worldwidewebfeet wrote:Not a good thought that military aircraft are maintained with "Woot" close out stuff!

My "service" is operated under DHS, not DOD, and haves always been the bastard stepchild of the armed services. Funding for aircraft parts is slim to none, much less funding for tools and the like. Instead of making do with what we have, many of us buy our own personal tools that we use for inspections, not for actual maintenance. It's cheap, it works and don't think the price of my flashlight will be crashing any planes anytime soon...

BuffBillsFan wrote:My flashlight fetish strikes again... was able to hold out almost 13 hours... I now have 6 flashlights (3 Energizer Hardcase & 3 of these) awaiting xmas present insertion.

In for 3...I've got a problem (there are at least 10 miscellaneous flashlights around the house now)...I must say, I believe there is a group that needs to be started...flashlight-aholic anonymous. Anyone else need to join (other than me and BuffBillsFan)?

I think I took the first step, admitting I have a problem...what's next?

Well... I saw this deal late last night (referred by good ole slickdeals.net, fyi) and nearly dove in for 3 flashlights but I decided against it because I already have about 10 LED wannabe flashlights.

So what do I mean by 'LED wannabe flashlights'? You know, those 3 inch, cute, little, shiny, 3 AAA w/holder, 9 LED, aluminum flashlights that are basically FREE at Harbor Freight or dirt cheap anywhere else. See... quite cute (but useless for the most part). Actually these are OK for menial tasks but from experience, the runtime is weak and the actual beam flickers on EVERY light we have (I have to constantly tap it w/my palm for it to work correctly).

My wife thinks they are nice to look at (she has a red one in her purse) and hold in your hand (her tiny hand, not mine) but as far as a flashlight goes - they are just very disappointing (especially compared to REAL led flashlights - like this Cree, etc).

So... I logged in today to see if this finally sold out but as of 5:45pm EST, still going strong... so I decided to jump in for 3 and I'll give my wife all 10 of those cute, useless flashlights.

Finally, I'm in the Flashlight Big Leagues (well, in 5-7 business days).

PS - Does anyone know the brand name of the light? I guess 'water resistant', 'aluminum', and 'cree' are all I need to know, huh?

I'm in for three on my first ever woot. Should I feel dirty?

I'm in for 3....GREAT DEAL! My 8 year old is always swiping hubby's 2 D-Cell Mag when he goes to bed so this will be a great gift for him!

Okay...okay.
All you flashlight experts and bandwagon haters that have nothing to add other than crabapples:
IT'S A $5 LED FLASHLIGHT!
About the same price as your 6-pack of Natty Ice or the April copy of "Grumpy Flashlight Expert News"... Can we agree it's a deal and move on?
Kthxbye.

i just got three.... even though I already have a ton of flashlights lol. girls can be flashlightaholics too :o

auburnfootball wrote:I'm in for three on my first ever woot. Should I feel dirty?

Yeah you should feel real dirty, but not because you wooted 3 good flashlights. Go Vols. ;-)

In for 3 because I can't in good conscience ever buy another Maglite® after finding out that they were none other than GHWB's 1000 points of light, yes 40,000 of them were donated to GHWB's 1989 inauguration by the Maglite® company. They did the same thing again in 2001 for GWB's inauguration celebration.

matt1976 wrote:In all honesty though, when it comes down to hours of operation per dollar, you easily break even.

That's true if you buy batteries at regular price. The thing is that AA/AAA batteries go on sale frequently, and there are more brands (including store brands). Plus you can more easily buy rechargeable AA/AAA batteries, as well as chargers. C/D chargers are uncommon. And low discharge rechargeables like Eneloops are difficult to find locally in C/D size -- not to mention very expensive. So in the real world, using C/D alkalines cost a lot more.

Dex15 wrote:Yes! I came to the comments just to look for this. At page 3, I was getting worried I wouldn't see it.
-Dex

I want to get a dog and name it Jaffa. Instead of teaching it to "sit" I want to teach it to "cree"

BensonM wrote:Actually, good ones cost almost $10/cell, so $30 (two in the light, two spare), but they last ~500 charges, which really is a long time.

