# Those cheap 9 bulb LEDs that run on 3 AAA's???



## luketheduke8 (Feb 5, 2012)

Everyone knows about those little crappy 9 bulb LED flashlights for like $3 bucks that take 3 AAA's. Does anybody know the lumen output, runtime, etc. just anything you know jot it down here  thanks. (btw, i have one i just dont know anything about it but it seems actually pretty bright, im doing a run-time test on it as i speak )


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## Imon (Feb 5, 2012)

Well those are almost all without exception direct drive flashlights so they start pretty bright then get dimmer and dimmer and stay dim for a long time.
I would say they probably start around 30-40 lumens then dim to around 10 lumens. Runtime is another question and I think it could vary pretty wildly depending on battery type.


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## ragweed (Feb 5, 2012)

I have 3 for loaners/spares. Actually they are pretty decent for the money. I would also say between 30/40 lumens or somewhere close to that. I don't like the 3 AAA form factor & prefer 1AAA or 1AA instead. They can take some abuse from dropping as well.


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## luketheduke8 (Feb 5, 2012)

ragweed said:


> I have 3 for loaners/spares. Actually they are pretty decent for the money. I would also say between 30/40 lumens or somewhere close to that. I don't like the 3 AAA form factor & prefer 1AAA or 1AA instead. They can take some abuse from dropping as well.


 Ya I really don like the fact they take soo many batteries but oh well I use rechargeable, also you answered one of my other question before and I remember your name cuz all of ur answers have been really good so thanks for answering really appreciate it!


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## ragweed (Feb 5, 2012)

Thank You! I never got a compliment here before! I just try to be honest & call it as I see it.


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## luketheduke8 (Feb 5, 2012)

yeah well I just want good people like you to be acknowledged and realize that you are making a difference and iv been running the light now with a full charge of 3 batteries and its been running about 7 and a half hours (still going as i speak) im timing if and it really dimed down from like 30 lumens to 6 mabey but i can still nagigate around in a pich black room so as long as i can move around in a dark room good it passes in my books


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## gerald_clark (Feb 6, 2012)

Some of them also will hold an 18650.
I got one from Big Lots for $3.00.

Also, Home Depot has some cree 88 lumen single LED lights in a 2 pack for $5.00.
The switch can be pressed further into the tail cap to make an 18650 fit.


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## Freaker (Feb 6, 2012)

My dad bought one. The package said 20 lumens. 

And he has an Eagletac P10C that I bought him a few years ago. 

WHY?????


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## Dr. Strangelove (Feb 6, 2012)

Don't worry Freaker! It's just the first stages of flasholism. Think of it as a "gateway" flashlight. Before long he'll be buying SureFires!


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## someguy4747 (Feb 6, 2012)

Ha ha. People at work know I like flashlights and this really sweet older lady bought me one. I felt bad. I acted real appreciative but I really don't like these lights. One of the LEDs was already flickering when she gave it to me. I took it home and set it aside. Later that night my cat knocked it of the desk(he likes to test gravity). The bezel was dented and only 5 LEDs were lighting up and they were all flashing. My girlfriend's mom also gave me one like this about a year ago with the same result. they are not worth $1 in my book.


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## ragweed (Feb 6, 2012)

I am not sure what exactly you had but, mine have suffered a couple 4 foot drops with no ill effects. The ones I have still work great & all 9 leds light up. I am not saying they are the greatest but, for loaners & backup mine do the job.


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## Lost in Kansas (Feb 6, 2012)

I've bought two different kinds, in that price range, over the last two years. One type is sold by my Performance Auto Parts store and has their name on it and all are black and about as big as my thumb. The other ones came from Office Max and are larger , tube about 1" diameter and flared at both ends and are in all colors. The larger colored ones soon develop problems, seem to be something in the tail caps, and you have to push the tail cap button several times to get it to illuminate. I bought three of the small black ones two years ago and put them in each bedtoom on the nightstands to search in closets. These have been thoroughly dependable and the only maintenence I've done is change cells, and for the price seem to be a bargain.


