new e1L or L1

LEDBE
9

97t-bird

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
51
Well I am going to be getting my dad a surefire for christmas. He seems to be grabbing mine off my table to use around the house for various things G3 and U2 with a E2D arriving monday.

I am thinking about getting him a 1 battery light E1L of L1, with the diffuser as they throw alot. He works as a machinist and loves his little streamlight stylus' btu they are inadequate for alot of things. He would use this light around our boat, working on cars, and possibly work, maybe even edcing it.

I would jump all over the L1 but I am afraid he will always use it on high and burn through the batteries. Any thoughts would be great I figured this would be a great christmas present for him. Also open to the 6PL or G2L.....
 
As far as the new E1L and the L1 are concerned.. a diffuser isnt necessary. I would go with an L1, but if your always using it on high, yea you will burn through a lot of batteries. Maybe a G2 with a Malkoff?
 
Sounds like he needs a light for close up applications. I would go with the E1L cree with the longer runtime. To a non-flashaholic, the E1L is very bright and will satisfy them.
 
L1 hands down - it's not much larger than the L1 and having the 2 stages increases its value as utility light.
 
I agree with greenLED. Dad may use it on the lower level more than you think once he's had it for a period of time. The L1 is the way to go. :)
 
I find the new L1 is about as small as I can comfortably hold and use.
The E1L is definitely too short and the wrong shape for me.

I suggest the L1 over the E1L without a doubt.
 
I really enjoy the two levels myself. For the last three years I've really grown fond of the L2. As nice as the L2 is, the L1 seems even more handy to me.
 
Patriot36 said:
I really enjoy the two levels myself. For the last three years I've really grown fond of the L2. As nice as the L2 is, the L1 seems even more handy to me.
Click to expand...
Likewise - I've been EDCing both for quite some time to see whether the L1 can replace the L2 as my EDC of choice.
I'm quite liking the A2/Titan combination though as I miss the A2 when the L2 replaced it...

The two-stage switch is still the best 'UI' I've yet found.

Al
 
My L1 is my favorite light. The low level is bright enough for general utility use, then when you need more light, Bam! it is right there. It works nicely clipped to a baseball cap as a headlight also. I EDC this one everywhere. I love the versatility, and easy carry.
 
Another vote for the L1, I don't think that he'll use high as much as you think. For me the L1 low was a bit too bright, but that may be a good thing for your dad, especially if he will be using it around the shop. I don't have big'ol mitts by any means but I always felt like the E1e and E1L's were just a bit too small, so there's that to consider. With the L1 you get two stages of light and very good runtime, to me that's a no brainer... Which ever way you go, I think that it's very cool that you're getting your dad a Surefire!:thumbsup:
 
Looks like it will be an L1 then X2 one for me and him, I am getting the impression that it is just that good.
 
This is killing me. I wanted to wait for the upgraded L2 but EVERYONE loves the L1 so much I might have to bite the bullet. So far I am resisting.... aaargh.
 
i'm gonna buck the trend here and go against the flow.

I prefer to use the E1L, mostly for three reasons:

1: the clickie. I was a die-hard twisty fan for the longest time, based on their reliability and simplicity. But over the last few years I have had to use my lights in wet and/or under water locations, and the fact that you don't have to twist the tailcap eliminates the chance that water might get in. The chance is small with properly lubricated O-rings, but we don't all carry a spare bottle of the stuff on us.

2: for an utility light, the clickies to work well. simple click on/off, much nicer to use when you don't have two hands to use and much easier that turning on a twisty with one hand.

3: Surefire has nailed the balance between brightness and runtime with the E1L for me. 5+ hours regulated, and the level on E1L is much more usable than the 10 lumen low mode on the L1.

Don't get me wrong I really like the L1, with its sweet optics and all. I just find myself reaching for the E1L when I need to work on something when the weather is not that sunny. Plus like others said, a person new to the high-efficiency LEDs might use the highest level without thinking about runtime and run through lots of batteries.
For a person who just needs a light to work with, a clickie light with moderate output and long runtime and less chance of getting water/liquid inside may be more useful.
 
Last edited:
I also give a vote for the E1L

Just click and (with the new Cree) 10 hours of beautiful white light.

This is bright enough for any everyday task and the simplicity of click on, click off is great. It's also bright enough for hiking through the woods in the middle of the night, but I must admit I prefer incans for color, etc...

My hands are quite large (6'2 220lbs, size 13's) and this little beauty fits in my fist like it was born to be there. Just a great feel.

I've never owned the L1 but don't think I will. If I need more than the E1L can pump out (and that's quite a potent little light!) I grab something else. And I'm probably spotting cyotes about 1000 yards away in that instance!

Either way I'm sure you can't go wrong.
 
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