Battery Preferences

[Travis Autry]

I'm looking at the various styles of lights and batteries and considering which would be the best to offer in The Multitool.org Store.

My preference is AA because of the easy availability of batteries, but I am far from a light afficionado.  I want to offer what members like and might purchase.  Please vote and let me know your thoughts.

[sawman]

I'm not by any means a light expert either but I voted for CR123 because I keep them readily available and they last long and pack quite a punch.  They can be found in local stores for a fee or ordered in numbers for a much better price.

[Syph007]

I chose AA.  I decided I wanted all my mobile gear to have one type of battery so I just stock AA rechargeables to run it all.  I have an emergency radio runs on AA, flashlights, and also a little box that holds 4 AA and can be used to charge any USB device, such as my phone.

[JAfromMn]

I carry a AAA light on my keys and a cr123 or AA light in my pocket

I think you need to offer at lest them three.

I can't pick just one sorry 

[dks]

I use AA, AAA, 18650 and LR41 etc.

Ideally if you could get some good prices on eneloops in AA or some known brand protected 18650 then it will be quite nice.

The problem for the non US lot is that the shipping costs for such small and widely available goods could be high, especially in comparison to free shipping or low shipping offered by companies in China, UK etc.

I would suggest you also look into lower, business type, shipping as well to make it easier for us to buy.

I vote for AA, by the way.

  no, I accidentally pressed the AAA button, so adjust if possible...

[powernoodle]

AA may be the most common. I carry an 18650 in a Quark, for high output and long runtime.  But I'm a flashlight freak too.

[Gareth]

I use AA a lot but the one thing I always have on me is a 1xAAA of some kind.

[Lynn LeFey]

I'd love to consolidate all my electronic gear to AA, but the smaller AAA lights save a lot of space. Either of those, specifically for the ease of finding batteries for them.

[Styerman]

CR123's , get em in bulk and cheap . Very high energy density , short overall length , makes for a light with a good hand filling girth .

I keep looking a AA's , cant find the right single AA . Single AAA's are too skinny and hard to hold onto in times of stress , 2xAAA penlights are great , just never found the performance or durability I want .

I'm kinda in a bind as I dislike/distrust Chinese product and avoid buying it when possible .

Chris

[Millhouse]

I use to favour AA and AAA. I had a bunch of lights that used them, and got myself a decent charger and a load of Eneloops.

Recently, I got myself a Pila IBC charger and some 18650's. It means I can have high output for cheap running. My EDC is now a light operating on one 18650 that is also capable of taking 2 CR123's.

I have kept some AA lights, but they have been relegated to emergency duty.

[enki_ck]

AAA during the summer, AAA and AA during the winter when I have more and bigger pockets and need more light.

[tattoosteve99]

Well I guess I'm the oddball of the bunch. I prefer rcr123. That's rechargeable cr123 for those who dont know. Other than that a high quality rechargeable AA and AAA are never bad options. 18650 are very popular also.

[Sazabi]

My vote goes for AA because they're not only cheaper, but have a better capacity over AAA batteries.  I'd be fine with CR123As, and in fact, I have two lights that can run them, however I don't like the tendency for tubes of fire with mismatched cells in a light, combined with the asinine prices brick and mortar stores like to charge for them. o.o

[mtool78]

AA, imo it has the best availability/capacity/price-ratio where I live.

[mvyrmnd]

I voted for "Something Else" as my two primary flashlights use 18350 and 32650 batteries.

In order of most used to least used for me:

18350
32650
18650
14500
16340
AA
AAA

[Beerplumber]

CR123's for me. I use a few rechargeables but rarely buy them. Best output for a relatively common disposable IMHO. 


Stay multi my friends

[ducttapetech]

cr123 for me.

[legtu]

my preference for an edc light is AAA or rcr123 then 18650.

[nuphoria]

Well I guess I'm the oddball of the bunch. I prefer rcr123. That's rechargeable cr123 for those who dont know. Other than that a high quality rechargeable AA and AAA are never bad options. 18650 are very popular also.