Oh, you meant the kind of batteries you throw away? Guess I'd rather spend that money on constantly buying more flashlights, instead of constantly buying more batteries, but suit yourself. ;)

Don't forget to factor in the cost of a D-size charger, which is not easy to find. Highly-rated chargers like the LaCrosse and Maha only handle AA/AAA. If you do buy a D-size charger, it likely won't have any other use except to charge this flashlight. AA/AAA devices, on the hand, are ubiquitous.

For what it's worth, I do own a charger that can handle N/AAA/AA/C/D/9V batteries. It can even has a mode to charge alkalines successfully up to 10 times (yes, it really does work and I have not yet had any leaks). So if I do decide to buy a D-size flashlight, I'll like use alkalines and not NiMH batteries that self-discharge in 6 months. I simply don't use a flashlight enough to make buying D rechargeables cost-effective.

admfl wrote:I have some AA size eneloops from Costco which came with a D-cell size plastic holder to put the AAs in. Any idea how that would work?

I have those too. When I was a kid, I simply wrapped my AA batteries with newspaper and extended the electrodes with aluminum foil to simulate D batteries. AA/AAA/C/D alkalines all output 1.5V so you can interchange them for any circuit. Where they differ is the amount of electrolyte. D batteries last much longer than AAs because there is more chemical in the D cell to release electrons. In other words, when you use those AA-to-D-cell converters, you'll be getting AA-capacity in a device meant for D-batteries. It sorta defeats the whole point of making the device D-size in the first place. Just don't use this for extremely high drain critical devices because the AAs may deplete too fast for the device to complete its task. But it'll definitely work in a pinch.

robertvaldivia wrote:Okay...okay.
All you flashlight experts and bandwagon haters that have nothing to add other than crabapples:
IT'S A $5 LED FLASHLIGHT!
About the same price as your 6-pack of Natty Ice or the April copy of "Grumpy Flashlight Expert News"... Can we agree it's a deal and move on?
Kthxbye.

You can actually find better deals on eBay. I have some amazing LED flashlights for < $10 + free s/h (which is equivalent to this Woot), including ones using 5 and 10 watt CREEs, multimodes (Hi/Lo/flash) and focusability. We've informally measured them and the claimed output seem accurate.

The fact that I'd be willing to buy off eBay means that I am NOT an LED snob (although I've done medical research with LEDs). I do, however, like a good value.

agent1atl wrote:Just a note:

a 60w regular light bulb produces 800 lumens

This is 120 lumens.

you do the math

The problem is that there's no standardized way to measure LED output. Unlike the diffuse light of an incandescent bulb, LED output is Lambertian, which is much more focused. That is actually why LEDs aren't [yet] used for ambient lighting. At the center of the beam, a quality CREE or Luxeon LED can easily outshine a 60 watt bulb. I can stare at a 60 watt bulb indefinitely, but one of my 3AA (4.5V) CREE flashlight blinds me in an instant. And you can see its output easily on a wall lit nearby by the 60 watt bulb. In fact, I can even say the same for my single AA LED flashlight.

zerosee wrote:In for three because why not at this price. I am just curious when Woot started adding tax in Washington state? It has been awhile since I wooted.

Ever since being acquired by Amazon, which is located in Washington. We NYers also pay Woot sales tax for a different reason. Regardless of the reason, tax payers can get a $5 discount by using the code "TAXSUCKS" if the purchase totals more than $40 (which is impossible with these $4.99 flashlights). When the total is $40-$50ish, making the tax <$5, we tax payers actually end up paying less than Wooters who can't use the coupon.

if these were adjustable in focus I'd be all over them, as it is, meh.

mbnva wrote:Hey all - need your help in finding a cree that has BOTH the ability to focus (flood/spot) AND vary its light intensity. Any beats out there? I found a lot of cree lights at meritline but havent found this combination Im looking for - please send a shout out to me if you know of such a beast (or cree equivalent)

Yeah, ebay sells plenty of those. I have a few and they perform as promised. And the light comes pretty close to the claimed output in our informal tests. The best thing is that they usually cost less than $10, including s/h. And don't let the fact that some vendors are in Hong Kong scare you. I've made 200+ HK ebay purchaes in 10+ years (mostly cheap electronic stuff like cords, connectors and gadgets), and have had ONLY ONE bad experience -- and even then, eBay/Paypal refunded my money in about a week. The quality is comparable to what you'd get at Radio Shack, and amazingly, things often arrive faster than stuff from California (to NYC).

