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The Fauxton Flashlight

us Offline Lynn LeFey

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The Fauxton Flashlight
on: March 22, 2013, 09:03:27 PM
A word of introduction for folks who may come across this and not know the following. There really is nothing called the 'Fauxton' flashlight. It's a play on words, a homophone for 'Photon' which is a company name that makes the original (and superior) version of the the knock-off flashlight I'm about to review. The 'Fauxton' flashlights can usually be found online by searching for 'keychain LED flashlight'.

So, here it is. What might be the single greatest 'Cheap and Cheerful' winner of absolute best value for money/weight you will ever find.

I purchased my first batch of 10 Fauxtons off of Amazon.com months and months ago. I gave almost all of them away, because they cost me about 50 cents each. After sending a few tools off the other day, I realized I was out when I went to stick a couple in the packages, and just reordered another ten. Only, this time, instead of costing 50 cents each, they cost 32 cents each. $3.20 for ten, shipped.

I took one from the first batch apart, and looked at the battery. It turned out to be a decent cell, and estimates on run-time are in the 7 to 10 hour range. I may run one to death from this next batch to time it.

Weight on the light is a quarter ounce (7 grams). It's about the size of a U.S. quarter. It has both an 'instant on' button, that only stays on while you hold it down, and a small locking switch that keeps the light on until switched off. In the first patch I purchased, 2 of the lights' switches were incredibly difficult to switch on, although the instant-on button still worked fine.

Light output is, I estimate, in the 6 lumen range (It appears to be identical to the light output of the flashlight in the Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Tool Pack, rated at 6 lumens). They have a beam that is mostly a small hotspot in the center, but shedding some light in about a 180 degree field. It will throw well across a residential room (10 to 15 feet), and may be of more limited use beyond that range. I've used these lights to navigate a well-known trail at night. It's enough to light your path directly in front of you, but not much more. This is VASTLY brighter than the iPhone using a flashlight app, and in an emergency, would save a lot of needless draw on your phone's battery power.

I will be honest in saying that I haven't subject these things to much physical rigors. I've used them outdoors in temperatures down to about 10 degrees F (-12C), and up to temperatures around 105F(40C). I have never gotten them wet, and don't expect they'd perform well if they were subject to water. Knowing these limits though, They have still performed quite well.

The picture below shows the fauxton (in black) with several keychain size multitools, and the LED light I currently carry on my keychain (in silver). I picked up the silver LED light out of a plastic bucket at a checkout lane for $1, and honestly, I thought that was a pretty good deal. Companies like Rayovac make LED keychain lights with similar light output which are substantially larger, and can be found almost everywhere (Walmart, dollar stores, etc) for $2. I think, after having carried one for over a year, that they are at LEAST $2 worth of useful. But the Fauxton's smaller size, lighter weight, and considerably lower price make it an excellent value.

The coins setting to the left of the fauxton are there to show you how much the light weighs. Yes, it weighs the same as two dimes and a penny. The coins on the bottom are what the light costs, currently. I am not normally a proponent of disposable tech, but this is one of the rare cases where I think it's worth it.




us Offline blooper

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #1 on: March 22, 2013, 09:31:10 PM
definitely a good purchase, especially at 3.20.


i got a pack of ten like you a few months ago as well and just have them all over the place. gave a few away and have some stashed in a drawer.


my favorite application is that i linked it onto my SAK tinker which i carry around the house. that way i dont have to tote around a flashlight all the time, just a little attachment. fits the purpose and it doesnt drag my PJ bottoms down when i have it in my pocket.


i also keep one linked onto my laptop bags and camera bag. its always nice to have a little light source for those moments when you have to big through your bag in the dark.


us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #2 on: March 22, 2013, 09:47:10 PM
i also keep one linked onto my laptop bags and camera bag. its always nice to have a little light source for those moments when you have to big through your bag in the dark.

I have one on the top handle of my bug-out bag. It's that same thing... the flashlight you use to find a 'real' flashlight.  :rofl:

The one on my keychain is used twice a week, when we get home from our friends' house late on Fridays/Saturdays. to find housekeys, and get them in the lock. It means we don't have to run a porchlight for 6 hours just to find a keyhole that takes twenty seconds.



ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #3 on: March 22, 2013, 11:23:58 PM
I love Fauxtons.  I have to wonder if they are a case of knockoffs made by the same factory that makes the originals as I really can't see the difference between the Fauxtons and the Photons- other than the price I mean.

I've given quite a few away myself.  They really are great not just because they work, but also because they are so cheap you can hand them out like crazy. 

