# Incandescent Vs LED Flashlights



## Pugsley67 (Feb 23, 2010)

Hello,
I am looking to buy a flashlight for my car. I was wondering what is a good kind to get. the main decision is wether to buy an Incandescent or LED one. What are some pros and cons of each. Also the maker of the light i am thinking of getting a maglite but i am open to suggestions to others. (serious suggestions based on quality and performance not an advertisment) Also a C or D cell battery and the how many batteries. Thanks


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## cistallus (Feb 24, 2010)

Your questions are quite general. I'd suggest first browsing The Welcome Mat: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/172991

Then consider the questions in the checklist and post your answers here. https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/96884


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## vali (Feb 24, 2010)

I would go with a LED. If your car gets broken at night in the middle of nowhere, the last thing I want to find is a broken bulb or with no batteries after a while using the light. Incans have better CRI and more pleasant tint if driven hard, but I think you want an emergency light and a decent LED flashlight will offer way better runtime and the emitter shouldnt stop working even if you drop it.

C and D powered lights are not that common now. You can get more light and runtime using AA with a high power led than using an incan with bigger cells. I would get a 2xAA handheld and a headlamp. Almost noone (non flashaholic) thinks on headlamps, but getting both hands free to work in the car is great (or, if you live in a place like me where it rains half of the days of the year, an unbrella and a free hand).

Since the car can get hot in summer, you should use energizer lithium in them, unless you plan to use the lights in a regular basis. Then stick with NiMH LSD (eneloops). Dont forget a small case or bag with spares too.


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## RedForest UK (Feb 24, 2010)

An LED light will generally be much more reliable, compact, durable and efficient than any comparable sized incandescent, until you reach very large lights, that i wouldnt class as a general use 'stick in the car' type lights. 

I also agree that D and C cells are very poor in terms of performance compared to many modern battery chemistries in smaller cells such as AA format.

If you have been considering buying a stock maglite it shouldnt be hard to find yourself an easily handheld and even pocketable LED light that will outperform it in brightness, runtime and utility. If youre looking for a lower price point light then i would recommend checking out 'shiningbeam.com' he offers excellent service and very good value on many led lights. I would specifically recommend the Romisen RC-N3 for your use as a general purpose light to keep in the car. 

If you prefer the 'warmer' tint of incandescent bulbs then you can go for the WW or 'warm white' version which offers much of the higher CRI of an incandescent coupled with the much greater efficency and durability of an led. :twothumbs


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## wingnut86 (Feb 24, 2010)

Maglites make excellent car/truck lights. I would suggest a 2D Mag Rebel LED, or possibly wait on the new multimode C cell models. Like others have or will suggest, lithium batteries will be better for the light if it is sitting in the car during weather extremes. But to be honest, My parents have kept Maglites with alkalines in the vehicles ever since I can remember, and so have I, with absolutely no problems like leaks and dead cells or whatever else happens. And it gets COLD here, as well as pretty hot in the summer... 

For the price, the new Mag-LED models (Rebel) are well worth it.


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## wingnut86 (Feb 24, 2010)

I have a 6D Mag mounted behind the seat of my truck. It's perfect for what I use it for. Bright enough, throws like crazy, but it is BIG.


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## SureAddicted (Feb 24, 2010)

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/172209

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/245793

Let's not start World War III.


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## Pugsley67 (Feb 24, 2010)

Thanks for the help so far you have been very helpful. I had no idea that C and D cell batteries were being phased out. As far as being a little specif towards what i need i want a light that is a good size and durability, i want something more than small light preferably bigger than pocket size.


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## RedForest UK (Feb 24, 2010)

If you are willing to spend $150, then the Fenix TK40 will most probably blow away anything else in that size range, also a very high quality and durable light, just stick 'tk40 torture test' in the search bar.
If you want something a little more basic though, then unless youre willing to get into the slightly risky world of recheargeable lithium batteries, then maybe a simple led maglite is the best way for you to go..


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## Pugsley67 (Feb 24, 2010)

Thanks the Fenix TK40 is a little out of my price range. i dont think i want to get into rechargable just because it is not going to see a whole lot of use so it would sit in the charger a lot. If i am going with a maglite LED then would it be better to stay with a C-cell or D-cell cause the AAs i was looking at them and they seemed smaller than what i want


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## RedForest UK (Feb 24, 2010)

Okay, you might be best off with one of those larger maglites, but i'd like to point out that the smaller size doesnt neccesarily mean any less power, simply smaller size, but if you are looking for a larger light simply because of that factor then a C or D cell led maglite should suit you fine. 

Also, if you buy eneloops or a different new lsd (low self discharge) type of batteries then there will be no need for them to sit in the charger as they hold charge almost as well as alkaline cells, but with up to 5 times higher capacity as well, so well in fact, that they come pre-charged. :thumbsup: So with them you could just charge them up, stick them in a torch and leave them like an alkaline, then once youve run them down they are rechargeable again. Thats, just something to consider, also, if you are set on a C or D cell light you can get adaptors that are that size but you can fit an AA NIMh cell into for a very similar, if not better performance than an ordinary disposable alkaline cell.


