings around the farm. I keep two by the door and don't go out at night without one.

Pressing the side button several times to cycle through the levels will tell you if the batteries are running down - when the brightest setting is not much brighter than the next brightest it's time to start thinking about replacing the batteries. The low setting will still work for a long time on nearly dead batteries.

In fact, just thinking about it I think I'll order another one...

JKJ

[mike stenson]

I agree Fenix are great. Made in China. As are pretty much all the lights I have that I like. So, that'll be my total time spent on this thread.

[David Bassett]

... My hands-down all time favorite flashlight is the Fenix LD22. ...

Honestly that looks ideal for the way we use flashlights. (99% of the time we'd have it on low, checking backs of cabinets etc., and could bump it to high for the rare exception, though I might still prefer the 3D Maglite when the dog's squared off with a raccoon and I need to help persuade it to leave. So far bright light has tipped the scales, but a club is sort of comforting to me.)

However, for the OP I don't think it'll work. Amazon is wishy-washy about country of origin saying "Made in the USA or Imported". But in the Q/A the answer is that it comes from " Shenzhen, China".

[Phillip Mitchell]

I don't know where they are made, but I have a handful of different style Nebo LED flashlights and they are awesome.

[Steve Mathews]

John Jordon - The Fenix you mentioned appears to be a nice flashlight albeit a bit more over functioned for my needs. But the made in China is a definite deal breaker for me, especially when there are US made alternatives.

[Peter Kelly]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Maglite-...D016/202548490

Made in USA. You can get plastic adapters for Eneloop AAs for use in other battery sized flashlights. I’ve got several LED Maglights and like them a lot.

[Frank Pratt]

If you will not buy anything made in China then you're not going to have the luxury of choosing features. You'll just have to take what you can find, if you can find anything. You can bet that something in any flashlight will be made in China.

[John K Jordan]

I agree Fenix are great. Made in China. As are pretty much all the lights I have that I like. So, that'll be my total time spent on this thread.

Another Fexix light I really like is the HL23 headlamp:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UHZXAYG

Not only does it use a AA battery but it is the lightest weight and most comfortable headlamp I've ever tried. I even bought one for my veterinarian friend for his birthday.

JKJ

[Tom M King]

I just did a search on ebay, to see if the ones I like are available yet with a single function. They are. I ordered a couple from China to see if they are indeed single function switches. Search for Ultrafire 1200 LM single function, if you are interested, or copy and paste the below name in the ebay search box. The body looks the same as the others we've been using for several years. It would be nice to only have an on/off switch.

UltraFire WF-502B Cree XM-L2 U3 LED 1200LM Single Mode Flashlight 18650 Torch

[Steve Mathews]

OK, I ordered a couple of different flashlights mentioned above and will pick up the Maglite from HD that Peter Kelly mentioned. Hopefully at least one will end up to my liking, at which point I will order more to scatter around the property. Thanks everyone for their comments and suggestions. I really had no idea that China had dominated this market area.

[John K Jordan]

... If they are less prone to leakage then I'm all in.

I quit buying Duracell batteries - I’ve had numerous leaks with Duracells over the years. Since I started buying Energizers I’ve had no leaks.

I do use some rechargeable batteries buy prefer standard non-rechargeables. For applications with high drain or where I want long life I buy lithium non-rechargeable, AA, AAA, CR123, etc. Two CR123s can be used in place of one 18650 in many devices.

Tom, do you have a good UV light? I showed one to my vet and he was going to get one. The yellow dye they use to highlight cornea scratches on horses shows up so much better under UV. I use UV for other things such as wood ID and poultry egg testing.

JKJ

[Bruce Page]

My son gave me a Streamlight Stinger a few years ago. Best flashlight I've ever had. Simple on/off and very bright. It is rechargeable tho.

[Ben Helmich]

Lithium batteries store longer and leak less. I use them in lights that absolutely have to work immediately.

[Joe Hendershott]

I also have Maglites from when I first started in public safety 35 years ago. Made in America and made to last.

[Dick Strauss]

I quit buying Duracell batteries - I’ve had numerous leaks with Duracells over the years. Since I started buying Energizers I’ve had no leaks.

I do use some rechargeable batteries buy prefer standard non-rechargeables. For applications with high drain or where I want long life I buy lithium non-rechargeable, AA, AAA, CR123, etc. Two CR123s can be used in place of one 18650 in many devices.

Tom, do you have a good UV light? I showed one to my vet and he was going to get one. The yellow dye they use to highlight cornea scratches on horses shows up so much better under UV. I use UV for other things such as wood ID and poultry egg testing.

JKJ

UV light can help to sterilize surfaces too...