i have almost 300 kirkland brand alkaline aa batteries sitting here that supposedly dont expire for about 10 years or something. im kind of a newb on flashlights. im a life long gun guy but i only bought the cloud defensive owl and a dozen surefire cr123 types recently in 2019.

i almost bought a 6 pack of cheap flashlights on amazon just now but wanted to get more options from you guys first. the amazon deal i like because they are single mode lights that just have on and off and simple beam adjustment no flashing signaling like others when you try to turn em off.

i really like the simplicity idea but hoping to pay a little more and get the best reliability and light output. the lights in question only use a single aa battery. maybe 2 or more aa would be better for some reason or no?

im wanting these for all around the farm to be in every vehicle, building etc. if you guys know of model numbers or have links that would be great. please share all options i may consider anything. i may get 1 or 2 top tier ones and a dozen cheap but decent ones all depending on info you guys have. thanks in advance.

I would like to welcome you to 1994, OP. That’s the year my dad gave me mine.

This will do what you need.

Personally, depending on what size you're looking for, the streamlights are hard to beat IMO. I've lost one of mine for like two years, and it still turned on. I carry one pretty much everywhere. Some are some smaller sized (mini mag size) that can use CR123 or AA batteries as well.

Streamlight. Protac 2aa.

>  kirkland brand

The idea is good and solid - but I have had issues of Duracell & Kirkland brand start leaking after 1 - 2 years.

I would say hit battery junction dot com and click use the sort flashlight by battery type.

I have had very good luck with Duracell industrial AA battery not leaking.   Eneloop rechargeable is a very good choice once you cycle thru those batteries.

> Rayovac - uses 6 AA at a time... RAYOVAC-DIY6AA-BXTB (this might be a low/high mode light)

If you don't mind low, medium, high modes -
> Fenix - LD12
> Fenix - E20

CR123 type lights - nothing good comes cheap - and by cheap - under oh 50 dollars
Olight - S1R Baton II EDC Light

Countycomm has quite a few and they are great.

https://countycomm.com/collections/aa-flashlights

https://www.amazon.com/Maglite-2-Cell-Flashlight-Holster-Black/dp/B000HFBR1O

I have a Gerber Infinity task light... no focus, just a domed LED and no switch, just a screw cap to make connection...it is a task light not a light with throw or width....  it paid for itself in the 2004 hurricane season... still used as a night light hanging by the toilet... AA eneloops

awesome thanks guys. im going to study this thread and look into all items mentioned. now that i have too many alkaline batteries is there any way to preserve them in storage from leaking? put them in certain temps or ammo can dry etc? good info.

Coast HX5

+2 on coast flashlights and headlamps.
Just have to watch the button on the ones that have them.
Have killed many batteries while the flashlights were in my bag or belt holder.

My led maglite does not really focus the light like the old incandescent bulbs.

I also like flashlights that also have a red beam to preserve night vision.

Just got to pay attention to the specs.  Some are real duds when it comes to brightness or run time, but some are also pretty awesome for the money. I have an HP2 that I have had for several years (5+ I think) and run it through the washing machine multiple times. It's my daily go to light and still works great.  The HX5 is my second choice and I have several stashed in drawers, toolboxes, and vehicles.

These are what we use. Cheap bright and durable. Ive been using them for years.



3 Pack UltraFire Mini Flashlights Focus Adjustable SK68 Single Mode Tactical LED Flashlight, Ultra Bright 300 Lumens Torch https://a.co/d/7Rqm6FP

Not sure how to link from the Amazon app.

Ive used the Maglight led aa for work. They dont hold up at all. Garbage.

My work handed these out a few years ago. They were surprisingly decent for the price, and I'm sure they got them even cheaper by ordering in bulk. I grabbed a couple 3 packs off Amazon, I keep one by the bed, one in each car, and have spares, I don't care when I misplace one I just bust out another.

The only failure I've experienced has been battery related, one of my alkaline batteries leaked and ruined it, I tried cleaning it out to no avail. Plenty of guys are still carrying and using them at work.

The only oddity is if you focus the beam you'll see it's a square LED, not a deal breaker just different.

I ended up getting a Streamlight Microstream for work because it fit my chest rig better after we went away from tac-vests, but that runs on 1 AAA, not AA so that wouldn't be of use.

I would say go for it OP, maybe take the batteries out of them if you're going to let it sit for a prolonged period.