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## PerttiK (Feb 24, 2010)

Romisen RC-N3 with cr123, fits the glovebox very nicely and gives light for couple of hours, and the lithium battery woun't crap out on you in years.


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## 3000k (Feb 24, 2010)

I keep a maglite 4D, Fulton N42, and Surefire G2 P61 in my truck. It is nice to have a big old maglite for road rage. All of them are incandescent, they work fine everytime I need them and with 4D cells there is plenty of run time. I personally am sick of the blue tinted LEDs and HIDs, even the warm ones.


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## wingnut86 (Feb 24, 2010)

Pugsley67 said:


> Thanks for the help so far you have been very helpful. I had no idea that C and D cell batteries were being phased out.



They're not being phased out by any means. In the consumer market, D cell lights probably outsell any other form factor. It's just the people on CPF, the tiniest of a percentage of the market think they are.


Edit* I meant D cell Flashlights...Sorry.


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## RedForest UK (Feb 24, 2010)

Well i can see where youre coming from, but im pretty sure that if D cells do outsell AA's, which im pretty sure they dont, then it would be mainly for flashlight usage, which in itself is a pretty small percentage of the battery market, and while CPF may be a very small minority of the overall market, surely we are by necessity the part that in general are the ones choosing the best flashlight and battery options available to the consumer, and therefore perhaps a better representation of what may be the best choices to make than the market on the whole in the case of flashlights and the batteries directly associated with them. :nana:


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## FloggedSynapse (Feb 24, 2010)

My opinion is you want Lithium batteries if you're going to be keeping the light in your car, especially in the trunk. Not only do lithium batteries have a longer shelf life, but the work much better in temperature extremes. For example alkaline batteries are not worth much in temperatures below freezing. 

There are 'D' sized lithium batteries, though not many.

An LED light with several modes will last ages on 'low' - longer than any D cell incan. You want a decent LED IMO, look at spending at least $40-50.


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## pwatcher (Feb 24, 2010)

+1 on LED powered by CR123 batteries. Will take more abuse, and long shelf life on batts. You can buy them online for $1.25 or so each, so having a few spares is affordable. Surefire nitrolon led, such as G2L or G3L would be excellent choices for a car light that is weather resistant and dependable. They show up occasionally here in the marketplace, or you could place a WTB ad. Bet you could keep cost under $100 easily.


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## vali (Feb 24, 2010)

wingnut86 said:


> They're not being phased out by any means. In the consumer market, D cell lights probably outsell any other form factor. It's just the people on CPF, the tiniest of a percentage of the market think they are.



I think that just seeing at store shelves... tons of AA and AAA cells and only a few pack of D or C cells.

Last time I had a problem with a car (the oil plug of my parents car was lost) it was raining a lot. Unfortunately I had no headlap there, but in the car keychain was a Fenix E01 and I EDC a Quark MiNi. I put the MiNi in my mouth, had an umbrella in on hand and tried to improvise a new plug (but needed two hands to do some useful) If the light were a multi D, I could have ended too wet (and the car's seat too). A few years ago several D cells were the only way to get enough runtime to be useful in a emergency. They are no more (and you can have it in the glovebox).

Of course, if you can find them cheap, why not?. They were usable until now.


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## wingnut86 (Feb 24, 2010)

Sorry guys, I meant in flashlight terms about the D cells. My mistake.


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## Databyter (Feb 24, 2010)

Incandescents waste alot more energy in heat creation which lowers run-time which may be important for a prolonged roadside incident. They might have more throw and brightness than some LED's but will usually be bigger and go dead sooner. Your looking for an emergency utility light, not a spotlight.

LED's usually have more mode options such as brightness levels so you can manage run-times for low light requirements whereas the usable light range on incandescents is usually alot more limited (mostly non existent) unless you mod. LED's also lend them selves to controllers that can easily add strobe, beacon, type features etc. They Can usually be more compact and have more run-time capability per form factor. Alot of the better ones have current control so they will maintain the same brightness throughout the entire runtime, instead of bright followed by a gradual decline to dead.

In short, and coming from an incandescent lover, you need an LED light for this use.

My backup lights are all LED's running on Lithium primary cells.

That doesn't stop me from having incandescents though.


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## NotRegulated (Feb 25, 2010)

I currently have a Surefire G2 LED as my vehicle light. The lithium CR123 batteries have a long shelf life and hold up well to temperature extremes. 

I used to use Mag C and D lights because they were relatively inexpensive. But I found the alkaline batteries more often than not leaked while living in the car's trunk due to the the temp extremes, humidity, etc. The light would not work when needed and it usually ruined the light. I lost several Mag D lights using them in this manner.

That being said, I recently obtained a newly manufactured Mini Mag Light 2 AA cell LED which is the 2nd generation Mini Mag LED. It is really bright with a longer runtime compared to the incandescent model it replaced. Two AA lithium batteries would work well in this light for a vehicle light giving you the advantages of lithium cells like a CR123 based light at a much lower cost. The light can be had for around $20. The Mag C and D lights do not offer the ability to use lithium batteries like the Mini Mag AA.

