Customer Reviews

Duracell Daylite 80-Lumens, 3-Watt LED Flashlight with 2-AA Alkaline Batteries

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Recently my neighborhood suffered a 4-day power outage - not fun. But at least it gave me an opportunity to fully utilize my collection of flashlights, including this Duracell Daylite 80-Lumens 3-Watt LED Flashlight, and the Maglite Mini LED Flashlight. Here is my comparison between those two:

[Exterior]
Although both flashlights are powered by 2 AA cells, the Duracell is slightly longer and significantly fatter than the Maglite. This makes the Duracell less convenient to carry in my pants pocket. On the other hand, fatter body makes the Duracell easier to hold or to stand on the table.

[ON/OFF Switch]
The Duracell has a push-button switch at the end cap. It is very easy to engage with just one hand. The Maglite mini requires two hands to operate, because you have to twisting its reflector head to turn on/off.

[Adjustable Beam]
Both flashlights advertise adjustable beam from 'spot' to 'flood'. In reality, neither offer a very wide 'flood'. The main difference is that in 'spot' mode, Maglite has a tighter focus, giving it a brighter spot and longer throw. On the other hand, the beam from Duracell appears evenly diffused and less harsh.

(See the beam shot photo I uploaded to 'Customer Images' section for comparison)

[Power Consumption]
Both flashlights advertise '3W LED'. But actual power depends on the battery voltage:
- When using two fresh alkaline cells (3V), the Maglight consumes about 1.6W while the Duracell consumes 2.7W from batteries.
- When using two rechargeable NiMH cells (2.5V), their power consumptions drop to 1W and 1.5W, respectively.

See the "Input Power vs. Battery Voltage" chart I uploaded to 'Customer Images' section. It is worth noting that the Duracell can operate down to much lower battery voltage than the Maglite can.

[Extra Features]
This is where the Maglite really shines. It has different functions selectable by the twist-on/off switch. Namely:
- Full Power mode
- 25% power mode
- Blinking
- S.O.S mode

The last two modes are not that useful except in case of emergency. But the low-power mode is great for indoor use, especially during a blackout when you must extend the battery life.

The Maglite mini can even operate in 'candle mode' by removing its reflector head. Again, this is useful during a blackout for area illumination. The reflector of the Duracell cannot be removed.

[Conclusion]
Both the Duracell Daylite and Maglite mini LED flashlights are quality products. You can't go wrong with either one. But if I can only pick one, I have to choose the Maglite mini for its versatility.

This is not my first LED flashlight. I had upgraded my minimags to use an led instead of the normal bulb and was content with the results. The new Duracell double A led flashlight is now my number one flashlight. It is bigger than the mini but just the right size for my hand. It uses two double A batteries and gives out a great amount of light. The switch is easy to use and is easy to access. The focus does allow the user to adjust size of the beam according to his/her needs. The beam is whit with no dark circles. The price is great. The value you get with this purchase is very high. I recommend the line of Duracell LED Flashlights to anybody who wants a reliable, bright flashlight that won't break the bank.

I bought this flashlight simply because I needed one and it was on a display by the checkout at Home Depot one day, the LED factor was just a nice touch. Admittedly the ultra bright white to a little getting used to since I was always a MagLite person, but once my eyes adjusted to it I would never go back, in fact I bought one for each room in the house since we live in a rural area and power outages are not uncommon.

The flashlight itself is very well made, as good if not better than my 2-AA Maglight, but since this is LED no bulbs to change! The battery life is also excellent, my oldest one is over 6 months old and is used a lot for projects and still looks like the day I bought it. My only slight ding and it's not even enough to bring it down a star is the switch at the end in the copper tip, I'd rather it be up towards the bulb, but again that to me is very minor.

Unlike a Minimag, the front plastic lens cannot be replaced. So if the the lens is heavily scratched the brightness of the light will deteriorate significantly.

An unreplaceable lens is not an issue for a casual user who simply keeps the flashlight in a drawer. However Duracell has no business selling a flashlight made with a permanently fixed lens because any serious user who keeps that flashlight in a tool bag will find the lens scratched and abraded. (The packaging appears to indicate that the front lens is in fact removable. The lens is not removable, and Duracell confirmed that limitation to me.)


Other than the lens problem, this is a very nice light. It's very bright and reasonably well sealed. I particularly like the solution to the suction issue which can make removing batteries from a Minimag difficult. Fins within the tube support the batteries, thereby allowing air to flow freely in to the free space as the batteries are removed.

I run this Duracell with rechargeable 1.2 volt NiMH AA batteries.

Opened the package, inserted batteries and pressed the switch. The light came on and looked decent, but after a moment it just turned itself off. Opened it, removed & re-inserted the batteries, but the light couldn't decide if it wanted to stay on or off. Did this a couple of times, shook it, and finally it seemed to stay on. (Time will tell if this a chronic problem.) The rotating head on this unit was probably the culprit (not the switch).

The light, when it's on, is fairly bright, but the difference between the "spot" and "flood" modes is hardly noticeable. The claim that the beam has no black spots, and that it projects "even, consistent light across entire focus range" is not accurate. It's good, but does have (dark) rings on the outer part of the circle, just like many other flashlights.

There are significantly more powerful and better built lights that don't cost much more (Fenix E21). For about the same price & build quality, the Energizer ML3W is more reliable, has an equal or better beam, and instead of the gimmicky focusing head, has two levels of brightness which is more useful. Both the Fenix and the Energizer are available on Amazon.

UPDATE April 9, 2011: Still unreliable. Does not turn on or stay lit unless I rotate the head back & forth several times, or shake it, or slap the light against the palm of my hand.

Not sure about this light straight out of the box. yes it is Bright and White and does produce a good beam. Compared to a Maglite which has a Yellow color to the light this is much whiter. It may just take a bit of getting used too.

The light from this thing is very bright and shines out a good distance. While there is a slight difference between the flood and spot settings, it is barely noticeable. They could have left this feature off. I thought I could get used to the on/off switch on the end of the tube, but it is mainly an annoyance. A switch on the side would have been more to my liking. The construction is solid and, except for the on/off switch, it is a good flashlight.

I work nights (Police) and have tried dozens and dozens of lights. This is not a tactical light buts its the best task light I've ever used. Its as bright as a tactical light but the handling is designed for tasks. I put it in my front pants pocket and its thin enough to fit,long enough to not fall in and get lost, and the head has an edge to sit on the pocket edge for easy fetching. The back allows you to set in on a table for area light and reflect on the ceiling for a room light during power failures. The light rests well on the head when not being used for easy access. The diameter is thin making it easy to handle, and its light enough to hold in your mouth when both hands are needed.The slight flare on the end helps prevent dropping and the bright gold color end ring makes it easier to find.The adjustable beam is useful for spot or flood, important in a light that uses cheap AA batteries, to put the light where you need it. Fresh batteries last hours, tested during a recent power failure. Had my first one about a year, no reliability issues.This is the second one of these I've bought 1st had to go to relatives during this week long power failure and they liked it too. Other AA lights are pathetic compared to this.

I've been using this light for a few weeks now and it really meets my needs! It works great! The light is extremely bright. It lights up the walkways I travel very well. I am definitely pleased with this flashlight!!

Not much for me to say. I like it. Batteries last longer. Works as Advertised. gabrink45