I need a LED flashlight..but which is the "best"

LEDBE
D

Doctor

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 9, 2009
Messages
14
Hi,

I am looking for my first LED flashlight :rolleyes:
I want a tactical LED flashlight, that

  • I will use during work (I am a parametic)
  • I have always in my car for the case, that I need a flashlight
  • I will use for geocaching
I prefer a light, where I can use rechargeable batteries. The max. length should be about 14 cm (5.51 inches). The price should be < $200.

I really read a lot of posts, and at the moment I have the following favorites:

  • JetBeam III M
  • Eagle Tac T20C2RGB
  • Olight M20 Warrior R2 Premium
  • Fenix TK 11 Q5
Which flashlight is the "best" for me? :thinking:

Regards
Doctor
http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&p=thMx..&search=battery
 
what quality do you think you need THE MOST?
Throw? Runtime?
IMO,

  • Eagle Tac T20C2RGB
  • Olight M20 Warrior R2 Premium
  • Fenix TK 11 Q5
they are all VERY similar. Has a few fixed output, pretty good built quality. Good output/runtime efficiency due to current control.
The all have noticeably better throw than the Jet-III M.

JetBeam III M really stands out from that crowd.
Has infinite variable output, you choose whatever brightness mode you want, so it has THE longest runtime but at the expense of lower output/runtime efficiency on higher levels. IMO, Jet-III M has THE best built quality.

So if you want a tool and would need medium to high mode most of the time, I'd say Eagle Tac T20C2RGB, if you want something SPECIAL and chances are you're going to use medium to low mode most of the time, get Jet-III M.
TK-11 and M20 are both obsolete nowadays, T20C2RGB beats them in every aspect.
 
Last edited:
What type of beam would you like?
Does adjustable output appeal to you?
What about tint?

Best is a very subjective term.

:welcome:
 
I know, that the word "best" doesn't discribe my wishes exactly :crazy:

But I have not sooo much know how about flashlights :shrug:, therefore it is hard to describe.

tint: I don't neet a natural tint, brighter is more important.
beam: I need the flashligh inside rooms and outside (streets, forest). So the flashlight should support both.
Adjustable output is ok, but if its not adjustible, then it is ok too :rolleyes:

Maybe I want to buy two flashlights: 1 x small to wear it inside my jacket and 1 x a good allround flashlight. Generally I think, that flashlights with two rechargeable batteries offers a constant light. I want a small flashlight (1 rechargeable battery) and "small" flashlight (2 rechargeable batteries).

Any suggestions?
 
Doctor said:
I know, that the word "best" doesn't discribe my wishes exactly :crazy:

But I have not sooo much know how about flashlights :shrug:, therefore it is hard to describe.

tint: I don't neet a natural tint, brighter is more important.
beam: I need the flashligh inside rooms and outside (streets, forest). So the flashlight should support both.
Adjustable output is ok, but if its not adjustible, then it is ok too :rolleyes:

Maybe I want to buy two flashlights: 1 x small to wear it inside my jacket and 1 x a good allround flashlight. Generally I think, that flashlights with two rechargeable batteries offers a constant light. I want a small flashlight (1 rechargeable battery) and "small" flashlight (2 rechargeable batteries).

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

If the forest is even moderately dense your brightest non-warm led lights will be less useful than a stock 3D Black Mag.
 
If I were a paramedic, then I'd consider something that allowed me to use both hands. Eg: Headlamp such as Zebralight, or one of the new Petzls,
or perhaps a Firstlight Liberator or Tomahawk.
Or a Headlamp for up close work, and a separate thrower (like a EagleTac or Quark light). for searching.
 
I already have a headlamp for close work.

Therefore I need a throwerfor search but I want to use the light not only at work. For this reason the idea: One flashlight with one battery (inhouse search, to work at home / car) and one flashlight with two rechargeable batteries for work outside, forest, accidents on highways....
 
You might consider a SureFire LX2 (there is a review on CPF you can read here).

It is two mode with a very useful 15 lumen low (47 hours runtime) and a very bright 200 lumen high (2 hours). In addition, SF's TIR optics really throw the 200 lumens quite far. It is tough-as-nails with excellent build quality and is about 13.7cm long. Plus it comes in under your budget. :)

You should be able to run it on 2x AW LiFePO4 cells for your rechargeable needs with the obvious option of using CR123 primary cells as a backup or for extreme cold weather operation (I don't your location--this may not apply to you). Keep in though that you will probably get about 1/2 to 1/3 the runtime on rechargeable LiFePO4 cells than with CR123 cells.

