Looking for flashlight under $100.. any ideas?

[JRA240]

500 plus lumens
about the size of a 4D mag

I'd like to have a stock light but i would be open to doing simple mods.. Like a drop in or a easy bulb change

any help will be appreciated

thanks

JRA240


I would like to have something that I could carry in my pocket with a clip or small in design. I like epsilon ed-p71. As soon as I get some money I will get one. All my money right now is on a Fenix tk 11 r2. the MTE m3 looks like a good light dose it throw I would like to have far but hold nice beam is it something like Fenix tk 40 in size I would like to have something that is bright for far away stuff and something up close

thanks for answering my questions and the help I would be left in the dark:candle: with my Fenix p3d which i love the 6 modes :wave: its just a little older lol

 

[HKJ]

To get 500 lumens you need a P7 or MC-E led (or incan), you can get some from DX, but the quality is not always good.

Maybe the new Epsilon ED-P71 is what you need, the introduction price is below $100 and it is supposed to ship very soon. The size will be smaller than you requested, I hope that is ok.

 

[maxilux]

More Details please, do you look for an Thrower or more Flood.
What kind of Battery and so on......

 

[metlarules]

Incandescent
For under $100 I don't think you can beat a Magcharger with a wa1160 or better yet a phillips 5761 bulb. The only drawback is the short runtime(20 to 30 min).

Led
Mag 4d with a Terralux tle300m. Keep in mind this is for long distance as the beam up close is quite ugly.

 

[KD5XB]

It'll probably surprise everybody if you find a 500-lumen light for less than $100 -- but something like this might work for you.

 

[KD5XB]

To get 500 lumens you need a P7 or MC-E led (or incan), you can get some from DX, but the quality is not always good.

Maybe the new Epsilon ED-P71 is what you need, the introduction price is below $100 and it is supposed to ship very soon. The size will be smaller than you requested, I hope that is ok.

Better read that entire thread, especially posts since about the 20th of February.

 

[Gunner12]

If you already have a Maglite, then check this thread and look for a Seoul P7 or Cree MC-E drop-in or mod.

Do you want throw or more floody? More lumen doesn't mean more throw.
LED or Incan?
Runtime?

You can get a light around that output in something not much longer but thicker then a Minimag.

:welcome:

 

[Benson]

500 plus lumens
about the size of a 4D mag

i would like to have something that i could carry in my pocket with a clip or small in design.

You must have awfully big pockets, then...


For 500+ lumens in a 4D Mag size, I'd go with a 4D Mag. You have basically 3 options:

• P7
  I think this would have to be DIY; I don't know any P7 dropins for less than $80. Plenty of variations possible.
• MC-E
  Ditto; very similar characteristics to P7 mods.
• ROP low
  • $20 1x 4D Mag
  • $50 7x 1/2D NiMH cells
  • $10 1x Pelican Big-D bulb pack
  • $10 1x aluminum OP reflector (the stock one could melt under long runs)
  • $05 1x 50mm glass lens (the stock one maybe gets damaged from long runs, but it's only 5 bucks to make certain.)
  $95 total, of which $15 is optional, depending on usage. This sucker might flash bulbs, especially on non-rested cells; AFAIK nobody has tried this particular config. (6x 1/2D and the high bulb is more common, but the low bulb can take a bit more.) A spacer could be used for 6 cells with either bulb, that's definitely safe...

Smaller ROP options exist, using either Li-ion cells (C, 25500, 26500, 18650, etc.) or NiMH AAs, in 2C and 2D bodies, or sub-C, 2/3A, and such in 3D and 4C bodies...
Here's an example set up for Li-ion, going for $45 without batteries. The batteries are often the big cost in an ROP mod, though.

 

[Benson]

You must have awfully big pockets, then...

For pocket-sized lights, though, I think sabrewolf may still have some P7 16340 mini EDCs available -- they're $95 each, and the DD option makes about 500 lumens with good cells. There's also a similar 18650 EDC, which can definitely break 500 lumens, but starts at $120. (The DD version is as low as $120, and the cheapest 5-mode version that still would make 500 lumens is $130...)

 

[KD5XB]

Well I guess I was wrong --

I found this in this thread for $47 -- it says 700 lumens. Dunno how reliable or honest it might be, but it sure meets the specs.

 

[Benson]

Well I guess I was wrong --

I found this in this thread for $47 -- it says 700 lumens. Dunno how reliable or honest it might be, but it sure meets the specs.

There's a whole host of cheap Chinese P7s and MC-Es in the 700-900 claimed lumens categories, though, mostly around $40-60. Any of them will probably serve OK, but I can't recommend any of them as definitely being 500+ lumens.

You see, those DX lights (bestofferbuy appears to be a DX affiliate, BTW) are typically rated at the maximum emitter lumens for the bin they use -- so if they use a P7 from the 700-900 lumen bin, they rate the light as "900 lumen", even though that emitter probably produces less than 800 lumens at full current. On top of that, even lights that are deliberately run at lower current (and the manufacturer even states that current) are still rated as "900 lumen". Even supposing that to be a top-notch emitter, driven at full current, emitting 700 lumens, you can figure about 65% makes it out the front, so it's really less than 500 lumens.

Since P7s generally are available in cooler colors, and thus more efficient, P7s are your better bet for actually getting 500 lumens. (Of course, there's arguments to be made that 400 lumens of neutral white is as good as or better than 500 lumens of cool white...) Some of the P7 lights listed as "900 lumen" probably break 500 lumens, but many of them (even claiming full drive current) are underdriven enough to make me unsure of them.

OTOH, Sabrewolf's 18650 EDC, overdriven to 3.8A, will definitely qualify (by more than 50% extra!) -- but they're customs, so you do pay for that extra power. I managed to persuade myself that one bright P7 (my 4D Mag) is enough for right now, and bought a whole fistful of DX lights instead, but I'm probably getting one of the next batch he makes.