How often do you really use high or turbo with any of your LED flashlights?

HighlanderNorth

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For some reason I will look for lights that have the capability of high brightness, high lumens, but then I almost never use these settings. I chose not to buy the Jetbeam Jet III or the RRT-21 even though I liked their UI and the infinite brightness of the RRT-21, because they only had highs of around 450 lumens! Instead, I bought the ZL SC600, the Eagletac G25C2 and now waiting for the Sunwayman T20CS. These lights all go above 600-650 lumens ANSI. But I wont even hardly use it though!


Its cool to have it there just in case, but mostly I think its a subconscious need to be able to show it off on turbo or high! Its cool to have a really bright light for the size, so why buy one that isnt as bright? Even if you arent going to use it? But I guess it does make sense if the 2 lights you are looking at are the same price, but one is much brighter than the other. Its kinda like looking at 2 cars of the same sticker price, but one has much more horsepower. Sure you arent going to be doing burnouts all the time with it, but you can if you want to! Plus, maybe, just maybe I might run into some rare situation that calls for that extra 200 lumens that the other light didnt have.

Thats my brilliant logic to back up my decision to buy the brightest lights....:ironic:
 

lightwater

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Caught someone dumping rubbish in our bins the other night (5am), lit him up like a Christmas Tree with a pair of RRT-3 lights. 2400 lumens sorted him out!
 

gnef

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I actually default to maximum on all my flashlights, and for those that have two modes that are programmable, strobe is my secondary typically.
 

Imon

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Many manufacturers state that the two most commonly used modes are low and high and therefore often make those two modes easiest to access.
I think the threshold for "too bright" runs the gamut among CPF members - I certainly don't know if I have a cut-off number. If I remember correctly a typical residential CFL tube (44"?) will put out around 3000 lumens and a 60W incandescent light bulb you might use in a lamp can put out 500+ lumens.
I certainly don't think the turbo or high mode on many flashlights are too bright (it's relative) but they are useful modes to have. Personally, I use the high modes on most of my lights quite frequently but in short bursts, usually less than 5 minutes, because I don't want to drain the batteries too much and because I get a little paranoid about heat issues... although 5 minutes of turbo certainly won't cause any light to overheat. :p
 

LightWalker

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Caught someone dumping rubbish in our bins the other night (5am), lit him up like a Christmas Tree with a pair of RRT-3 lights. 2400 lumens sorted him out!

I would have like to have seen the look on their face, I bet it look something like this :eek:oo:

or this :eek:.

I don't like running my lights wide open for long periods of time, it runs the battery down and degrades the LED on some lights but sometimes it's nice to light things up.
 
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madecov

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I use High/Max/Turbo, whatever you want to call it more than any mode.
It's great on a traffic stop to light up an entire vehicle interior. It also makes people look away enhancing Officer Safety.
 

skyfire

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for my work light, max is the only mode i use. the more lumens the better LoL. it makes my inspections easier, faster, and more thorough. i use a high cri xp-g malkoff M61 with a bored C2, and 18650. yes, i know its not even 200 lumens, but the trade off is runtimes and heat management, which is important cause i use about an hour every night, and sometimes i leave the light constantly on when maintenance issues arise. i carry 3 lights at work too. E2DL with neutral XR-E, and a zebralight h501w.
i used to use either a nailbender SST-90 3000k, or nailbender XM-L 3000k, which are more around 400 lumens, but the M61 hcri is surprising bright, and does the job well.

I EDC surefire L1s, and use low mode most the time. its high is no more than 100 lumens, which does just fine.
my brightest light is an armytek predator with high CRI XP-G, i doubt its even 300 lumens, but the beam is quite intense.

for me, its not so much about lumens, but quality of the lumens, i tend to prefer higher CRI LEDs, with good thermal management, and runtimes. any light that can get too hot for its own good is a "no-go" for me.
the option for a supermax mode is nice, but when i really need my light, thats the time when i cant be worrying about it, and monitoring it. so i use lights that dont even give me that option just to keep it simple.
i expect my lights to take care of me, not the other way around :p

i do understand the need for more lumens, i live in a bright city so its usually not necessary for me. but there have been times when i wished i did have a 1000 lumens blazing over a campsite :naughty:
 

SeaGoat

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Well I do fish and play on the water a great deal at night. Many a time we hear strange noise on the banks in the woods and you really want to light that area up so0o.. I hit it with all I got most times!
 