Here are some flashlights matching your needs. All have 3 modes (Hi/Lo/Strobe), focusable and can use 3xAA or 1x18650 battery.

CREE 3W LED Adjustable Focus Zoomable - $2.99 + $4.99 s/h. Costs $14.99 at Meritline

Similar to above with a glowing red ring for $8.19 free s/h

7W Watt Led Zoomable Adjust Focus CREE; claims to output 400 lumen - $4.99 + $8.99 s/h

There are other models too, and the above models are also often sold by US vendors (mostly from California or Brooklyn, NY). Just do a search.

In for 3. I see Washington State is buying at a good clip. That's because we know the big one's coming, it's just a matter of time. Of course, that could mean 200 years from now, or it could mean tomorrow, who knows. Having light available will be a real plus.

Since I live by the ocean, there's a chance we'll see a tsunami so I've got my bug-out bag ready in the trunk of the car, loaded with survival stuff. These will be a nice addition. Being prepared is a good thing.

ducboy wrote:I use this flashlight daily in my job as a military aircraft maintainer, and absolutely love it. Cheap and gets the job done. Mine has been heavily abused and still going strong. For the price, I highly recommend it.

worldwidewebfeet wrote:Not a good thought that military aircraft are maintained with "Woot" close out stuff!

Yeah, but I bet the military didn't pay Woot closeout prices! Didn't they spend several thousand dollars on toilet seats?

Webfoot08 wrote:In for 3. I see Washington State is buying at a good clip. That's because we know the big one's coming, it's just a matter of time. Of course, that could mean 200 years from now, or it could mean tomorrow, who knows. Having light available will be a real plus.

Since I live by the ocean, there's a chance we'll see a tsunami so I've got my bug-out bag ready in the trunk of the car, loaded with survival stuff. These will be a nice addition. Being prepared is a good thing.

Although I live in NYC, I too am ready for building collapses a la 9/11. As such, I carry a 3 hearing aid cell LED flashlight on my keychain that also has a laser. While the LED can light my way, and alert rescuers looking directly at me, the laser can be used when rescuers are looking elsewhere. Simply aim at a surface and shake. This can be useful in a collapsed subway tunnel. Amazingly, the LED/laser keychain is only $1 at our local $1 store. It's cheaper than replacing the batteries.

I also carry a 99 cent bobby whistle on my keychain because it's more effective than screaming.

Ok, the you can never have enough argument sold me. In for 3!

BillyP wrote:In for 3...I've got a problem (there are at least 10 miscellaneous flashlights around the house now)...I must say, I believe there is a group that needs to be started...flashlight-aholic anonymous. Anyone else need to join (other than me and BuffBillsFan)?

I think I took the first step, admitting I have a problem...what's next?

13 lights a problem? No way, see CPF. (13 lights is barely prepared! :-)

jmdubya wrote:... PS - Does anyone know the brand name of the light? I guess 'water resistant', 'aluminum', and 'cree' are all I need to know, huh?

That plus $5. (Previous order came w/o brand name.)

(Edit to add: ) No way is this a great light. It is a pretty good light at an outstanding price. If you're using 3 AAA LED loss leaders, these would be a major step up. If you're using Surefire, this be a way to outfit all the relatives that don't have an emergency kit with something that has good odds of working for a while for very little cash. So, can you get a better light?: Absolutely. But, can you get a better value?: Maybe, depending on your needs, but you'll have to search hard.

DennisEChung wrote:If you don't want to spring for D cells, you could use some AA to D adapters. There are other types which take 2 AA batteries in a D shell.

You can use alkalines or rechargeables in the shells.

