so this flashlight made good sense as a step-up
923678
I'm very impressed!  1150 lumen output is on par with a standard car low beam headlamp, and a huge improvement over the 250 lumen flashlights I typically buy at the club warehouses.  Of course moving from 3 AAA (900 ma) batteries to 4 AA (2400 ma) batteries certainly helps!  I haven't gotten into CR-123 lithium batteries (yet) and still run the household on a box of NiMH AA & AAA batteries and a quality La Crosse charger (yes, old school...), so this flashlight made good sense as a step-up.  I use it each night going out with the dog, and so far after two weeks I'm still on the initial set of charged batteries.  Bright and energy efficient!
4176111
In order to better understand the reviews about this practical, versatile and tempting flashlight please read the User Instructions at the following address: [...]. If for whatevar reason this address is edited please use the flashlight's name coupled with the words User Manual/Instructions to locate it on the net.
The size, spill and throw, coupled with its price make this flashlight one of the most versatile general purpose flashlights I own. The most efficient way of using it is by employing the Ni-Mh Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries, well known for their reliability. If not used, the Eneloops can hold a charge, almost to full capacity, for up to one year. Such rechargeable batteries work very well with the JetBeam Intellicharger i4 PRO which I reviewed within a year of its purchase elsewhere on this site.  For those to whom the above battery chemistry acronym [Ni-Mh] does not tell much, as it was the case with any of us at one point or another in our life, here is a useful address that will help you make sense of them all: [...] or search for batteryuniversitydotcomforwardslashlearnforwardslash and then look up the type of battery you are interested in.
Unfortunately, Amazon did not and, to my surprise, still does not list the Light Emitting Diode (LED) tint on their site. Upon receipt, in my case, it turned out that the LED tint was neutral-white. In this particular flashlight with its reflector size and shape the neutral-white tint is quite disappointing. Its beam pattern prints a wide white ring of light with a rather small and [too] well defined, intense spot in the center (by comparison) so make sure you purchase the one with the cool-white tint LED. An area that needs additional consideration is the electronic activation switch which is patterned on that of a camera shutter release. While in theory it may look as an interesting idea, in reality it has quite a few shortcomings, two of which are:
1) it is difficult to accurately operate with gloves on and
2) it is quite difficult to ensure that it does not accidentally activate while being carried in a pocket, bag or even in its own holster even when locked-up - a one second long accidental touch of the On/Off button is enough to cancel the lock-up feature and activate the flashlight.
This is a problematic issue with all Nitecore flashlights that employ this type of highly sensitive activation switch and an area that would warrant redesign.
If the two above mentioned issues do not bother you and as long as you make sure that you purchase the one with the cool white tint the Nitecore Pioneer Compact is an otherwise very good, versatile general purpose LED flashlight.
Purchased from Amazon.com.
2909234
It's a good flashlight, yeah?  But it's not going impress anyone, including yourself.

For $12 I'm happy.  Charges with either cord supplied, works nice as a flashlight.  It won't impress you if you've been using LED flashlights for awhile, but then it's way better than six cell MagLites I paid way more.  How much you like it depends on your expectations.

It's a nice glove box flashlight, but really nothing more.
2451005
Very bright and handy pocket flashlight.  It is just a little bigger than the units that you twist to turn on and off, but I like the push bottom better. It is much easier to operate with one hand.  Button works well for momentary use or to click on for longer periods of use. I have been carrying it for 3.5 months and it has worked faithfully.  The anodizing is starting to wear off on some of the edges because I carry it in the same pocket as keys and a pocket knife.
217410
The flashlights I received have two modes: flashlight and strobe. Most of the reviews I've read indicate that there is only one mode, so if I have a different product someone let me know please. It's possibly an update to the product.

Flashlights came tightly packaged in a brown box. To review, I'm comparing it with another generic LED $5 flashlight I got off ebay.

Right off the bat, I could tell the Hausbell is of much higher build quality. It's a much heavier flashlight and there are grip textures where your pinky and forefingers go. The clip is screwed on and require an allen wrench to remove, as opposed to my other flashlight's clip, which falls off whenever I try to change the battery. The flashlight lens is slightly thicker as well. The focus slide is much smoother and actually requires some pressure to pull and push whereas my other flashlight's slide jerks around with the slightest touch. One big issue I have with this flashlight is the light switch; the switch is already slightly recessed and requires a lot of pressure to press. So I practically have to jam the tip my thumb into the switch to get the light to turn on. My other flashlight has a convex switch and is fairly light; it's much easier to turn that one on.