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## Mike S (Feb 7, 2012)

I have a couple 3 AAA lights that I picked at the auto parts store. One of them was made by a company called Brinkmann and is really heavy for being so small. I googled it and apparently they make some flashlights that are halfway decent. Anyways, lately I've been looking for little projects to work on and have taken these apart and replaced the LED's with something brighter. One of them got a neutral white Rebel and they other has a small array of Cree ML-B's. Both are direct driven and perform much better than before.


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## NeonLights (Feb 7, 2012)

I bought a 4-pack of Dorcy 6-LED 3xAAA flashlights (with batteries) last night at a local Meijer store for $8. Too good of a price to pass up. I doubt I'll use them much myself, but for loaner or giveaway flashlights, they seem about perfect. Hard to go wrong for $2/each.


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## Samy (Feb 7, 2012)

I have a fireplace out the back and occasionally have friends over so I keep one or two cheapies to give them while here to navigate around the backyard. Last time friends came over one said "it's awesome coming here for a fireplace BBQ, you get your own torch! I wouldn't mind loaning more expensive lights but if at the end of the night they accidentally leave the cheapie in their pocket and go home it's no big deal. I make sure they only have half dead alkalines in them tough...

Come to think of it, I can't find my cheapies... must have gone home in pockets...


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## Cataract (Feb 9, 2012)

They are interesting flashlights for the price, but the only 2 real advantages to those flashlights are the runtime and the nice flood you get. I have one with ~20 LED's (never bothered counting) and it's a really nice flooder. They're usually on the angry blue side, though... I wouldn't put my life on the line with one of those, but if the power would fail and would be told it will take months before it is restored, I'd sure use one just to keep the battery massacre on the reasonnable side.


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## Astro (Feb 9, 2012)

I've had one of these a few years - one of the LEDs generally doesn't come on, but its a really useful light. Recently stayed at a resort which was pretty dark and they handed out these things as loaners, they did the job very well.


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## mvyrmnd (Feb 9, 2012)

I had a few of them over the years.

One, I replaced all the emitters with 24000mcd LED's for a significant output upgrade, and the other crammed a P60 module into it and a 14500.


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## Astro (Feb 9, 2012)

Did you post about those projects and do you have a link? They sound fun


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## mvyrmnd (Feb 9, 2012)

Astro said:


> Did you post about those projects and do you have a link? They sound fun



Nope, sorry.

The 24000mcd upgrade is easy. Just desolder the existing 5mm, insert the new one and resolder. Clip the legs. Rinse and repeat.

As for the P60 module - strip the light, leave the plastic lens. drop the module in and then scre in the original retaining ring until it's hard up against the back of the P60 reflector. If you line it up just right, it'll hold it nice and secure, if not perfectly straight. I used a 14500 with a bunch of padding, but any 50mm battery will work. an 18500 would be perfect.


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## A10K (Feb 9, 2012)

I bought a couple (also at Big Lots) because they're a cheap way to get aluminum housings. I ended up converting them into dynamo-flashlights for my bike by removing all of the contents, cramming in a rectifier and a capacitor, and topping it off with the emitter (XP-C) and holder from one of the above-mentioned Home Depot "88 lumen" lights. Excellent safety light.
Have I ever used one in its un-mutilated form? Not really.


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## scout24 (Feb 10, 2012)

My wife has had one for a night-time reading light now for about 4 years. ULU brand, aluminum with 5 led's. She loves it, and doesn't really understand why I need a bunch of the lights I have. Hers works fine, and the batteries seem to last a good long while. I tried giving her a ZL, and a Sundrop, and she politely gave them back...


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## Major Chord (Feb 19, 2012)

Buying one and using it as my everyday carry light a few years back was what motivated me to search for smaller and better lights...so I guess these are what got me interested in flashlights (although the hobby is still secondary to knives...I certainly own many more lights than any one person justifiably needs).

Now, I keep a few around because they're cheap, they work (most of the time), and they're great to give out as loaners because A) I really don't care if one gets lost, and B) the UI is dead simple. No twists, turns, and multi-clicks here.


