Most Durable EDC Flashlight ?

[gmanjgc]

Hi guys. I'm a newbe so please don't hurt me . . .

OK heres the problem. I bought a cheap LED flashlight at the dollar store and found out how freakin handy it was to keep in my pocket. Naturally it only worked half the time and then only if I squeezed the body in just the right place after clicking it on :thumbsdow. So I started to do a little searching and ended up on ebay. I bought 1-W 40-lumen pocket flashight for $9 and it was a major improvement over the $1 store special tho I still wasn't happy :thumbsdow and that's when I found CPForums where you strange individuals that get off on flashlights hang out (I get off on watches so I do understand :thumbsup. So I started to search and read and seacrh and read and finally decided (thanks to this forum and you flashacholics) that the Fenix bundle with the P2D CE Q5 (CR123A) with the optional L1D body (AA) and diffuser was a great choice for me so I bought one on ebay. While I was waiting for it to arrive, I continued to spend hours reading this forum only to discover that what I really needed was a very durable EDC pocket LED flashlight. I really like all the Novatacs and the EDC-85 would be perfect for me however I'm not thrilled with the $100 price tag + charger and batteries. It's not that I'm tighter than a frog's but hole, but $100 for a flashlight??? On the other hand, if it lasts at least 10 years then well yeah . So, before I order the Novatac EDC-85, I thought I would ask your expert opinions for (what is probably your 1000th time) what you would reccommend keeping the following in mind where an " * " denotes a must have or a very desireable feature:

* $100 is about my limit; $75 is more comfortable
* LED
* durable -(can be run over with a Mack truck or hold back that closing wall on the Get Smart intro (you might be too young so forget it))
* thick walled body like 1/8"+
* deep durable threads which won't strip or wear out
* dependable
* easy to grip and hold (deep knurling; Fenix is slippery)
* Short length; small overall (pocket size; like less than about 85 mm in length)
* At least Hi and Low brightness levels
* Perfer one CR123A Li-ion rechargeable for shelf life and longer run time and 2nd choice would be a single AA. (No AAA)
* Push button tail cap only (Afraid of the twisty turning on in my pocket or moving when removing from a tight sheath/holster)
* At least 50 lumens on max
* Regulated circuit for long run time and LED/Battery protection (No PWM)
Glass lens
Secure belt sheath/holster would be nice
Cool looking (functionality is WAY more inportant that looks)
Cree emitter would be nice

(damn I'm more educated about flashlights than I tought I was ! You guys learned me somethin on this forum)

Oh hell, I think maybe the $100 is justified . . I should go ahead and order the EDC-85 LOL . . BUT if you guys have any other suggestions I would be very grateful to hear your professional opinions if such a EDC flashlight exists.

PS: The Fenix bundle arrived and after carefully looking it over for about 10 minutes I concluded that although its very nice, sooner or later I'm gonna get careless and bend or break it :mecry:as I don't feel it's constructed well enough for a guy like me that gets into lots of hands-on stuff. However, for a wing-tipper or bean counter that never gets his hands dirty, it would be perfect. That said, the Fenix bundle is for sale (essentially brand new) for what I paid for it: $58 + $4 shipping.

Thanks much . . :twothumbs

 

[yaesumofo]

You will probably find the fenix T1 will fit the bill.
Another good heavy duty light is the surefire 6P. when coupled with a Malkoff drop in you have a great very high output flashlight. When added up the cost is a little higher than what you are looking for.
I highly recommend that you spend some time reading around on this forum before making any decisions.
Right off the bat you will learn there are two major camps. one is surefire one is fenix. For your budget the fenix T1 is extremely heavy duty and it produces a fine beam.
Read read read. and you will learn. Oh and make sure you schedule as many of those overtime hours as you can so you can afford the new habit.
Yaesumofo

 

[KeyGrip]

The Fenix T1 is a beast of a light (not to be confused with the Beast) and will no doubt serve you well. The SureFire E2L and new E1B may also be contenders. Two little picky things about you list if you're looking for absolute durability. One, twisties are more durable than clickies by design as they have fewer moving parts to fail. A well designed twisty switch won't accidentally come on in your pocket/pack. Two, "plastic" lenses are more durable than glass ones. They will scratch easier, but they do not shatter as easily. Now I don't think you should go changing your requirements because I think they add up to a great light, I just wanted to point those two things out.

 

[Burgess]

to gmanjgc --


Welcome to CandlePowerForums !

:welcome:


Sounds like yer' gonna' fit right in here.

