Outback Flashlights has three models of super power flashlights: the Outback Big Stick flashlight, the Mongo and the Joey. These three lights feature Cree LED light sources and put out up to 120 Lumens of light. Not only do they really shine bright, they also feature quality anodized aluminum construction, gasketed joints and will not break the bank.
Like many folks, we had never heard of Outback Flashlights until we met up with some of their top guys while attending the 2009 STAFDA tradeshow in Atlanta. While at the show, we had a first hand opportunity to look at the product line they had to offer and after some convincing, we were able to bring a few of their newer products back to the office for us to test out.
The first thing that struck us about the flashlights was the build quality. With a super deep knurled body, you’ll be hard pressed to lose your grip on the handles. Also, they are constructed almost entirely of anodized aluminum both on the inside as well as the outside. What this means, is you have a lightweight, yet strong product with great corrosion resistance. When we took the lights apart, there were gaskets to help keep moisture and water out. Perhaps the best way to get a handle on the quality of these flashlights is to take a quick look at each.
Outback Flashlights Big Stick
- Light Source: 3 watt Cree LED
- Lumens: 120
- Power: 3 D Cell Batteries (included)
- Weight: 13.3 Oz
- Size: 11.25″ L X 1.75″ W
- MSRP: $54.95
This flashlight is the biggest one of the group that we took a look at. With three D-size batteries, it also weighed the most. Despite the size and weight, it is easy to keep a firm and secure grip on this light since it has deep knurled texture that covers at least 75% of the outside surface. What makes this light stand out even more is the 3 watt Cree LED light source. This is important because Cree LED lights are among the most powerful LED’s on the market today. Just to give you an idea of what we are talking about, some of the top manufacturers of military and police grade flashlights – that would easily cost two or three times more than the Outback flashlights – use the same LED light sources. The beam of the flashlight is pre-focused; that means there is no adjustment needed to see both close-up and up to 350 yards away. Even more impressively, there are no dead spots in the beam.
Outback Flashlights Mongo
- Light Source: 3 watt Cree LED
- Lumens: 120
- Power: 3 C Cell Batteries (included)
- Weight: 8.2 Oz
- Size: 9.5″ L X 1.5″ W
- MSRP: $44.95
This flashlight is the little brother to the Big Stick. With the same Cree LED light source and the same output of 120 lumens, this flashlight is ideal for someone looking for a slightly more compact product that has the power of a full size flashlight. The construction of this is the same as the Big Stick with the deep knurling and the black anodized finish inside and out. This flashlight also has a 350 yard pre-focused beam with no dead spots. The size and power of this flashlight makes it perfect to keep in the glove box of your car or truck.
Outback Flashlights Joey
- 3 Lighting Modes: Intense light, magnetic work light & red signal
- Power: 3 AAA Batteries (included)
- Weight: 6.0 Oz
- Size: 10″ L X 1.5″ W
- MSRP: $24.95
While this is the least expensive flashlight of the group, don’t be fooled into thinking it any less impressive than the other two we already tried out. This light is very lightweight, will easily fit into a tool bag, and has several useful features. The construction of this light is similar to the rest of the Outback line, except that this one has a magnetic base. This feature comes in handy when, for example, working on an electrical panel when there is no power. You can just stick it on top and turn on the work light and now you can see what you are doing. To change the light from one of its three modes, you just click the single rubber covered on/off button until you have the desired type of light you need. While this flashlight does not have the high powered 3 watt, 120 lumen LED as its two bigger brothers, it does do a very good job of illuminating work areas. We think that both electricians and plumbers will find the Joey Flashlight a handy addition to their tool bag.
Conclusion
The biggest things that stood out to us with the Outback line of flashlights were their overall heavy duty construction and high quality components. We also felt the products offer an incredible value for a very reasonable price. Given that there are a flood of LED flashlights on the market today, many lower cost lights will not perform like these do. For our Performance rating we gave these lights an 8/10 since they did well to exceed our expectations on quality and how bright they were. For our Value rating we gave these lights an 8/10 since they offer among the best bang for the buck that we have seen so far for high-powered LED flashlights.
