List the BEST/WORST flashlight purchases you have made.
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rockhopper
Newly Enlightened
Best close Tie between the fenix TK41 and the Nitecore SRT5, edge going to the Fenix cuz the color leds in the nitecore are kinda useless, but boy that control ring on it is sweet.
Worst: Olight S15 send it back. On paper an impressive light, but it didnt work well and it turned out more a double AA light and less of a single AA light.
It's a good thing that opinions vary a lot, if there was only one winner price would skyrocket of that one and it would totally stop innovation development. Besides we need threads like this to give us more excuses to buy more lights (only to test it and we really really need it for a specific purpose, honest!)
Worst: Olight S15 send it back. On paper an impressive light, but it didnt work well and it turned out more a double AA light and less of a single AA light.
It's a good thing that opinions vary a lot, if there was only one winner price would skyrocket of that one and it would totally stop innovation development. Besides we need threads like this to give us more excuses to buy more lights (only to test it and we really really need it for a specific purpose, honest!)
Some models are still universal though. (Either one way or the other.)
Best light would be a tie between my FF4 and TN30 XM-L2. The FF4 is fun, a bit different and lights up everything. The TN30 is just the perfect size, is nice quality and has fantastic output in both throw and flood.
Worst would be an Ultrafire UF-T1 not sure what I was thinking, gave it away soon after I bought it.
Worst would be an Ultrafire UF-T1 not sure what I was thinking, gave it away soon after I bought it.
I'm gonna say my surefire c2 with malkoff p60 is my favorite light just because they don't make it anymore.
Best sf p3x fury amazing how bright it is
Sf p2x fury just all around good light
Sf saint minimus best headlamp that I've ever used
Sf g2 pro for an entry level light they are good. I got some mounted on weapons cause are light weight. Tough and durable
Klarus xt?? 900 lumens sturdy light
Worst mag light solitaire hands down. I've got 4.99 twin pack dollar store lights that I would grab over this thing lol.
Best sf p3x fury amazing how bright it is
Sf p2x fury just all around good light
Sf saint minimus best headlamp that I've ever used
Sf g2 pro for an entry level light they are good. I got some mounted on weapons cause are light weight. Tough and durable
Klarus xt?? 900 lumens sturdy light
Worst mag light solitaire hands down. I've got 4.99 twin pack dollar store lights that I would grab over this thing lol.
My best purchase was 4Sevens Quark Mini 123, still my favorite EDC till now.
While the worst is Thrunite T10. Bad quality control (I can't twist, working after o-ring was removed), and I gave it to brother after 1-2 month of usage.
While the worst is Thrunite T10. Bad quality control (I can't twist, working after o-ring was removed), and I gave it to brother after 1-2 month of usage.
AMD64Blondie
Flashlight Enthusiast
Best light purchase was my most recent.HDS Rotary 250.
(Received it Jan.17,2014,it was definitely worth the wait.)
(Received it Jan.17,2014,it was definitely worth the wait.)
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Rafael Jimenez
Enlightened
Best;
Lamdalights Varapower turbo V.2 Super bright.
Malkoff hound dog, wildcat and md2. Very bright and dependable.
Nitecore TM11, very bright and a long runtime.
Worst;
Surefire 9AN commander. They discontinued the super expensive bulbs. Was not very bright and not much runtime. I will never buy Surefire again.
Lamdalights Varapower turbo V.2 Super bright.
Malkoff hound dog, wildcat and md2. Very bright and dependable.
Nitecore TM11, very bright and a long runtime.
Worst;
Surefire 9AN commander. They discontinued the super expensive bulbs. Was not very bright and not much runtime. I will never buy Surefire again.
BillSWPA
Enlightened
I would like to suggest making this thread a sticky. I referred to it about 3-4 times in the past few weeks when deciding on flashlight purchases.
The best flashlight purchase? It must be my 4Sevens Preon ReVO SS, the first high quality flashlight that I bought. Durable, efficient, nice and small. I put it to my keychain and that is where it still is. 
The worst flashlight purchase? It must be my 4Sevens Preon ReVO SS. It was the first high quality flashlight that I bought, it is what started this all-embracing flashlight madness... :shakehead
The worst flashlight purchase? It must be my 4Sevens Preon ReVO SS. It was the first high quality flashlight that I bought, it is what started this all-embracing flashlight madness... :shakehead
WDR65
Enlightened
Best:
Surefire U2
Surefire E1B
Fenix LOD CE
Fenix E01
Princeton Tec Apex
Worst:
Nitecore D10, it went mode crazy and then died after about a year and a half of use. Never again.
Maglite Solitaire incandescent. Pitiful output.
Maglite Minimag Led. Switching was horrible.
