What's your favorite single AAA Flashlight?

[edap617]

I just took interest in flashlights when I received the Element 80 Lumens triple “AAA” flashlight from Calvin. I use this flashlight every 5:00 o’clock in the morning when it is still too dark along our jogging route.  I am very happy with this flashlight.  It can match the brightness and the effective beam range of my buddy’s LED Lenser, also a triple “AAA” model.

Just recently I got my second flashlight, a Mini Palm single "AAA". I know this is not one of the top of the line brands but I am also very happy and satisfied with this one. It is so compact and I am contented with its brightness and its battery life.
 
My next goal is to get a single “AA”, a Gerber Infinity Ultra.
 
Here are some pix of my single ”AAA” Mini Palm.

Eddie

[WhichDawg]

nice light! their are so many good small lights out there it's hard to go wrong now a days.
I really like the Lumapower Avenger but it has some bugs in it so I'm waiting for them to
"iron" them out before I invest.

until then I have an ultrafire B3 that is pretty sweet and bright enough for me (and inexpensive).
I hear good things about Arc lights, maybe I'll find out someday.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I don't really know much about torches, but I've always had a bit of a softspot for the humble solitaire

[Sea Monster]

Humble is about right.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Humble is about right.

Gets the job done though

[Sea Monster]

Only if the job involves bumping into stuff in the dark.

It's great for that!

For all my moaning, I'm a big Solitaire and Minimag fan.
They earned my respect long before these pesky upstart "LED"s started crowding the street with their surly demeanour and loud music.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

The newer stuff is undoubtely better, I'm just so familiar with solitaires and maglites in general, I probably automaticaly adapt to there shortcommings

[Thargor]

I love my Gerber infinity Ultra, but its my only torch so its the only one I can recommend

Unless you want to get one of these:



Which actually gets more use in my house with the amount of computers we have, great little torch and it seems to have good battery life aswell seeing as how its still as good as the day I got it and its used fairly regularly.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

That looks like a handy little handsfree number

[Thargor]

Once you cut off the keyring its a great little light, plus everyone who sees it on your desk loves it.

Behold, my extensive collection of flashlights:



Why is there a cigarette lighter in that picture you ask? Because I work in a cinema when not in College and I was cleaning a screen one night and found a lighter with a little red button on the side, and it turns out its a bright little LED torch aswell, bright enough to hurt someones eyes when you point it at them so its great for telling people to shut up or turn off their phones:



Very happy with that find, sorry for going OT

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Off topic on this forum...unacceptable

[parnass]

I have and use several Arc AAA Premium and Peak Matterhorn 1-LED and 3-LED flashlights.  The Arc lights seem better regulated, but some of the 3-LED Matterhorns are brighter and considerably whiter than the Arcs.

[NutSAK]

There are two that I hold in high regard:

ARC AAA-P
Fenix LOD

The ARC AAA-P is the durability champion.  There is no light more dependable, IMO.  It's not a powerhouse, but has just the right amount of light for most applications.

The LOD is the output champion.

Parnass, the ARC AAA-P is available for a limited time with the "Snow" LED that Peak uses.  It is nice and white. 

There are three current models of the ARC AAA:  The "standard" with the "CS" led for 5-6 lumens, the "Snow" with 6-7 lumens, and the Premium "DS" with 9 lumens.  A new model will appear in about a month with a "GS" LED sporting 10-11 lumens.

[NutSAK]

A new model will appear in about a month with a "GS" LED sporting 10-11 lumens.

CORRECTION: the GS ARC is now available: http://www.arcflashlight.com/arc-aaa.shtml

Check here for the Snow and Camo ARCs: http://www.arcflashlight.com/accessories.shtml

The Camo is a heck of a deal at $17.95.  It is Type II ano, so the finish is not as durable as the "Premium" versions, and it comes with the old 3.3 lumen "standard" head.

[Benner]

I have played with a Fenix LOD and was pretty impressed with it.

[Spoonrobot]

(Image removed from quote.)

I have quite a few of these poking around, they're really easy to mod with a brighter LED and make an excellent back-up light in the Blue or White variety. Some of the models are poorly made and tend to explode (without flame) if you drop them just right, makes for an interesting bottle-rocket type launch.

OT: AAA is the only major battery variety I don't have represented in a handheld light. I have read a lot of reviews for the Fenix AAA ones but can't seem to ever buy one.

[hawkchucker]

Gerber Recon even though it is a AA. I really like having the option of dif LED when out in the bush.

[parnass]

Parnass, the ARC AAA-P is available for a limited time with the "Snow" LED that Peak uses.  It is nice and white. 

Thanks.  Got an Arc Snow, Arc-DS, and a few Arc-CSs.   One of my Matterhorn 3-LEDs is even whiter and brighter than the Arc Snow.  They are all quite good lights, although the Arc-DS beam is off center.

 

[Leatherman123]

I would get the Inova X1 instead of the Gerber Infintry anyday!

[Styerman]

Arc AAA-p , nuff said . Not cheapest , or the brightest  , one of the most durable an usefull !

Chris

[Dtrain]

I don't really know much about torches, but I've always had a bit of a softspot for the humble solitaire

Great minds think alike.I keep one on my keyring,and another on a cord around my neck.They are not the brightest in the land,but they are....

Cheap
Durable
Reliable
Easily replaced

Dtrain

[Leatherman123]

IMO the Solitare is not reliable at all! They get pretty bad runtime and if the battery only has about 1/8 of its power left it will not work! They are still great lights in their own right!

[NutSAK]

IMO the Solitare is not reliable at all! They get pretty bad runtime and if the battery only has about 1/8 of its power left it will not work! They are still great lights in their own right!

I'm to the point where I don't consider any incandescent light "reliable".  I've become very comfortable (spoiled?) by carrying flashlights with ~50,000 hour LED lifespans. 

I consider the bulb the weak link of the overall durability too.  If you take an ARC and a Solitaire and drop them both 20ft onto concrete, do you think both of them will still work?

[Leatherman123]

No, I have had a lot of trouble with my rechargable MagLite! Everytime it is on my table or something and I knock it off the bulb breaks therefore I have to buy a new bulb!

[Dtrain]

IMO the Solitare is not reliable at all! They get pretty bad runtime and if the battery only has about 1/8 of its power left it will not work! They are still great lights in their own right!

I'm to the point where I don't consider any incandescent light "reliable".  I've become very comfortable (spoiled?) by carrying flashlights with ~50,000 hour LED lifespans. 

I consider the bulb the weak link of the overall durability too.  If you take an ARC and a Solitaire and drop them both 20ft onto concrete, do you think both of them will still work?

I will agree about the run time,but i have nevr had any troubles with mine.Seems like I would lose them before the would break.What issues did you have?

Dtrain

[NutSAK]

I will agree about the run time,but i have nevr had any troubles with mine.Seems like I would lose them before the would break.What issues did you have?

Dtrain

Bulbs only.  Nothing specific to the Solitaire.  The point I was trying to make was simply that the durability of an incandescent bulb can't compare to an LED.