You aren't gonna find anything lighter than a torque, and they're nearly as fast as a pulse but way cheaper. As for battery life....I think I may just have pulled the short straw since some people say they've been using the same batteries for a couple months in theirs. It's a simple on/off jobby so no settings to faff about with. Borrow someone's if you get a chance and see what you think. I love mine regardless of battery life. Beats the crap out of my old TSA backman lol