Which do you prefer a Flood Beam or a Throw Beam?

[TEEJ]

LOL

And people wonder why I have 4-5 lights on me at any given time.

Example, I have a DEFT edc LR in my pocket, with a diffuser film tucked in with the battery if I need it....massive throw if I need a spot of light 600 meters off in the distance, or, a close up flood....same light.

I reach for my Klarus XT11 most though...as it seems to be the multitool of choice, as the beam is floody enough to see everything close up, and it can throw enough on high to spot a deer bodies ~ 200-250 yards away. (Eyes are too easy at any distance...)

I have a Zebralight SC600W that is essentially just a floodlight, those same deer would need to be within 100 yards for me to see them though.

And so forth. So I have a philips, flat, torx, etc...with me if I need it.

 

[LGT]

It all depends on what I'm using the light for. Indoors I'll use a floody light. While inspecting wires on a utility pole, I'll use a thrower. Also, given the choice, I would choose a thrower over a floody light because as rappans said, and I also thought, a thrower can be turned int a flood with different caps.

 

[kaichu dento]

LOL

And people wonder why I have 4-5 lights on me at any given time.

Example, I have a DEFT edc LR in my pocket, with a diffuser film tucked in with the battery if I need it....massive throw if I need a spot of light 600 meters off in the distance, or, a close up flood....same light.

I reach for my Klarus XT11 most though...as it seems to be the multitool of choice, as the beam is floody enough to see everything close up, and it can throw enough on high to spot a deer bodies ~ 200-250 yards away. (Eyes are too easy at any distance...)

I have a Zebralight SC600W that is essentially just a floodlight, those same deer would need to be within 100 yards for me to see them though.

And so forth. So I have a philips, flat, torx, etc...with me if I need it.

............... :thumbsup:

 

[pandashow]

well it really depends on where you r going to use it..

 

[Camaroman_99]

I need one of each!!!!

 

[Swedpat]

Mainly I prefer something between flood and throw. Malkoff M31/61 dropins provide a very nice compromise between flood and throw.

 

[mbw_151]

I prefer the beam that works best for the situation. Ever used a floody light in the fog, worthless. Ever tried to read with a tight spot, again worthless. In general, the closer the task, the floodier the beam. Some spill for long throw is good except in obscuring weather or smoke. I carry an HDS EDC with a Surefire F04. It does most of what I need. I keep a couple of Surefires readily available, one with a Malkoff M60 (no spill for bad weather) the other with a M61L for long range with high runtime uses. My headlamps are smooth flood Zebra's and Surefire Minimus Visions. I don't find much use for headlamps with spot beams but can certainly see where that would be useful climbing, caving and some other sporting uses. No single flashlight will do it all yet. We need some more development of reliable, affordable optics that allow flood to throw focusing without huge beam defects or further extension of the Surefire A2L / McGizmo LunaSol multiple emitter approach to a few more output levels.

 

[fyrstormer]

Depends on whether I need a floodlight or a spotlight. You can't make enough lumens in one spot to make a floodlight that is good for 1000 feet, and you can't make a spotlight dim enough to be useful when the thing you're looking at is 6 inches away from your face.

 

[valueknifelover]

For me, flood is more useful at least 90% of the time. But I agree with people before... throw is more fun

 

[TEEJ]

LOL

Flashaholic Stock Answer - Get BOTH.

 

[valueknifelover]

LOL

Flashaholic Stock Answer - Get BOTH.

Pretty much sums it up completely It would inevitably happen in the end anyways.

 

[budynabuick]

I have two very different applications for my lights so I have two different sets of lights.

For hanging out in my North Carolina wilderness property -

Hey Tarheel. I"m from Tryon NC. Got people from Mars hill, Hendersonville, Charlotte, Black Mountain, Asheville and bout all over Western Carolina. My people be mountain folk. I will be moving back down home in less then a couple years! YES!!! BTW, I am floody.

Keith

 

[budynabuick]

Forgive me but threads like this make me think it's like asking if you'd prefer a phillips or flat tip screwdriver.

There are tasks that need one or the other but there are also tasks that need both (not to mention Torx, hex, etc.).
I find it hard to appreciate why people tend to limit their thinking or their ability/willingness to adapt.

Just my thoughts and nothing more.

Its not about adapting, its about preference. I actually do prefer torx/Phillips just as I prefer flood. Just my thoughts and nothing more.:thumbsup:

Keith

 

[budynabuick]

ShineOn,

but it pisses me off that none the high-end American manufacturers will make anything I want in a light (AA, low lows, long runtimes).[/QUOTE

That is why I do not own a Surefire. I think there will be a Surefire aa in the future.

Keith

 

[Diatom]

For short range I prefer a flood beam only. For short range, I dislike a simultaneous combination of Flood and Throw because the bright central throw beam disturbs me. For short range, I like my Solarforce L2 and L2P flashlights with internal or external diffusers, or my Ledlenser T7, or my Mini Maglites, or my Smiling Shark SS-A100 XM-L. I am quite keen on sliding lenses and on diffusers.

Indoors, I usually carry a tiny Ledlenser K1 in case there is a powercut. The K1 is neither flood nor throw.

If I need a long distance beam (throw), I use my Solarforce L2 and L2P XM-L flashlights without diffusers. In the back garden, I have used my Fenix TK70 which allows me to see much of the garden without much movement of the flashlight. I would buy a diffuser for my TK70 if Fenix sold one.

My first flashlights had leaky zinc carbon batteries, incandescent bulbs, fixed lenses, central throw beams and little spill.

 

[Lit Up]

I do wish they made accessories for the TK line, but given all the different head diameters I see why they don't.

 

[michaelgap1]

Throw, for the same reason I would carry a flathead screwdriver. When push comes to shove I can still use the flathead to screw in a phillips screw.
I can put some tape on a thrower to get some flood...

 

[davyro]

Both is my simple answer so if you have a thrower & a diffuser its happy days all around

 

[Cataract]

oOo.. revival thread! I alsmost missed this one.

I generally prefer thrower, but when flood is more practical I prefer a thrower with a diffuser, except for reading; then I go for bare LED.

 

[moldyoldy]

ooops, quoted myself.