Lumintop Tool AAA has been a mainstay in my EDC for a couple of years now. Relatively inexpensive yet reliable, and the 3 modes are very useful and easy to access. I thought my switch was going bad at one point because I started having trouble switching between modes - but it was just the battery approaching end-of-life. New battery, and solid once again. Takes up very little pocket space and it also fits nicely in the side loop of the Leatherman pocketed nylon sheath.
I just got the Fenix LD02 based on your recommendation. I have to say that it is a nice little light. Very simple UI and it is a very clean looking and feeling light. Thank you!
We use Maglite Solitaire clipped on rescue dogs on night events. Any flashlight will do but we find Mags is more durable etc. Great info mate. Cheers from Australia.
Nice. I have a few of these. The Lumintop EDC01 is very versatile with its diffuser. The Lumintop Tool AAA does NOT take the 10440. The Olight i3T EOS is bright enough for a night walk down to the mailbox, and unlike so many of Olight's other offerings, uses STANDARD cells; I think I have an Eneloop in mine. I have a number of the really cheap 1AAA Chinese lights, and they tend to be not quite bright enough for outdoor use, and have low-quality switches that corrode or weaken such that they flicker; one went into the garbage just now.
The TI Pineapple mini is what I carry all summer. The new tail cap makes it hands down my favorite AAA sized light since it eliminates accidentally turning it on and the wobble of the button. Plus it can tail stand.
My favorite so far has been the lumintop / mass drop brass AAA. I bought the offering in the nitchia led and absolutely love the extra warm tone, and I love the flush mounted SS tail switch. It's only got I think 80lm max , but that's as much as I need in an EDC pocket light. I also love the simplicity with no fancy settings or blinking and memory and all that crap. If I could change anything about it I would eliminate the medium mode , and have a deeper carry pocket clip. All I want is high and low. Btw for the peak flashlights, they are what I have been recommended by countless people as a flashlight that will practically last forever. At one point I was fed up with having flashlights eventually fail or die on me over time, and was recommended the peak eiger as a light that won't just stop working eventually like I have experienced so often experienced. It wasn't what I was looking for in other aspects though so I didn't buy one.
My favourite AAA/10440 currently is the Manker E02 II. Good modes, programmable low, angled head, flood etc. Great little light that i always recommend.
The Maglite Spectrum Series warm white Solitaire LED is an excellent EDC light. I have it on a detachable lanyard. Factory specs are 32 lumens which is minimally adequate for emergency use. Great video.
I have carried an Olight i3E on my keyring for many years now and it does everything I need without giving me a bundle of features and modes I'll never use or will have to remember how to access. It's small (barely bigger than the battery), extremely simple (turn on, turn off, single mode), tough, usable one-handed, gives a very good beam for a tiny torch, runs for ages on an AAA, and has never let me down. It just works, goes everywhere my keys go, and I can't think of a single occasion where I've felt "limited" by its simplicity. Perfect EDC.
I'm super stoked that you like the EDC01. For a Christmas gift I'm planning to get one in pink, then donate to a breast cancer foundation. You get to pick the light, and control the donation. The available cancer lights are crazy expensive IMO, with very little donated. The only real downside I see is that it doesn't have the ribbon on the light. I don't know if this will help anybody, but I thought I'd share 🤷🏻♂️ Happy holidays everyone!
I’ve got an old Fenix LD02 body with a Thrunite Ti3 head in a warm tint. Amazing franken-light and it’s been working for the better part of roughly 3 years.
I really like the streamlight stylus aaa version. So far it's my favorite edc light. Uses batteries and is balanced in the pocket. I find lights with more body past the end of the clip than what's above it stay in my pocket better. Shorties like an i3 come out when the clip hits something.
AAA and AA flashlights are my jam. Absolutely pointless having rechargeable lithium cells in a flashlight for me. I don't use them enough to keep them in good condition and when I do go and use it I've always found it dead as a dodo. At least with an AA or AAA light it just works. I don't need dual batts, its just another point of failure, just give me a simple LED torch designed to run on AA or AAA batts.
Great video, I don’t consider a AAA to be good for EDC as it just does not have the runtime. In that vein I’m ok with the simple single mode as it’s just something on my keychain that’ll barely get used
Thanks for the comparison video; some good lights shown. At 17:55 I think you picked up the "E" from EOS when you were reading the i3T name, the "T" standing for tail-cap.
I edc three flashlights depending on my days agenda. Three different battery-types... Lumintop Tool AA, Lumintop Tool AAA and the Fenix E16. I can recommend all very much.
For years my go to keying lights were the olight I3 eso and the thrunite Ti3, a few weeks ago I picked up a lumintop tool AA, running it with a 14500 and I'm blown away, I didn't know they made a triple A version,I'll have to get one.
The mini pineapple seems cool especially with the 519a emitter. I’d definitely dedome the emitter to give it a rosier tint. The new tail cap is amazing from what I’ve heard. Seems like everyone loves it. The ti version definitely goes for a reasonable price as well.
Been rockin' the 10440 on the i3T for months now and have no issues. Been using the Vapcell INR (the green one with a button top) and boy it gets super bright without getting too hot. The i3T handles the heat great actually.
