High end EDC lights.

[Kiessling]

The problem is that we're not very knowledgeable about the X-15 around here. At least I am not. If this one could take the P60-style LED drop-ins and the typical Li-Ion rechargeables you could have your heavy duty brutally tough and very bright light with glassbreaker :devil:

You need to read some threads about Li-Ion rechargeables if you wanna go "tactical light" as they usually use that size instead of the common AA size that also comes in NiMh chemistry for rechargeables.

Like donn_ said ... there are options aplenty for G2-sized lights and upgrades to SF lights beyond what they do offer. You can thus upgrade a Z2, a 6P or 6PL or C2 to a 200lm LED light running on Li-Ion for not that much money.

It might be worth checking if the X-15 can go the same path as it is beefier still.


More light means more battery consumption. If buying 2 D-cells every 6 weeks is too much, you must opt for the rechargeable path or you won't find a light with the specs you want.

bernie


P.S.: to limit the amount of choices a bit, I'll offer some personal opinion. I'd either opt for an upgraded SF with a Malkoff drop-in and Li-Ion batteries or the same with the Hellfighter instead the SF. This is a proven set-up that works very well, can't go wrong there. And it is bright. Really bright.

 

[Forgoten214]

You need to do some studying, mate. You can triple the light output of a G2, and make it rechargeable, without SF's kit. If you're paying for your own batteries, you'll save the cost of the upgrade in a short time, and lessen the load at the landfill at the same time.

The problem is that we're not very knowledgeable about the X-15 around here. At least I am not. If this one could take the P60-style LED drop-ins and the typical Li-Ion rechargeables you could have your heavy duty brutally tough and very bright light with glassbreaker :devil:

You need to read some threads about Li-Ion rechargeables if you wanna go "tactical light" as they usually use that size instead of the common AA size that also comes in NiMh chemistry for rechargeables.

Like donn_ said ... there are options aplenty for G2-sized lights and upgrades to SF lights beyond what they do offer. You can thus upgrade a Z2, a 6P or 6PL or C2 to a 200lm LED light running on Li-Ion for not that much money.

It might be worth checking if the X-15 can go the same path as it is beefier still.


More light means more battery consumption. If buying 2 D-cells every 6 weeks is too much, you must opt for the rechargeable path or you won't find a light with the specs you want.

bernie


P.S.: to limit the amount of choices a bit, I'll offer some personal opinion. I'd either opt for an upgraded SF with a Malkoff drop-in and Li-Ion batteries or the same with the Hellfighter instead the SF. This is a proven set-up that works very well, can't go wrong there. And it is bright. Really bright.

You don't like the standard SF OEM bulbs? Its not the price of the batterys really thats the concern its just the pain to buying them and replacing them ect. You know where i can look into upgrading the Malkoff bulbs and possibly some rechargable solutions? I dont have any sort of battery chargers at the moment so I will need to buy all that stuff.

 

[shuter]

Muyshondt Aeon. Small enough to pocket carry. Two very usable levels of light and incredible runtime on a battery. Hard anodized aluminum or Ti, you can't go wrong with this quality light.

 

[Kiessling]

Just type "Malkoff" in the search an happy reading. Bring beer and pizza, it will take some time :D
The "classic" is the Malkoff M60.

We do "like" the SF bulbs, at least most of us. They are the best incan bulbs one can have, but the modern LED "bulbs" (called "drop-in" here) are brighter and run longer, so we have for the most part adopted those.
However, if you prefer incan light or need incan light for IR filters or color rendition, the stock bulbs are perfectly fine.


The primary battery vs. rechargeable is an endless discussion. I use primaries exclusively so I can't help you with the rechargeables, but as most here use rechargeables you'll get help about them, too.

If you go primary you need to buy them in bulk online or you pay a boatload of money in a brick and mortar store (CR123 lithium primaries).
Also, you need to carry spare batteries. The Malkoff M60W has about 90min runtime on 2xCR123. That is a fraction of what you Mag has, remember that.
You are in a different world with those lights.

bernie

 

[Kiessling]

BTW ... SF also offers a LED replacement for the P60-type lamps ... the P60L.

It has 80 lumens output and runs longer than the Malkoff. Most here consider it inferior, I just think it is different. It has advantages, but brightness and throw are not among them.
There are quite some discussions about that, too.

bernie

 

[deranged_coder]

You don't like the standard SF OEM bulbs? Its not the price of the batterys really thats the concern its just the pain to buying them and replacing them ect. You know where i can look into upgrading the Malkoff bulbs and possibly some rechargable solutions? I dont have any sort of battery chargers at the moment so I will need to buy all that stuff.

The SF lamp assemblies are pretty good but they are not the highest output. Using a Malkoff dropin you can pretty much double the output. You can get more info about Malkoff dropin modules from their website:

http://www.malkoffdevices.com/

I still have not adopted rechargeables for my CR123 powered lights so I cannot say much about what are the best steps to take. I do know that if you decide to stick with primary batteries then buy them online. Most brick and mortar stores will charge ~$5 or even more for a single CR123 whereas you can get them online for $1 ~ $2 apiece.

 

[1dash1]

Forgoten214:

Based on your stated use pattern, I'm not sure how happy you'll be with the X-15 (rated at 1-hour runtime). And if you plan on running rechargeable batteries, you'll probably get something more like 30-40 minutes of runtime. It's bright, it's tough, and it's physically appealing - but I'm not sure you'll be happy changing batteries so often.

