Hey guys-I am looking for a flashlight for general use around the house that is brighter than the old 2 "D" cell antiques we still have. I don't think I want a rechargeable (?) just need something that will penetrate the Azaleas when checking on the cats, etc. Looking for a good value. Thanks, Flapjack.

My favorite brand is Streamlight. If you look at their website, I'm sure they'll have one to fit your needs. Some of them can be a bit pricey, but I've found them to be worth it.

Another thought, if you already have the flashlights, maybe a good (and less expensive) option is to retrofit your light with an LED kit/bulb.

Assuming you have a Maglite, you can upgrade to LED for around $20 +/-.

Still a Maglite fan, it is nice and heavy....

Costco 3 pack of leds with AA batteries included. Less than $20 300+lumens

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Old Guys Rule!

I'm another Streamlight fan...

Based on your needs I recommend either the ProTac 2AA or 2AAA.

These lights run on easy to find AA or AAA batteries, are thin enough to carry in a pants pocket, have high/low/strobe options, and are tough as nails. I've been EDCing one of these two lights for years and have had no issues. Cheaper lights will not hold up to everyday use.

You will find the modern LED lights will surpass the lights of yesterday in output and they do it in a small package. They are bright enough to blind an attacker, yet will dim down for times when you need less light.

I also have one of Streamlight's ProTac-HL lights which runs on 2 of the 123 batteries and cranks out 600ish lumens of light. I have found uber bright lights have their place, But they are too bright for everyday use. They are the light if you want to light up the yard or blind an intruder. As such, mine sits beside the bed for things that go bump in the night.

Edmo

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Costco sells a multi blister pack (think there are 2 or 3 lights with appropriate batteries) of VERY BRIGHT LED Mag's! If you want bright, those things are the way to go. If you already own Maglites and want to make them brighter they do sell a retrofit kit that turns it into an LED light.

Maglite XL-50 LED.

Very bright, three modes (high, low, strobe), and it uses three AAA batteries instead of those weird sized ones.

Legitimately bright LED, not one of those cereal box toy sorts.

I have a bunch of 7watt Cree led flashlights around the house that are great. They run on one AA battery put out 300lm. Oh yeah, and they're only $4.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006E0...=AC_SX200_QL40

I have an old Streamlight Stinger that stays on it's charger for backup, but its SIX DOLLAR bulb isn't remotely as bright as an LED. I use a flashlight at least one and closer to two hours a night/early morning. Current carry for those nocturnal pastoral perambulations is a Fenix PD 32UE. Very well built and a good, but not cheap value in spite of being a China import. I'd reconsider a rechargeable if I were you. Good single use batteries cost an arm and a leg and the dollar store variety will fail you when you need them the most.

Fenix PD32 UE Ultimate Edition 740 Lumen CREE XM-L T6 LED Tactical Flashlight with Customized Diffuser Tip and Two EdisonBright CR123A Lithium Batteries.: Basic Handheld Flashlights: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Thanks guys-got six of the ones Budasac suggested from amazon-should be just what we need around the house-Thanks to all!

LA Police Gear sells a couple of flashlights with their brand name on them. They are LED and the micro, which I got for my wife, is about 3 inches long and puts out over 300 lumens. It's $29.99. The largest they have is $49.99 and puts out 800 lumens. It's about 5 inches long and comes with a belt pouch. They have the tail cap switch and even come with an extra one.

CW

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My vote is for the relatively economical Mag-Lite with an LED bulb. I was really surprised at the beam that came out of that thing when I first got one. Ended up getting several more in various sizes. I use rechargeable batteries in mine and rotate them. Works good for my needs.

There are several models of these. Small, bright, and hold a charge.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h_7epJs3kJE

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Witzell
"The dude abides".

You'll be happy with them. They're great for stashing around the house. One of the selling points for me was that they only require one AA (and the price). I had a few that take 3-AAA and it was always a hassle finding some batteries when I needed them.

Maglite led that used a couple of D cells.

The brightest flashlights use an XM-L cree LED lamp and these are too powerful to be powered by traditional batteries. They typically use a 14500 rechargeable stick battery and these can be bought online with a charger for under 12 bucks and will hold a charge for many months. They can be recharged hundreds of times and they are the only way to go with flashlights in my opinion. Solarforce makes a XM-L flashlight that is just about as good as a hundred dollar Surefire light for only $30 from Ebay.

Streamlight

Check out the Surefire G2X Pro. Two levels, 15 and 320. I find it useful for just about everything. About $50.

My lights are from Inova and from Princeton-Tec. Campmor sometimes has older P-T models at discount prices.

I carry smaller models in my pockets. These use AA or AAA batteries. Very bright for the size.

