Small spot flashlight? to side mount...

[Steven Johnson]

I like to economize on lots of things, but lights I want to be more careful with, as a failed caving light will really ruin a trip pretty quick... and these look like cheesy knockoffs to me. IMHO, spending the extra $$$ for (say) a Zebralight or a Fenix is worth the money, at least until these currently-no-name brands establish a reputation.

[self-deleted_user]

Thanks Brian! I like that price range.

Steven - it's not for a light light, it's so I can spot something far away or lightpaint or something with it. Not gonna be actually caving on it. Just want to helmet mount for easy access so I can keep my corona as my primary but I still have my apex in my bag if needed too. =) On a grad student salary (aka nothing :P) $10 compaired to $60 is basically food for 2 weeks so yeah, I economize on this one, haha!

[rlboyce]

IMHO, reputation is the sum of experience. No light, no product, has a 100% positive experience from every user. You can buy without knowledge of reputation and take a gamble. That gamble may pay off or you might have lost on that gamble. You can buy with knowledge of reputation and be disappointed that the reputation you heard of isn't what your experience was or you may have found it to be exactly as expected. Even the best companies and products have their defects. No matter the choice of light, there is still the risk that the light does not function to your expectations.

Most of these lights work just fine and would stand up to normal caving conditions. Marduke has supplied some excellent examples, such as the Romisen. Reputation is very helpful, and this is why I strongly recommended that the reviews are thoroughly read. If you like one of these lights on DX, take it underground on a trial basis with a primary on the helmet and secondary/tertiary in your pack. With the incredibly cheap prices, there's really not much to lose.

Surely all products with good reputations didn't have a reputation starting out. How could those products earn a reputation if no one bought them because of a lack of reputation?

If I want a fast car, it doesn't mean I have to spend extra money to buy a Corvette.

[NZcaver]

DX has some really fun stuff.

Some flashlights are better than others though, even with Cree LEDs. A caver friend picked up this bright 1 x AA focusing Cree LED flashlight. I was rather impressed with it for under $10, so I got one. Pretty quickly, I found the switch wasn't particularly reliable and often took some messing with taking apart/reassembling before it would turn on. Within a few months it wasn't really working at all.

Of course we all carry multiple sources of light, but maybe not all from DX. Just sayin'.

[Steven Johnson]

Steven - it's not for a light light, it's so I can spot something far away or lightpaint or something with it.

Oh -- in that case, go nuts! You can get a lot of light for a little money, if you're willing to accept the risk of dodgy workmanship.

If you trip won't be spoiled by the risk of the lights failing, then go for it.

[self-deleted_user]

Steven - it's not for a light light, it's so I can spot something far away or lightpaint or something with it.

Oh -- in that case, go nuts! You can get a lot of light for a little money, if you're willing to accept the risk of dodgy workmanship.

If you trip won't be spoiled by the risk of the lights failing, then go for it.

Yeah no trip will be spoiled. I can always pull the Apex out of my bag for the spot if I need to, just wanted something small for my helmet for ease of access but that would allow me to keep the corona as my primary light since I like it's flood better than the Apex and for general moving around even in large rooms I use flood. It will do until I am RICH (aka not a grad student) and can then maybe get one of those modified duos or even save up for something more fancy like a sten :)