1. Home
  2. 🔒 Lockmithing and Lockpicking Discussions
  3. Flash light Test

Flash light Test

Just got my box from Harbor Freight (

formatting link
) and it contained my 2 AA cell miniature flash light. Catalog number 3852-8JMA, costing $1.99 for the flash light. Incidentally, there was shipping costs on the order.

And here is what I found....

The light is 6 3/4 inches over all. Slightly longer than a mini mag which is

5 3/4. This is a concern. A mini mag fits nicely in my bathrobe pocket. And also in my front pants pocket. The inch longer light would not fit in either of these pockets.

The batteries supplied were the cheapie carbon cells. Panasonic. Good brand, though.

The brand of light is "Gordon" which I've not heard of that brand. There is a sticker which instructs me to always wear safety glasses. It further instructs me not to remove the sticker. Wonder if the same folks that arrested me for removing my tag from my matress would get me if I removed this sticker? I don't want to find out, the Department of Matress Tags guys sure play rough.

The on off switch is a push button on the side. The light turns on when I lift my thumb off the button, so it does not have "instant on" or momentary contact.

The lens is adjustable, spot to flood. The lens is round, so it doesn't have the 8 sided "won't roll off the table" design.

The bulb appears to be the same bi-pin bulb which is used by Mini-Mag. I didn't see if they are interchangable, but very likely are.

The tail cap did contain a spare bulb. I pounded and whacked the tail cap, and could not get the bulb out. I needed a mini pair of needle nose pliers to get the bulb out. I did not try my Leatherman pliers -- they might be too big.

They did provide a nylon belt case for the light. The belt case appears to be the same design as the Mini Mag case, it seems a bit short for the Gordon light. Makes me wonder if the light would fall out easily. I've got enough stuff on my belt already, didn't try it.

Summary: This light is well worth the two bucks plus shipping. It appears to be fairly well made, and should provide at least two dollars worth of service. I would reccomend using alkaline batteries. The provided carbon batteries can be used for TV remote, or other low drain application.

The filament bulb should be EMP safe, if you are concerned about having a light after a nuclear explosion.

I'm going to put a couple of these lights in my glove compartments, tool boxes, etc.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
Loading thread data ...

If you like the light and you want it a bit brighter, look for a xenon bulb meant for the mini-mag. Adding Energizer L91 (AA sized lithiums) also makes the light brighter (slightly higher voltage) and it's not effected by cold weather. The L91 has a 15 year shelf life, and more than twice the energy (aka battery life) as a normal alkaline cell.

If you really want some fun, look into the flashlights with 1 watt LEDs. I just got a Dorcy brand headband mounted LED light from Lowes for $19 and found it very nice to work with while working in a dark garage.

Daniel

Reply to
dbs__usenet

Thanks for the review!

I purchased 5 of these flashlights from Harbor myself after the first post about them. I also purchased a 250,000 candle power 12v spotlight for my part time job delivering pizza, mostly at night, for around $5. The total was just under the next higher shipping charge.

I must say that for a $2 flashlight, these are nice, and cheap enough to put one anywhere you think you might need emergency light, or a flashlight that you can beat the crap out of and not care. Ok, so it has cheap batteries, but at least they were included, and a belt pouch to boot!

I'm happy!

Just my 2 cents worth...

Ken

Reply to
TekWar

I've been wondering if I oughta buy some lithium batteries for storing with lights in my emergency packs. Seems like alkalines would go flat after a couple years. Nothing like being out on a lockout (or a tire change) with dead batteries.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Lithiums are known to be less prone to leaking to. As in almost never.

I have lithium (Cr123, AA or AAA) in all my stashed flashlights. They are more expensive but last longer and are ready when you are.

Daniel

Reply to
dbs__usenet

Be sure to check the voltages on the batteries. Most lithiums are 3 volts or more, although some are 1.5 volts. If for example you put two C or D size lithium batteries into a flashlight designed for alkaline, you will have 6 volts instead of 3 volts and zap goes the bulb.

Norris

dbs_ snipped-for-privacy@tanj.com wrote:

Reply to
Norris Smith

Good advice, but you generally can't find C or D sized lithiums without going to specialty outlets and spending up to $20 each. That stops most people. The most common lithium batteries are sold as "photo batteries" and priced like they are gold. The CR123 is 3 volts. It's shorter and smaller than a C cell but has higher capacity than the average C Cell.

There are several nice little lights that use the CR123 cells, including the Dorcy Spyder (about $25) and the Brinkman Maxfire for about $20. These two lights are available at Walmart and far outshine a 3 D cell Maglight. They are a bit bigger than a minimag.

For good, inexpensive CR123 cells, try batterystation.com. They sell for $1.25 each.

Energizer sells AA and AAA sized lithiums that are just barely higher voltage than a normal alkaline battery. They are models L91 and L92. Expensive but worth it.

Daniel

Reply to
dbs__usenet

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.