Hi guys,<br>Hey, I was wondering if any of you could tell me who makes a good flashlight? I bought a "cheap" one from Home Depot about two weeks ago. I've started stocking up on them after we had a bad ice storm last winter that knock power out for 5 days. Well, the flashlight worked for about an hour and it quit. I might as well throw it away.<br>Anyway, I would appreciate any advice and/or info. on some good dependable and longlasting flashlights.<br>Thanks--and God bless,<br>Joe

About the only ones that have impressed me are the LED "button" type lights and the Mag-Light that takes 3 D cells. Everything else always seemed to run down too fast.

We use the maglites. Got a bunch of them and they havn't let us down yet.

Button LED flashlights are great for carrying in your pocket or PSK, but the small size may not be a requirement to just keep around the house. I picked up a 2AA cell LED at Walmart for $11-$12 that has been left on all night several times as a night light for small children . It puts out a good amount of light, has much more affordable replacement batteries, and is much easier to keep up with than a button LED. Don't get me wrong I carry a Photon II just about every where I go, but those 2 watch batteries are $2-$3 apiece and not always convieniently located. The 2AA LED light just seems to be a more efficient use of resources.<br><br>Just an opinion,<br><br>Turk<br><br>"TANSTAAFL"

I second Longbow on the Maglites. They are very dependable and hardy. I have a 4-battery large Maglite for the house which I bought about 5 years ago and it has been dropped and so forth. It just keeps on going and going....<br><br>It is great for safaris here in SA also, especially for viewing game at night. It really casts a potent beam with fresh batteries.<br><br>I also have the Maglite Solitaire and has been great, and I have a Photon 2 which is part of my EDC. Hope this helps.

I agree with the other posters that MagLites are robust and reliable and would be a good choice. However, they are pricy and you may not want to shell out for more than one or two. There are also a lot of inexpensive plastic lights that will hold up surprisingly well, just avoid the very cheapest ones. The Rayovac Industrial line of lights is a good example and there are other similar ones.

Maglites are probably the best commonly available flashlight, but they are handheld items. I prefer a headlamp, which I often use like a handheld. The best of these are made by Petzl. I prefer the Duo for serious, prolonged use (caving, biking at night, long night hikes). I have modified mine to use LEDs - there are at least two kits available for this purpose. The light I have with me most often is the Tikka - LED and fed by three AAAs. I have used mine occasionally for over a year and I am still on the original set of batteries. Pelican also makes a nice, small headlamp that is compact and somewhat cheaper than the various Petzls. There are also several lights made primarily for scuba divers that are high quality. They are waterproof, naturally, and usually have switches that are difficult to activate accidentally, a very important feature for any light on which you will depend.<br><br>Three important characteristics. 1) Some way to attach or suspend the light. 2)How to keep the light from turning on inadvertently in your pack or pocket. 3) Provision for a spare bulb, unless you are using LEDs. <br><br>LEDs are the way to go. Although more expensive initially, the savings in batteries is astounding. Combine a LED with lithium or rechargeable NIMH batteries and you will save big bucks over the long run.<br><br>Much depends on the purpose for your flashlight. Do you need enough light to simply follow a trail at night or are you looking for a flamethrower to light up Yankee Stadium? My recommendations are for the smaller use. I often prefer to let my eyes get really adapted to the dark and avoid the use of any light altogether, but this doesn't always work.<br><br>Never depend on just one flashlight. Back them up.

if you think that maglite's are to expensive you can always try the S&W ( SMITH & WESSON ) collection of flashlights.<br>they are almost the same as maglite, but cheaper.

You've already got the right answers...so I'll just mirror what you've already heard. Start with a good D-Cell MagLight and some type of headlamp. Both items together with batteries will set you back maybe $35. The MagLight is a little more expensive...but you're paying for something that'll last forever. Mine have gone through some real rough times and just keep on working. I just picked up a little headlamp that is a three in one. It uses 3 AAA batteries, has a soft white LED for general purpose walking and working (casts a wide soft blueish white light), a red LED for perserving your night vision and a regular spot - to - flood lamp when you need a good bright light. The thing cost about $12 from Wal-Mart.

The best "deal" on a LED flashlight I've come across is from Walmart... They sell a Dorcy brand LED light named "Cool Blue" It's a 4 AA light with a single LED... very bright and has a nice narrow beam profile... best of all it will run approx. 200 hours on a single set of batteries. All for under $8 bucks.<br><br>Another flashlight I've recently bought a number of is the "Storm light" by Black & Decker... it's a recharger/flashlight that uses their stick batteries, best of all it comes on automaticly in a power outage so it's easy to find.<br>I mounted them strategically around the house to provide emergancy lighting, without even removing the flashlight from the holder... the light shining on the ceiling makes a nice area light which is good for 6 to 8 hours. (providing you fill the extra battery space provided)<br><br>Either of these is a good option, used together they pretty much cover all the bases.<br><br>Best of luck