:wave:
_

 

[Crenshaw]

:welcome: your frogs hole thingy might be abit out of line...

but really, id love to see you just try and break your fenix. One guy dropped it down an elevator shaft, and barring a few scratches, it worked like new.:tinfoil:

Of course if youre going for the ultimate in toughness, next to nothing beats an ARC-AAA, search "Arc AAA" and "cave" and after that search "Arc AAA" and "tired" if i recall correctly.

if you want brighter, for around 75, nothing i can remember of the top of my head beats what you already have, the fenix combo, the Novatacs are however, very good if you can afford it, they feature user programmable modes, if youre into that. Another fair option could be the Jetbeam pro-1, available on ebay for $75 dollars shipped, those are extremly bright,and seem to be pretty durable.i dont have one, but i want one....it also has good knurling reportedly..

for knurling, almost nothing beats an Arc-AAA and surefire. A surefire will actually wear out your pocket if youre not careful, but you might be hard pressed to find a 50lumen+ surefire with hard anodizing (knurling would not hold up as well without it) for under 75 shipped. 100, maybe.

the T1 as above suggested is also pretty good, but its bulky, not for pocket duty.But its very bright.

be sure to also read the welcome mat, and to give someone else authority over your paypal account....and hang on to your wallet...

and by the way Yaesumofo is right about the two camps, surefire and fenix, do not under any circumstances insult either, both produce top notch products. The only real tangible undisputable difference is that surefire rates out the front lumens, the lumens actually leaving the light, and fenix rates emitter lumens, lumens as should be coming out of the emmiter. and if i reacall correctly, surefire is the only company that uses a slightly higher grade of aluminium then everyone else.
He is also right about reading as much as you can about everything here before putting your money on anything. And if you want an idea on what lights are all the rage, check the marketplace too, and you can usually find good deals there.

Crenshaw

 

[BigBluefish]

Hi Gman,

Greetings from another newbie. I was in a similar situation, my old MiniMag bit the dust, so I needed a new light (actually, a couple) and after getting a couple of relatively inexpensive ($10 - $22) lights at Cabela's, with which I am happy, actually, found these guys and all this very cool information. Flashlights are cool gadgets for guys, just like watches and folding knives (don't ever tell my wife 99% of anything I or any other guy short of a SEAL needs to do with a knife he can do with a Spyderco Endura).

As for your light, check out the Huntlight FT-02X on Lighthound. They have them for $29. This is actually the FT-02XJ, with a an SSC P4 LED. Runs on one CR123a. It has two levels, and is bright. The specs say 100 lumens. I've been told that's not out-of-line for a P4. I'd guess it's considerably brighter than the 50 lumens you want, even on the 'low' setting. It does not appear to have PWM (at least, I don't see any flicker.) But I do not know how well it is regulated. It has a tail clicky. It is small, has a belt clip, is built like a tank, has lots of knurling and ridges etc., so you won't drop it. It also has a second body tube so you can run it on 2 AAs instead of the one CR123. My only gripe is that I'm afraid the sharp edges on the bezel will tear up my suits, so I'm looking for a slick and smooth light about the same size for EDC when I'm just going to and from the office and around town at night. There are a couple reviews of earlier models on it on here, somewhere. Just search for "FT-02X." And remember, the current 'J' version will be brighter.

BTW, I actually thought the frog reference was rather clever, I'll have to rememer that one.

 

[skyline_man]

however I'm not thrilled with the $100 price tag + charger and batteries. It's not that I'm tighter than a frog's but hole, but $100 for a flashlight???

Why not? I'm sure you've spent more than 100 bucks on a watch, pair of sunnies etc...

Anyway, why don't u get a nitecore defender infinity? It is a good size for an edc and it uses AA's - which are easily accessible.
I don't recommend that you get the novatac though. Like a high precision swiss watch - it's a high maintenance work of art that requires careful attention and caring. Non flashaholics would not be able to appreciate it or know how to look after it properly

 

[MikeSalt]

I may have a flashlight that fits the bill (mostly)...

Lummi Wee NS w/ Cree Q4 (http://www.lummi.co.uk/wee.php)

It will be £35 + £6 for the charger + £6 international shipping, which is about $94. Its strength lies in its size. Being so small, it is virtually impossible to get any leverage on it to break it. Also, being so lightweight, its terminal velocity when falling is less than the velocity required to break it. Despite being tiny, the walls are pretty thick, and Nickel-Silver is quite a tough alloy. Twist-switches are the most reliable too.

Your brightness options - take your pick... 25 lumens, 50 lumens or 80 lumens with runtimes of 90, 30 and 15 minutes respectively. The runtime may seem short, but it is rechargable after all.