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## Double_A (Feb 21, 2012)

Two things

These are great loaners to those caught in an emergency w/o a light.
Nothing has done more to popularize the AAA cell than these lights.


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## Haloman87 (Feb 21, 2012)

Hello guys these lights are cheap but they are simple and i like simple. i usually upgrade it with a stronger spring, so the battery holder doesn't bounce around so much inside the flashlight. i kept having problems with it, flickering. you can't beat 2.50 a piece at tsc


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## Ishango (Feb 21, 2012)

I bought one of those 9 LED 3 AAA type lights in the beginning of this wonderful hobby at an outdoors shop. I quite liked it then, but it quickly became outdated by my other lights. Now it's used by my girlfriend when she wants to read in bed when I'm asleep. If not aimed at me directly it doesn't bother me during sleep so it is a very nice light.


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## Ishango (Feb 21, 2012)

I bought one of those 9 LED 3 AAA type lights in the beginning of this wonderful hobby at an outdoors shop. I quite liked it then, but it quickly became outdated by my other lights. Now it's used by my girlfriend when she wants to read in bed when I'm asleep. If not aimed at me directly it doesn't bother me during sleep so it is a very nice light.


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## Bikeman (Feb 21, 2012)

Hello All, I'm new to this forum. There seems to be a lot of very useful info here. I like the idea of modding these cheap/disposable/almost free lites. Anyone have mods they want to share?

Thanks for your help!


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## Threeme2189 (Feb 22, 2012)

Dr. Strangelove said:


> Don't worry Freaker! It's just the first stages of flasholism. Think of it as a "gateway" flashlight. Before long he'll be buying SureFires!


I

Actually I kind of agree with you on that point.
I got one of those cheap 9-led 3xAAA lights as a gift when I went to the army, and it has been useful on hikes and trips, not to mention the occasional power outage.
From the start I knew it was cheap and that there were better options out there. 
So it has gotten me more interested in up-to-date LED lights.


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## WriteAway (Feb 22, 2012)

I have 3 of these inexpensive AAA lamps (branded "MiracleBeam", available at BigLots for $2.50 each). A purplish, flood pattern beam make them excellent general purpose/car/household lights with Energizer lithiums installed. I'm not a modder, and I have several other better lights, so they do the job for me as is. Great value for little cash, and as dependable as I need.


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## Spydermonkey (Feb 23, 2012)

I have a bunch of these laying around that I give out to friends or family. I get mine free from Harbor Freight with the coupons from the Sunday paper ads or gun magazines.


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## SDM44 (Mar 14, 2012)

We have a few of these laying around in our office. I put in fresh AAA batteries on day since I had to use the light when working behind our server cage. I was working for about 1.5 hours and then left the light on and went to lunch. Came back just shy of 3 hours and the LEDs were very dim.

Not sure if they're suppose to last longer and the light I had was junk, but that was my only real 'test' experience with it for a long period of time. Just to use shining here or there also works out well, but it really doesn't have any more power than my single AAA Fenix E05 light.


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## LIGAF (Mar 16, 2012)

hehe, one of those 9 led 3xaaa lights failing on me after less than a year of very light use is what made me search for a better light on-line, and eventually brought me to cpf about 2 months ago and....made me buy a whole bunch of good but more expensive lights as a result...but worth every cent and haven't had a case of buyer's remorse in the least....

i received that last el-cheapo 3xaaa light from my mom last year after another one of the lame multi-led lights stopped working suddenly when needed even though i used all very sporadically....btw, that last one was a 9 led, 3aaa light with 'skil' [skilsaw's trademark signature] written on the side of it and looked pretty in red anodizing... i couldn't find a better link which shows this same model - http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/...-5-Super-Bright-9-LED-Flashlights-wGlow-Rings so here's one that shows the same model on qvc site.... 
i liked it for its size and brightness [i was a total laic re-flashlights until a couple of months ago and my extent of 'higher end' brands knowledge was limited to maglight, eveready, surefire and princeton tec] but less than a year after i received it - and only a few very short instances of usage - it suddenly wouldn't turn-on unless i'd do some vigorous shaking of it and then often it would stay on for brief time then go dim or dark....