Performance-wise, there's no question that this destroys my other flashlight (see pictures). Even using AA batteries, it's at least 125+ lumens; the Meco probably isn't even 50. I mentioned that this flashlight also has a strobe mode, which is nice but unnecessary since it's easy to strobe a single mode flashlight by lightly squeezing the switch. The default mode when you turn it on is flashlight mode. To change it to strobe mode, you need to turn the flashlight off and on again in 3 seconds or less. You can also lightly squeeze the switch once.

Ran it through the shower a couple times so I can at least say it is water resistant (I seriously doubt you can use this as a diver's flashlight though.

I'm probably going to replace my old flashlight with this as my go-to for car emergencies. I'll mount my old one to a gun or something, since I still like that it's so easy to turn on.

I will be updating this review for longevity in about a year; everything else looks good so far.

Overall, I give this product a 90/100, with 10 points off for the hard to press switch.

Note: I received this product at a discount for an unbiased review
1297784
I've had this flashlight for about three months now -- kept it on my boat and used it often.

On the positive side (the half of the glass that's full), this flashlight is small, powerful and produces a very (VERY!) brilliant white beam -- made to order for hiking, search and rescue, night security work, etc.

On the negative side (the half of the glass that's empty), for a while it seemed to suffer from the same malady common to cheaper flashlights -- blinking off when you need it most. Tap it gently against something and it will blink back on again. Move it some, or shake it, and it will blink off again...

I have since discovered that the problem may have had something to do with the battery compartment cap becoming unscrewed when one plays with the beam setting ring. When you rotate the beam setting wring anticlockwise, you may inadvertently end up loosening the cap a little, causing the batteries not to make full contact with their leads, in turn causing the light to blink on and off when the unit is moved about.

Anyway, I cleaned all connectors, installed new batteries, made sure the cap was screwed on tight and the problem has not reappeared to date, so the product definitely gets a vote of confidence.

Will follow up if the picture changes.
3445529
This LED CREE Flashlight kit from Odepro is a makes a good entry level or everyday flashlight. It comes with a decent battery and basic charger so those that have no 18650 batteries or a good charger can jump right in and see what LED flashlights can do.

It's not exactly shaped aggressively for tactical use which makes it more of an everyday flashlight. You don't get the sharp points on the ends that you would find in a tactical light. You do have some on the lens end, but they are almost decorative. The tail end is completely flat, which actually makes it better for tail sitting. Sometimes the crenelations on my tactical lights actually subtract from the everyday useability so I have not problems with the way this one is designed.

The machining is pretty good and smooth. I noticed one rough spot on the tail cap threads, but I think this was an annodization blemish more than anything. The Clip snaps on which is actually nice. Some clips get in the way or can't even be moved. You do get 2 extra O-Rings and all of the joints are sealed for water protection

The best part of this flashlight and why I'm giving it 5 stars is the fact that it is a 2 button, true memory flashlight. The dividing line in the flashlight market for me is the memory mode. Most of the low end flashlights don't remember what mode they are in and always either start in the same mode, or in the next mode in the list. You usually end up paying a bit of a premium to get a flashlight with true memory. On this light, you get 2 button operation. The tail switch turns it on in the same mode it was in when you turned it off and the second button changes the mode. To access SOS mode you hold down the mode button.

Overall, this is a good basic, yet super bright CREE LED flashlight with true mode memory. Since it includes an 18650 battery and charger, it would be a good first flashlight for someone.
2090917
I like this flashlight for EDC. It's compact and bright enough for most uses, but I wish it was brighter. It's brighter than the Streamlight Stylus Pro, but not as bright as the Foursevens Preon P2.

The tail switch is somewhat stiff, so it's less likely to engage accidentally unlike the Foursevens Preon P2. But it's less stiff than the Stylus Pro. The momentary on feature is also nice if you CCW.

It seems like the best all around EDC flashlight in my opinion.
4787921
I got this light to compare to my other flashlights like it and to see how the batteries held up wouldn't by again, I like the ultrafire lights better.
1409221
Excellent conversion from regular flashlight to LED. Much brighter output.
4073109
I haven't really given this a good workout outside conditions, but I took it on one trip and keep it by my bedside table in case of power cuts (I'm in West Africa, where such cuts are common).  It provides a tremendous amount of light with the side lamp, though the top lamp seems just a bit under- powered with 5 LEDs (I have another similar light by another manufacturer with 7 LEDs on top and it's much brighter).  There are certainly better flashlights than this if you primarily want a bright, hand-held flashlight.  But, I wanted it primarily for the side lamp, where I might need to light up a room while getting undressed and showering/using the bathroom during a power cut  And for that it works well.

