# Anyone have a hand crank flash light?



## blue8ewe (Oct 25, 2006)

Wondering if there is a best brand? Anyone have one that was not worth the $ spent?


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

My hand crank leaks down too fast - need to be cranking every 3 minutes. It's a cheapie.

The shake one I have lasts forever on a minute of shaking it. Like it much better. It's fairly cheap brand, but not the cheapest I've seen.

--->Paul


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## danoon (Dec 20, 2006)

The best IMHO is the Freeplay Sherpa. I think it was $27 at Target. Now if you want a windup AM, FM, Shortwave radio with a 3 led light attached I'd say the Freeplay Plus, at right around $80 from "C Crane". The best windup lantern is the Freeplay Indigo for about $30 at Target. 

Don't waste your money on the cheap $10 dollar lights with a radio and an alarm and a compass and a lighter and what not. Dorcy has a cheap windup for about $10 I think that isn't too bad but its not going to last. It's a good light for the kids to use.

If you want something that is going to last... buy a freeplay. Thery're not cheap but you can see why when you pick one up.


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## vtfarma (May 6, 2003)

got 2 from llbean this year. One that is just the light. Works wonderful, we got it for ds. The other is weather, light & cell phone charger was 49 or 59 $. The little one was only 20. Work very well.


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## LvDemWings (Sep 11, 2005)

I've got one of those Dynamo crank lights that can also be charged with a 110/12v plug. It has an alarm, high and low beam, an am/fm radio, and can jumpstart a car or charge a cell phone. I like it alot but it is heavy. I also have a small led crank light that is super bright. It comes in handy for getting in those small places and fits in a coat pocket.


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## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

Mine is a durapro that came from costco in a multi pack, so everyone in the family got one. I think they worked out to about $8 each. Very bright, I cranked it on xmas day and haven't since, use it almost every day, and it has nice radio on it. Definitely worth the money.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

A year ago I purchased some 99Â¢ squeeze to charge flashlights from Homier Tools. They are the ones that go from town to town with tent or other sales events. Homier.com is their web site.

So far I've never had one fail, and I've never run the battery down in one. They no doubt have a battery to store the generated energy into and come from the store with a charge already in them. They emit light from two LEDs with reflectors. Not a bright light but 100% better than none. Glovebox/nightstand specials. 

Can you really go wrong with a 99Â¢ one? So far I've purchased 20 to use as gifts and 5 were ordered for a friend.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

We got a crank light with 3 LEDs from Walmart. It will run 3 hours on ten cranks. So we bought another for the pickup, same kind, from Walmart. It lasts a minute, dimly, with 10 cranks. I changed an alternator and DW had to pretty much keep cranking the whole time so I had light.


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

I have two that we've had since 98 or 99 and they both still work and look identical. One is labeled "Nippon Rechargeable Dynamo & Solar AM/FM radio with light". The other is labeled "Dynamo & solar Radio". They both have solar, DC or dynamo charging capability. I keep both of them in sunny windows on solar charge, and they've never been dead when I've needed them. I've used them twice in the last two weeks. 
Dawn


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

I have one that has no name or anything on it.
I'm shure it was on one of those slow boats from china.
Absoulutly 101% better than no light.
Very limited of course. But you will have way more light than you need to "walk the path" on the darkest of nights.
Early on I cranked it for 10 minutes and that lasted a long while.

Wish I had another one . . . . . .


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Windy in Kansas said:


> A year ago I purchased some 99Â¢ squeeze to charge flashlights from Homier Tools. They are the ones that go from town to town with tent or other sales events. Homier.com is their web site.
> 
> So far I've never had one fail, and I've never run the battery down in one. They no doubt have a battery to store the generated energy into and come from the store with a charge already in them. They emit light from two LEDs with reflectors. Not a bright light but 100% better than none. Glovebox/nightstand specials.
> 
> Can you really go wrong with a 99Â¢ one? So far I've purchased 20 to use as gifts and 5 were ordered for a friend.


I got couple for 69Â¢ each from local salvage store. Boxes kinda crumpled, but light worked fine. Probably same thing. They do pretty good for wha they are. Great to keep in glovebox. I like these better than the shake-it light I got. It seems to need lot more energy imput than the little squeezer.


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## siouxsie (Dec 17, 2006)

Led flashlights and solar NiMh battery chargers will give you better results. cranking and shaking and squeezing lights are all pretty useless.

a couple of batteries in an LED flashlight runs for 20 to 50 hours, and the sun can charge extras all day in the box on the window sill. 
And the light is way brighter and usable.

save your money for a good charger and some 3 bulb LED AA or AAA battery lights and a solar NiMH charger.


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## Oxankle (Jun 20, 2003)

I have an FM/AM/weather radio/flashlight/emergency flasher made by the VW radio people (Is that Blaupunkt?). Got it for about $30 at Cabela's. 

Crank a minute, light for about an hour. Same with radio. 

Put it up for emergency use.


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