best light under $50

[theDiRTYkoobaru]

hey guys im wondering what you think is the best light under $50. can be led or incan. right now im leaning toward the pelican m6 i found it for $44 shipped. im looking for the brightest, and best throw. i prefer AA or cr123a's. i would like it to be about the size of the pelican m6 also.
looking forward to your inputs. thanks.

hey i just found this. what do you guys think about it? it sounds good, but is it?

http://www.batteryjunction.com/wf501b-ultrafire.html

 

[Gunner12]

Define best. I'm guessing output.

Also what do you need the light for?

For under $50 and best throw, the Aurora WF-600 would be your best thrower. 100+ meters throw. The slightly dimmer WF-600 is $10 less and performance is still good(still 100+ meter throw, still more then double the lux of the incan M6, 6200 lux vs 15000 lux).

For best performance, maybe the Romisen RC-T5.

Pelican M6 as in the incan one or the LED one?

 

[kramer5150]

I really hate to post this, because these lights have a pretty loyal following. Keep in mind these are my opinions, based on only one first impression.

I came really close to buying a Pelican M6... the 3xCR123 model (It could have been the 2x model... I can't remember), in a matte OD-gray finish. I had been pricing lights on the www, thoroughly researching and was all set to walk out of Frys with that light, and $95 less in my pocket. Until I got to play with an open box unit on the shelf that day. It just didn't feel right. The threads were a bit rough and "grindy" feeling, the O-rings were bone dry, and the main one between the head and body had some odd looking cuts/tears in it as a result. EDIT- it was almost like the bottom lip of the head had a sharp edge to it, and the O-ring was over sized by just a hair. When you went to screw the head onto the body, it would grab the O-ring and tear, twist and pull at it... with no lube present.

 

[lyrrag]

I like the Surefire G2 for $36 plus shipping including some free batteries from Battery Junction. You can always easily upgrade with a variety drop ins to make akiller light. Make sure it's the newest version with the metal bezel which Battery Junction I think ships. I have many lights now and if I were to start all over I'd start with this light. It's no slouch in stock form and can be made to any flavor you like.

 

[theDiRTYkoobaru]

wow that was fast.. thanks for the replies. anyway, i hate to say it but im kinda iffy about dealextreme. i mean, yeah they have great prices, and im sure they have great products also, but im not super happy with my purchase from them. i got one of their cheaper lights, its called the c8, superfire with a cree emmitter, but it hasnt been working right. every time i turn it on it flickers like crazy. anyway, i kinda want to stay with the more well known brands.
my brother in law has the pelican m6, and it really suprised me. i didnt really get to take it apart and stuff, just blasted the wall and thought that it had a good feel to it.
by best i mean all around performance. i want a good bright light that has good throw. daily, i would use it at work. im an automotive technician, so i would use it to inspect under vehicles, or wherever i needed light, which is a lot of places. i want at least an hour of life, like the incan pelican m6, but of course more is better. i like the idea of blinding light, as a defense mechanism for my lady. maybe one that can have a strike bezel too.

sorry i forgot to say that i do like the idea of those throwers you pointed out, but how big is the head? i like the size of the m6 because its not too bulky to carry on my belt. but i think deal extreme tends to make thing look bigger than they really are. also, are those throwers good quality? like, i dont want it to heat up and explode when i use it for a little while.

wow sorry im retarded, i didnt see those measurement pics. heh

 

[Gunner12]

They should be at least decent quality. They shouldn't break randomly or explode but might be a bit big. The C8 has been know to have problems.

If you are willing to spend a bit more, then the Olight T20 might fit for your task. With the 8% off coupon "CPF8", it is $55.20. The 1AA T15 and 1 CR123 T10 would be cheaper after the coupon($47.84).

For a self defense light, you should have something with a forward clickie. (always have something else with you like a gun or the like, don't depend on the light)

 

[ghostguy6]

The Pelican M6 is a nice light however it does have one major draw back, the switches suck! I am currently on my 5th switch in just over a 1 year period. I have forgotten how many times I pulled the switches apart and had to rebuild them but if I had to quess I would say it was roughly 12 - 15 times per switch:huh: Another drawback is that pelican advertises the runtime at 40 hours, that is not true. I would say the runtime is close to 3 hours of usefull light and then maybe another 4 hours of rather dim but sort of useful light. Anoother option is the PM6 series from pelican, They are formed from ABS plastic. They are a little smaller than the M6 but the switches last and it is just as bright as the M6.
The Surefire G2 is a great light and sells for $36 and there are lots of drop in available. The surefire 6P is available for $44 on fleabay shipped and once again you have the option to upgrade later down the road if you choose. Both are the same size as a Pelican M6. If you look around the CPF market place you will find lots of good lights for under $50.

