Power Plus Barracuda LED Solar/Wind-Up Torch

Brilliant little torch. Charges itself up in 3 different ways. 1) battery 2) wind up 3) Solar. Note you would find it very difficult to wind up to fully charge the torch from dead, also the wind up handle is quite stiff to turn. Must admit, I put batteries in, so I am cannot comment how efficient it is with only wind up or solar charge. But as a small torch it has great light and I like the idea I could charge it up different ways.

This is a great wind up light with some potential limitations.The item comes in a much larger box that the torch wrapped in a bubble bag. So it does rattle around in transport. The instruction leaflet is multiple languages and the text is very small. Now I need reading glasses but even with these I struggled but being a bloke I do not need these!The size is length in inches 5.75 x 2.5 x 1.75 in cm 14.5 x 6.0 x 4.5 these are the maximum. The weight is 6.2 oz or 175gms. So comfortable in the hand, mine is medium/ large size glove, and not too heavy.The instructions say it's waterproof to 5 meters and it looks like that could well be the case. The charge time in full sun is 8 hours that will give 6 hours with 1 LED and 4.5 hours with 3 LED. Winding the crank will give 80mins 1 LED and 60 mins 3 LED and 120 mins 'flashing'. To crank the handle does take a little effort and has to be rotated at 3 revs per second that's 180 rpm. Now that might be a limitation for many as cranking the handle at that speed may not seem difficult but it does take effort and for some with older hands or dexterity issues this might prove difficult. However, there is the option to leave it in the sun for most of the year.In use it gives a blue white beam and fully charged it's visible across a 16 foot room in daylight with just the one bulb. In the dark, my loft, it's a very bright directional light. The flashing, 3 LED's is quite usefull if your out doors at night the flashing giving a good indication of your presence but still enough light to see you path. For me it's a recommend product.

I really like this little torch, it does fit in the pocket of my work trousers but would be a bit bulky for others being that it is around 5.5 inches long and 2.5 inches at its widest point (reflector), solidly made, it would put up with a few knocks.The front and back ends if the torch are enclosed in a soft grip plastic additional to the main plastic body, with a strip running down each side making it very comfortable in the hand plus providing extra protection in the event of it being dropped.The solar panel is slightly recessed making it safe from most accidents, i have not tried it out as yes due to the time of year (Winter) but no doubt it will charge as specfied when the sun does eventually shine again.One thing which would be useful is a foldaway stand for the torch, maybe the manufacturers could change the design of the generator handle to be used both ways. Food for thought possibly.Battery seems excellent, i have used this every evening since purchase and only wound the charging handle once so far. You do not need to use much effort to charge the unit, the generator handle is also solidly constructed and will probably out last the torch battery, it also tucks away quite well.One thing that is a slight negative in my opinion is the three position switch, i have had other torches with a flashing light but never ever used it, so it seems a bit pointless to me and makes for an additional press on the switch before you can turn the torch off, which annoys me slightly.For a LED torch the beam is not bad but you cannot compare it to a filament bulb, for instance, if you have two objects one black and one white the beam will only pick out the white one and not the other, whereas a filament bulb will pick out both.This is just due to the caracteristics of the led bulb which tends to produce an even light over a given area rather than a concentrated beam as with a filament bulb, but the manufacturers have designed the reflectors well so as to concentrate the beam of the bulbs as much as possible.When using the light on the low setting you have just enough light to illuminate a small piece of ground in front of you when walking but the second press of the switch does illuminate the ground for qute a large area, so it is acceptable.All in all its a good torch and if it lasts well i would probably buy another.20-10-2012Just thought i would update this review as it has been sometime since i first purchased it.For some reason. out of the various torches and hand lamps i own, this is the one i always pick up if i need to use a torch, the battery has proved excellent and although i tend to forget to charge it during summertime, there is always enough power to do what i want with it on dark winter evenings when it probably gets its first charge for some months, the winding handle is still attached proving how well it has been manufactured.Although the makers tell you to chuck the torch away when the battery eventually fails, i have done a bit of research and batteries are available on the net, so it look like this little gem will be with me for years to come.The other nice thing is that the makers even give you instructions on how to remove the battery before disposal so even if you are not techie minded, battery replacement is a straightforward job.

I must admit I love this torch, I have always kept a torch in my car and one in the house in case of emergencies and you can bet your bottom dollar when you need it the batteries are dead... well not with this little beauty give it a few turns and you have light. It is easy to turn and it seems to store the light for some time. It has three setting a one bulb setting a three bulb obviously brighter then a flashing setting I guess could come in handy as a warning light if your car breaks down.I haven't used it on solar yet but i would assume it would be good for camping, leave it in the sun all day then its ready to use at night, job done.I now carry this in my backpack, its small and lightweight very well made and was worth every penny, I have purchased this based on the previous good reviews and I must admit I agree, it definitely one of the better items I have bought without being already aware of the brand.

Excellent product

I bought this LED Solar and Wind-Up Torch to replace one that I had been using for over ten years. Upon looking at this one I thought the quality of the casing looked far superior so took a chance, ordered it and when it arrived in both a product box and packaging box discovered that I had certainly made a wise choice. The lens and base are encased in strong rubber which extends down the sides, it has three positions for the lights being: 1 bulb, two bulbs or three bulbs all giving a nice blue white light, it also has a flashing mode.I can guarantee the Solar Panel works because this is the only way I keep it charged up, it's kept in an open room all the time and once every two weeks I place it on the window sill in the sun for eight hours. It is also quite a nice weight in your hand, you can feel the quality and I am so impressed with it, that I bought another one for a friend so would most certainly recommend it to others.