You might as well get a flashlight that uses AA batteries. Not only are they smaller, but the CREE ones may actually be brighter because most use 3 AA batteries for 4.5V. This only uses 2 D cells for 3V. The big advantage to D cells is lifespan. But if you're using AAs in these shells, you lose that advantage.

milacqua48 wrote:The link below will take you to the second best flashlight deal in the universe.

http://www.meritline.com/adjustable-zoom-led-flashlight---p-35630.aspx

The link below will take you to the very best flashlight deal in the universe.

http://www.meritline.com/showproduct.aspx?ProductID=44806&SEName=focus-zoom-lens-flashlight-light

These are the two best for several reasons: quality of build, small size, AA and AAA batteries, NOT D (which is worth a lot of points right there), brightness, versatility (the first one has dim feature and strobe) and of course - price.

The Woot deal is the current number 3, hindered only by D cell battery requirement and size. Having said that, I'm in for three so that I can say I own all the best flashlight deals in the universe!! There may be better flashlights, but not better flashlight deals.

Not the best deals. Since Meritline is simply an American middleman for some Hong Kong seller, why not go to eBay and buy directly from Hong Kong? In fact, one of the Meritline reviews point out that the item is shipped from Hong Kong. Last year, I bought a similar single AA 3W flashlight on eBay for $4 + free s/h. Then a few months later, I saw it on sale at 2 for $7 on the site. A non-focusable model was only 2 for $4.

In terms of your second best deal (the focusable one with 3 modes for $14.99), the identical one is on eBay for about half the price, $7.98. Or if you want to keep your money in the US, a Brooklyn vendor is selling it for about $9.

CREE 3W LED Adjustable Focus Zoomable - $2.99 + $4.99 s/h

Or you get get this more powerful model for $13.99

7W Watt Led Zoomable Adjust Focus CREE; claims to output 400 lumen - $4.99 + $8.99 s/h

sdc100 wrote:Since Meritline is simply an American middleman for some Hong Kong seller, why not go to eBay and buy directly from Hong Kong?

Because eBay is part of the Evil that is PayPal.

Try AliExpress.com for all your Chinese, slave labor, no environmental laws, patent and copyright violating, knock-off crap needs.

901Memphis wrote:You can find much better bargains on D cells if you know where to shop. Try discount outlets that buy overstock like Ollies or Christmas tree shops. I get Kodak 2 pack D batteries for about $1.70 and they are as good as Rayovacs.

Plus D cells have a lot of maH to them!

Just read a comparison article on batteries like these need and learned a lot. There's only one that lasts anywhere near worthy of comment longer. The rest, from the generics on up, are very, very close to same, same.

In this case cheaper is just as good: http://www.zbattery.com/zbattery/batteryinfo.html

Uses 2D batteries... Everyone knows that 3D is the hot technology right now.

Rainbowelp wrote:Just read a comparison article on batteries like these need and learned a lot. There's only one that lasts anywhere near worthy of comment longer. The rest, from the generics on up, are very, very close to same, same.

In this case cheaper is just as good: http://www.zbattery.com/zbattery/batteryinfo.html

Consumer Reports had similar results, giving their Best Buy award to a store brand. Where batteries do differ, however, is in construction. In my experience, Rayovacs have the highest leakage rate. I've had several leak in devices that I don't use much. And about half of them leak when I try to recharge them (I have an alkaline charger). None of the other brands leak during charging, including cheap store brands and re-brands from Panasonic and Kodak.

Previous Woot 4-5-2011

Woot Description: Model W300D2

Item Number on Box: AC11296A

This was during a Woot-Off for $5.99, but today it's $1.00 less.

Thanks for another good deal Woot!

pi3832 wrote:Because eBay is part of the Evil that is PayPal.

Try AliExpress.com for all your Chinese, slave labor, no environmental laws, patent and copyright violating, knock-off crap needs.

Yeah, but buying from Meritline enriches those Chinese evildoers just as much so you might as well pay them directly rather than using a middleman like Meritline.

And eBay is not part of Paypal. The reverse is true; eBay owns Paypal.

As for all those other criticisms, do you think buying from an American or Japanese company is much better? Most of them use Chinese factories, so you have the same problems.

Is it a Maglite?

vamike wrote:I like the Nebo redline that I purchased from amazon. I don't know who makes the emiter but the Redline does do what you want.

THANKS - I will look at the Nebo redline - I wonder if there are others like that which have flood and spot, adjustable brightness - and very bright (over 120+ lumens)... not looking for something to fry eggs on (4000+ lumens)...