I quit using Mag-Lite because the rubber switches pop off and the bulbs are very fragile. I left mine on bookcases, where they're useful in dim room lighting.

I like my Fenix. In the past I have had the as mentioned old double A battery flashlights and I also have a good collection of Mag Lites. I liked the Mag Lites because you could focus the beam on your subject. But by todays standard they are pretty dim.
I bought a Fenix and fell in love. I really like the variable brightness settings. Now I have 4 or 5 of various styles around the house. I'm sure Surefire and the others are just as good. It's just what I have experience with. I do have a couple of the Walmart single power triple a battery flashlights around the house as well, they serve their purpose as well.

Many years ago when I was a maintenance tech. at RubberMaid, my wife got me a Brinkmann flashlight. It's a nice little light, batteries last a very long time and it's plenty bright enough for me. The housing's anodized aluminum and it's o-ring sealed.
Nothing fancy, you push a button at one end and light comes out the other.
Liked it so much, I made a belt holder for it and it's become part of my everyday carry.

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I have two 2 d cell maglights and 2 4 d cell maglights. The 4 cell maglights I have had for over 20 years and work just as well today as when they were made. Frank

A good flashlight is something I use almost every day, sometimes several times a day.

The difference between the cheap LED lights and the most expensive is mainly in the circuitry and the switches. Used on a daily basis the cheapies fail in a few months. My Fenix PD32 will light up the entire pasture if I need to take a shot at a coyote or dim down nicely if I need it to indoors. Not as pricey as a Streamlight but just as robust. I wish it focused to a spot but that's a small deficiency. Also has a diffuser tip and a hang loop that has come in handy several times when I needed to attend to a down animal and needed both hands free.

Surefire has well made and warranted USA-made products. Inova did make their flashlights here, but went to the PRC a few years back, where the Fenix, Olight, TerraLUX, and even the dollar store lights are made. I 'collect' flashlights, and have my share of MagLites - with LEDs - and no batteries ever since I had a 3 month old Rayovac alkaline D-cell ruin one of my 3 cell variants (I Majic Marker the date they go in service on my alkaline battery flashlights.). Actually, after most recently losing a Rayovac emergency LED lantern in ten months (With Energizers!), I only keep Lithium batteries in my flashlights (I can buy Surefire CR123A's for ~12/$20 delivered - Amazon!) now - and I have never had one leak. I love Surefire lights - and have found some good deals on them. For example - look at the three below:



When I bought them new - on closeout - they ran ~ a third of their MSRP, which totaled over a kilobuck. Still a fortune invested - but what quality/features/fit&finish. You can buy a two cell 6P, in incandescent version, new for $40 delivered from evil-bay and buy a drop in aftermarket LED head for <$10 delivered from Amazon. With a 10+ yr shelf life, you can leave one in the car for emergencies - like my converted 6P in my car since 9/13 - which I used yesterday. I duplicated my 6P conversion recently for one of my son's Christmas gifts. ~$50 total for a quality - and blindingly bright - flashlight. Not cheap... but worth it's weight in gold in an emergency. Lithiums rule!

Stainz

PS Those two big Surefire flashlights use three cells and produce 800 Lumens (New version is 1,000 Lumens.), while the little one is a 0-100 Lumen one cell that is no longer available.

Surefire P3X and G2X Pro

One of these is used every day (night) to walk the dog.

Used for everything around the house from looking at the plumbing under the sink to the back of a dark closet and everything else. They each have a 15 lumen setting which I use about 99% of the time. Just fine for walking the dog and watching your step on streets with no street lights like around here. For everyday tasks a bang-zoom high output light is not needed and actually too bright, IMO. Most importantly, they don't break when dropped. Wife recently tested that on the kitchen floor.

The higher output 320 and 1,000 lumen (which is actually closer to 500 for the duration of runtime) on the G2X and P3X comes in handy when I hear a car coming around the corner when walking the dog. I light up an area around the dog like daylight and you can hear the brake pads grinding as the car slows down when they see a dog is being walked. If I hear a noise I don't like I can light up the entire street for a 100yds. The P3X is quite impressive.



In the cars, I keep Streamlight Stylus Pro and Pelican 1920. I prefer the Pelican because it has a low lumen and a bright setting, whereas the Streamlight just has high. Toss in some lithium AAA batteries and you've got a flashlight you can count on.




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Otherwise, the only flashlight I carry is an iPhone5. It works well.

LED upgrade for your existing flashlight as the bulb burn out.

I bought a two D-Cell Mag Light back in 1987 and even with the beating it took from everything from being used as a Hammer to being dropped off a Semi Trailer Roof to the Concrete Floor it still works great.
I wish it would break so I could justify buying a new one.