Amazon- Ultrafire 3 Pack $13.99

ive got the following items in my cart at ebay and amazon. may add the last item and subtract some yet. should i skip any of these?

qty. of 2 maglite 14 lumen 2aa incondescent single mode. 16.04 per light ebay.  found them cheaper at walmart.com 11.88 per light but may not risk it. not sure if walmart ships oddball china copies or what. walmarts description and pics are lacking. it just reads ''Sold and shipped by MAG INSTRUMENT INC Mini Maglite Xenon 2AA Actual Color: midniteblue''

qty. of 4, 332 lumens maglite 2aa single mode led buy 4 at 28. per unit bulk price. 3 to 5 bucks off per light the more you buy up to 4 pieces ebay.

qty. of 3 pack  UltraFire Mini Flashlights Focus Adjustable SK68 Single Mode Tactical LED Flashlight, Ultra Bright 300 Lumens 14.99

also found this which seems the same as ultrafire without the logo same mixed reviews as usual but tempting bulk pricing...
KunHe Small Mini Single Mode Led Flashlights Aa Battery 1 Mode Flashlight Pack of 6 at 18.99

thanks for help finding these. anyone here tried the 6 pack of kunhe no logo lights to verify they are not unbranded rejects of ultrafire or is that even important?
thoughts on maglite old gen 14 lumens type vs. 332 lumens led type?

There's about 87 different brands of that same design, I've owned a few different ones and they seem to be pretty interchangable, some have high/low/strobe, and some are just on/off.

FourSevens AA Quark, now owned by Prometheus: FourSevens

You’re welcome.

https://www.galls.com/galls-handheld-led-tactical-flashlight?PMWTNO=000000000002144&PMSRCH=

Galls brand. Single output, 110 lumens, 2 x AA

I've got a couple and they are decent to have around or as backups.  No momentary on/off.

Pricey at $32 but usually go on sale for around $20 at Christmas, which was when I got two.  Not bad for that price.

Another vote for the “Ultrafire” clones. Mine have another name, but are cheap, work well, and don’t have parasitic battery drain.

I’ve purchased a couple of flashlight packs from Costco that sucked batteries dry.

Keep the Costco brand batteries out of the flashlight if you aren’t using them often and rubber band them to the side. Once you use them they have a tendency to leak. I’ve had it happen a lot with their batteries.

Absolutely. Their batteries have gone to complete crap, they constantly leak. One caveat with your statement, I’ve had instances where they fail in a ziploc bag, unused as spares, sitting in a bag. Check and replace them often.

okay i pretty much ordered an asst. of everything. my 4 green anodized led 332 lumens maglites showed up today and have some problems. the package says single function but at random when i twist them to turn em on they come on at a very dim setting. its every other time then once at random every 3 to 5 tries. these need returned due to defect correct? anybody know if this is a normal okay defect for the led version?

thanks to the battery info found in this thread im currently upgrading to the 24 packs of lithium aa energizers on ebay. got my first sample pack today and they are fresh. the aa kirkland batteries ill be attempting to return to costco but have no idea if they will let me.

i have a hand held go to work camera that for some strange reason eats batteries like pez candy so i guess im good either way. im hoping my an pvs7b stays on longer and better with lithiums but im kinda new to lithium aa and only know what you guys pointed out so far.

Ooh  yeah you're definitely going to want to use Lithium in your nods, nothing would suck more than having a leaky battery and it ruining them, my buddy uses lithiums and still takes them out of his PVS-14 and his civilian model PEQ-15 between uses, I think it's a Steiner. I use lithium in anything that is irreplaceable/I can't afford to readily replace.

The Ultrafire lights are where my cheap batteries go, I have bought BJs brand vs. your Kirkland, but I have noticed their batteries don't last as long as name brand. My kid has some "hologram" lights they are just LED bases with silhouettes etched in the plastic insert, the cheap bulk AAA's I bought are perfect for those, I turn them on when he's going to bed and turn them off when I go to bed after a couple hours. They usually last a month or 2 before they're so dim they need to be replaced.

I do repair work and the Fenix E12 is what I carry around all day long in my front pocket. It's not any longer or larger in diameter than it needs to be. Uses a single AA. The case is sealed using o-rings and I occasionally lube that with a little silicone grease. This one is my third light in about 5 years, only because I lost the first two. The rubber cover and the switch refuse to fail even though I use it many times a day and the light rides around inside my pocket with my keys and pocket knife.

This is definitely NOT what I choose to keep alongside my bed at night, though I would use it if that is all I had.

