bigclive Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Note about batteries. Alkaline cells are fairly unlikely to leak. Traditional "Heavy Duty" zinc chloride cells will almost certainly leak when fully discharged. They also have a fraction of the energy density of alkalines, so will not last anywhere near as long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musht Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I'll add the obvious answer - LED Maglite - I use one daily. The only bug bear is the multi mode switch, but you soon get over that! Think Maglite fell behind a good few years ago now, were very slow to pick up on LEDs. Suprisingly nice for B&Q, and enduring , nephews is couple of years of abuse old, 2 AA format with zoom http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/handtools-storage-workwear/handtools/torches/torches/Pro-Series-Cree-120-Lumens-2AA-11227531?skuId=11738235 If your not in a hurry www.dx.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 Alkaline cells are fairly unlikely to leak.That's what I usually thought. These were 'Energiser' alkaline cells though and all 3 of them, probably from the same batch, had leaked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Dx is great but I purchased a Cree - loaded torch a few weeks ago. Clicky endcap style switch. Switch failed for no apparent reason after a few days. Normally dx stuff is great, just need to be aware and possibly not upset if it dies an early death ... 2c. Etc:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinE Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Ive got an LED Lenser as well. Useful zoom, blindingly bright on full (as bright as a 3xD cell Mag) and includes a 'dim' mode if you are working in a confined space. Nice to hold and very solidly made (they should be for the price). http://www.torchdirect.co.uk/user/products/large/led-lenser-t7.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossmck Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Another in the LED Lenser camp - great light, never had any problem with it, and very well made. Replaced my trusty maglite some time ago (somewhat reluctantly at the time) but they really were too slow to move to LED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Edwards Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I have had a Fenix PD30 R4 for quite a while now. It's chuffing amazing. It's really important to get a proper voltage regulated LED torch. All the cheap ones I had previously bought went dull after mere months. Unfortunately this does not meet the OP's list in anyway but wanted to chuck it into the thread. Only run need to run it at full power now and again so the two CR123s last me at least 6 months. It came with a Lantern diffuser and lots of spares which I have not yet needed. For a torch the size of a packet of extra strong its top notch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisky-zulu Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I use the Maglite XL200 LED (And have done since they came out back in '09) - it takes 3 x AAA cells and is extremely bright. It also has a gyroscopic dimmer, and I've dropped mine a fair few times and it's not caused any issues with the workings of the torch. I'd highly recommend it and have found it more reliable than my Lenser P7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramdram Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I have several torches including two Lensers as well as the usual el cheapo stuff...all of them suffer from a duff press switch at some stage. Certainly they are all very well made from alloy of some description and don't fall apart when dropped. Since buying the Lensers, after being in the wilderness with the el cheapo types, none of them stands head and shoulders above the rest, ref the light output, even including the Lensers. Some of the cheaper kit with a single LED (Cree, say) are to be found at under a fiver (Trago Mills outlets in W Country and Wales) and still work after falling off the desk, which is more of a plus, to me, than being able to illuminate some cave... Shame these manufacturers (some factory in China???) don't spend a tad more on a decent press switch unit, or, and again I include the Lensers, a decent battery basket doodad (with 3 AAAs). I would suggest that if you just need to find your way around under a desk/switch gear the single AA cell types might be a better bet in the reliablity/mismatched AAA cells department. I would avoid the ones with the strobe function for the tech trade...how many times are you really going to need a strobe function at "our"work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianl Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I'm a fenix fan. Have aaa, 2x aaa and 2x aa. Expensive but so much better than my aa maglite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian H Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 http://www.homedepot.com/buy/coast-hp7-focusing-led-flashlight-hp8407cp.html#.UG_J7hg1e_E I buy these when I am in the USA, very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigclive Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 My biggest niggle with many of the (very attractive) turned aluminium torches is that aluminium really isn't a great electrical contact material for screw-on caps. Particularly when anodised. Aluminium oxide and anodised finishes are prone to causing contact issues. A clean-up and tiny dab of Vaseline can sometimes help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zandersned Posted October 7, 2012 Share Posted October 7, 2012 I also have 3 of the el cheapo rolson torches and they are great to use, and nice to hold :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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