got mad and i googled 'best small flashlight' back in january and the very first few search returns were posts/threads on cpf and........ now i've abandoned all hope to ever be happy with a single edc light as a result hahaha....
will never buy another one of those crappy lights if i can help it too....

i started with olight i2 and ti illumina-ti and the cool microscopic 'nano' zipper/keychain light, plus 3 of those tiny, flat 'button battery' kickass keychain 'photon freedom microlights' and a ti's even cheaper version of it; the latter which came gratis with my order.... found out that 'twisties' aren't for me as i'm barely able to practically use it [my hands are paralyzed as i'm a quad] so after a couple of weeks i gave the i2, illumina-ti and 2 nanos to family members, then bought clickies - the fenix e11, more microlights and a terralux lightstar 300 to replace 'em, along with a few energizer e2 packs, 4 eneloops and a cheap charger bundled as a set with the terralux.... liked them all very much [save for the cheap charger] then read some more here on cpf and watched a lot of youtube comparison/review clips... must give a mention of gratitude especially to some excellent [kudos to all reviewers on cpf] recent reviews by selfbuilt, hkj, et al..... got slightly more 'enlightened' due to those sources and really went to town with my credit card in the next few weeks like soome deranged lunatic [luna-get it?...]....
};->

my family has benefited by a couple of more cool lights since, and i now own a mini-arsenal of some very nice super bright for their size lights... the aforementioned bunch of microlights, the fenix e11 and terralux...plus a zebralight sc51, zebralight sc600, jetbeam iii m 3m, jetbeam bc25, fenix tk41, fenix tk70 and another one or two well regarded small light i can't remember at this moment and don't feel like raiding my fag-bag and another backpack to check... oh and 5 or 6 very low priced lights i ordered from hong-kong based vendor for their tiny size aspect - an sqg s1 [thinnest 1aaa light in the world], an ultrashort 1aa dqg, a couple of tank 007s 1aaa lights [tk703 and e08], an another 1aaa light called yezl or something....
i have a whole bunch of current top of the line rechargable cells [at least 3 sets of spares for each light] as well and 2 good chargers [pila for my 18650 lights and maha c808m for my aaa/aa/d-cell lights]...and 20-pack each of energy e2 lithiums - aaa and aa for long term emergency storage/cold temps usage....

also must thank a couple of cpf dudes for doing battery tests, sharing their results here, then giving me some golden info via pm to my inquiries - scott [357mag1 & chris [drmalenko]....because of them, especially scott, i spent my bucks wisely and only on best batteries available plus direct links to best buys of cells/lights - which make a huge difference in saved bucks when one buys these pricey cells .... 

am esctatic about all my buys as my edc and/or hi-performing home lights because they truly deliver....each and every one of the fenix, zebralight and jetbeam lights surpassed my high expectations.....and even dig in a way those cheap h-k lights for their super-wow tiny size/power ratio factor....
all are far bettter option than the cheap multi-led 3xaaa lights....

without cpf, i'd likely be now close to the life's end of another cheap 3aaa multi-led light which typically fails right when it's needed most....instead i now have and use some really kickass lights which are solid reliable too.... hmmm, then again, without cpf i'd still have close to a grand extra on my credit card/bank accounts hehe....



re- op's question....i've never seen actual specs given for those cheap lights and i think such would be very unimpressive even when compared to the lowest priced 'higher-end' lights....the former are not as bright, aren't as rugged or shock//water resistant, and dim considerably shortly after being turned on.... 

to sum up - imo, those cheap 3aaa multi-led lights aren't worth it unless you won't care about a light failing on ya when it's needed... they're exactly what one pays for - cheap.... i suppose they have their purpose as throwaway lights [perhaps even with seasoned 'flashoholics] - sort of like saturday night specials and the cheap 007 folding knives, as having something is usually better than none and at a couple of $ each, none will be missed even after a single use.... as far as myself am concerned, i'm done with buying such crap.... just another opinion to add to the thread....
};->