UpstandingCitizen

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I'd say that my most common usage is 108 lumens (second lowest on TK41), or 24 lumens (third lowest on Quark X AAx2).

The higher modes are more for show or for the random times that I really want to light something up.
 

CoherentRays

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My rationale for buying lights with a higher lumens output than I really need is that if the light is designed to run at that high output it will run cooler and with less overheating stress on the electronics and led at the lower output which I normally use. But, of course, it's always fun to kick it into turbo mode for brief periods just to impress myself or others. :)
 

HighlanderNorth

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My rationale for buying lights with a higher lumens output than I really need is that if the light is designed to run at that high output it will run cooler and with less overheating stress on the electronics and led at the lower output which I normally use. But, of course, it's always fun to kick it into turbo mode for brief periods just to impress myself or others. :)



^ That makes sense. I didnt think of that, but yeah, I guess if they build the light for higher than average Lumens on turbo or high, then it must be made to handle that extra heat and current draw, etc., so on lower settings, it might even run cooler than the lower Lumen lights run on low.

I dont hardly ever use high or turbo. I understand Madecov's situation if he is a police officer, and its necessary at times to really light up a suspect or crime scene with max lumens, but I own a landscaping business, and do all my work during the day, so I only use them for outdoor use around or in the house or camping, etc., and I like a setting of between 30-50 Lumens 95% of the time. So, like I said in the OP, there really isnt a justification for me to buy a 770L light when I use its 49 lumen low setting most of the time, but in the case of some emergency(or opportunity to impress people) I like the light to have the capability to be BRIGHT!!
 

Ezeriel

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I use the turbo settings on my lights all the time..

"Is there a bear out there?" = TURBO!!!

nope.. switch to low.. walkie walkie walkie... "Did I just hear a bear? TURBO!!!
 

DreadHunter

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Bright lights are great to catch people in the act (dumping, loitering, spying, etc.) When they're lit up, they're "deer in the headlights". You can get a good 2-3 second look at them.
 

NCF8710

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I use the lower settings most of the time as full power is usually too much light (and heat). I do use it to show off, though!
 

DucS2R

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I live on the edge of a forest (I know, lucky me!) and every night when I take the dog out we have a routine--we walk down the stairs to the backyard and he sits there while I light up the near forest on turbo mode. If there is an animal out there (deer, bear, coyote, etc.) the dog gets to bark, I have trained him not to chase, if not, he goes about his business, I switch to low power and we are done. I really like the ability to light up the area behind my house with enough lumens to see whatever is out there before I go to bed.

My favorite for that right now is a Nightcore TM11 but I just got an Olight SR 95UT, and while it might be massive overkill, it is fun.

T
 

Animalmother

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I sometimes sleep by my lights and play with them before bed. Sometimes I do cieling bounce tests before bed. Go out in the hard and test them. I use then on turbo mostly actually.
 

TEEJ

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I use all my lights on their highest setting as a default. If I didn't need as much light, I'd be simply using a smaller light, etc.

Its inefficient to be holding a large device when a small device would be adequate.

I have small sub-lumen lights if I want moon lit scenarios. I mostly want to SEE things though, and, for that daylight is best....say ~ 10,000 lux on the target.

It hard to GET 10k lux on a target if its far away...and if I'm night adapted, I could see OK with less than that...plus, my color vision is about gone if night adapted anyway...making higher CRI lights a more academic issue than a real factor.

So, for work, I am on max out put as a default...

..and at home, also as a default, except I will use different lights with more appropriate outputs to the tasks.

:D
 

BLUE LED

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I mainly use the max mode for all my big lights Olight SR95UT, Xtar S1, Thrunite TN31 etc.
 
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