For the guy talking about the light bulb - its all about the focusing of light - outshining the surrounding light and getting the beam width you desire. Take a bulb outside with you and sit it near your house. Even point it at the woods... wont do what a flashlight does even at 50 lumens.

Excellent - This is why I have always loved the Internet even before there was one and it was on BBS's .. friendly, informed people willing to take their time for a stranger to help with significant enough answers to really help them --- and then some. Thank man,

M

sdc100 wrote:Yeah, ebay sells plenty of those. I have a few and they perform as promised. And the light comes pretty close to the claimed output in our informal tests. The best thing is that they usually cost less than $10, including s/h. And don't let the fact that some vendors are in Hong Kong scare you. I've made 200+ HK ebay purchaes in 10+ years (mostly cheap electronic stuff like cords, connectors and gadgets), and have had ONLY ONE bad experience -- and even then, eBay/Paypal refunded my money in about a week. The quality is comparable to what you'd get at Radio Shack, and amazingly, things often arrive faster than stuff from California (to NYC).

Here are some flashlights matching your needs. All have 3 modes (Hi/Lo/Strobe), focusable and can use 3xAA or 1x18650 battery.

CREE 3W LED Adjustable Focus Zoomable - $2.99 + $4.99 s/h

Similar to above with a glowing red ring for $8.19 free s/h

7W Watt Led Zoomable Adjust Focus CREE; claims to output 400 lumen - $4.99 + $8.99 s/h

There are other models too, and the above models are also often sold by US vendors (mostly from California or Brooklyn, NY). Just do a search.

mbnva wrote:Excellent - This is why I have always loved the Internet even before there was one and it was on BBS's .. friendly, informed people willing to take their time for a stranger to help with significant enough answers to really help them --- and then some. Thank man,

M

No problem. I'm an LED fanatic -- but a CHEAP LED fanatic so I'm knowledgeable about inexpensive stuff only.

BBS's? Omigawd, I was a sysop when I was a kid...

sdc100 wrote:You can actually find better deals on eBay. I have some amazing LED flashlights for < $10 + free s/h (which is equivalent to this Woot), including ones using 5 and 10 watt CREEs, multimodes (Hi/Lo/flash) and focusability. We've informally measured them and the claimed output seem accurate.

The fact that I'd be willing to buy off eBay means that I am NOT an LED snob (although I've done medical research with LEDs). I do, however, like a good value.

You can always find things for cheaper, but how much is your time worth? Plus, when I order from Woot, it always gets to my front door, if there's a problem, they always take it back, and I don't worry that my CC info is being stolen. All in all, it's hard to beat this flashlight for 5 bucks, so i think my wife is in for three more also (teach her to not sign out on her computer!)

Like to live dangerously eh?

KuoH

phazeprod wrote:(teach her to not sign out on her computer!)

sdc100 wrote:Don't forget to factor in the cost of a D-size charger, which is not easy to find. Highly-rated chargers like the LaCrosse and Maha only handle AA/AAA. If you do buy a D-size charger, it likely won't have any other use except to charge this flashlight. AA/AAA devices, on the hand, are ubiquitous.

For what it's worth, I do own a charger that can handle N/AAA/AA/C/D/9V batteries. It can even has a mode to charge alkalines successfully up to 10 times (yes, it really does work and I have not yet had any leaks). So if I do decide to buy a D-size flashlight, I'll like use alkalines and not NiMH batteries that self-discharge in 6 months. I simply don't use a flashlight enough to make buying D rechargeables cost-effective.

Universal LCD Battery Charger




AlkaCharger claims to recharges up to 34 alkaline/NiMH batteries at once

These are good flashlights for the price. The build quality is iffy -but they work. They are bright enough to hurt your eyes if the beam reflects off of a piece of paper a few paces away.

I bought a pair when they were on the 2 for Tuesday deal, and just ordered 3 more today.

For those who are thinking of using an adapter to power these with a smaller battery -don't do it, just buy a smaller light. Your AA powered version will go dark when you are counting on it. If you are gonna buy a 2 D cell flashlight, get 2 D cells and have a light that works when you need it.