1000 Lumen CREE XM L T6 LED Flashlight Torch Light Lamp (0003575-001) Regular Price: $24.99 Final Price: $11.99 fs @ m

i bought this one about 3 months ago but until now i still don't know if it's any good. wish I would have read the description back then. it takes a weird size battery i don't even know where to find 1 x 18650 battery. i just haven't had the motivation to go look for it. i would have thought it would have just been aa, c, or d.

Quote from Mr.Le : i bought this one about 3 months ago but until now i still don't know if it's any good. wish I would have read the description back then. it takes a weird size battery i don't even know where to find 1 x 18650 battery. i just haven't had the motivation to go look for it. i would have thought it would have just been aa, c, or d.

Unfortunately most 300+ lumen cree flashlights require those. Lots of people swear by them, but for now I'm happy with my $5 one that works off a AA battery.

Quote from Mr.Le : i bought this one about 3 months ago but until now i still don't know if it's any good. wish I would have read the description back then. it takes a weird size battery i don't even know where to find 1 x 18650 battery. i just haven't had the motivation to go look for it. i would have thought it would have just been aa, c, or d.

Sorry to tell you, but the battery and charger is going to cost more then the flashlight itself. If you going to buy a quality 18650 battery with a panasonic cell, it gonna cost around $15 for one battery.

Quote from Rono : Sorry to tell you, but the battery and charger is going to cost more then the flashlight itself. If you going to buy a quality 18650 battery with a panasonic cell, it gonna cost around $15 for one battery.

Is there an online site or forum or something that I can rely on for choosing the best 18650 battery and charger for a given price? Best meaning, does not explode often, does not heat up to melt my hand, price reasonable, and a good mah rating.

Quote from hak8or : Is there an online site or forum or something that I can rely on for choosing the best 18650 battery and charger for a given price? Best meaning, does not explode often, does not heat up to melt my hand, price reasonable, and a good mah rating.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/

Quote from hak8or : Is there an online site or forum or something that I can rely on for choosing the best 18650 battery and charger for a given price?

LITHIUM BATTERIES

There are a ton of options here, many are crappy knock-offs with fantasy power ratings... Name-brand prices are sky high.

I strongly prefer the red foil-wrapped Trustfire batteries, and DX has them at great prices. DX tests capacity, and if it is overstated by the MFR, it will be "in quotes" with the tested capacity listed in the description.

The Trustfire's are considered "protected" cells, since they include a circuit board that protects them from under voltage and short circuit issues that can create fires. Ultrafire's suck, stay away! My favorite, made by Trustfire:

Trustfire 18650 (dia. 18mm, len. 650mm) -. 2/$10
http://dx.com/p/trustfire-protect...pack-20392

CHARGERS

There are a zillion lithium charger options out there, starting at $4... If you buy a cheapo, I suggest only using protected cells to reduce fire hazards...
http://dx.com/s/Lithium+charger

Considering fire safety and overall convenience, I finally settled on the SYSMAX Intellicharge i4 JETBeam Nitecore Li-ion / NiMH Battery Charger V.2 $27:
http://www.amazon.com/Intellichar...B007S9P3BC

The Sysmax is a great charger, charges everything (Lithium, NiMH, and NICD), in any combination, automatically, using the preferred method for each cell type. Super safe and super handy, even has a car adapter... No other charger currently supports all three chemistry systems, since some require constant current and the other constant voltage.

NOTE: DX items are made in and shipped for free from China. This takes about two weeks, so prepare to be patient.

being from Meritline i HIGHLY doubt that this flashlight is actually 1000 lumens

Quote from TheKarn : being from Meritline i HIGHLY doubt that this flashlight is actually 1000 lumens

In general most flashlights are overrated to a certain extent. 18650's are pretty standard for this type of flashlight, it's the only way to get enough power to the LED, they charge up at 4.2 volts and an AA or even a C or D cell is only going to be at 1.5 volts and it can't handle the current draw on these things. Plus a C or D cell is going to be much bulkier than an 18650.

As for the red trustfires, I've got those but like the unregulated ones better, once power starts to go on them, it goes from super bright to nothing and you're in the dark. At least with unregulated ones, it starts to dim and you know you've only got a few minutes left until it gets really dim and you risk discharging the battery too much.

For $1 more, this one has adjustable zoom:

http://www.meritline.com/1200-lm-...92160.aspx

Quote from eMtnMan : LITHIUM BATTERIES There are a ton of options here, many are crappy knock-offs with fantasy power ratings... Name-brand prices are sky high. I strongly prefer the red foil-wrapped Trustfire batteries, and DX has them at great prices. DX tests capacity, and if it is overstated by the MFR, it will be "in quotes" with the tested capacity listed in the description. The Trustfire's are considered "protected" cells, since they include a circuit board that protects them from under voltage and short circuit issues that can create fires. Ultrafire's suck, stay away! My favorite, made by Trustfire: Trustfire 18650 (dia. 18mm, len. 650mm) -. 2/$10 http://dx.com/p/trustfire-protected-18650-3-7v-true-2400mah-rechargeable-lithium-batteries-2-pack-20392 CHARGERS There are a zillion lithium charger options out there, starting at $4... If you buy a cheapo, I suggest only using protected cells to reduce fire hazards... http://dx.com/s/Lithium+charger Considering fire safety and overall convenience, I finally settled on the SYSMAX Intellicharge i4 JETBeam Nitecore Li-ion / NiMH Battery Charger V.2 $27: http://www.amazon.com/Intellicharge-JETBeam-Nitecore-Battery-Charger/dp/B007S9P3BC The Sysmax is a great charger, charges everything (Lithium, NiMH, and NICD), in any combination, automatically, using the preferred method for each cell type. Super safe and super handy, even has a car adapter... No other charger currently supports all three chemistry systems, since some require constant current and the other constant voltage. NOTE: DX items are made in and shipped for free from China. This takes about two weeks, so prepare to be patient.

Lots of good information. Ever since I've had a CR123A cell explode on me this past summer, I've been wary of cheap lithium batteries.

Second the Intellicharge i4. Nifty creature.

Quote from Mr.Le : i bought this one about 3 months ago but until now i still don't know if it's any good. wish I would have read the description back then. it takes a weird size battery i don't even know where to find 1 x 18650 battery. i just haven't had the motivation to go look for it. i would have thought it would have just been aa, c, or d.

I buy all my funky lithium batteries off ebay. They are inexpensive and they work just fine. Mostly from Hong Kong and China sellers, but some USA sellers too.

And none have exploded and burned down my house yet...am not saying it couldn't happen but the batteries work and charge fine and make the flashlight really bright.

Just look on ebay and find the least expensive ones and buy them and they should work. Sure you can pay 5x that amount for a more dependable and safer battery, but that cost/benefit equation is up to you to figure out.

bought one for 9 bucks last time..... Like it for that price but now for 12 dollars that is too much for this to like ...... no.


And its cheaper on ebay [ebay.com].....10.61 shipped.....