# Best bang for the buck AAA/keychain light: $8 for 60 lumens?



## fstuff (Nov 12, 2016)

Thorfire TS07:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PFGGDWI/?tag=cpf0b6-20

my current light is an *OLD* Maglite Solitaire AAA incandescent (krypton bulb) @ 2 lumens. 

I think it's time to upgrade to LED.
I could buy one of those cheap AAA lights off ebay with questionable lumen ratings.

but for $8, I think I could save myself time/trouble.
the ts07 looks like it has a XPG2 emitter?

So what do you think?
Any other ~$5 best bang buck AAA/keychain lights you would recommend?


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## jorn (Nov 12, 2016)

jetbeam u, the lumintop tool, or lumintop worm got dicounts right now. 
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...gles-Day-is-coming!-The-Super-Offers-are-HERE!!!


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## LeanBurn (Nov 12, 2016)

What about the ThruNite T01 125 lumens for $6.95 off the website?

No PWM, TIR lens and XPG2 even comes in neutral white.


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## fstuff (Nov 13, 2016)

LeanBurn said:


> What about the ThruNite T01 125 lumens for $6.95 off the website?
> 
> No PWM, TIR lens and XPG2 even comes in neutral white.



I'm leaning towards this because of the simple on/off switch instead of 3 mode.
but it's a twisty. how easy will it turn on in my pocket (and drain the battery)?

and whats the difference between cool white and neutral white?
which is better?


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## fstuff (Nov 13, 2016)

jorn said:


> jetbeam u, the lumintop tool, or lumintop worm got dicounts right now.
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...gles-Day-is-coming!-The-Super-Offers-are-HERE!!!


how reliable are the lumens ratings?


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## jorn (Nov 13, 2016)

I dont think they are far off. You can expect 80-130 lumen from a aaa light. And it's quite hard to tell the difference between 80 and 130 lumen. Need four times the lumens to appear twice as bright to the eye. So for a light to look "twice" as bright as 130 lumen. You need 520 lumen. So dont worry too mutch about small % difference between different aaa light. Just buy the one you like best


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## JacquesDP (Nov 13, 2016)

I would not rule out the Olight i3E. Especially the silver one with 120 lumens is quite nice. Simple twist operation and good balance between throw and spill. 

Not sure if it will fit in your price range - but it is worth a look!


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## vadimax (Nov 13, 2016)

I think this one looks nice and sturdy:







It is not polished or blasted, so its surface will not suffer from minor bruises. And it is a Convoy, known to give best quality/price value. It is stainless steel, it will look the same even 10 years later.


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## KITROBASKIN (Nov 13, 2016)

That Convoy is the one I have been looking at for Christmas giving. From what has been posted here, looks like the head is a twisty but captive, and will not come unscrewed/fall off. Also like the idea of ~5000K temperature emitter (XP-E2)

Anybody care to mention the banggood discount offered on this forum or on that other forum?


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## LeanBurn (Nov 13, 2016)

fstuff said:


> I'm leaning towards this because of the simple on/off switch instead of 3 mode.
> but it's a twisty. how easy will it turn on in my pocket (and drain the battery)?
> 
> and whats the difference between cool white and neutral white?
> which is better?



I have never had a twisty turn on in my pocket. I have stainless version of this light with a few more modes. The decently threaded ones have enough friction on the twist so that it takes a human fingers to actually twist it rather than it "rolling loosely" into the on position.

Generally NW has a bit better color rendition properties:
CW = 5000-6000K ish
NW = 4000-5000K ish
...which one do I feel is better...well check out my signature...ThruNite is typically right on with their specs or even conservative.


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## Buck (Nov 13, 2016)

I have the steel light shown in LeanBurn's avatar, and have had several lights of the same brand with aluminum bodies. The only problem is that the aluminum ones are so light they are hard to find in your pocket (they feel like nothing in among my keys, or I think it's my Chapstick) and I have lost a couple because they are so small and inconspicuous.

The O-ring between the head and body provides enough friction that they do not rotate on accidentally. You could possibly run one down if you turned it only just barely far enough to turn it off, then put it somewhere that it was pressed sideways against something. If the light is only barely off, bending the head sideways can close the circuit. You can make the light blink on and off by just pressing sideways on the head with your thumb. But if you just give it a good half-turn (maybe even 1/3 turn) past where it first goes off, this will not happen. I've never had a cell run down accidentally in over 5 years of EDC pocket carry.

And definitely get a neutral-white LED. They are rated for slightly fewer lumens, and usually don't come in the cheapest lights, but the improvement in the beauty and usefulness of the light is great. As someone wise once said, "The satisfaction of quality will last long after the pleasure of low price has been forgotten." Or something like that.


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## Timothybil (Nov 14, 2016)

To go in a different direction, one can find Nitecore Tubes at your price point these days. Reliable, 45 lumens on high, infinite adjustment as to brightness below that. I have some that I got when they came out still in the packaging and they still have a charge.


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## vadimax (Nov 14, 2016)

KITROBASKIN said:


> That Convoy is the one I have been looking at for Christmas giving. From what has been posted here, looks like the head is a twisty but captive, and will not come unscrewed/fall off. Also like the idea of ~5000K temperature emitter (XP-E2)
> 
> Anybody care to mention the banggood discount offered on this forum or on that other forum?



