Ok so ive bought and taken back numerous store bought flashlights because they just dont have what it takes and/or what im looking for. The only store bought flashlights ive found that i felt were worth keeping were the Streamlight Polytac LED (the brightest light ive seen for its size!) and the Rayovac Sportsman Xtreme 3 watts/80 lumens light. Ive taken back every Inova you can buy except for the X5. Ive taken back the Surefire 6P LED and the G2 LED as well as most Coast lights. Are there any good Lights anywhere that can be bought in stores? Im looking for over 100 lumens and a nice Spot/flood combo as well as good regulation and preferably a more tactical size. Any help?
What are some of the best store bought flashlights?
- Thread starter Steveo
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Locoboy5150
Flashlight Enthusiast
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I was going to say the Fenix LD20 which is now sold at the local Fry's Electronics. Since you already bought and were unsatisfied with the Surefire 6P and G2 though, I'd say that you'd be disappointed with the LD20. If Surefires don't measure up to your standards, then I'd say that nothing available at a store will.
Where do you live?
don.gwapo
Enlightened
Online would be the best. You will have overwhelming choices. Store bought would be limited coz everybody have a liking. The others would prefer incans over the leds and vice versa. Our store in here is carrying coast, surefire, coleman and mags as well eveready but none of those met your critirea so go online instead.
PoliceScannerMan
Flashaholic
Head over to www.malkoffdevices.com :thumbsup:
I live in Indiana. Indianapolis area. I just realized today that frys sells the Fenix LD20. I think ill give it a try. It looks like a good quality light. So how are Fenix lumen ratings? Do they exaggerate their ratings at all or are they pretty honest? Is the PD20s 180 lumens on turbo truly 180 lumens? I will say that ive been comparing every flashlight i buy to the Streamlight Polytac LED and the Streamlight just stomps all over all of them. It claims 120 lumens but its more like 150.
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kramer5150
Flashaholic
You need to first define "what it takes and what you are looking for".
what is it about the other lights you did not like?
What is it about the ROV-Sportsman you like so much?
what is it about the other lights you did not like?
What is it about the ROV-Sportsman you like so much?
Locoboy5150
Flashlight Enthusiast
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Based on the posts from guys here with testing equipment like Bigchelis, Fenix's ratings in their promotional material are over-rated a little bit. My TK40 is rated at 630 lumens but was measured at around 550 lumens by Bigchelis. Check out his thread for more information and test data.
What's more important to me though is how well regulated all of the Fenix lights are, including the TK40. While many other LED lights drop in output as they warm up, the output of Fenix lights are stable. That applies to my TK40 as well.
As a rule I ignore factory output and throw distance ratings from any and all flashlight manufacturers. Very rarely are they accurate based on actual test data from CPF members.
jefierro
Newly Enlightened
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probably this could help in your quest http://www.ralights.com/?id=Clicky
hoongern
Enlightened
As already mentioned, it would be good to let us know what you didn't like about the Surefire 6PL / G2L.
It would help to clarify what you're looking for, and what you mean by a "tactical size". Does that mean bigger or smaller? How long?
Filling this out also helps a lot --> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=96884
Good luck!
angelofwar
Flashlight Enthusiast
Sounds like you want something with a KL5A/U2 beam...either of these, or the the Surefire G2D-FYL/G3D-FYL may be up your alley...check out some L5/KL5 beamshots...anything with a deep reflector...that or the L4...Welcome to CPF, BTW!
Your best bet is to find an online vendor in the CPF marketplace with a generous return policy, or buy from Amazon.
Online lights are WAYYYY better than anything you can get at the store for the same price. Coast/Inova lights are extremely expensive for what you get in my opinion.
I mean, Ive got an itp A1 EOS SS with a RCR123 battery. It produces well over 200 lumens on high and its a KEYCHAIN light!
itp also makes several other AA/AAA/CR123 lights that are solid quality. In many cases, you can use Google checkout or Amazon marketplace or credit card to avoid Paypal.
The Romisen flood to throw is a nice choice too. It has 180 lumens for the top model, is around 25 bucks, and you can adjust the focus from pure flood (no hotspot) to fairly pure throw. Its a nice versatile light.
If you have money to burn, an itp A6 Polestar is 80 bucks, uses 6 AAs and can get up to 700 lumens! (probably 450-500 out the front). It has 3 well spaced brightness modes and is pretty floody. But with so many lumens, it can throw to a reasonable distance. (50 feet) If you want it for in the woods or hunting or real 'throw' applications, then yeah, its not gonna work as well.
For 140 bucks, a TK40 Fenix is a great choice. It is the top tier version of the Polestar. 4 or 8xAAs, a well balanced beam profile, very well built.
You can get these 2 at AMAZON, which I think is well established enough to compare in safety/return-policy as any store. You don't have to shop at a small store to get a good flashlight. You will be a lot happier with an online one though.
Online lights are WAYYYY better than anything you can get at the store for the same price. Coast/Inova lights are extremely expensive for what you get in my opinion.
I mean, Ive got an itp A1 EOS SS with a RCR123 battery. It produces well over 200 lumens on high and its a KEYCHAIN light!
itp also makes several other AA/AAA/CR123 lights that are solid quality. In many cases, you can use Google checkout or Amazon marketplace or credit card to avoid Paypal.
The Romisen flood to throw is a nice choice too. It has 180 lumens for the top model, is around 25 bucks, and you can adjust the focus from pure flood (no hotspot) to fairly pure throw. Its a nice versatile light.
If you have money to burn, an itp A6 Polestar is 80 bucks, uses 6 AAs and can get up to 700 lumens! (probably 450-500 out the front). It has 3 well spaced brightness modes and is pretty floody. But with so many lumens, it can throw to a reasonable distance. (50 feet) If you want it for in the woods or hunting or real 'throw' applications, then yeah, its not gonna work as well.
For 140 bucks, a TK40 Fenix is a great choice. It is the top tier version of the Polestar. 4 or 8xAAs, a well balanced beam profile, very well built.
You can get these 2 at AMAZON, which I think is well established enough to compare in safety/return-policy as any store. You don't have to shop at a small store to get a good flashlight. You will be a lot happier with an online one though.