I think that covers the worst. In general I've had pretty good experiences with most manufacturers.
Surefire U2
Surefire E1B
Fenix LOD CE
Fenix E01
Princeton Tec Apex
Worst:
Nitecore D10, it went mode crazy and then died after about a year and a half of use. Never again.
Maglite Solitaire incandescent. Pitiful output.
Maglite Minimag Led. Switching was horrible.
I think that covers the worst. In general I've had pretty good experiences with most manufacturers.
markr6
Flashaholic
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 9,258
LOL! I just found one of these in the "junk drawer" at work filled with a bunch of free promos and random things. It looked pretty cool in silver so I put in an AAA and tried it out. USELESS!
You could use it as a battery storage carrier for a much better single-AAA light.
Best: Fenix E11; Streamlight Night Com UV
Worst: Fenix TK41
why, you ask? just because I am constantly using the first two and NEVER use the last. It's still a great light. Actually thanks to CPF I don't think I've bought any really bad lights, just some I like better than others. The TK41 I bought because I wanted "one good light" but I found that while it's awesome it pretty much sits around the house waiting for the power to go out while the E11 is always in my pocket. Lesson being that you should buy the light that you're going to use, not the one that you think is cool.
Worst: Fenix TK41
why, you ask? just because I am constantly using the first two and NEVER use the last. It's still a great light. Actually thanks to CPF I don't think I've bought any really bad lights, just some I like better than others. The TK41 I bought because I wanted "one good light" but I found that while it's awesome it pretty much sits around the house waiting for the power to go out while the E11 is always in my pocket. Lesson being that you should buy the light that you're going to use, not the one that you think is cool.
GrizzlyAdams
Enlightened
Best: Surefire L1, all my Malkoffs.
Worst: Surefire A2
I'll probably get booted for listing the A2. But I had high expectations for that light and from the get go I was disappoint.
Worst: Surefire A2
I'll probably get booted for listing the A2. But I had high expectations for that light and from the get go I was disappoint.
Until an hour or so ago my 6D Maglite was on the "worst" list.
Not that it's a "bad" light, it's just that the thing is awkward and overly heavy and had been put into storage. Well, while putting away some laundry I was trying to tuck some matched socks together, and was having heavy sledding. My hand isn't exactly small, and the socks weren't very flexible, and that second sock was a BEAR! Light bulb moment! - I grabbed the 6D from the closet shelf and started using it. All of a sudden the job was quickly finished. I've found a job (sock tucker) for my "worst" light, and someday I may even find a lighting-connected use for it. Best? More like "favorite", and that's my 6C Maglite. I'm also highly partial to an inexpensive older Eveready LED flashlight with a regulation circuit. When most of my other flashlights have gone totally dark, that one sucks another hour or two of good light out of their batteries.
Not that it's a "bad" light, it's just that the thing is awkward and overly heavy and had been put into storage. Well, while putting away some laundry I was trying to tuck some matched socks together, and was having heavy sledding. My hand isn't exactly small, and the socks weren't very flexible, and that second sock was a BEAR! Light bulb moment! - I grabbed the 6D from the closet shelf and started using it. All of a sudden the job was quickly finished. I've found a job (sock tucker) for my "worst" light, and someday I may even find a lighting-connected use for it. Best? More like "favorite", and that's my 6C Maglite. I'm also highly partial to an inexpensive older Eveready LED flashlight with a regulation circuit. When most of my other flashlights have gone totally dark, that one sucks another hour or two of good light out of their batteries.
BillSWPA
Enlightened
Looking through this thread, there are some "worst" lights named because they did not meet the purchaser's needs, and others named because they failed in a short time, followed at times by poor warranty coverage from the manufacturer. Both are completely valid and informative comments. However, when making a purchase decision, I take the latter a lot more seriously than the former.
If I were a light manufacturer or dealer reading this forum, I would be taking notes about the rate at which certain brands and certain lights end up being listed as "best" and "worst" as well as why.
Kai Winters
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2013
- Messages
- 14
Favorite: Olight i3 EOS...$20, 3 output settings, small and light, good battery life
Yuck: All the small Maglights, just a couple, I have. Bulbs rather than LCD's, very short battery life, crappy beam.
Yuck: All the small Maglights, just a couple, I have. Bulbs rather than LCD's, very short battery life, crappy beam.
Labrador72
Flashlight Enthusiast
Worst
JetBeam PA10, PA20, PC20
Best
Fenix PD31, TK12, TK30, LD10, LD20.
Klarus XT2C, XT11.
JetBeam PA10, PA20, PC20
Best
Fenix PD31, TK12, TK30, LD10, LD20.
Klarus XT2C, XT11.