The light I have is the one with 4 modes (high-100%, low-25%, Blink & SOS) and has the Luxeon Rebel LED in it. I am mainly a CR123-based light user, however I was really impressed with the new Mini Mag AA LED's brightness, throw, low level option at a relatively low price. They may end up being my new vehicle lights loaded with lithium AA's.


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## McAllan (Feb 25, 2010)

RedForest UK said:


> If you are willing to spend $150, then the Fenix TK40 will most probably blow away anything else in that size range, also a very high quality and durable light, just stick 'tk40 torture test' in the search bar.
> If you want something a little more basic though, then unless youre willing to get into the slightly risky world of recheargeable lithium batteries, then maybe a simple led maglite is the best way for you to go..



While the Fenix TK40 _is_ a great light I do however not recommend it as an emergency light in a vehicle. Reason is the parasitic drain which is a bit on the high side. While not a problem for most normal use (and especially for us using rechargeables) but if using it very rarely it can "suddenly" have sucked the last bit of juice out of the batteries - even the L91 lithium ones.
You could change batteries every third quarter or so to have reasonable juice left but that's IMHO a bit tedious and expensive. If leaving in for longer you're running them even lower which means they might be out of juice when you need them most.

So a 2D Mag LED if you want a big light or a Fenix LD20 if wanting a small one seems just about right. The LD20 you can use with L91 primaries and no parasitic drain which means it can be stored for very long time and be ready for use when needed.


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## Lynx_Arc (Feb 25, 2010)

I would take into account personal habits. If you toss a light in your car and don't check it till you need it then I would not recommend alkaline batteries in it unless you want to risk it leaking after sitting for 3 years. Incans have this habit of starting out sort of bright then turning from white to yellow to orange and at 1.1v on the batteries you have no useful light while with many LED lights the light dims but the color stays a whiters shade for longer meaning you get 5-10 times the runtime out of the same batteries and usually brighter whiter light during that time. Unless you need something as a weapon a 2AA based LED light would do fine many giving you 5-6 hours or more runtime with nice white light which is plenty and if more is needed the space required for a 2D light you can put 6 more AA cells in the car or another light using AAs. I recommend AAs because you can buy lithium primaries or us LSD nimh cells and in an emergency they are the easiest battery to find usually. I don't recommend an expensive light in a vehicle as on rare occasions people break into them and take stuff. I have 3 lights in my car, a 3AA cheap LED light with alkalines that I paid $5 for so if it leaks I would throw away the body and keep the LED. I have a 4AA energizer doublebrite with lithium AAs and a 3AAA 3x5mm cheap headlamp in case of emergency. One day I will put a AA based cheap headlamp in there to replace that too. Yes I highly recommend a headlamp, if you don't have at least 2 lights in your vehicle you are not a serious flashaholic because you need to see to change the batteries when one light dies and your car battery is conveniently dead....


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## carrot (Feb 25, 2010)

Like others have said, whatever you choose, be sure to store your lights with lithium batteries (Energizer E2 Lithium for AA's or any brand of regular CR123's) or else the batteries will leak prematurely, ruining any light they are contained in. Do not cheap out on batteries for flashlights that will be in a car.


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## Pugsley67 (Feb 25, 2010)

Well i still have not made up my mind but i am definitly closer than i was before. I can certainly say that i will be doing this differently since i most likely would have gotten alkaline batteries and all the things that would be bad to do. So thanks for all of the replies and the help i really appreciate it.


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## kaichu dento (Feb 26, 2010)

Take a look at the Novatac Classic. As the name suggests, it is a classic already, and also runs on two AA cells, which ideally should be lithium.

You probably won't find it to be too small either, as they tend to run a bit on the fat side in comparison to other lights using the same cells. I just played with one at Sportsman's Warehouse today and am definitely going to get one. 

Although there are most certainly many other good choices, I think it would be hard to find a better car/truck light.


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## jugornot (Feb 26, 2010)

Fenix TK20. An absolute tank of a AA flashlight. Neutral color. Some good heft to it. Feed it AA lithiums and store in its pouch. You will not regret getting this light.


No wait read the above again. Do not buy another light until you wrap your mitts around this one.


Perhaps someone near you could let you preview this one. It is the only led light I have that I would consider using as a kabosh. This light was built for such uses as this.


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## carrot (Feb 26, 2010)

What is a kabosh?

In any case, I recommend looking at the Surefire ICON Rogue 2. An absolute tank of an AA flashlight. Incredible runtime and good output. Some good heft to it. Feed it AA lithiums and store in the glovebox. You will not regret getting this light.

*No wait read the above again. Do not buy another light until you wrap your mitts around this one.*

Perhaps someone near you could let you preview this one. It is the only LED light I have that is both cheap and incredibly useful. This light was built for such uses as this.


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## jugornot (Feb 26, 2010)

Black jack. With proper motivation I would gladly sacrifice my 3d mag in this manner. Used to be when 4 and 6 cell mags were preferred by police, a baton was unnecessary.


Did you plagiarize my post? Perhaps a personal demonstration of the stoutness of the TK20 on your cranium would illustrate my point...


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