I haven't yet tested it for the longevity of its batteries during a power cut, since I use it to provide light for specific activities and then I shut it off.

Overall, the flashlight feels solid and everything looks well-made. I have attached the magnets to a small water heater in the bathroom and they held on well.
1030051
the holster that came with the flashlight wore out very quickly. And if you accidentally drop the flashlight you have to open it to realign the batteries. A rubber band or two wrapped around the batteries can help this problem. The lens would unscrew at inconvenient times and drop off. A little Blue Loctite helped this. And for the holster issue, I ordered a Nite Ize Tool Holster Stretch - Securely and Conveniently Stores Multi-Tools and Knives of Almost Every Size. Less than $10. Now it seems to be a good working flashlight. I would highly recommend the rubber band trick, the blue locktite,and the Nite Ize Tool Holster Stretch. (available through Amazon.)
2863820
The utility of this flashlight is amazing. The ability to choose from multiple light levels means you can get the right amount of light for the task, not sacrificing battery life for wasted light. Using AA batteries means that a source of power is available almost anywhere at any time. The extreme brightness on "high" and "turbo" provide that extra oomph if and when you really need it.

I use this flashlight both as a general-purpose flashlight and as a bicycle headlight. When poking around in dark and cramped places the "low" mode is often sufficient and gives great battery life. Similarly, when riding in well-lit suburban areas I can use the "low" setting as a way to improve my visibility to cars. As the amount of light I need increases, the flashlight is able to keep up and provide more. The top end "turbo" mode easily lights up dark rooms, and can throw light far enough to make me feel safe riding at high speeds in rural areas.
1719829
If you have flashlights that use 18650 batteries like I do (I have about 7 of them), you can use this case as a charger if you like but I charge mine in a dedicated charger and use this as a battery pack for charging small electronics. Some of the new LED flashlights have a micro-USB charging port so you can either use the pack to 1) increase runtime of the light (I found this useful with night hunting hogs)  2) swap the spent batteries in the light with the charged ones in the case 3) use the pack to charge up the light once more using the USB port. The number of charges you get will depend on the quality and capacity of the 18650 batteries used. The display is nice because it shows the amperage of each port, and shows a bar graph for each of the 4 batteries. With my S5 charging it shows .5A. There is one port which is labelled 1A and one that is labelled 2A for higher current devices.
2599477
I already had a CREE flashlight that came with an extra battery.  I bought this flashlight because it was compatible with the same battery.  Its not quite as bright as my first flashlight that I bought from amazon however my wife really likes this flashlight exactly for that reason.  It is still super bright, just not blindingly bright.  Also has a nice zoom feature.
3889351
Inexpensive, simple flashlight to replace a very similar one.  The other model had the front lens pop out since it as just glued to the front.  Hoping this one doesn't do that.  Feels solid, and I was pleased to discover that it must have a diode to ensure you don't fry the LED should you insert the battery backwards like I did.  The direction for the battery was not clear.  The nubbin actually sits on the spring unlike the typical battery orientation.
250353
I debated between three stars (It's Okay) and four stars (I Like It) for this flashlight. There are a lot of similar lights on the market. I've reviewed several (and passed on several more). Like so many LED flashlight. It's bright, incredibly bright. It's reasonably well made and put together though there's a slight wobble where the zoomable head and body meet. The light is round and machined without a flat spot to keep it from rolling off the table, rock or whatever you put it down on. Have you ever tried to find a black flashlight in the dark? This does have a couple bonuses included in the kit. There's three modes of brightness instead of the typical two although low is still quite bright. It strobes, like almost every 'tactical' flashlight and headlamp on the market today. It has an S.O.S. mode for the handful of people who can't figure out the strobe is a call for help and actually know Morse code. There's an adapter to use three standard AAA batteries instead of the included 3.7v 18650 reportedly 2200mAh rechargeable battery and a wall plug charger for the battery. Most of this is standard far for today's 'tactical' lights. Also included, which brought this up to four stars is a decent, though not waterproof, padded hard-shell case with a four-point latching system and lanyard (which you have to make sure is clear of the latch on that side or it won't close properly) that's just big enough for all the pieces. There's also a swivel mount so you can attach this to your bicycle as a headlight. I tried doing so on my walker (I'm disabled) and couldn't get it to mount on the majority of cross bars. The rubber protective padding in the mount fell out on the first use. A little super glue will fix that. In the end you have a standard 'tactical' flashlight with a couple bonuses that might or might not be of a benefit to you. It's a good light although I'm going to duct tape or glue a small piece of dowel to so it won't roll away.
I received this item in exchange for my review.