BTW, :welcome:

-Robert
 
Having 2 batteries doesn't mean you get more throw or output. A LED light is not dependent on how many batteries it has. A LED, unlike an incan, usually has a driver in it to control the voltage from the battery to the LED. A typical white LED runs at 3.5-3.7v, so a single AA battery at 1.5v doesn't even come close to lighting it up. The driver takes the lower voltage and boosts it up to what the LED needs. There are also buck circuits that lower the battery voltage to what the LED needs(say, from 12v to 3.6v).

You might want a keychain light as a back up/EDC light, and a thrower light for the searches. How much throw would you like?

I also heard that a warm/neutral white LED can make colors pop more then a cool white LED which could help identify things.
 
I think I will take as EDC a 4Seven Quark AA. I like this one :thumbsup:
What kind of rechargeable battery will work with the AA? (the AA thread is reaaalllllyyyyy long).

But I am still looking for my second flashlight. My favorits at the moment:

  • Fenix TK 12
  • Eagle Tac T20C2RGB
  • Jetbeam III M
 
Doctor said:
I think I will take as EDC a 4Seven Quark AA. I like this one :thumbsup:
What kind of rechargeable battery will work with the AA? (the AA thread is reaaalllllyyyyy long).
Click to expand...


Good choice.

The QAA can take 14500 Li-ion rechargeables, and will also work well with NiMH AA rechargeables, although the output will be less.

If you are getting another light to run on Li-Ion rechargeables and a charger, the 14500 would probably make sense.
 
14500 protected or unprotected?

And what is the difference between the tactical and the "normal" version?
 
Last edited:
If you want to use rechargeable batteries, then you should get the TK11, not the TK12. The stock TK12 can't fit 18650s, so you are limited to RCR123's and 17670s, which have less capacity.
 
As already stated, for in the woods, you need either a warm-white LED, or better even, an incan flashlight. Even the brightest cold white LED is less useful than a stock 3D maglite indeed :whistle:

As a small (EDC) flashlight you can always carry on you, I would recommend the Fenix LD01. It works from a single AAA battery and has 3 levels of brightness (and runtime!)

As a brighter, but still compact, flashlight you could always take a look at, again, a Fenix P3D or PD30. The head of these is just as small in diameter as the body, making it very easy to wear.
Want it even brighter? Wolf Eyes Sniper MC-E! 580 Lumens, and the newer ones even 700 Lumens :thumbsup:

Best for in the woods? A Surefire C3 Centurion with P90 incan lamp assembly (comes as standard) or the Wolf Eyes M90 Rattlesnake in 13V setup. This one was my winner in the test, in which I compared the usefulness of 8 flashlights in the woods.


Timmo.
 
325addict said:
As already stated, for in the woods, you need either a warm-white LED, or better even, an incan flashlight. Even the brightest cold white LED is less useful than a stock 3D maglite indeed :whistle:



Timmo.
Click to expand...

How does one reach THAT conclusion?

I live among the woods, seven miles from the nearest grocery store, 15 miles from the nearest town. I frequently walk in said woods, even with no moon.

I've directly compared my 3C Mag (should be the same brightness as a 3D, just with less runtime right?) to my 6P/M60 and it's no contest whatsoever. There's just no way I'd bother carrying my Mag out there anymore.

A warm tint Malkoff on the other hand..........
 
Doctor said:
Hi,

I am looking for my first LED flashlight :rolleyes:
I want a tactical LED flashlight, that

  • I will use during work (I am a parametic)
  • I have always in my car for the case, that I need a flashlight
  • I will use for geocaching
I prefer a light, where I can use rechargeable batteries. The max. length should be about 14 cm (5.51 inches). The price should be < $200.

I really read a lot of posts, and at the moment I have the following favorites:

  • JetBeam III M
  • Eagle Tac T20C2RGB
  • Olight M20 Warrior R2 Premium
  • Fenix TK 11 Q5
Which flashlight is the "best" for me? :thinking:

Regards
Doctor
http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&p=thMx..&search=battery
Click to expand...
Get the JetBeam, don't even think about the others. Jets are the closest you'll get from SureFire's legendary quality for the same price of the rest of the Chinese competitors. I deeply regreted buying other brands after laying my hands on my first Jetbeam, it really put the others to shame.
 
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