[EDIT] - i have to add one other point to my post since i've genereously used phrases like 'cheap' and 'high-end'.... currently, all of my great lights are chinese-made....so are those cheap multi-led lights i slam in my post so much, even if some have the logos of american companies..... i based my decisions to buy each light after being anal in searching for - and careful reading and watching of - as many reviews/comparisons as i could find....then anal-yzed further still, narrowed my choices by side-by-side comparison of all pros/cons, until i was assured i've compared all available type of lights in a given category to buy the optimal choice suiting my needs and means the most... i'm very much in the 'buy american' camp and would even gladly pay twice for all american made lights but sadly, none of the american made current lights on the market can even equal the options at twice the price in the type of lights i specifically required....namely a clicky in smallest possible size, lasting burn times as compared to the brightness levels, all using only the cells which can be easily obtained everywhere should i need to substitute primary cells [aaa or aa] for rechargeable ones....i also paid great attention to ruggedness [american lights and products in general tend to usually 'shine' much brighter than foreign stuff in this category] and reliability but based on some hard-core youtube testing clips and testimonials of very experienced users on cpf and elsewhere, i've found that even in this category, the chinese vs. us made lights lights from my heavily edited final list should hold their own over a long period of hard usage thus i had to spend my bucks on non-us made stuff as much as it pains me to........ if peak, surefire, hdc, et al, made light models which can equal all of the aspects of chinese light models i considered, i'd gladly pay more for made in usa stuff but all of their models fell short in at least 2 aspects which were most important to me when compared to foreign equivalent models..... i refuse to drive foreign or even new stuff with engine/wheels and try my hardest to buy american in just about every category of items i use...i staunchly and stubbornly drive rides u.s. made before '70s even though i take a huge hit at the gas pump and in maintenance aspect but flashlights can be very important in some situations and can actually become a life-saver....i won't buy a light which simultaneously - doesn't have a clicky, a very long burn time on a single cell yet high output on highest setting of a common size-cell and/or is far larger/heavier as compared to the nearest foreign competition because then the light won't be practical for me in a potential dire situation, thus - sadly - i had to go against my dearest sentiments and buy non-american stuff....
there's no equivalent tk41 light...no zl sc51...not at even 3x price.....

to some, the lights i bought might STILL be considered 'cheap' as compared to stuff made by surefire, et alia, bt based purely on bang-for-the-buck performance in ALL aspects the fenix, zl and jb lights i chose are in fact high-end to me....they might be much cheaper in price than direct competition from sf, etc., but they're still not cheap...both figuratively and literally....


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## RoBeacon (Mar 17, 2012)

I got a 10 for $10.00 deal on theese. I believe they are Brinkman and are plastic with a rubber feeling coat on them. I like having them around for going on walks. When one of the friends wants a flashlight they get the dollar bargain not the $60.00 EDC. Friends aren't usually too carefull with flashlights.


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## csshih (Mar 18, 2012)

thinking of quitting the flashlight business.







how am I supposed to compete with this?!








C


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## JerryM (Mar 18, 2012)

I bought three or four of those. The other day I decided to see how one would do in a power outage situation. After 6.5 hours it was around 2 lumens, and I turned it off for the night. The next day I turned it on again, and in another couple of hours it was at the firefly level, but still going. Finally after 15 hours it was running at the firefly level, and I turned it off. That would have given some light for around 22 hours. That would be enough for most power outages. 
Again, most of that time was in the moonlight mode, I guess that is the term, but would have given light that would have helped if the power had been out for close to three nights. Cheap, but worth the money for emergency lights. 

Recently Harbor Freight had a 27 LED that runs off 3 AAA's. I wonder how that would be in an emergency power outage situation? Anyone tried one?