I'm with you - RCR123 is always my 1st choice. I do have a couple of AA and AAA lights too, and a few 18650 sized, but for EDC it always comes down to RCR123.

[AimlessWanderer]

I have two AAA's, two 2xAAA's, two CR123, one 18650, one AA, and one which I can set up to take AA, 2xAA or CR123 ... and it's set for the CR123. My preference depends what type of light I'll need that day. I think prefer a CR123 on the whole, but am actually more likely to have a AAA on me I think

[Gryffin]

I'm a diehard fan of the 1xAA form factor. My EDC rotation are all capable of taking 14500 lithium-ion cells for equal or better performance as CR123A -based lights, and also run well on the Eneloops I keep in my bag for backup, and of course if those all run out I can scrounge alkaline cells from just about anywhere.

I gotta say, though, that some 1xAAA-sized lights are looking pretty dang good. I just picked up a Lumapower LM21, and it's spending a lot of time in my pocket so far; HA-III, three output levels, forward-clicky switch, 10440 LiIon-capable at all levels, and output comparable to CR123A lights of not that long ago, but at half the size and weight. And of course, AAA cells are just about as easy to scrounge as AA, if it comes to it.

(Of course, I still have an AA light in the bag for backup...)

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

I'm a diehard fan of the 1xAA form factor. My EDC rotation are all capable of taking 14500 lithium-ion cells for equal or better performance as CR123A -based lights, and also run well on the Eneloops I keep in my bag for backup, and of course if those all run out I can scrounge alkaline cells from just about anywhere.

This is my philosophy too for the most part.  I've been a die hard AA guy for a long time and I prefer 1xAA lights for EDC as well.  I am also a big 18650 fan as well, and it's my second most used battery format.  In fact, I found that I've inadvertently been going with 1x18650 lights for EDC and have shifted my best AA format lights to dedicated emergency or recreational purposes.  I put my PA40 (4xAA) in the glove box of my wife's mom-mobile, and my HCRI Quark with an AA^2 body in my hiking pack.  So all the lights that I am most likely to need replacement cells for are AA based lights, and my personal carry items and larger, heavy duty lights are 18650 based.  After that, AAA is a distant third in my usage.  My regular flashlight EDC is a Q-mini AA R4, HCRI Q-AA, HCRI Preon 2, Zebralight SC60w, and a Zebralight H51w. 

[Craig]

AAA or AA for me as they're easy to find.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

AAA or AA for me as they're easy to find.

Same here, preferably in an eneloop flavour

[jock1]

AAA or AA for me as they're easy to find.

Same here, preferably in an eneloop flavour

Another vote for AA or AAA I tend to run my torches on disposable alkalines  :facepalm:I know I should get around to eneloops or something similar

[turnsouth]

AA for me. I use disposable alkalines because I can find them anywhere from a ranger station at a national park, to a two pump gas station in a shanty town of twenty people.

I also use AAA ones around the house and at work. The small size is convenient for carry.

[user24]

I go for common availability over performance, so another AA/AAA fan here. The way I see it, my AAA light may run out before yours, but when it does I'll find a replacement battery before you do.

Having said that, I *did* read somewhere that during a disaster, the stores tend to run out of AA/AAA batteries before the fancier ones, because everyone's buying them. Don't know if that's true, but it sounds believable and might be worth considering for some people.

[turnsouth]

Having said that, I *did* read somewhere that during a disaster, the stores tend to run out of AA/AAA batteries before the fancier ones, because everyone's buying them. Don't know if that's true, but it sounds believable and might be worth considering for some people.

During a disaster situation everything changes as far as procurement goes. For those of us who live in an area/country with natural and man made disasters know that preparation is the key to thriving. I wouldn't count on anything being at any store during or immediately after a disaster.

[user24]

I wouldn't count on anything being at any store during or immediately after a disaster.

good point 

[TrickyVic]

My main light is AA and the backup is AAA. Both running on eneloops with spares in my EDC organizer.