# Clean flashlight



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I watch ads on TV about these high dollar flashlights being so durable and then my wife washed one of my Harbor Freight flashlights. It went through the washer and dryer before she found it turned on in my shirt pocket. Not a drop of water got inside the flashlight. I would have thought the heat from the dryer would have at least killed the batteries.


----------



## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

If it is the little one that they give away with a purchase, they are hard to beat. I did have to put a couple of drops of Super Glue on the rubber button on one to keep it in place when I turned the flashlight on.. I have three or four of them.


----------



## Skwerly (Feb 26, 2010)

I picked one up on eBay on a whim, I liked that it came with a fat rechargeable battery and the lumens were out of control. I didn't have much faith because it was 10 bucks, but figured what the hey, it was better than the one I currently had considering it had broken.

Wow! this sucker really goes, man. It's bright, it goes from spot to flood, it's very tough/durable, and the battery lasts foreeeever. 

It's the XML-T6 Ultrafire -- I don't know how it would do in the washer, but it does claim to be waterproof! 

https://www.amazon.com/UltraFire-T6...d=1486223144&sr=8-3&keywords=xml+t6+ultrafire

Now I feel I got ripped off, lol, because mine only came with one battery!


----------



## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

Free flashlights have a long history.. Remember those long plastic Radio Shack deals? The flashlight was free, but the batteries were always marked up and you needed 5 or 6 to get it to work. We probably had 20 or so of those useless suckers sitting around. 
The HF deals are ok, but their aftermarket batteries are about as close to useless as useless gets.


----------



## MatthewEOD (Dec 6, 2013)

I've been issued surefire flashlights at work, damn they are expensive, but they cants be beat.


----------



## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

It's pretty hard to screw up a flashlight, although I have noticed that the higher the price, the more screwed up the flashlight is...

Seriously, who needs a flashlight with 6 different brightness setting, a strobe light a Morse code generator? When I press the 'on' button, I want the bloody light to turn on. Cheap lights all the way for me, I've got a few that I picked up from RadioShack on clearance a few years back. Solid aluminium, waterproof, led, uses normal batteries, bright as the sun, a bloody on switch, and they cost me $8 a piece


----------



## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

well, around here the pen lights go through the washer & dryer - but they always smell good coming out of that process - it's the fabric softener thing . . .

I have multiple Cree pen lights - they are veddy good quality.


----------



## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Steve Neul said:


> I watch ads on TV about these high dollar flashlights being so durable and then my wife washed one of my Harbor Freight flashlights. It went through the washer and dryer before she found it turned on in my shirt pocket. Not a drop of water got inside the flashlight. I would have thought the heat from the dryer would have at least killed the batteries.


Steve, 
My policy is: if it's so dark I've got to use a flashlight, I wait until morning!!!>


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Toolman50 said:


> Steve,
> My policy is: if it's so dark I've got to use a flashlight, I wait until morning!!!>


You must have very busy mornings then. Anyway I had been working in the attic, morning wouldn't help.


----------



## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Steve
I bought a couple of the small halogen work lights from Harbor Freight. 
These things are powerful. Very bright. Will light an attic up. One light per stand. Stand can be hung on a 2X to hold in place. 
Only drawback, generates lots of heat. Best in winter or when doing finish work. Helps finish dry.
You probably already have 5 or 6! Ha


----------



## MaintenanceMan (Jun 25, 2010)

I picked up of these harbor freight lights and find it particularly handy. Most of the time I use it at my bandsaw. 

http://www.harborfreight.com/rotating-magnetic-led-worklight-63422.html


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Toolman50 said:


> Steve
> I bought a couple of the small halogen work lights from Harbor Freight.
> These things are powerful. Very bright. Will light an attic up. One light per stand. Stand can be hung on a 2X to hold in place.
> Only drawback, generates lots of heat. Best in winter or when doing finish work. Helps finish dry.
> You probably already have 5 or 6! Ha


All of those halogen lights get hot. I only have one working one right now and I don't know where I got it, maybe walmart. We usually refer to them as heat lamps. You can get a nasty burn off one of those if you are not careful. The little flashlight that got washed I couldn't begin to guess how many of those I have. I know I have three on the wall unopened. A lot of times I will have a customer comment on how handy the lights are and I normally give them one.


