Is there a hickok45 of flashlights?

[SpeedRacer]

I'm a rookie that just got bit by the torch bug. I've found some ok youtube channels but nothing great. Who does everyone like for impartial testing vids? Is there anyone that tests all the new lights at night in the same setting like hickok45? It would be even better if they did a lot of head to head showdowns.

 

[StarHalo]

Search "Selfbuilt"

 

[tonywalker23]

going gear is the flashlight master.

I've got a yt channel (tonywalker23) with about a dozen lights or so... mainly surefire, a couple of flights, and the new smart quark

 

[Vortus]

And HKJ for batteries and chargers. Can look at the review section of forum for lights, as mentioned Selfbuilt, there's also Subwoofer and others there.

 

[AVService]

How can anyone who sells lights be really objective about them?
Going gear is great but as a place I buy lights.

SELFBUILT,Sub-Woofer,HKJ and others on this forum for the win and there are several others in here too,just look through the reviews section.

Hickock45 is 1 of a kind!

going gear is the flashlight master.

I've got a yt channel (tonywalker23) with about a dozen lights or so... mainly surefire, a couple of flights, and the new smart quark

 

[eraursls1984]

How can anyone who sells lights be really objective about them?
Going gear is great but as a place I buy lights.

Hickock45 is 1 of a kind!

Well, Marshall shows how the UI works and the beam. I consider this about the same as Hickock since he always likes everything except maybe a few nit picky things, and just shows the basics. I don't consider Hickock videos reviews.

 

[AVService]

Well, Marshall shows how the UI works and the beam. I consider this about the same as Hickock since he always likes everything except maybe a few nit picky things, and just shows the basics. I don't consider Hickock videos reviews.

I understand but these are always lights from his store too.

 

[SpeedRacer]

Those are all good suggestions. Thanks for helping out a rookie.

My only other question is what's the best flashlight?


Just kiddin' :laughing:

 

[hyperloop]

Here's a link to Selfbuilt's youtube channel. Have a few hours to spare cos you will get hooked

 

[sgt253]

Those are all good suggestions. Thanks for helping out a rookie.

My only other question is what's the best flashlight?


Just kiddin' :laughing:

Now that's funny!

 

[whill44]

Well, Marshall shows how the UI works and the beam. I consider this about the same as Hickock since he always likes everything except maybe a few nit picky things, and just shows the basics. I don't consider Hickock videos reviews.

Marshall is the only one I know of that has made several YouTube videos showing how flashlights compare to each other using a field and some targets.

 

[emarkd]

Some good suggestions already made. Selfbuilt is pretty much in a class of his own. Marshall at GoingGear may be in it for financial gain since he's a business owner, but anyone who's been around a while knows he's a trustworthy guy who tells the truth about products and deals fairly with the community. Watch his videos, they're great.

I'll add one more to the list: Matt Hanlen. His reviews have a style all their own and are always well done and a lot of fun. His channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/user/mhanlen1

 

[AVService]

I like Marshall too and find his videos useful for the models he makes them for but my point is that he will only make them for the selection that he has for sale,not exactly representative of the entire market.

Make Sense?

Some good suggestions already made. Selfbuilt is pretty much in a class of his own. Marshall at GoingGear may be in it for financial gain since he's a business owner, but anyone who's been around a while knows he's a trustworthy guy who tells the truth about products and deals fairly with the community. Watch his videos, they're great.

I'll add one more to the list: Matt Hanlen. His reviews have a style all their own and are always well done and a lot of fun. His channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/user/mhanlen1

 

[emarkd]

I like Marshall too and find his videos useful for the models he makes them for but my point is that he will only make them for the selection that he has for sale,not exactly representative of the entire market.

Make Sense?

Sure, but no reviewer covers every light that gets released. I don't see that as a bad thing.

 

[uofaengr]

Selfbuilt is good, but you'll have to read his entire written review if you want to get everything out of it, but it's extremely well done. I've found some of Marshall's videos to be pretty informative as well. MHanlen does a really good job too.

I will say there's unfortunately a lack of really in depth YouTube reviewers that know their stuff. A lot of the reviewers of some popular Chinese lights are not really flashlight guys but are given lights by some of these companies to "review" because they have popular channels. It's hard for me to watch flashlight reviews from some of the gun or "gear" guys because they're just not as familiar with the ins and outs and terminology like the Selfbuilts of the world and just don't have much to add other than it's SO BRIGHT BRO and comparing it to their gas station light or the other lights they've previously reviewed because sadly they didn't own any flashlights until said company started providing them. This works for the majority of the population though.

 

[Caesar Tjalbo]

I'm trying to wrap my head around the concept of a "hickok45 of flashlights". Somebody who gets some unknown flashlight and switches it off and on for 20 times in half a minute, flawlessly picking out every item he tries to light up? Somebody who manages to get a ridiculous amount of throw out of any EDC light and hit the gong at the end of the range all the time? All the while rambling on about it for way too long?

I understand what you mean with the same setting but hickok45 isn't a good tester at all, he's just somebody who really loves to shoot guns.

 

[gurdygurds]

Virtuovice on Youtube has my favorite flashlight videos.