 

[iTorch]

I was in a similar boat as you and almost went the same way, I was going to get a Fenix, P2D-just nice alround shape, then I read about the Novatac and thought, heck thats a lot of a light...but then I read some more, and a bit more and looked at pictures and so on, read every review and thread I could find, and eventually boght a second hand 120P.
I was astounded that I would spend this much on a torch (most of my spare money went on fountain pens), but I realized that the Novatac was not one torch, but many torch's, and the ability to go really low without destroying your night vision (or waking the wife in the middle of the night), plus the ability to instantly flick to high, or have various strobes, well it was a cincher for me.

When it arrived I was astounded at how small it was, like really small, and super powerful...so i would say gor for the Novatac, if you want the power then get a P, if not then a T or just the normal...or if you can handel not having a button, consider a twisty.

 

[precisionworks]

:welcome:

--------------------------------------------------------------

That's a pretty good laundry list of items...:thinking:

I really like all the Novatacs and the EDC-85 would be perfect for me...

Tough little lights, the NovaTacs. Heavy walled, bullet proof (at least in my limited experience), easily worth a hundred bucks. I haven't seen a single cell SureFire that I like as well as the NovaTac, which is why all my SF's are double cell.

For one of the most perfect beams you can imagine, in a single CR123 (or rechargeable), with an easy to use UI, you'll love the NovaTac.

 

[TooSharp]

I think you already have a great EDC. I would stick with the P2D. It's what I carry everyday. I've also had a Nitecore Defender, Surefire L1, and several others. The P2D is a plenty tough light. Here is a thread on a P3D torture test, the P2D's bigger brother.

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=181049

Of course there is nothing wrong with wanting another light!

 

[Jarl]

I'm gonna get careless and bend or break it :mecry:as I don't feel it's constructed well enough for a guy like me that gets into lots of hands-on stuff.

I'd be surprised. I have an l2d, when I drop it i'm about 8 times more worried about my batteries than the torch. And the batteries are 2500 mah things that I'll be replacing as soon as I can get myself some eneloops

 

[Gunner12]

The Fenix was already a good choice(if only they added knurling). Fenix Store, has a coupon for CPFers, 8% off "CPF8".

If you've come on this site, then you probably won't be using the same light for 10 years, you would be upgrading when the newer, more efficient, and brighter LEDs come out.

The Novatac would be a good choice, though I would wait a bit to see if they come out with a brighter version(but that's just me).

:welcome:

Edited: thanks Crenshaw.

 

[scottaw]

I went from P2D to 120P and i don't regret it for a second. The novatac's are bombproof, there's a pic around here of one that Novatac intentionally trashed...and it still works. It's a great light and a good size, look for one on the B/S/T forums..and of course.....Welcome to CPF, hang on to your wallet.

 

[cv3po]

PS: The Fenix bundle arrived and after carefully looking it over for about 10 minutes I concluded that although its very nice, sooner or later I'm gonna get careless and bend or break it :mecry:as I don't feel it's constructed well enough for a guy like me that gets into lots of hands-on stuff. However, for a wing-tipper or bean counter that never gets his hands dirty, it would be perfect. That said, the Fenix bundle is for sale (essentially brand new) for what I paid for it: $58 + $4 shipping.

I guess I'd recommend a Surefire L1 or maybe the new E1B.

BTW....the above statement about a Fenix being ok for a wing-tipper or bean counter that never gets his hands dirty might be considered offensive. In fact, it sounds like it's coming from a hick redneck. "not constructed well enough for a guy like me" You might be better off with a M@glight then

 

[Crenshaw]

The Fenix was already a good choice(if only they added knurling), next time order form Fenix Store, probably cheaper and they also have a coupon for CPFers, 8% off "CPF8".

actually no, on fenixstore the price is something like 70+ without discount.. that was a steal on ebay..

gmanjgc, i would keep that bundle if i were you...you can never to many flashlights on you, let alone on a shelf..Or if you want to sell it, go to market place, at 60+ shipping, it will proabably sell fast..

Crenshaw

 

[gmanjgc]

WOW! I'm amazed at how many responses I received in such a short period of time. I want to thank all of you for taking the time to respond and sharing your thoughts as to what you feel would make a good EDC based on my preferences. I am certainly going to research all of your suggestions and reevaluate what I should purchase.

Unfortunately, I must have offended Crenshaw when I said "tighter than a frogs but hole" to which he responded "your frogs hole thingy might be a bit out of line... " and when I stated "The Fenix bundle arrived and after carefully looking it over for about 10 minutes I concluded that although its very nice, sooner or later I'm gonna get careless and bend or break it as I don't feel it's constructed well enough for a guy like me that gets into lots of hands-on stuff" which must of again offended Crenshaw since he replied with "Yaesumofo is right about the two camps, surefire and fenix, do not under any circumstances insult either". (I wasn't aware that I insulted the Fenix Company).

