I NEED HELP! Need Reliable Flashlights!

[RickSpringfield]

Folks, forgive me for being a flashlight newbie. But I actually went to Lowes a couple weeks back and purchased a 2pk of Flashlights which came with 2 Flashlights (Blue/Red) and 4 D batteries. Then, we went to use them (After fighting with the Blister Pack for like 20 minutes) and within 2 minutes of loading the batteries, and turning it on, the switch (push button) clicked on and wont turn off. Then ... I clicked on and off the second one, and the end of the light fell off

Now granted, I only paid 6.97 at Lowes for the 2pk, but that shouldn't have happened.

So now I go to look and research a flashlight, and its simply OVERWHELMING. So many websites saying "Flashlight Reviews"!

What I really want is a few good flashlights (LED if possible) to provide emergency light for situations when needed, and a couple which will help me out if I am crawling around the basement, and one which I would use for blinding light self defense strategy

 

[John_Galt]

From your uses, I would suggest taking a look at Fenix lights. The E01's seem very well regarded around here, for being very bright, durable, and giving log battery life. Cheaper, and more efficient (than the LD20 series), the L2D type (uses 2x AA battery) will last ~ 1:45 on turbo. The entire Fenix line seems very well made, and well regarded here, as well as a good alternative to others.
Order from 4 sevens .com, for faster shipping.

**EDIT**
Forgot to add, if you don't want to shell out wuite as much, or don't want to add for shipping, take a look around. The River Rock line at Target stores are pretty well built. I can safely say that the River Rock 1/2 watt (uses 2 AAA) is pretty bright (brighter than a stock Mini mag), well built. If there are any sporting goods stores nearby, look in their hunting/camping sections. Don't buy any light that are off brand, or use weord batteries. Look for Princeton Tec flashlights (which are very battery efficient [I have the 4 AAA model, bought 6 years ago, on it's original set of batteries]). Get a couple of Princeton tec headlamps (Aurora, Quad, etc) which are bright, well built, useful, and efficient.

 

[Oddjob]

Welcome to CPF! Go to www.4sevens.com and have fun. Lots there that will fit your needs plus David (CPF member 4sevens) and his staff provide good customer service and free shipping. IIRC use coupon code "CPF8" for a discount. Fenix is always a highly recommended brand.

Don't focus on the price of some of the lights though. You do get what you pay for around here and if the lights you buy are going to be tools that you use and rely on then it's money well spent. Good luck.

 

[RickSpringfield]

That was my problem before ... I bought cheap. Is there any one thing I should stay away from? Like something which is an obvious marketing ploy but really doesn't add any value?

Is MAX Lumens best (not even sure that is real). Like should I be looking for something with the largest #? Also, I'd like to use standard batteries if possible because I have some, but don't want a run time of 4 minutes either lol.

 

[Zeruel]

Maybe if you answer the checklist here, you could narrow down to the lights you're looking for. Btw, depending on your light for "self defense" is :tsk:

 

[Mjolnir]

Other than for intimidation purposes, LED lights aren't all that useful alone for self defense (there are approximately one million threads on this throughout the forum).
If the idea of spending $60+ on a flashlight sounds scary to you, then you might want to leave this forum while you can. After a while, it won't seem like that much at all...

 

[RickSpringfield]

Sounds like the Self Defense thing is total bad idea You just hear folks talk about that with their 5D mag lights and such. Not here, but in amazon reviews.

On an not so related topic ... whats the thought on iNova ones. There was one ... I think it was 2w or something on the package (not sure if that is the model number) for 12.48. Sort of looked like a long bolt with rubber grip. But they had that and an ever ready weather light on clearance

 

[kramer5150]

Ditto what others said... try and list some preferences, and lef CPFers steer you from there.

If durability and reliability is high on your list... go for a Surefire 6P or C2, keep the stock Z41 tailcap and add a Malkoff M60 variant. I have NEVER heard or read about a Z41 switch or a malkoff failure. The pyrex glass is the most delicate part of this otherwise bomb proof tandem. it wouldn't be hard to replace the surefire pyrex with a polycarbonate equivalent.

The Surefire G2 is also outstandingly durable, just use a lower output M60 and it works fine.

Stock up on Surefire Primaries... doesn;t get any more reliable than that IMHO.

If you are on a tighter budget, I have dropped and abused my DX:11636 drop in and it has survived just fine in the 6P.

Fenix E01 is equally durable IMHO.

My most abused flashlight thus far has been a Fenix L1T-V2, the type II finish is a little fragile but no more so than the Surefire typeII. It has survived several hard falls with only surface scratches to show for it.

I started this thread some time back...
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=189948

 

[Gunner12]

I think a light powered by common batteries like AAs is probably a good choice. Many of the good ones are pretty durable. For example there are many posts of a Fenix light going through the wash cycle and still come out dry and working just fine.