Wish it came on High 1st. I work at night and need to see my surroundings. High only would also be good. Low or moonlight is good for reading, but I don't know anyone who would use it for reading. They'd use a lantern instead or have a tablet or kindle so no light needed. So it's pretty useless. Medium is decent for seeing nearby and for runtimes. But, if you get jumped in a parking lot, you aren't going to want to cycle through Low, Med, High, Turbo while you are being stabbed to death. Best to have 2 tap turbo and 1 tap High.
The point of AAA is the smallest and lightest possible. The Lumintop EDC01 in this video is the one, but the lightest and smallest is the Nitefox K3 Mini, the same size and weight of Skilhunt E3A and Olight i3e, with multi-mode like the EDC01. Need to fix the next mode memory bug though (extremely easy to)
What are you best performing single mode flashlight (i5R size) recommendations? Trying to find something that's pocketable but could be used in self defense
Thank you for the contact it is excellent and I love flashlights. I have watched several of your videos recently. I'm most recently saw a video entitled crazy good 18650 lights, under $30. In that video, you mentioned a light called the sofrin sc32. You said that you thought this was going to be one of your pics for the best flight of that form factor. You also stated that you would be doing follow videos, in which you would be giving other recommendations for lights in various form factors and then some conclusions. I was wondering if you came up with any other videos in regards to these things? Is the sofrin sc32 still the best light you currently found, in its class? If not, what else would you recommend? If I was going to buy the sc32, which tint would you recommend? Thanks again.
I would like to know what reviews you're referencing about the UltraTac because I have to disagree with you. I have one and I use it all the time. It's a great light for its size, battery life, and user interface, you just need to make sure you don't run it on high for too long because it can get pretty warm. The low and medium mode using a 10440 is just fine for most tasks so that's not really an issue. The strobe and lockout mode is a nice feature as well.
I get why people find more modes useful, but I’ve been using a Skilhunt E3A high CRI for over a year now as my on-body edc, and its single 100-ish lumen mode covers 99% of what I need an EDC light for (bright enough to move around at night, dim enough to not blind me when inspecting small objects up close). Also, simple twist on-off is so much less frustrating than having to tap out morse code to get the mode I want. The only multi-mode interface I’ve ever used that doesn’t make me want to throw the light across the room is Anduril 2 on the Sofirn SP10 pro, and while that lights’s a great size it’s still bigger than I’m willing to keep in a pocket. It lives in my bag as a backup.
If you disassemble the Mateminco, there should be a capacitor on the driver PCB. If you use a pencil to make a line of graphite across the capacitors terminals, it will fix the next mode memory issue.
running a 10440 is risky because that cell could explode because youre running it down. there isnt enough protection circuitry in the i3t for a li-ion cell. not enough thermal tolerances i might add. i still enjoy the i3t with a nimh aaa. its probably my favorite olight next to the old nova h2r nw
What about Fenix E01 V2? Super-compact and three modes with, what looks like, a nice UI. Edit: that's if you've had the chance to test it, of course! Been eyeing it for a while. Thr form-factor I want, AAA and seems to have good balance when it comes to the levels of the three modes
Yep,, I have the astrolux a02 version to your last light and totally agree with the next mode memory being useless so every time I use it I cycle it thru to mode before the one I want before shutting it off,, very annoying but that's what I do,, good lite otherwise, Nice Video
Have purchased the Olight I3t twice. First one failed after ~8 weeks and wishfully hoping this was an anomaly, bought another that also failed. Both failures were the same: The high output began strobing/flickering and then in short order, quit working. Interesting to note that Amazon gives it a 4.5 star review while Fakespot shows it as a D. Multiple reviewers on Amazon reference the strobing/flickering oh high.
Nice video, thank you. However I missed a discussion / comparison of the light these produce (beyond lumens). The angular distribution, the even-ness of the far field, etc. You have discussed features & properties that absolutely do matter, but I missed the part on the light itself. Example (from my very limited experience as I don't have many flashlight): I have a Prometheus Beta Magnetic. Single mode (40 lumen I believe, 4000K. 95+ CRI), no-lens (very wide light beam - some 140 degrees), excellent light color and very even & pleasant far field without any distractions. All great. But basically useless because the combination of the super wide beam and low power means that you can't see much past 2-3 meters. My iPhone 7 has about similar width of the light cone, but about 5 - 10 x the power (though the light quality is super poor in comparison). It is great to read a book or a map in darkness as the even, soft illumination is very easy on eyes, the beam is wide, and the color reproduction is second to none. But all that is gone past distance of 2-3 meters as beyond that there is so little light, that our eye can't really use that excellent color properties to its advantage.
This is basically an early elimination of lights that won't make it into a top 10, I also didn't want the video to be ridiculously long. If I got nitty gritty about easy we are talking 1 hour ish lol.
I would like to here your thoughts on the Nitecore MT10A. It's been discontinued but you can still purchase it from Amazon and online stores for just under $50. It's a single aa/14500 flashlight with 920 lumens and 7300 candelas, and has a red low light function, all with a tail cap. And the user interface works good. The two downsides to this flashlight is it's a little bulky and the pocket clip has a spot that easily hangs up when trying to clip it in pocket. Pretty cool light! Not sure why they are discontinuing it?
I don't know. I've had that exact light since 2016 and I absolutely adore it. In fact, I've been using it and the exact same four 14500 batteries the entire time, just rotating them through on a Nitecore D4 intellicharger. I recently picked up the Nitecore MH12S for sake of having something a bit newer and compatible with 21700, 18650, and CR123 batteries, but I still prefer how compact and handy the MT10A is, plus its compatibility with commonly available AAs.
An olight i3e with their typical ui would be the best light imo. I love the i3e but hate the two modes. The standard olight ui has become my favorite out of any of the lights I own. Bring able to access the highest and lowest mode at any time is super useful.
i like the lumintop edc01 for keychain edc last 3 years as very durable but love the olight i3teos though as can use 10440 without burning up and lumintop cant
Regarding the Peak lights, if you screw the head all the way down to where it's tight & then try the quantum tunneling tail switch, will it fix your flicker problem? It seems as if that switch technology would be easily suspectable to intermittent connection. - In other words, with two connections set as variable, it causes too much resistance for the technology to function correctly.
For me has never gotten better then the old school 4sevens Preon 1. Pocket clip was solid. And I don’t want a button in an EDC so the twist UI was perfect. The ThruNite is close, but the aggressive knurling is actually a downside. The smooth sides of the Preon 1 make it slide in and out of the fifth pocket perfectly. And a big plus is a cap from a stick of Burt’s Bees fits perfectly over the top for a diffuser.
@@maxlvledc wow, what a compelling little light. One really baffling thing about it is the UI though. Med/low/high? And their site says people were requesting this!? About the only complaint I have with the early generation Preons was that a medium mode wasn’t really needed. But for the most part it can be ignored, so it’s no big deal. For an EDC light I want a really low mode and a reasonably bright high mode. Who is using a AAA light on medium? The battery capacity isn’t high enough to warrant extended use, so the low light (or just enough) is perfect. And then when you need more light you really don’t need it for that long, so the high mode is perfect. But medium!? Useless! And to have it be the primary mode? 😂
@@maxlvledc am seriously looking at the Lumintop EDC01 as a little one for my First Aid Kit, I already have a Fenix E01 V2, I feel that’s a great little torch. I have a few Fenix torches as there is a retailer here who will do them at a reasonable price. New Zealand being a small market limits the choices available unless you want to buy online, then you need to consider time delays and cost of shipping, love your reviews.
Lost my Ti3 - now super irritated to see they are discontinued. The Ti2 is not doing it for me. What I'm missing most is the deep carry pocket clip. Most of these AAA lights are trying to be keychain lights but I like to carry them in my change pocket. Give me a clip lol.
This isn’t a AAA light but have you tried the sofirn s11c? It seems to be the best value light that exists, I got it when it was like sub $10 the price is a bit higher now but it still is so good for the price
Please check out the Folomov EDC C1. It's my favorite light in the $30 range. (electronic tail switch unfortunately, but great UI and very easy lockout). My favorite AAA/10440 light and the one I carry every day is the CWF Micro Arcadian Click, but it's $400 and really hard to get. Worth it though, it's that good! Great content!!!
@@maxlvledc I agree with your overall point, but I'd put it at 80%. The CWF stays much cooler than the Reylight with a 10440, has noticeably better light quality, and feels much more solid to me. I just ordered a ThruNite Archer Mini and I'll be interested to see how it performs.
@@maxlvledc I got it about 2 years ago so I'm assuming 219b. It is titanium. I don't recall seeing the aluminum ones when I bought mine. I like it but the tail switch bothers me. It has a lot of side to side play. Also when I bought mine, it was closer to $100. I suppose that goes into my opinion as well. Now they seem to be a lot cheaper and have a better driver. Maybe it's a better product now.
Awesome review. 👌Just subscribed. I've recently started working for food delivery apps as a side hustle; usually at nights. My biggest obstacle is sometimes reading home adresses at night. Flashlight would resolve this. I've I'm looking for EDC/compact flashlight that has a adjustable/zoomable/throw beam to ulliminate home address as opposed to flashing their whole home with a flood beam. Preferably something I can charge with a univesal cable like Type C instead of a proprietary charging cable. Any suggestions?
Whoa, I mostly own Olights and I love the brand but how is the i3T EOS in your favorites but the Mateminco CSF 03 punished for having Next Mode Memory when the i3T EOS does as well?
No, it doesnt..when you turn off the olight for more than 30 seconds..it always resets...the matemninco will always go to next mode...even a year later
What options would have been available for a small flashlight like this in the 50s-70s? I wonder if flashlights didn't start to be EDC'd until the small maglites came out.
A two AA, sometimes AAA, 'pen' light, Mag Solitaire levels of light because of the bulb. Commonly EDCed by doctors. The really big thing Mag brought to the table was Noble Gas bulbs, a huge improvement over standard flashlight bulbs of the era. (There were also two AAA lights that flipped open like a Tic Tac box, on of my childhood prized items from going to the circus/icecapades. Image search for "Bantam circus flashlight" if you want to see the height of EDC flashlights from my 70s childhood!)
The Mateminco CSF 03 - is that how the manual says it operates? If so, then you are right - that is DUMB. I wonder, though: if you leave the flashlight off for a bit longer, like 10 or 20 seconds, does it still advance to the next brightness level on power-up? The Lumintop AAA will do the same thing if you switch it off and back on in under 5 seconds or so. If I give the Lumintop some time in the off state, it reliably comes back on where I left it.
Too bad the Wurkkos WK01 didn't get featured. Out of all my EDC lights, this will always be my favorite and my only regret was I didn't buy more when they were on clearance sale (for 5 USD). This light checks a lot of boxes (no mode memory, forward clicky, always turns on at low, 4000K/6500K SST20)
I bought the Trustfire L1 (actually bought several as it was so cheap on offer) and it was supplied with a 10440 to supposedly make it a 385 lumen torch but the L1 works nearly as well with an nimh so I use the 10440 in my i3t and I think it's a protected 10440, whatever, no problems with it at all. I like the little L1 and use it often around tte house and at my desk but with the 10440 it is even quite useful outdoors but nothing like the i3t outdoors using the 10440 which is just amazing. Maybe even the most amazing torch ever for it's size with the 10440.
U actually missed the best ever..... from LedLenser. Thats the one i have and to me the best on in that size. And i bought the i3T Mini because of this Video and its not even close to the LedLenser. Same size, same price but two different levels
There's a reason I have 14 Pineapple Minis in every metal and color. It's simply a phenomenal light. Rey is one of the best guys out there in the flashlight world too. He stands behind his product and will fix any issues you may have. He started this business as a hobby and he's built it into a fantastic company with a loyal following. My only gripes are not having a deep carry or reversible clip. I would love a better UI like Andurìl 2, but that's near impossible in this size/form factor.
@@maxlvledc I’m interested in lights that are the size of a micro-macrostream SL. I have a couple Protac 1L also but the other two fit my edc pouch for work much better. Wondering what other options there are out there.
I rather to have a mini flashlight thats runs on battery then on ubs stick😂not everywhere can you recharge without electronics on ubs stick while you can have battery everywhere these days for endless,1👈 live long battery!!!👉
Lumintop Tool AAA has been a mainstay in my EDC for a couple of years now. Relatively inexpensive yet reliable, and the 3 modes are very useful and easy to access. I thought my switch was going bad at one point because I started having trouble switching between modes - but it was just the battery approaching end-of-life. New battery, and solid once again. Takes up very little pocket space and it also fits nicely in the side loop of the Leatherman pocketed nylon sheath.
I got the Lumintop EDC01 for 3 years now
I had the same low battery situation with my i3t
Mine did the same I bought two and gave them away to a close friend and my father I was that impressed
I just got the Fenix LD02 based on your recommendation. I have to say that it is a nice little light. Very simple UI and it is a very clean looking and feeling light. Thank you!
We use Maglite Solitaire clipped on rescue dogs on night events. Any flashlight will do but we find Mags is more durable etc. Great info mate. Cheers from Australia.
Nice. I have a few of these. The Lumintop EDC01 is very versatile with its diffuser. The Lumintop Tool AAA does NOT take the 10440. The Olight i3T EOS is bright enough for a night walk down to the mailbox, and unlike so many of Olight's other offerings, uses STANDARD cells; I think I have an Eneloop in mine. I have a number of the really cheap 1AAA Chinese lights, and they tend to be not quite bright enough for outdoor use, and have low-quality switches that corrode or weaken such that they flicker; one went into the garbage just now.
Really? As long as you don't run it for too long and as long as it doesn't get too hot, short bursts should be fine
The TI Pineapple mini is what I carry all summer. The new tail cap makes it hands down my favorite AAA sized light since it eliminates accidentally turning it on and the wobble of the button. Plus it can tail stand.
The new tail cap looks nice… I wonder if it is compatible with the new aluminum model?
@@FreedomFox1 I don't think he sells aluminum ones, but the other materials should fit. You can email Rey and ask.
I've had my MAG lite solitaire for 30 odd years. Still works fine, although the traditional bulbs simply can't compete with LEDs.
My favorite so far has been the lumintop / mass drop brass AAA.
I bought the offering in the nitchia led and absolutely love the extra warm tone, and I love the flush mounted SS tail switch.
It's only got I think 80lm max , but that's as much as I need in an EDC pocket light.
I also love the simplicity with no fancy settings or blinking and memory and all that crap.
If I could change anything about it I would eliminate the medium mode , and have a deeper carry pocket clip.
All I want is high and low.
Btw for the peak flashlights, they are what I have been recommended by countless people as a flashlight that will practically last forever.
At one point I was fed up with having flashlights eventually fail or die on me over time, and was recommended the peak eiger as a light that won't just stop working eventually like I have experienced so often experienced.
It wasn't what I was looking for in other aspects though so I didn't buy one.
My favourite AAA/10440 currently is the Manker E02 II. Good modes, programmable low, angled head, flood etc. Great little light that i always recommend.
I got one to test..looking forward to it.
The Maglite Spectrum Series warm white Solitaire LED is an excellent EDC light. I have it on a detachable lanyard. Factory specs are 32 lumens which is minimally adequate for emergency use. Great video.
I have carried an Olight i3E on my keyring for many years now and it does everything I need without giving me a bundle of features and modes I'll never use or will have to remember how to access. It's small (barely bigger than the battery), extremely simple (turn on, turn off, single mode), tough, usable one-handed, gives a very good beam for a tiny torch, runs for ages on an AAA, and has never let me down. It just works, goes everywhere my keys go, and I can't think of a single occasion where I've felt "limited" by its simplicity. Perfect EDC.
I'm super stoked that you like the EDC01.
For a Christmas gift I'm planning to get one in pink, then donate to a breast cancer foundation.
You get to pick the light, and control the donation. The available cancer lights are crazy expensive IMO, with very little donated.
The only real downside I see is that it doesn't have the ribbon on the light.
I don't know if this will help anybody, but I thought I'd share 🤷🏻♂️
Happy holidays everyone!
I’ve got an old Fenix LD02 body with a Thrunite Ti3 head in a warm tint. Amazing franken-light and it’s been working for the better part of roughly 3 years.
I really like the streamlight stylus aaa version. So far it's my favorite edc light. Uses batteries and is balanced in the pocket. I find lights with more body past the end of the clip than what's above it stay in my pocket better. Shorties like an i3 come out when the clip hits something.
AAA and AA flashlights are my jam. Absolutely pointless having rechargeable lithium cells in a flashlight for me. I don't use them enough to keep them in good condition and when I do go and use it I've always found it dead as a dodo.
At least with an AA or AAA light it just works. I don't need dual batts, its just another point of failure, just give me a simple LED torch designed to run on AA or AAA batts.
Great video, I don’t consider a AAA to be good for EDC as it just does not have the runtime. In that vein I’m ok with the simple single mode as it’s just something on my keychain that’ll barely get used
Thanks for the comparison video; some good lights shown. At 17:55 I think you picked up the "E" from EOS when you were reading the i3T name, the "T" standing for tail-cap.
yep, miss-named
I edc three flashlights depending on my days agenda. Three different battery-types... Lumintop Tool AA, Lumintop Tool AAA and the Fenix E16. I can recommend all very much.
For years my go to keying lights were the olight I3 eso and the thrunite Ti3, a few weeks ago I picked up a lumintop tool AA, running it with a 14500 and I'm blown away, I didn't know they made a triple A version,I'll have to get one.
Won't work with a 10440, so be careful
@@maxlvledc Thats a shame because the extra output is always handy, still looks a good little light though.
The mini pineapple seems cool especially with the 519a emitter. I’d definitely dedome the emitter to give it a rosier tint. The new tail cap is amazing from what I’ve heard. Seems like everyone loves it. The ti version definitely goes for a reasonable price as well.
I just got both..hope they come soon.
@@maxlvledc nice! Definitely curious about this new tail cap and how it adds to the functionality. I’m thinking of getting the copper version.
@@orendz7740 you're wrong, the mini pineapple seems "warm" especially with the 519a emitter ;)
@@nekkomr lol I stand corrected
Been rockin' the 10440 on the i3T for months now and have no issues. Been using the Vapcell INR (the green one with a button top) and boy it gets super bright without getting too hot. The i3T handles the heat great actually.
Don't run it too low is the only thing..you will damage the battery
I wish there was a way to get rid of low mode on the i3t
@@FluttuantChicken running the i3T on a 10440, the low mode is actually very useful. It is somewhere between 40-50lm.
I'd also suggest the Manker E02 II.
It's a 10440/AAA right angle light, very small, has low moonlight.
I just got it a week ago..no time to test yet.
Wish it came on High 1st. I work at night and need to see my surroundings. High only would also be good. Low or moonlight is good for reading, but I don't know anyone who would use it for reading. They'd use a lantern instead or have a tablet or kindle so no light needed. So it's pretty useless. Medium is decent for seeing nearby and for runtimes. But, if you get jumped in a parking lot, you aren't going to want to cycle through Low, Med, High, Turbo while you are being stabbed to death. Best to have 2 tap turbo and 1 tap High.
The point of AAA is the smallest and lightest possible. The Lumintop EDC01 in this video is the one, but the lightest and smallest is the Nitefox K3 Mini, the same size and weight of Skilhunt E3A and Olight i3e, with multi-mode like the EDC01. Need to fix the next mode memory bug though (extremely easy to)
What are you best performing single mode flashlight (i5R size) recommendations? Trying to find something that's pocketable but could be used in self defense
Thank you for the contact it is excellent and I love flashlights. I have watched several of your videos recently. I'm most recently saw a video entitled crazy good 18650 lights, under $30. In that video, you mentioned a light called the sofrin sc32. You said that you thought this was going to be one of your pics for the best flight of that form factor. You also stated that you would be doing follow videos, in which you would be giving other recommendations for lights in various form factors and then some conclusions. I was wondering if you came up with any other videos in regards to these things? Is the sofrin sc32 still the best light you currently found, in its class? If not, what else would you recommend? If I was going to buy the sc32, which tint would you recommend? Thanks again.
The sc32 is solid..but I feel like they will come out with a "pro" version which will be 2x as good. I'd wait.
Agree on the Next Mode Memory. It's enough to render the light absolutely useless.
I would like to know what reviews you're referencing about the UltraTac because I have to disagree with you. I have one and I use it all the time. It's a great light for its size, battery life, and user interface, you just need to make sure you don't run it on high for too long because it can get pretty warm. The low and medium mode using a 10440 is just fine for most tasks so that's not really an issue. The strobe and lockout mode is a nice feature as well.
I get why people find more modes useful, but I’ve been using a Skilhunt E3A high CRI for over a year now as my on-body edc, and its single 100-ish lumen mode covers 99% of what I need an EDC light for (bright enough to move around at night, dim enough to not blind me when inspecting small objects up close).
Also, simple twist on-off is so much less frustrating than having to tap out morse code to get the mode I want. The only multi-mode interface I’ve ever used that doesn’t make me want to throw the light across the room is Anduril 2 on the Sofirn SP10 pro, and while that lights’s a great size it’s still bigger than I’m willing to keep in a pocket. It lives in my bag as a backup.
The 100 lm is way way too bright when I first wake up, in fact sometimes 5 lm is too much if it's a cool white with a lot of CD
If you disassemble the Mateminco, there should be a capacitor on the driver PCB. If you use a pencil to make a line of graphite across the capacitors terminals, it will fix the next mode memory issue.
Are you for real?!?! I need to try this!!
Can you send me pics to mle.collab@gmail.com?
@@maxlvledc Absolutely
running a 10440 is risky because that cell could explode because youre running it down. there isnt enough protection circuitry in the i3t for a li-ion cell. not enough thermal tolerances i might add. i still enjoy the i3t with a nimh aaa. its probably my favorite olight next to the old nova h2r nw
What about Fenix E01 V2? Super-compact and three modes with, what looks like, a nice UI.
Edit: that's if you've had the chance to test it, of course! Been eyeing it for a while. Thr form-factor I want, AAA and seems to have good balance when it comes to the levels of the three modes
Yep,, I have the astrolux a02 version to your last light and totally agree with the next mode memory being useless so every time I use it I cycle it thru to mode before the one I want before shutting it off,, very annoying but that's what I do,, good lite otherwise, Nice Video
Have purchased the Olight I3t twice. First one failed after ~8 weeks and wishfully hoping this was an anomaly, bought another that also failed. Both failures were the same: The high output began strobing/flickering and then in short order, quit working. Interesting to note that Amazon gives it a 4.5 star review while Fakespot shows it as a D.
Multiple reviewers on Amazon reference the strobing/flickering oh high.
never had it happen, super strange. did you contact them for a replacement?
ive had the lumintop aaa in titanium with a nichia 219b and its my favorite aaa light because of the warm temp and high cri. had it for 6 years now.
Nice video, thank you. However I missed a discussion / comparison of the light these produce (beyond lumens). The angular distribution, the even-ness of the far field, etc. You have discussed features & properties that absolutely do matter, but I missed the part on the light itself.
Example (from my very limited experience as I don't have many flashlight): I have a Prometheus Beta Magnetic. Single mode (40 lumen I believe, 4000K. 95+ CRI), no-lens (very wide light beam - some 140 degrees), excellent light color and very even & pleasant far field without any distractions. All great. But basically useless because the combination of the super wide beam and low power means that you can't see much past 2-3 meters. My iPhone 7 has about similar width of the light cone, but about 5 - 10 x the power (though the light quality is super poor in comparison). It is great to read a book or a map in darkness as the even, soft illumination is very easy on eyes, the beam is wide, and the color reproduction is second to none. But all that is gone past distance of 2-3 meters as beyond that there is so little light, that our eye can't really use that excellent color properties to its advantage.
This is basically an early elimination of lights that won't make it into a top 10, I also didn't want the video to be ridiculously long. If I got nitty gritty about easy we are talking 1 hour ish lol.
@@maxlvledc That is a very fair point!
That’s insane on that little olight
I'm happy with my Sofirn C01S, i have it as a backup. Warm tint.
I would like to here your thoughts on the Nitecore MT10A. It's been discontinued but you can still purchase it from Amazon and online stores for just under $50. It's a single aa/14500 flashlight with 920 lumens and 7300 candelas, and has a red low light function, all with a tail cap. And the user interface works good. The two downsides to this flashlight is it's a little bulky and the pocket clip has a spot that easily hangs up when trying to clip it in pocket. Pretty cool light! Not sure why they are discontinuing it?
I don't know.
I've had that exact light since 2016 and I absolutely adore it.
In fact, I've been using it and the exact same four 14500 batteries the entire time, just rotating them through on a Nitecore D4 intellicharger.
I recently picked up the Nitecore MH12S for sake of having something a bit newer and compatible with 21700, 18650, and CR123 batteries, but I still prefer how compact and handy the MT10A is, plus its compatibility with commonly available AAs.
Honestly, no idea.
An olight i3e with their typical ui would be the best light imo. I love the i3e but hate the two modes. The standard olight ui has become my favorite out of any of the lights I own. Bring able to access the highest and lowest mode at any time is super useful.
I really like the pineapple, I've got the copper version that CountyComm was selling. I think they were leftovers from a Gov contract
Also consider Nite Ize (Inova) Xs, 2-modes 🔦.
And Pelican 1910, also 2-modes.
And Silva Topo, 1-mode.
i like the lumintop edc01 for keychain edc last 3 years as very durable but love the olight i3teos though as can use 10440 without burning up and lumintop cant
Regarding the Peak lights, if you screw the head all the way down to where it's tight & then try the quantum tunneling tail switch, will it fix your flicker problem? It seems as if that switch technology would be easily suspectable to intermittent connection.
- In other words, with two connections set as variable, it causes too much resistance for the technology to function correctly.
For me has never gotten better then the old school 4sevens Preon 1. Pocket clip was solid. And I don’t want a button in an EDC so the twist UI was perfect. The ThruNite is close, but the aggressive knurling is actually a downside. The smooth sides of the Preon 1 make it slide in and out of the fifth pocket perfectly.