 

[bigfoot]

Surefire G2.

 

[jayhackett03]

used surefire g2l
Streamlight PP Luxeon 4aa
any used cree fenix for $50

 

[theDiRTYkoobaru]

cant find fleabay? i googled it but im not sure what im looking for. is it like ebay? or is it a store? i like the 6p, is it the incan. that is for $44?
do you guys think that the 6p is better than both the pelican m6 and surefire g2?

 

[Mags]

There really is no big difference between the G2 and 6P performance wise. Both use the same lamp assembly. Many people prefer the G2 because it is cheaper and can handle just as much (or in some cases more) abuse than a 6P. The 6P may be able to handle longer runtimes since its aluminum body is better for transferring heat than G2's nitrolon body. Like some others have said, quality of the pelican m6's are iffy. Ive handled one before and the threads werent the greatest, and it just didnt feel as solid as I expected it to be.

 

[theDiRTYkoobaru]

sorry im a noob. does the g2 have good throw? is it worth it to go with the g2 led?

 

[jayhackett03]

i just put a G2l module in my G2 today. i haven't used it at night yet, but i did at dusk. it looked like a good medium range light, perfect beam, decent runtime.

 

[ghostguy6]

Fleabay is ebay, and yes i believe it is the incandecent version that sells for $44.
I personally would take the Surefire 6P over the pelican M6 any day based on the problems with the M6's switches. I had one surefire clicky switch fail me but that was an easy fix and it stayed fixed rather than the pelican switches...
For my main duty light I carry a Surefire 6P with a Bugoutgear.com (BOG) "Cree Q5 Super Premium" drop in.

 

[Robocop]

There are many to fit your style and budget however I like one of the older known performers and that is the Nuwai QIII. This light was a favorite long ago and is still a good solid performer for the cost. Plus it is very easy to upgrade to a better emitter however the 3 watt version is pretty nice as is.

I may be wrong but I believe the newer versions have a Cree emitter now or maybe the Rebel (not sure on this) The factory reflector is actually one of the better I have seen with no artifacts and a perfect blend of both throw and spill light.

Not sure who is the best dealer for this as of now but here is a link to one of the cheapest I have seen
http://batteryjunction.com/tm303x.html

 

[yellow]

Streamlight Scorpion 18650 from lighthound.
Easily outshines the 6P/G2 original LA

but a led light in this size class eats all three and runs for 2.5 times longer
... and can be dimmed with good results

 

[theDiRTYkoobaru]

well, i think we are narrowing it down to the surefires, unless there are others you guys can think of. finding cr123s is hard enough, let alone the 18650s. thanks though.
there is 2 of us here looking to get the same light and we are trying to get the dealership to supply the batteries.
another question that came up is if we go for the g2, will the nitrolon hold up to the chemicals that we use? ex. motor oil, tranny oil, brake kleen, other solvents and degreasers, liquid gaskets, and liquid wrenches like PB blaster. anyone know?

 

[Gunner12]

sorry im a noob. does the g2 have good throw? is it worth it to go with the g2 led?

How much throw do you want?

The WF-600 I linked to above will easily out throw the G2L(and cost less even after you buy batteries and chargers for the light) but the Surefire has a warranty and is easier to get(Lowe's has them while the WF-600 can only be bought online).

The light should be fine with the chemicals you work with, unless the solvents are designed to dissolve plastic or metal.

I think it all comes down to: How much abuse will the light see?

 

[theDiRTYkoobaru]

well we dont abuse the lights that much, its not like we are throwing them across the shop. just normal use, maybe a drop or 2 (hopefully not). and we wont be submersing them in the chemicals or anything. it would just be in the even that our hands are filthy or something of the sort.

i was just saying that i wanted throw because i just like one that throws. its not a real necessity.

 

[theDiRTYkoobaru]

i really do like the aurora wf-600 though. but the thought of dealextreme quality scares me. also the price is right, and like you said the charger and batteries could be purchased also.
im on the work computer and i cant get on dealextreme.. can you tell me what kind of batteries and charger they are? are they reliable or chinese stick bombs?