Although I truly appreciate Crenshaw taking the time to respond to my post and to offer his suggestions, I don't feel the "frog hole thingy" as he calls it was out of line at all. My intentions were to give you readers a chuckle. Is that illegal here? Did I intentionally insult someone? Is "buthole" a bad word? I thought that was a word commonly heard on the elementary school playground. As for the later statement, I was under the assumption that this site is made up of individuals offering their opinions about various flashlights/items both good and bad. If I feel that the Fenix is not as well constructed as I would like it to be then I will express that. Without opinions, this site would be worthless.

As for cv3po, apparently I hurt his feelings as well when I said "However, for a wing-tipper or bean counter that never gets his hands dirty, it would be perfect". Again, I was making a very general statement referring to an individual that makes his living wearing a suit or nice clothes and is less likely to get into too much hands on work. The ideal example would be my uncle who makes a good living working for a bank and relies on his wife to fix things around the house. I don't see anything wrong with that statement either since we are all different as individuals. Some people are not very mechanically inclined and there is nothing wrong with that. Some people (like myself) are better at working with their hands. I would take no offense to someone referring to those in my profession as a mill hunks or grease monkeys. Wouldn't it be a boring world if we were all the same and had the same talents/skills? I do however take offense to the reply cv3po made which I feel was intentionally directed TO ME where he responded:

"BTW....the above statement about a Fenix being ok for a wing-tipper or bean counter that never gets his hands dirty might be considered offensive. In fact, it sounds like it's coming from a hick redneck" and . . . "not constructed well enough for a guy like me" You might be better off with a M@glight then"

Based on those statements, I don't think I'm the one that's out of line here. Gee, was that intended as in insult to the Maglight Company? Hmmmm . .

Again, my statements in my post were intended to be entertaining and nothing more. It would be different if I was to reference a particular individual as I feel cv3po did to me. I've seen many posts here where general humor (which is not directed at any particular individual) is injected into the subject matter, so I felt this was a given and in fact welcome. Apparently, there are some extremely sensitive readers that belong to this forum. I'm sorry to say that I'm not going to have any of my future posts proofread by Miss Manners to satisfy those of you that have little (if any) sense of humor. I never intended to hurt anybody's feelings. That's the trouble with words/text . . it's very easy to read into things way too much or misinterpret what is being said. Geeeze . . LIGHTEN UP!

Again, thank you for your time and responses. The information you provided will be very helpful to me.

-gmanjgc

 

[Crenshaw]

thats why there was a after that comment...lighten up man...:nana:

just kidding,but it is safer to assume that "butholes" of anykind can be construed as insulting to someone reading the forums, even if its not me.

As for your assumptions that opinions are allowed, totally they are, but it also isnt fair for you to judge a light based on a few day's worth of usage. That said, if you feel they arent constructed well enough, thats fine...you have to find a light that works well for you..in fact, thats what everyone here is trying to do, find the perfect light. My opinion is just that fenix is built pretty well, even if you might not think so, i do..so, we we agree to disagree :thumbsup:

and no you didnt offend me..that was just an informative post that its wise not to insult either way....and erm, we all know what we wrote in our posts, no need to quote..
also, cv3po was injecting humor, the way i see it.Dont be so sensitive...:nana:


however, you would do well to note that we are all polite as can be, or at least try to be, so having your posts proofread by "Miss Manner" as you say is a good idea. That isnt to say that your first post was bad, just, keep miss manners looking over your shoulder.. also, read the welcome mat if you havnt already done so

cv3po, i am greatful for the times you have backed me up, but you are coming on a tad strongly.. personal attacks,even as jokes, dont usually get anywhere..:thumbsup: just like im telling the OP above..there are people who are offended by certain things, best to leave out anything that might be construed as insulting or offensive

Gunner12,no problem...

Crenshaw

 

[wishywashy7]

Another good heavy duty light is the surefire 6P. when coupled with a Malkoff drop in you have a great very high output flashlight. When added up the cost is a little higher than what you are looking for.

Yaesumofo

even with the stock LED on the 6P, you can hardly go wrong. A surefire G2 LED is also a viable alternative.

 

[DM51]

I guess I'd recommend a Surefire L1 or maybe the new E1B.

BTW....the above statement about a Fenix being ok for a wing-tipper or bean counter that never gets his hands dirty might be considered offensive. In fact, it sounds like it's coming from a hick redneck. "not constructed well enough for a guy like me" You might be better off with a M@glight then

cv3po, people have had more than enough of your abrasive and trollish behaviour.

Calling people "hick rednecks," telling them "Whatever your dosage is you might want to up it a bit," and injecting irrelevant political controversy into posts is totally unacceptable. This latest puerile offering of yours comes less than 2 days after you received a warning.

Take a week off. I suggest you use the time to rethink your attitude, or your return will be a very brief one.