And a big plus is a cap from a stick of Burt’s Bees fits perfectly over the top for a diffuser.
I think the countycom light is similar.
@@maxlvledc wow, what a compelling little light. One really baffling thing about it is the UI though. Med/low/high? And their site says people were requesting this!?
About the only complaint I have with the early generation Preons was that a medium mode wasn’t really needed. But for the most part it can be ignored, so it’s no big deal. For an EDC light I want a really low mode and a reasonably bright high mode. Who is using a AAA light on medium? The battery capacity isn’t high enough to warrant extended use, so the low light (or just enough) is perfect. And then when you need more light you really don’t need it for that long, so the high mode is perfect. But medium!? Useless! And to have it be the primary mode? 😂
You should check out the Sofirn C01S. ;)
I think it maybe discontinued.
Damn you, I am probably going to buy another torch I won’t use!
Haha, this is just info. No need to buy bro.
@@maxlvledc am seriously looking at the Lumintop EDC01 as a little one for my First Aid Kit, I already have a Fenix E01 V2, I feel that’s a great little torch. I have a few Fenix torches as there is a retailer here who will do them at a reasonable price. New Zealand being a small market limits the choices available unless you want to buy online, then you need to consider time delays and cost of shipping, love your reviews.
Lumintop IYP07 is great too. the switch is metal, compared to AAA Tool.
Lost my Ti3 - now super irritated to see they are discontinued. The Ti2 is not doing it for me. What I'm missing most is the deep carry pocket clip. Most of these AAA lights are trying to be keychain lights but I like to carry them in my change pocket. Give me a clip lol.
This isn’t a AAA light but have you tried the sofirn s11c? It seems to be the best value light that exists, I got it when it was like sub $10 the price is a bit higher now but it still is so good for the price
Not sure about that one... (LOOKS..) HOLY CRAP THATS CHEAP! MUST GET ASAP!
@@maxlvledc specs are so insanely good for the price
Would LOVE to see you do a vid of VERY affordable $10.00 ish lights from not so big name brands!
Thanks... Paul. 🔦
Are you going to throw in any AAA sized rechargeable lights like the Thrunite Archer Mini, or just true AAA/10440 lights?
Only ones that can use an AAA battery..otherwise I'd also be including the rovyvon a6 and a28 etc..and those crush
Use a hardier lifepo4 10440 battery in the olight.
Please check out the Folomov EDC C1. It's my favorite light in the $30 range. (electronic tail switch unfortunately, but great UI and very easy lockout). My favorite AAA/10440 light and the one I carry every day is the CWF Micro Arcadian Click, but it's $400 and really hard to get. Worth it though, it's that good! Great content!!!
I think the new reylight is probably 90% as good and about 1/6th the cost hehe.
@@maxlvledc I agree with your overall point, but I'd put it at 80%. The CWF stays much cooler than the Reylight with a 10440, has noticeably better light quality, and feels much more solid to me. I just ordered a ThruNite Archer Mini and I'll be interested to see how it performs.
@@bobbthompson ah!! I'm curious which version you have , the 219b or 519A. And body material? Ti I'm assuming
@@maxlvledc I got it about 2 years ago so I'm assuming 219b. It is titanium. I don't recall seeing the aluminum ones when I bought mine. I like it but the tail switch bothers me. It has a lot of side to side play. Also when I bought mine, it was closer to $100. I suppose that goes into my opinion as well. Now they seem to be a lot cheaper and have a better driver. Maybe it's a better product now.
“i3T… best flashlight made by Olight” #facts
Its just true..they probably wish it wasn't...but it is.
Awesome review. 👌Just subscribed. I've recently started working for food delivery apps as a side hustle; usually at nights. My biggest obstacle is sometimes reading home adresses at night. Flashlight would resolve this. I've I'm looking for EDC/compact flashlight that has a adjustable/zoomable/throw beam to ulliminate home address as opposed to flashing their whole home with a flood beam. Preferably something I can charge with a univesal cable like Type C instead of a proprietary charging cable. Any suggestions?
I literally just found a super sweet light..the lumintop GTA, lots of throw with a standard AA
Any change on your scissor EDC? Think Klien was your top pick a while back.
Still top dog, but I tried the heritage safety scissor..and it's almost as good!!!
Curious what your feeling is on the Prometheus
Wish the thrunite was still available
Whoa, I mostly own Olights and I love the brand but how is the i3T EOS in your favorites but the Mateminco CSF 03 punished for having Next Mode Memory when the i3T EOS does as well?
No, it doesnt..when you turn off the olight for more than 30 seconds..it always resets...the matemninco will always go to next mode...even a year later
I edc a titanium i3t with a 10440 battery. And carry another tiny 10440 in my pocket for extra power if I need it.
Just be careful not to run the battery dry.
Having recently dive in an AAA research rabbit hole, i was curious about your opinion on the Fenix E01 v2.0.
Solid, but outclassed
Another review where Peak gets screwed by the 'pill'!
(Maybe they should start making that an option instead of standard?)
Doesn't matter what version..the quantum tunneling tech is 💩
Great information!
Was there ever a top 10 AAA/10440 video released? I couldn't find one
What options would have been available for a small flashlight like this in the 50s-70s? I wonder if flashlights didn't start to be EDC'd until the small maglites came out.