Jerry


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## LIGAF (Mar 19, 2012)

JerryM said:


> I bought three or four of those. The other day I decided to see how one would do in a power outage situation. After 6.5 hours it was around 2 lumens, and I turned it off for the night. The next day I turned it on again, and in another couple of hours it was at the firefly level, but still going. Finally after 15 hours it was running at the firefly level, and I turned it off. That would have given some light for around 22 hours. That would be enough for most power outages.
> Again, most of that time was in the moonlight mode, I guess that is the term, but would have given light that would have helped if the power had been out for close to three nights. Cheap, but worth the money for emergency lights.
> 
> Recently Harbor Freight had a 27 LED that runs off 3 AAA's. I wonder how that would be in an emergency power outage situation? Anyone tried one?
> ...



jerry, you've got way more time on cpf than i do [ more than 9 years] thus i'm surprised to find you even looking at such lights man...particularly for 'emergency' use.....then again, maybe you simply never actually used them before so it might seem tempting at such prices...i can only offer some experience with these cheap alternatives to add to this thread even though i'm a total newb on cpf and to the flashlight 'scene'...... 

in my experience these lights usually do what they're advertised as quite well. - at first...problem is, in my experience with consecutive 4-5 lights of this 3xaaa multi-led type they never lasted more than few/several months just riding inside of my 'fanny pack' w/very little use; one even went south just spending its short life in my bedside drawer being used for a couple of minutes only 3-4 times total.... 

i'm a quad in a wheelchair so i do tend to abuse anything i wear/carry 'on the outside' of my person, or gizmos i just frequently use [keys, watches, edc knife, and even lights at times when i drop them or subject 'em to rain/cold and hot weather], by frequent banging against other objects/structures or simply dropping stuff since my hands don't really have any dexterity anymore...however, i haven't used almost at all any of those previous cheap lights and they all were rather cushioned inside of my fagbag, even when lightly thrown onto a table, chair, seat, etc. at times... thus - imo - they simply don't last on their own due to some apparently particular very crappy manufacturing process/materials and/or design.... 
in fact, due to my experience with such lights recently i suspect that even without any use most of these products significantly deteriorate on their own due to time passage or some exposure to even slight temperature/humidity variations.....

no guarantees in life but i can be quite certain that as long as i keep a well charged - or a good lithium - cell in any of my fenix, zl or jb lights, they'll work fine when i truly need them even after some rough handling and exposure.... not enough personal experience yet with my new 'higher end' lights but the many testimonials/reviews here on cpf and some impressive 'destructive test' clips on youtube seem to put me at ease in that frame of mind....and i like my new mini wonder lights so much for their size/power i 'play' with them all the time even in my apt just turning all the lights off, something i never did with those cheap lights advertised for sale everywhere...
and those cheap lights on the other hand, all failed miserably relatively fast even after virtual non-use...a couple of them almost immediately, another one just when it was badly needed.... at these ludicrous prices they all seem like deal ya can't beat...and i suppose, if one buys them for non-emergency, no problem in caase of a failure, type of use, they'll fit that role ok.... 

there needs to be a reason why a light is sold for less than it costs to ship it via usps/ups standard rate.... and unless selfbuilt, hkj, or some other good reviewer tests any such lights here on cpf i'll remain very skeptical with regards to claimed lumens, burn time, etc, on such lights by vendors who sell them for such prices.....

as far as any REAL emergency, personally, i'd stake my need for light - on even the lowest priced single model from fenix or another well-regarded flashlight co. like zebralight, jetbeam, 4sevens, sunwayman, [if you can live with higher price yet some less run time vs brightness, more weight, size and/or using less conventional cell types to the ubiquitous aaa/aa types one can obtain anywhere - the u.s. brands like surefire, peak, et al., offer the utmost in reliability/sturdiness but you likely know this already better than i do hehe] instead of - say a 5 pack - of those cheap lights at half the price for all 5... i simply have learned MY lesson from my experience and having found cpf - and subsequentlly, the better class of lights as a result - i'm not falling for that can't beat the price temptation ever again; unless in some unforeseen there's no other choice scenario or if i'll inexplicably find myself having to equip a whole bleedin' company od people with an emergency light asap hehe....even then, i'd likely choose to buy a whole bunch of photon freedom microlights at under $5/a pop or a $15-20 small fenix/olight for each rather than those $1-3 multi-led light if i had the choice available.... 

nor would i buy and then store such a light [still talking about those multi-led cheapos here] for some long term - true -emergency back up because in my experience, there's a good chance it won't even turn on after some laying around when called upon or will die soon after shortly... in such a scenario having no back up with full knowledge of it is a far better situation thhan thinking you have one but finding out to contrary when truly needed....