----------



## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

I have tried most of the cheap flashlights, and while they work fine for awhile, they eventually quit and even though there isn't anything to them, they just won't work again, no matter how I clean the terminals, etc. The best ones I ever had were the Duracells, rectangular palm size plastic lights that always worked. I'd still buy them if anyone still sold them. Mostly though, mine get dropped a lot and after 2 or 3 times, they won't work anymore. The last one I had did work for about 4 years before it gave out. That was a Dorcy metal body LED light. Must've been dropped several dozen times and kept working. But it's quit now.


----------



## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

I bought this pair of flashlights from HD. They're Maglites, LED bulbs. We had maglites in the fire service and they were always very durable, sealed with Orings, aluminum cases. I bought these for when I take the dog out at night. They shine and light up my woodline which is about 250' away. The beam is also adjustable. With LED bulbs, the batteries should last a long time
Mike Hawkins


----------



## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

My best flashlights are from HF and K-Mart, before they folded up here in town.


----------



## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

All my my shop machine lights and carving lights are now LED. Simple, cheap, cool and economical to run. 
I try to find lights which contain American made CREE LED junctions.
Either 8W or 10W spotlights are all you need. I'm not lighting an entire room to watch a single saw blade.

Years ago now, I bought a handful of no name LED flashlights, 2 x AA for power, spread them around my family.
All still working. 5+ years.


----------



## Wittan (Jul 8, 2021)

I've had a terrible experience with all sorts of LED flashlights. The main issue is their fake water resistance. God knows why they make them so shabby.


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Steve Neul said:


> I watch ads on TV about these high dollar flashlights being so durable and then my wife washed one of my *Harbor Freight flashlights*. *It went through the washer and* dryer before she found it turned on in my shirt pocket. Not a drop of water got inside the flashlight. I would have thought the heat from the dryer would have at least killed the batteries.





Wittan said:


> I've had a terrible experience with all sorts of LED flashlights. *The main issue is their fake water resistance*. God knows why they make them so shabby.


So, you didn't choose a good brand, maybe?
I have several of the Coastal brand ones, from Tractor Supply, but have never soaked them in water. They are bright and do get warm or even hot when left turned on.


----------



## Aquice (Jul 16, 2021)

Wittan said:


> I've had a terrible experience with all sorts of LED flashlights. The main issue is their fake water resistance. God knows why they make them so shabby.


Many flashlights available in the market they guaranteed about water-resistant,
Which flashlight is yours?
I'm using Coast HP550 its a fully waterproof flashlight, Check the flashlight's waterproof IPX rating before making a purchase!


----------



## Kerrys (May 2, 2016)

Many years ago (8 to 10) I was given a couple of Feit Electric led flashlights. One small, one large. Both zoom or go from broad area to pinpoint lighting and are extremely bright. I use the small one almost daily. It has been with me working, hunting, fishing, basically any activity. It has seen rain, snow, cold, and hot weather conditions. Other than replacing the batteries they have always worked. I don’t think I had heard of Feit before I was given the flashlights. I don’t know about any other manufacturers of led flashlights mainly because I haven’t needed any flashlights since getting the two Feits. If I need to buy a new flashlight it will be a Feit.


----------



## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Haven't really needed a flashlight since I started carrying an iPhone with me.


----------



## DeanDelfin (4 mo ago)

I would recommend you use compact LED flash lights. They have high impact resistance and a wide operating temperature range. I have personally been using this flashlight for several years now. It fell several times, and water got into it 2 times, but it still works. LEDs can operate at temperatures from -40 to +50 degrees. In fact, the main limitation is the temperature range of batteries and accumulators. Plus, due to the small size of the LED and the fact that fewer batteries or batteries are required to operate, the price of LED flash lights is lower than incandescent flashlights.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The flashlights HF used to give away are LED lights. I probably had more than 20 of them at one time but are down to about a half dozen now. They still have them but they are no longer free. Still it's a good buy for $1.27.


----------