I. R. Baboon, I. R. stupid...



And again I order a light and forget to enter a discount code (4CPF in this case).


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## fstuff (Nov 14, 2016)

thx everyone for the suggestions.

I'm leaning towards the ThruNite T01 for $7 *(+ $4 shipping * ) from their website. (any coupon codes?)
I like the simple on/off as opposed to 3 mode or twisting it till you have a focused light.


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## vadimax (Nov 14, 2016)

fstuff said:


> thx everyone for the suggestions.
> 
> I'm leaning towards the ThruNite T01 for $7 from their website. (any coupon codes?)
> I like the simple on/off as opposed to 3 mode or twisting it till you have a focused light.



Well, Thrunite T01 IS a twistie


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## hakuin (Nov 14, 2016)

Thanks...just ordered a bunch of the ThruNight T01's for family members!


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## fstuff (Nov 14, 2016)

vadimax said:


> Well, Thrunite T01 IS a twistie



yeah but it seems you just twist a little to turn on and twist a little to turn off.
you don't need to keep twisting like those old Maglites till the beam focuses. 

unless the other twisties mentioned in this thread also have the same simple twist on/off like the T01?


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## fstuff (Nov 14, 2016)

read the reviews where the Thrunite T01 lanyard hole is paper thin and bends easily?

im looking for a keychain light and this wont do if the reviews are correct.


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## vadimax (Nov 14, 2016)

fstuff said:


> yeah but it seems you just twist a little to turn on and twist a little to turn off.
> you don't need to keep twisting like those old Maglites till the beam focuses.
> 
> unless the other twisties mentioned in this thread also have the same simple twist on/off like the T01?



Exactly. You just mechanically untwist a head and break a contact => LED is off. As simple as that.


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## jorn (Nov 14, 2016)

The jetbeam got memory, so it's one twist, and it turns on in the mode you always use. No need to skip modes. If you always use high, it will always turn on in high with the first twist.


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## vadimax (Nov 14, 2016)

fstuff said:


> read the reviews where the Thrunite T01 lanyard hole is paper thin and bends easily?
> 
> im looking for a keychain light and this wont do if the reviews are correct.



This is why I have selected a stainless steel Convoy Tiny. Thrunite T01 is made of aluminum. There are titanium models, but their prices are higher in times.


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## fstuff (Nov 14, 2016)

jorn said:


> The jetbeam got memory, so it's one twist, and it turns on in the mode you always use. No need to skip modes. If you always use high, it will always turn on in high with the first twist.



now I'm leaning towards the jetbeam for $9 shipped.
better lanyard hole and it's actually cheaper than the thrunite t01 if you factor in shipping.


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## LeanBurn (Nov 14, 2016)

ThruNite T01 can be had at Amazon for less than $10...free shipping.


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## dmattaponi (Nov 15, 2016)

The T01 is a nice light. I ordered 12 of them to give as Christmas present to dinner guests this year. I think you'll like it very much.


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## fstuff (Nov 17, 2016)

missed the Gearbest sales due to screwup. 

another others?


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## OCD (Nov 17, 2016)

This question can be a bit subjective. For me, I would say The Thrunite Ti titanium. I started with a Maratac AAA sst and really liked it. I then wanted a clicky, so I picked up a Lumintop Tool. Great little light. I then found the Thrunite Ti christmas version that started in low mode (and has a very low firefly mode at that) and that's my most used mode on this light. I use it to navigate getting ready for bed after the wife has already gone to bed. I like that it will come on in low every time if I'm somewhere I don't want a lot of light...say a movie theater.

So everyone has differnt criteria and fortunately, there's enough different lights that most everyone can find one they like.


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## fstuff (Dec 1, 2016)

LeanBurn said:


> What about the ThruNite T01 125 lumens for $6.95 off the website?
> 
> No PWM, TIR lens and XPG2 even comes in neutral white.



got 1 at amazon when it was free shipping a few days ago.
6.95 shipped!

got it today. doesn't look like 125lumens? (fresh aaa battery)
not much brighter than my 50 lumens energizer headlamp at 5ft from the wall


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## jorn (Dec 1, 2016)

Using your eyes to see how many lumens something is, is really hard. When you compare beams at the wall, you prob mixing lux and lumens. Lux=how intense the light is. The consentration of light. Lumens= total light output. Try to do a celing bounce, and see what light will light up the room most. Shine the lights to the celing, and dont look at the beam, look at the floor. The one with most lumen will light up the whole room, and the floor best. Thats more or less the only way you can use your eyes to see what light got the most lumens. If you compare beams at a wall, you see who got the most lux.


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## fstuff (Dec 1, 2016)

jorn said:


> Using your eyes to see how many lumens something is, is really hard. When you compare beams at the wall, you prob mixing lux and lumens. Lux=how intense the light is. The consentration of light. Lumens= total light output. Try to do a celing bounce, and see what light will light up the room most. Shine the lights to the celing, and dont look at the beam, look at the floor. The one with most lumen will light up the whole room, and the floor best. Thats more or less the only way you can use your eyes to see what light got the most lumens. If you compare beams at a wall, you see who got the most lux.


so lux is more useful measurement than lumens?


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