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## JerryM (Mar 19, 2012)

quote
"jerry, you've got way more time on cpf than i do [ more than 9 years]" end

Probably not. I have never been a flashaholic. I suspect that in the past 5 years or more I have not visited here more than probably 3-4 times. At the time I joined CPF my son had wanted a Surefire E2e for a present. I got him one, and also got some for my daughter and son-in-law. I even got an E2e and E1e for myself. I never used them. Last Christmas when my son was home he wanted the E1e so I gave it to him. I wanted a replacement so I came here where the expertise resides. I replaced it with a Quark Mini CR 123. I also bought a Quark Mini AA while I was at it. 
Then I bought several AAA keychain lights, although I think all are too large for a keychain. I think I have about bought everything I want now.

Flashlights are just tools, and sometimes I have fun with buying a new one, but it is not a hobby to me. All I want the light to do is to burn. The only ones I have had fail have been a couple of Arc std. and some similar light from (I am not sure)-CMG?

The Mag lights I own have been totally reliable, and if I never had another light except a couple of mini mags and my 3C mag I would not be bothered much. I do like the small AAA lights to put in my pocket, but do not normally carry one.

I only know one other person that pays attention to flashlights, and he does not spend time with them, but got a couple of inexpensive throwers to have at night, as he carries a firearm.

Flashlights are a good hobby, and much less expensive than many other hobbies, but as I have posted I would not even consider paying upward of $50 for a flashlight considering the budget lights available now. 

As long as the 9 LED lights have run times like the one I tested and are so cheap I think they are useful. Although I have experienced a few power outages ( we have few here in southern NM, but in AR sometimes they last for a few weeks) and never had the need for expensive lights. In fact here at home the propane lanterns do well.

Regards,
Jerry


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## jk037 (Apr 1, 2012)

I keep a few of these in toolboxes for those occasions where a "decent" light isn't to hand, or it is but the battery is discharged, or it's a really dirty job!

They're OK for what they are, i.e. a very basic but functional light. Pretty nasty blue-green tint and not the last word in brightness, but they have a usefully floody beam for working in engine bays and the like. Also, the ones I have are the black ones with rubberised plastic bodies, which are a lot more comfortable to grip between teeth than anything with an aluminium body!


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## DanglerB (Apr 4, 2012)

I have a dozen or so of the freebies from harbor freight, which I think are Gordon branded if still in a package. Main issue, toss the cheap cheap cheap batteries before they leak and damage the insides. Out of the dozen about 4 have leaked with one a total mess beyond clean up.

I haven't bought alkalines in years, and it made me cough up for $15 16 pack of decent Duracells so we could keep five of the flashlights "ready" for emergency use, the rest I leave the batteries out of until I need one then put in whatever is in the charger.


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## ragweed (Apr 4, 2012)

Dtto on that..!


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## Beckman (Apr 9, 2012)

I bought a bunch of them at the 99-cent store.

I once left one on continuously with fresh batteries, as a test, and it lasted about 24hrs. I wouldn't expect that, though, since the QC is so spotty. Also, on the ones I have, the tailcaps aren't always 100%.


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## lafirefighter (Apr 12, 2012)

I have them, and use them all the over the house. They flicker like crazy making you think the batteries are low, so you've got to constantly shake and jostle them to get it to stop. Good enough for a cars glove box, but not much else.