I'm not familiar with any other single AA type flashlight, but it would be hard to do better than the Fenix E12 for use as a small but bright (enough) especially for repair/service work.

ut oh. all 6 of both types of my mag-lite minis need returned. the 4 green led ones dont turn on at random and totally random they come on super dull/ weak. the old gen pair of blue ones are okay i guess but they have 2 problems. the dark spot in middle of beam wont go away its a giant spider web and they put off the least amount of light as any flash light ive ever seen in my entire life. im amazed. i think they farmed out production or something. not good.

This is a great light. Incandescents are lame, dim and wasteful.

For a smaller utility type light I have really liked my Nightstick MT230 which I have a couple of. It is simple to use, runs a decent amount of time on a single AA and has been very durable and reliable. It is not super bright but is just fine for most things. It has been discontinued so the price is low for now. Used to be $35 now $7.
$7 Nightstick EMT light.

First click it is in 4 lumen low 36hr run time, my most used setting.
If you click it again within 2 seconds it goes to medium 10 lumen 14hr, then High 60 lumen 2hr.
If you don't click the next setting within 2 seconds it starts back in low each time. It's not a blindingly bright taclight just a good quality durable and handy light that is easy to use without getting lost in endless modes.

I would vote for one of this style if you're looking for a cheap AA unit for non-primary use or handout.  I got a pack of 4 years ago, took one out and have been using it on and off ever since.  Haven't even had a need to get a new one out of the pack yet.  Surprisingly I haven't lost it and while it won't replace a good streamlight or fenix it's a cheap low output LED.  Mine has the three modes, high-low -strobe.  It cycles through all with a half click, and full click turns it on/off.  when you turn it back on it will cycle to the next mode, not the one you left it in.  So, it will go High-off-low-off-strobe-off and repeat.

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Damn, I was going to recommend Sunwayman LED lights, but it looks like they're boots-up. It has a magnetic rotary bezel that basically allows you infinity adjustment with a tailcap clicky for on/off. Very simple, and very easy to adjust output.  I have a few and glad I snagged them. Oh, they will work with AA or swap the tube and use CR123...

ROCK6

Yeppers.

The V11R. With their AA adapter, they’re pretty pimpy.

I have two, along with their M11R, but it’s not nearly as bright, even with a 16340; however, it does well enough with its 3 distinct levels.

It was a sad day when SWM packed up shop.

Chris

I know you asked about AA, but this one has been decent.

https://www.harborfreight.com/lighting/flashlights/65-lumen-pocket-flashlight-63936.html

I bought a 5-pack of these lights for $26.  Using AAA Lithium batt, I hardly know it's clipped into my off-side jeans pocket: AAA Ultrafire Flashlights

Bright enough to temp blind you if you fire it off in your face.  Ask me how I know.

Trade-offs in bulk, portability, and duration depending on Batt size.

I have no idea how durable these lights will be.  Claimed to be waterproof, and added a "touch" of O-ring grease to the O-rings and the aluminum threads on both ends of the light.  Smooth as silk, now.  Adding suitable O-ring grease to the O-rings and screw threads of these aluminum devices is Highly recommended, as the grease reduces the galling of the very fine aluminum threads, and protects the O-rings from wear.  Just a little bit will do, and wipe off excess.

Recessed lens ought to resistant to scarring/clouding for some time, I reckon.  Tail cap clicky button is easily pushed, but not so "protuberant" that one can turn-on the light unintentionally. If the light button is clicked "ON", one can manipulate the tailcap button to signall in Morse code.

There is a very small diameter set of holes in the tailcap of this light which will allow installation of a very strong and very thin lanyard.  Suggest some thin, plastic-coated steel-cable fishing-line leader (small fish>>small dia fishing leader), or something equally stout.

Pocket clip is doing all-right so far, no inadvertant loss of the light, it being in off-side jeans pocket. Might look into making some very gentle bends/mods to make it perfect.

IMHO, this light would be ideal if it had some way of easily having light output reduced to a very low level (Twist Bezel?), thus reducing batt draw.  I have some lights like that, but they cost a lot more than $5.25 per unit.  Sometimes too much light is not what's wanted, not to mention batt drain.

   

I just got this and so far it's a better light than the ultrafire clones I got.
seems brighter and it doesn't have the dna collector on the front that you can snag your hand on when you reach in your pocket.

That style light is a copy of the original Hugsby XP-1.  Great solid design.  I have a few of the original and occasionally edc one.  One is almost always in my bag as a backup to one of my cr123a lights.