Def
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00 Offline kirk13

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #4 on: March 22, 2013, 11:46:21 PM
I buy them off fleabay,hook them onto SAK lanyards(cheers Neil and others) and have given a number away.Impossable to beat at the price,and surprisingly useful at work!
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gb Offline nuphoria

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #5 on: March 22, 2013, 11:57:19 PM
I keep them all over the place, especially hanging in side bags.

They are definitely one of my favourite cheap buys ever :tu:
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au Offline gregozedobe

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #6 on: March 23, 2013, 07:19:10 AM
I'm another big fan, they are my most appreciated give-away by far, despite being by far the cheapest. 

I tell people to put them on their keyring or some other place where they will be handy when needed.  I get lots of positive feedback from recipients who often can't believe how useful something so small and light can be.

Some info which may be useful to some:

They are available from many sources, but some suppliers seem better than others.  I used to buy mine from DealExtreme, but they don't seem to stock them any more.

You can get them with different coloured bodies (I've seen black, clear/white, pink/red, purple, blue, yellow and green).

The most common problem I've seen is flat or near flat batteries (fauxtons with white LEDs usually have 2 x CR2016 3V lithium batteries), fauxtons are pretty easy to replace (you'll need a small philips screwdriver).  Buy batteries on-line if you need any quantity as they will likely be much cheaper than your local electronics store (in Australia, anyway).

If the hold-for-light pressure is a bit too sensitive or insensitive this can be fixed by some careful bending of the leg/s of the LED.

You can even mod them !  My most popular mod is a flashing multi-coloured 5mm LED (children of all ages, including drunks, seem to like these, especially when waved around in the dark to make pretty patterns), I've also put in 1 x CR2032 battery along with a red LED for people who want more run-time.
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gb Offline Cupboard

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #7 on: March 23, 2013, 06:48:39 PM
My last one of these that I bought from DX a while ago died recently prompting me to buy my baby Fenix.

Whilst my use of a tiny torch was low they were great and I've had many years of use and gifts out of them  :tu:

The LEDs out of two of them even went in to a project from the second year of my degree :facepalm:


Offline hiljentaa

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #8 on: March 29, 2013, 12:17:54 AM
I love these guys as well.

Does anyone know where I can purchase them in bulk? 50-100 or so. Thinking about giving them away to my students.


us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #9 on: March 29, 2013, 12:22:44 AM
I looked on a couple sites that do larger shipments, but I can't find better prices than what I got on amazon. Just order there and get 5 to 10 orders of 10.


Offline hiljentaa

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #10 on: March 29, 2013, 12:42:38 AM
I looked on a couple sites that do larger shipments, but I can't find better prices than what I got on amazon. Just order there and get 5 to 10 orders of 10.

Will do, cheers!


us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #11 on: April 12, 2013, 03:31:26 AM
I just got my second batch of Fauxtons in today. I was a little surprised. They seem to be both cast a little more cleanly than the first batch, AND are a little brighter. I'm not sure how they could possibly improve on a product at this price point, but yeah... a little better.

And, in my first batch, there were a couple that had switch problems. No problems in this batch. Awesome. :tu:


us Offline Mercury

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #12 on: April 12, 2013, 04:43:08 AM
Being a flashlight neanderthal, I can honestly say I never knew "fauxton" was a joke.  I thought it was the name of some obscure torch that I never cared to look up.  I'm a little embarrassed.  :facepalm:



us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #13 on: April 12, 2013, 04:54:15 AM
And that's why I put that introductory statement on the page. I didn't know for a while either, and I thought it might save others from having to ask and feel embarrassed (although they really shouldn't feel silly about it). :tu:


us Offline Mercury

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #14 on: April 12, 2013, 05:10:46 AM
And that's why I put that introductory statement on the page. I didn't know for a while either, and I thought it might save others from having to ask and feel embarrassed (although they really shouldn't feel silly about it). :tu:

That's what forums are for!!    :tu:


de Offline lowtech

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #15 on: April 12, 2013, 09:25:28 AM
Being a flashlight neanderthal, I can honestly say I never knew "fauxton" was a joke.  I thought it was the name of some obscure torch that I never cared to look up.  I'm a little embarrassed.  :facepalm:

So, I´m not the only one trying to find "Fauxtons" online... :-[

I should have visited the flashlight section earlier
They are sure a really nice addition to any bag and i even carry one when i need to wear a suit and can´t carry a real flashlight.

Around here (germany) they cost about 3,- € in stores and about 1 each if you buy them on ebay from china.

I really love teh "Mod" ideas with the red light. Now i have to hold back from buying a batch of 5 mm LEDs


us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #16 on: April 17, 2013, 10:37:26 PM
I was curious after getting the first batch of these things just how long they would ACTUALLY run, so I ran one off and on yesterday, and kept track of the times. I also kept a second one as a control, to watch how much the light faded.

