Great Flashlight Buy!

[Gary]

99% of the time when you experience a breakdown it will be in the middle of nowhere, at night, in the rain and cold. You can deal with the rain and cold, but you can't even begin to work on your bike without light

Incandescent flashights are big, heavy and prone to rapid battery failure; most of the time when tiy need them, the batteries are dead.

I have been carrying an aluminum LED flashlight with 3 AA size batteries for the last several years because it has very long battery life and about the same lumen output as a incandescent with two bigger D size batteries.

Until very recently the small 100+ lumen LED flashlights have been mainly made for tactical weapon mounting and can cost $200-$500. I have a 135 lumen streamlight with lithium batteries on my AR-15 that cost $100.

Recently, I bought a 1" diameter LED flashlight (about 5" long) made by Coleman at Wal-mart for $26.88 that puts out 125 lumens and I mounted that one on my Ruger 10-22 that has been restocked like a AR-15. I thought this was a great buy... then

Last weekend I found a pack of two aluminum 150 lumen LED flashlights at SAM's Club for $26.47, including eveready alkaline batteries. These are as bright as my Streamlight and actually have a whiter light. To give you some idea of what you get is a flashlight that will throw a bright, tight beam over 100 yards; will virtually blind someone at 20 feet and will run continuously all night long on 3 alkaline AAA batteries. As these flashlights are all aluminum and sealed with O rings, these should last as long as the batteries.

You need one of these on your bike. There are numerous manufacturers out there that make mounts for flashlights if your bike doesn't have a tool bag, saddlebags or such for cargo.

 

[DaveM]

Sound like a very good idea especially since it is small enough for the bike

 

[CarlS]

That is a good idea, Gary; thanks. I will buy a couple of for our bikes.

 

[Lonzo]

I recently bought a 6-pack of 9-LED (I think) flashlights at Home Depot on close-out for $5. Came with 18 AAA batteries. My daughter-in-law bought my son a heckuva LED flashlight for $158. I wanted one til I learned the price. It has a strobe that trips urban traffic lights (my son is a fire fighter). I'm a sucker for flashlights. I have about 15. Now I'll have to go to Sam's.

 

[dazco]

I an't tell you how many small LED flashlights i have thrown away becuse they went bad so quick. Then i found one with 26 LED's and was still very small for $10. It's as bright as a full size flashlight. But wouldn't you know it....and this is WIERD.....the only switch it had was a momentary. That is, you had to keep it pressed and when you let go it goes out ! It could stay on via twisting the top like the maglights do, but thats onw of the reasons i hate mag lights. Anyways, i was able to mod it so it stays on till i hit it again. Amazing tho how this little thing buts out a ton of light and the batteries last so long i haven't yet replaced them in the year i've had it.

 

[shyguy344]

Thanks for the info, Gary. Now I guess I will have to make the trek to Sam's and get me a couple of those. That will give me one for each of most of my vehicles....can't have enough flashlights, especially living in Florida with the hurricane season, etc. I have them everywhere in the house, etc.