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I am hardly a flashlight snob.  For years I have relied on an incandescent Mini Maglite.  LED flashlights seemed bright, but I was too cheap to spend money on a good one.  Didn’t really need it either.  Several guys I work with dropped some coin to get their LED flashlights at Fry’s.  They would actually make the trip from the Fox Valley all the way over to Downers Grove just to look at and buy flashlights.  I didn’t understand their enthusiasm for these lights.  At least they weren’t as hardcore as the guys online who discuss LED drivers and the minutiae of the different bulbs.

Then Sellout.Woot had a deal in December.  An LED flashlight for $23, with shipping.  A Smith & Wesson-branded flashlight (probably made by some no-name Chinese company) with a tactical crown.  The kind of crown that was sharp and could tear someone’s skin if you tried hard enough.  I was going to use that as my “everyday carry” or EDC flashlight.  That’s a term I learned when reading some flashlight forums online.  I was going to replace that dim old Mini Maglite.  The S&W was supposed to be a lot brighter than my Mini Maglite and have longer battery life.  For $23, it seemed like a win-win.  Then I realized the sharp crown of the S&W might damage the bag I was going to carry it in.  I also saw reviews raving about Fenix and other flashlight brands.  I had a bit of buyer’s remorse and thought maybe I should have opted for a top flashlight brand, even though the S&W got good enough reviews.

The day after I ordered the S&W, I decided to use some Amazon.com gift certificates I had.  I would be able to compare a top-name flashlight with the S&W.  After doing some research, I decided to pick up a Fenix E21 flashlight for $35.  It was the size I wanted, and put out 150 lumens.  Very bright.  I also liked how it looks.  It got good reviews.  I saw a lot of reviews raving about the Fenix E01, a tiny thing the size of your pinky that runs off one AAA battery.  No lens, the LED is in the open.  People said it had a long run-time and was indestructible.  So I picked one up for $12.50.  Some people said they carried an E01 on their keyring.  Sounded like a good idea.

So I got these three flashlights.  The Smith & Wesson SW775LX Luxeon LED Tactical Flashlight was OK.  The tactical crown seemed like it would tear a nice hole in someone if I jabbed someone with it and twisted.  It put out a good amount of light, though all I had ever used before were cheap incandescent flashlights.  The S&W specs say it puts out 100 lumens.  I liked the feel of the casing, but I didn’t like having to twist the end to turn on the light.  I prefer a button.  The S&W has a button on the end to temporarily turn on the light, but the head end has to be twisted a certain amount for it to work.  The included case for the flashlight was too small for the flashlight.  Moving on to the Fenix E21.  It was exactly what I was looking for.  I loved the feel of the metal case.  The knurling (another word I learned from those flashlight forums) provided adequate grip.  The button on the end will make the light stay on as you hold it in partially, or will turn switch the light on if you click it in all the way.  A twist of the head end will change the brightness of the bulb between two settings, which can help battery life (uses 2 AAs).  The E21 is rated at 150 lumens versus the 100 of the S&W.  I can see the difference; the E21 is slightly brighter and has a cooler bluer light that I prefer.  Two minor faults for the E21 – it is totally round and will roll off a table.  No flat side to keep it from rolling.  The E21 will not tailstand (another flashlight forum word) because the clicker on the end is rounded.  A flashlight, like my old Mini Maglite, can act as a sort of candle if it can tailstand.  Now for the Fenix E01.  The thing was tiny and very light, but it had the same build quality as the E21.  Felt like it was made of the same metal, and like I could run over it with my car and not cause any damage.  This durability is actually the reason why I decided not to put it on my keyring.  I think this little metal flashlight would just destroy my rubber and plastic car key.  Too bad.  It puts out OK light.  The build quality is worth the $12.50, but the light output isn’t.

So, what did I do last week?  Sellout.Woot had a deal on an LED flashlight.  They had an Energizer INRUB22EH Industrial Rubber LED Flashlight 2-Pack for $3.99 plus $5 shipping.  The way Woot works, you can buy up to three of the day’s item, and it is $5 shipping no matter how many you buy or how big the item is.  I figured $9 for two LED flashlights with batteries was a good deal.  I waited to see if anyone posted reviews in the comments.  People pooh-poohed the 11 lumen output, but those were just meatheads who think stuff isn’t worth buying unless it is the biggest/fastest/brightest/whatever-est thing on the market.  People raved about the Fenix E01, which only puts out 10 lumens.  I decided to just pull the trigger.  The E01 puts out decent light for wandering around a bedroom or bathroom in the dark, so the Energizer would be a little better.  Plus I liked that it was kinda chubby, rubberized, and had a little stand to keep it sitting flat.  Then the American consumer in me started to take over.  With shipping being $5 no matter what, wouldn’t it be smart to buy three (which is actually 6)?  So I spent $16.97 on six flashlights I didn’t particularly need.  It came out to $2.83 per flashlight.  That’s pretty hard to beat.  I got the Energizer flashlights this weekend and tried one out.  It definitely seems brighter than the Fenix E01.  A fellow wooter mentioned that the presence of a reflector on the Energizer might make it seem brighter than my E01, and he was right.  The E01 is small and tough, so it has its place.  But I like the cheap Energizer better.  It is very comfortable to hold, puts out a good enough amount of light to get around the house during a power outage, and will sit flat even without the stand popped out.  It uses two AAA batteries instead of AAs.  Wooters ripped on this, but I don’t mind.  I have rechargeable AAAs and the purported 16hr run time is plenty for me.

So here are my flashlights.  Box of 6 Energizer flashlights, with one unpacked for show.  The Fenix E01 and its packaging to the left.  The S&W in the middle.  The Fenix E21 and its packaging to the right.

It was pretty dumb of me to buy a half-dozen flashlights.  At least they seem like decent flashlights.  I think I’ll keep one at work, though I always have my E21 when I’m there.  Probably put a few around the house, and give away a couple.

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