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## JohnnyBravo (Apr 12, 2012)

I had several between the freebie offer at Harbor Freight and the similar ones at the Dollar Tree and/or $0.99 Cent stores. After using them for a little while, I couldn't stand them anymore. I ended up getting a couple of Ray O Vac 2D Incan lights for a $1 each. I discovered that I'd rather have one incan bulb w/ a decent reflector, than 9 LEDs w/ no reflector. I did however, cannibalize the 3AAA carrier and used it for other lights...


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## AIC (Apr 17, 2012)

I actually like these lights. I got a 6 or 8 pack of these from Bass Pro. They all came loaded with batteries, and they work very well in my experience. Just leave them scattered about in the house of truck and you'll always have light. For indoor use you cant get a much better beam, maybe an old Dorcy 1aaa with optic. I know I'll never go without a few of these lights.


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## DanglerB (Apr 21, 2012)

They are cheap, but other than the batteries being low low quality (they weigh nothing) and the occasional need to wiggle the batteries or the carrier to improve the contacts, they work fine for me.

I can't see anything that would have me choose an incandescent over a LED, and I have half a dozen Maglites I no longer use just for things related to the bulbs. I have thought about converting them, but cost and end result not that appealing to me yet.


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## PB Wilson (Mar 18, 2013)

In addition to the dozen free flashlights I've brought home from Harbor Freight, I have a 21 LED 3xAAA light from Lee Valley that cost about $7 and change. It is considerably heavier and breaks down into 3 relatively sturdy pieces. It's more rugged and the tail switch feels heavier duty than the lightweight ones. 

Surprisingly it's not all that much brighter side-by-side with the ultra cheap ones but I'm hoping that it'll prove its use over time.


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## Poppy (Mar 19, 2013)

I thought those 9 led lights were such a good deal that I must have bought a dozen or two, of them, but their failure rate was so high that I think they are all gone. 
Flickering leds is one issue, but I think that the primary weakness is in the switch. 
IMO the $2.50 AA or 2D Rayovacs are better quality throw-aways/give-aways. They use the standard slide switch that has served incandescents for years.


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## ragweed (Mar 19, 2013)

The Rayovacs are good general pupose lights IMO. I have 2 of them & with the lifetime warranty its hard to go wrong.


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## mccririck (Mar 19, 2013)

A Sipik sk68 blows these away.


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## DaveG (Mar 19, 2013)

I have a few of the plastic Dorcy ones also the angle head model.Cheap,yes but seem better built than the .99 cent ones out there.


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## dosquetzales (Apr 27, 2013)

I keep one in every end table and bed stand in the house. Perfect for power outages when you just need a little light. Also have one in my desk drawer at work when I need to find something that dropped in a corner or check a computer connection. In the last NYC blackout I had a few and give one to a guy who was freaking out about having to get home and what would he do when it was dark. Calmed him right down (after I showed him I still had a flashlight). Plus they are great to give kids who want to play "camping". They work fairly well for what they are.


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## Xavier (Apr 27, 2013)

I have three of these. Got them at a close out price $1 for 3. Great lights for random uses around the house. I also keep one in each of my vehicles, just in case they are needed.


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## conman (May 3, 2013)

I have some of the 3AAA 9 LED lights from Harbor Freight I got for free. They are probably of lesser quality than other lights of that style due to Harbor Freight. I carried one in my pocket for my daily light before I bought a new 1AA light and it seemed to be about 15 lumens. However after about a week one LED died and another became notably dimmer.


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## DimmerD (May 7, 2013)

It's funny how people say hey look how bright this is and shine it directly in your face! I pull out my Quark and turn it on high and shine it point blank at my hand and show them the reflected light, you can barely look at that. I say and this only has 1 led, not 9!!!


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## toomuch (May 15, 2013)

I have 4-5 of these cheapies from local health/safety fairs. Hey great, flashlights for nightstand, junk drawer etc. They came with batteries, but when it was time to need them, dead. won't get me to take another, have too much junk in the junk drawer already.


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## T45 (Jun 26, 2013)

Every time I see those I start thinking of a mod project....one C cell, ditch the 9 LEDs and get a good XPG, regulated for flat run time, but then that wouldn't be a 99 cent flashlight anymore. The form factor has some appeal.


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