Basically..but lighters were regularly.
A two AA, sometimes AAA, 'pen' light, Mag Solitaire levels of light because of the bulb. Commonly EDCed by doctors. The really big thing Mag brought to the table was Noble Gas bulbs, a huge improvement over standard flashlight bulbs of the era.
(There were also two AAA lights that flipped open like a Tic Tac box, on of my childhood prized items from going to the circus/icecapades.
Image search for "Bantam circus flashlight" if you want to see the height of EDC flashlights from my 70s childhood!)
Whelp… time to go buy the Fenix LD02..
It's a light I'm confident you will like (get high cri version)
EagleTac as well the are making high quality products.
Which one have the best runtime in high mode?
For the memory mode you can just make low the last mode to use man
The Mateminco CSF 03 - is that how the manual says it operates? If so, then you are right - that is DUMB. I wonder, though: if you leave the flashlight off for a bit longer, like 10 or 20 seconds, does it still advance to the next brightness level on power-up? The Lumintop AAA will do the same thing if you switch it off and back on in under 5 seconds or so. If I give the Lumintop some time in the off state, it reliably comes back on where I left it.
Yep, doesn't matter how long...still does it.
a correction is olight i3T not iE3 or i3E
How did the streamlight microstream not make the list?
Too bad the Wurkkos WK01 didn't get featured. Out of all my EDC lights, this will always be my favorite and my only regret was I didn't buy more when they were on clearance sale (for 5 USD). This light checks a lot of boxes (no mode memory, forward clicky, always turns on at low, 4000K/6500K SST20)
I saw that, but I wanted the ones I pointed out to be current and available idealy.
Should we pester Wurkkos into making a new one then? The WK01/WK02 needs new siblings 😁✌🏻
And for $5.00! That would be fantastic!!! 😄🔦
I bought the Trustfire L1 (actually bought several as it was so cheap on offer) and it was supplied with a 10440 to supposedly make it a 385 lumen torch but the L1 works nearly as well with an nimh so I use the 10440 in my i3t and I think it's a protected 10440, whatever, no problems with it at all. I like the little L1 and use it often around tte house and at my desk but with the 10440 it is even quite useful outdoors but nothing like the i3t outdoors using the 10440 which is just amazing. Maybe even the most amazing torch ever for it's size with the 10440.
U actually missed the best ever..... from LedLenser. Thats the one i have and to me the best on in that size. And i bought the i3T Mini because of this Video and its not even close to the LedLenser. Same size, same price but two different levels
Is there a way to reprogram the mode memory of flashlights? A computer program that can plug into the charger?
Some have a port..but it's very complicated
There's a reason I have 14 Pineapple Minis in every metal and color. It's simply a phenomenal light. Rey is one of the best guys out there in the flashlight world too. He stands behind his product and will fix any issues you may have. He started this business as a hobby and he's built it into a fantastic company with a loyal following. My only gripes are not having a deep carry or reversible clip. I would love a better UI like Andurìl 2, but that's near impossible in this size/form factor.
The best one is Manker e02 II
just got it, not yet played with it.
Whats the dimmest (lowest moonlight mode) tripple A flashlight?
probably the Reylight Mini-pineaple its like less than .5LM with a standard AA.
@@maxlvledc thanks! Ever got your hands on a Manker E02 II?
Maglite AAA incandescent Solitaire. 2 Lumens. That's factory spec. Not a typo!
I now regard "Made in China" as premium. Gotta give credit where it's due.
It's one area of EDC we are not even in the running for.
Streamlight Mini should be on here
No..it's not a good light. 40 lm, ipx4 (ick), but good clip and form factor.
Next mode memory can suck it.
Aren't the Rovyvon E series in the AAA category?
Nope, not AAA compatible..just aaa sized.
@@maxlvledc mmmh I mean the E series "Angel Eyes" that are hybrid powered with internal lithium polymer battery and replaceable AAA battery.
Take a look at Rovyvon
I have many. But NON are AAA & waterproof
@@maxlvledc That is a double whammy
Streamlight microstream usb?
It's an above average, single output AA (forward clickie) 🔦. Which is rare.
It doesn't use standard AAA and isn't more than IPX4
@@maxlvledc I’m interested in lights that are the size of a micro-macrostream SL. I have a couple Protac 1L also but the other two fit my edc pouch for work much better. Wondering what other options there are out there.
What no LED LENSER P3?
Nope
I absolutely hate lights you have to constantly cycle through to get back to the right mode
Same
Pineapple mini now $50
Ti or aluminum?
@@maxlvledc oh good question. Let me double check that.
@@maxlvledc On Amazon, the aluminum is priced $50.
@@maxlvledc At the official website, aluminum is $31. My mistake.
Wow that Mateminco UI is actually awful lol
get 10440 from japan
I rather to have a mini flashlight thats runs on battery then on ubs stick😂not everywhere can you recharge without electronics on ubs stick while you can have battery everywhere these days for endless,1👈 live long battery!!!👉
Quantum tunneling technology, what are we digging for wormholes?😂😂😂😂
None of these can start on strobe. That's the dumbest mode system.
Why would anyone want that?
@@maxlvledc because a AAA strobe is sooo -tacticool- tactical!
@@CrowManyClouds 🤣
i don't like it won't tell you why thumbs down😂😂😂