After about half an hour, the light was about half as bright.
After another hour, it was about half again as bright.
After six hours, it is now pretty dim.

I own a County Comm GP-4L radio, with a built-in LED light. It is NOT bright. After 6 hours of running, the Fauxton is about as bright as this light. Maybe in the 1 lm range? Still nearly twice as bright as the red LED light on the Swisslite. In complete darkness, you can still see your feet with it. Not loads more. Throw is down to about 8 feet, and actual useful range is about half that. Still good for close-up tasks, but not much more.

I would say, for my needs, it gets about 5 hours of useful run time.


hr Offline enki_ck

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #17 on: April 17, 2013, 10:51:25 PM
I think the batteries (theres's two 2032s in there, right?) will last you even longer if you allow the battery to rest between using it. For instance on for 20 minutes. Then let it rest for some time. Count the runtimes together when the batteries are depleted. It would give you more accurate real life runtime.


us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #18 on: April 18, 2013, 03:54:34 AM
Most of the time I ran it were for between 15 and 40 minutes, then off for approximately the same amount of time.

Yeah, I didn't figure one straight run would be best for testing.


ph Offline Goatlord666

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #19 on: April 24, 2013, 08:28:14 PM
Wonderful...simply wonderful! ...oh, i was referring to the review -  :salute:

I've used one fauxton as my sole source of illumination in the jungle for 1 night. it rained and so far the darn little dynamite held up quite well. I guess it also performs well even in humid tropical/coastal environments.
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au Offline gregozedobe

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #20 on: April 25, 2013, 02:24:05 AM
Even if they go for a swim all you need to do is dry them out (and sometimes put new batteries in them).  No electronics = nothing to go wrong.
babola: "Enjoy your tools and don't be afraid to air your opinion and feelings here, but do it in courteous and respectable way toward others, of course."


us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #21 on: January 31, 2014, 02:50:24 PM
I just thought I'd give an update on this item.

I ran out of these, since I keep giving them away, and had to order more. They are now $6.23 for ten, instead of the $3.20 there were before.

Even at 63 cents each, they're still a great deal, in my opinion.


au Offline gregozedobe

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #22 on: January 31, 2014, 10:15:15 PM
I think Photon might have started enforcing their patent on these, as many of the big sellers (DX etc) that had them cheap seem to have withdrawn them altogether.
babola: "Enjoy your tools and don't be afraid to air your opinion and feelings here, but do it in courteous and respectable way toward others, of course."


us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #23 on: February 06, 2014, 06:59:40 PM
Another update. I purchased two 'batches' of these at the increased cost, since I keep giving them away.

The new batch (20 of them) are all as good as the last. Even at 63 cents each, I think they're a great deal.

And, I wanted to apologize to anyone I traded or sold tools to recently that didn't get one. I like to put them in as extra goodies, and simply couldn't.  :(  I hope to remedy that in the future.


scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #24 on: February 16, 2014, 06:45:57 PM
Have you got a link for the ones you are buying Lynn? :)
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us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #25 on: February 16, 2014, 07:33:25 PM
Here...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001I9EICI/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Huh... currently $5.56. I paid $6.30 last time. Weird that the price dropped.


scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #26 on: February 16, 2014, 09:03:59 PM
Here...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001I9EICI/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Huh... currently $5.56. I paid $6.30 last time. Weird that the price dropped.

Cheers Lynn. :cheers:
Be excellent to each other and always know where your towel is.


us Offline powernoodle

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #27 on: February 17, 2014, 11:21:37 PM
Here are some just slightly cheaper:  http://www.amazon.com/22000MCD-Flashlight-Torch-Light-Keychain/dp/B009WJR89Q/ref=wl_mb_wl_huc_mrai_4_dp

Anyone know how this compares to the runtime of a Photon?

Nice job with this thread, Lynn. 


us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #28 on: February 18, 2014, 12:30:49 AM
I don't know what the runtime on the Photon is like, but here is a link to the post on page one where I discuss the runtime and light dropoff on one of these.
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=43884.msg718515#msg718515


us Offline Lynn LeFey

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Re: The Fauxton Flashlight
Reply #29 on: February 28, 2014, 05:36:24 AM
I just thought I'd pass on this little anecdote.

I went over to a friend's house on the Sunday before last. Along with some MT stuff, I also gave him and his wife these little fauxton lights.

He was looking at it dubiously, and gave a half-hearted 'thanks'.

Two nights ago, I get a text from him. 'Just needed to use your keychain light. Thanks.'

It is crazy how useful these things are for their price.


 

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