The luxury of the Luxeon LED at an affordable price.
Written: Sep 15 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: AAA battery compatible
Waterproofing
High lumen output
Cons: Plastic lens cover can scratch
The Bottom Line: Low cost LED flashlight with brilliant Luxeon bulb and rugged design.
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| rgathright's Full Review: Dorcy 41-4281/41-4282 1-Watt Luxeon LED 3AAA Metal... |
We all need a trusty flashlight. In South Louisiana the power goes out often and the ever present threat of hurricanes causes the inhabitants to stock up on hurricane supplies at the beginning of every season. A long time ago, I found the Dorcy Luxeon LED flashlight during a trip to the local superstore. The low price caught my eye as well as the included batteries.
Light/Battery Life
At night the light will easily light up objects 25 feet away. The light field is at best 2 foot in diameter from 25'. However, the light is so bright that it can also be used to illuminate computer equipment such as identifying chips in motherboards. The light can easily work for longer than 8 hours on NiMh batteries.
Features/Operation
After two years of heavy use, I am happy to report that this flashlight has held up to all the abuse. The only real problem so far has been that the clear plastic cover over the lens has a few scratches. The battery holder is in the base of the flashlight. A simple few twists of the base will reveal a solid threaded aluminum cap. The base cap also has a large O-ring which is an indicator of the waterproofing in this flashlight. To turn the LED on simply press the switch in the base cap. A thick piece of rubber covers the switch to keep water out. My favorite feature of the flashlight has to be the metal case. All aluminum and heavier gauge than most Mag-Lites, you would have a hard time ruining this light in a 10 ft drop.
Are LED flashlights bright and how much power do they consume?
In 1999, Lumileds Corporation of San Jose, CA, introduced the Luxeon LED, a high-power white-light emitter. For the first time this made possible LED flashlights with power and running time better than some incandescent lights.
LEDs can be significantly more efficient at lower power levels, hence use less battery energy than normal light bulbs. Such flashlights have longer battery lifetimes, in some cases hundreds of hours. Another major advantage of LED flashlights are that being solid state components, they can be difficult to damage with external shock. Fluorescent and incandescent bulbs are easily broken if dropped on the ground.
Consider buying NiMH AAA batteries for this flashlight so that you can quickly recharge and avoid the cost of alkaline batteries. I use Duracell 900mah, AAA, NiMH batteries and get a full beam every time, even after two months of sitting in storage.
Specifications
Weight: 0.47 lb.
Length: 5.00 in.
Width: 1.73 in.
Height: 10.00 in.
Forever Bulb
1 Watt Luxeon LED: 45 Lumens of light output
Aluminum construction
Belt clip
Includes 3xAAA Energizer batteries (compatible with NiMh AAA).
Manufacturer claims a one year defect free warranty from time of purchase.
Model Numbers
41-4281 is the black case.
41-4282 is the pewter case.
Summary
The 1-Watt Luxeon LED in a high quality metal case with AAA batteries is a rare find. The flashlight is easy to turn on and off with waterproofing features that would make most $50 flashlights blush with envy.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
rgathright
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Member: Reuben Gathright
Location: Lake Charles, LA
Reviews written: 251
Trusted by: 131 members
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