If you are set on picking up the X-15, I'd suggest that you get a primary duty light that satisfies your general needs (throw, spill, multiple modes, runtime, reliability, etc.) and keep the X-15 strictly as a backup when your primary fails or the situation arises where you need the glass-breaking feature.

BTW, I can find no in-depth (i.e., reputable) reviews of the X-15. That doesn't bode well as far as inspiring confidence in the purchase. Here is another member's opinion of the light.

 

[Penguin]

For work you really need a rechargeable, and something that charges in a cradle... you dont want to be fumbling/recharging batteries every night. I'd suggest a Streamlight Strion, which is about the size of your G2, but made of Aluminum and charges on a dock, it's incandescent so the colors you'll see outside are a lot more 'true to life'. Check out the review:
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/streamlight_strion.htm

If you want something a little bigger, you can take a look at the Streamlight Stinger.

 

[Forgoten214]

My surefire is the G2L. LED version not the Incan. So I was wondering if a LED replacement for a already LED equipped light would be suitable. My mag is Incan though. I like the Surefire but I wanted something abit more hefty and versatile. The battery hasnt died yet but I only been using it for maybe 5 days. The fenix seems very attractive, It has 180 lumens for 2.5 hrs of runtime on AA batterys. That seems to be great. Correct me if I am wrong. Also are these Malkoff bulbs high quality?

 

[Forgoten214]

I am thinking I want to go the rechargeable route for my G2. I would like a strike bezel but I think I will settle on that for now. Until I am able to get a rechargeable light like a SF/Bezel then put a rechargeable kit in it. Now all I need to do is find a rechargeable solution for my SF.

 

[deranged_coder]

My surefire is the G2L. LED version not the Incan. So I was wondering if a LED replacement for a already LED equipped light would be suitable. My mag is Incan though. I like the Surefire but I wanted something abit more hefty and versatile. The battery hasnt died yet but I only been using it for maybe 5 days. The fenix seems very attractive, It has 180 lumens for 2.5 hrs of runtime on AA batterys. That seems to be great. Correct me if I am wrong. Also are these Malkoff bulbs high quality?

If you want versatility, my suggestion is to stick with a Surefire light. There are so many upgrades and accessories available with the Surefire that are not yet available with Fenix lights.

If you want a nice Surefire "lego" start with a Surefire 6P. You can use an A19 extender to convert it from a 2xCR123 to 3xCR123 for higher output or longer runtime. There are so many different lamp assemblies you can put into a 6P host it is insane; you can stick with incan, go LED, get a "throw" type beam, get a "flood" type beam, etc. You can get various filters so you can have different color outputs, etc.

As far as the quality of the Malkoff dropins, I have heard nothing but praise for the quality of these devices. :thumbsup:

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

- Myushondt Aeon Titanium

- SureFire Titan

- McGizmo Lunasol 20

 

[deranged_coder]

A question about the rechargeable kit. How many times can you recharge the battery before it gives way? I know that can be a problem with a rechargeable is that after charging it a X amount of times it loses its touch. Any experiences?

Generally it all depends on the quality of the batteries and the charger that you start out with. If you start out with high quality batteries and a "smart" charger you should be able to get at least a few hundred charge/discharge cycles before the battery gradually loses capacity. We have an entire separate sub-forum on CPF focused on discussing these over here:

Flashlight Electronics - Batteries Included

 

[deranged_coder]

This thread is about high-end lights, not cheap alternatives. What part of high-end you did not understand?

As Kiessling has already noted, the thread has morphed as we better understood the original poster's requirements.

BTW ... interesting thread development. We all started with the assumption that you wanted a high-class EDC for personal carry and suggested such lights whereas in reality, we're now looking for a "heavy duty" security guard duty light :D

Perhaps the original poster or one of the mods can modify the thread title to better reflect the topic? :shrug:

 

[brucec]

I think you should change the title of this thread if you are interested in a "heavy duty light for work recommendation". In that case, I would start with the reliable Surefire 6P original + Malkoff M60L upgrade module.

For "High end EDC lights", I would recommend the McGizmo LS20 or Ti PD-S. They are both in the mid-range of high-end, made of solid Ti, have superb machining, are based on the renowned Piston Drive (no switch to fail), and are overall the best rugged design out there that also wouldn't be too out of place in a suit.

 

[Forgoten214]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Strike-Bezel-Fi...C3-Z2-LED_W0QQitemZ140294658323QQcmdZViewItem

Does anyone know where I can purchase this?? This one seems to be sold. I didn't know surefire sold these bezels separately.

P.S.

http://www.fishingkaki.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=120534&sid=8d3601e0e6dd8a0f6c61d7f0f5261cda

If anyone has this please let me know how this works? I would like this in black.

 

[Forgoten214]

Well actually the thread had multiple meanings. I was looking for a EDC light. Then I was looking for a Work light.

 

[1dash1]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Strike-Bezel-Fi...C3-Z2-LED_W0QQitemZ140294658323QQcmdZViewItem

Does anyone know where I can purchase this?? This one seems to be sold. I didn't know surefire sold these bezels separately.

Forgoten:

PM sent.

 

[Forgoten214]

Forgoten:

PM sent.

Very nice. Can you vouch for their quality?

 

[socom1970]

Ok. I don't get the point of this thread anymore as I thought the title meant we talk about and post pics of our High End EDC lights. Anyway...

Here's three of my High-end EDC's:

I love them all and use them every day...