What price are you willing to pay?
How much runtime?
What output?
Which batteries?
Multimode?

Also, a light can not be depended upon for self defense. Proper training is much better then having a tool and not being able to use it.

:welcome:

 

[polkiuj]

Sounds like the Self Defense thing is total bad idea You just hear folks talk about that with their 5D mag lights and such. Not here, but in amazon reviews.

On an not so related topic ... whats the thought on iNova ones. There was one ... I think it was 2w or something on the package (not sure if that is the model number) for 12.48. Sort of looked like a long bolt with rubber grip. But they had that and an ever ready weather light on clearance

Inova lights are awesome BUT NOT ALL OF THEM! Only the T-series (T1, T2, etc. It will rate output in lumens and is apparently very accurate) I feel is awesome! I heard that the Bolt series is not very good. Get a T1 for more flood or T2 for slightly more throw. T1 feels far more solid than T2 and should last you a lifetime (since it has lifetime warranty =) ). But that and STAY AWAY FROM THIS FORUM unless of course you feel like "helping the economy" and move closer towards poverty.

 

[csshih]

couple reviews in my sig, and a link to a decent store..
but.. it all depends on the batteries you're willing to use.

are you willing to use special batteries that need a special charger? most extreme high output lights use these...
except the fenix TK40.. which uses 8 AA batteries.

 

[Chrontius]

Inova's X series is also pretty nice for entry-level lights.

Regarding "blinding for self defense" - I'm going to assume this will be backed up by a baseball bat / handgun / broadsword or something. You can try...
Fenix TK40
ROP, or Roar of the Pelican; this is a modified Mag (commonly a 2D or occasionally 6D) using a bulb made by Pelican; it's either 400 or 1000 lumens. You'll need a new reflector, bulb, glass lens, and a special battery carrier, plus nice NiMH batteries.
Malkoff Devices dropin for Maglite using a P7 LED
Elektrolumens dropin for Maglite, using up to three P7 LEDs
Malkoff MD2 flashlight using a Malkoff P7 module for around 500 lumens, but the only pocket-sized one of the bunch. It's also fairly expensive.

A great all-around choice that's perfect for anything from flashlight-hobbyist to Fallujia to changing a tire is Ra Lights; these are small (3.5" by 1") and very, very durable. They make a couple of products, the Twisty and Clicky families; both have two major options - tight focus, or wide focus. I have an older Twisty, and love it - I've been carrying it since I bought it, and not only is there not a mark on it, I'm still on my first battery.

 

[RobertM]

:welcome:
If you are looking for an ultra-reliable light that won't break the bank, I'd recommend the SureFire G2 (or G2 LED if you really want LED and can afford it). The G2 is extremely reliable, has a great feel to it, and is an expandable flashlight for the future (there are tons of incan and LED drop-ins available). If you plan to go with LED or at least plan to purchase an aftermarket LED drop-in, go for the G2L (or the G2's all aluminum counterpart, the 6P/6PL) since it has an aluminum bezel which helps with heat-sinking for LEDs.

-Robert

 

[Wyeast]

Inova's X series is also pretty nice for entry-level lights.

Even the cheaper Bolts have been rock solid reliable for me. We own 3 - I used to use one daily for work (crawling under houses), my wife uses 2 on her daily bike commute. Zero failures. Not the brightest, not the cheapest, but built to dish it out day in and day out.

 

[besafe2]

Welcome to CPF. You already have so much good advice, but for me one word. SUREFIRE.
www.surefire.com

 

[:)>]

For inexpensive, durable and long lasting light, pick up some Fenix E01's at around 12 to 15 dollars each; they are really something special for the money!

For your bright light, try one of the following:

• Ra Clicky
• Surefire E1B
• Surefire E2DL

My preference is the the Ra but you can't go wrong with the Surefire's either.

Good luck!

 

[BlueBeam22]

Welcome to CPF. You already have so much good advice, but for me one word. SUREFIRE.

+1

I highly recommend SureFire. They are extremely reliable lights and some of the highest quality ones available. I have the 6PL $85 from Lowe's, and it is amazing. The 6PL is 80 lumens and has an 11 hour runtime.

You can also get the G2L around $60 from Lowe's, which should be great too. These two lights run on CR123A lithium cells which are included.

 

[Marduke]

The 6PL is 80 lumens and has an 11 hour runtime.

3.3 hours, not 11.

 

[sappyg]

+1 for the SF g2/ l.... everyone should have a couple of these.
another contender that should be on your short list id the nitecore d10... a single aa format light comes in handy and i've never had a reliabilty issue with mine.

 

[BlueBeam22]

Marduke: Thank you for the heads up on that and the link to the good informative thread. :thumbsup: