Quality Hard-Use EDC light for farmer?

[HEUTE]

Hello. This is my first post here. I am desperate to find a good EDC light for the criteria provided below, and, as someone with very little experience in this realm, I would like your advice. I have filled in the following, and am happy to provide additional information.

1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter. (I live in the UK, and would like to order from someone reputable (Heinnie Haynes, Amazon etc)


2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest! 🙂

Less than £150. ($235 in your money I believe)


3) Format:

I want a flashlight.


4) Flashlight-specific format/size:

Holster carry. I want to EDC it, but don’t mind weight or size within reason


5) Emitter/Light source:

I don't know. I don’t care what light source, just that It does the job I want it to do

6) Manufacturer:

I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.


7) What battery type do you want to use?

I don’t mind, but AA, AAA and Surefire 123As are all a good idea, as I can get, carry and store them easily


8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).

I want to walk around an unlit rural area (50-150 lumens).
As many as possible. I want it to be capable of getting an attacker to reconsider their course of action or clearly illuminate an emergency situation.


9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.

Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)
50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces)


10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output).

Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods)
If my light runs on the batteries stated above, I will toss a PowerPax battery caddy into a pocket at all times, so very high output, short runtime is good for me


11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase “you get what you pay for” is very accurate for flashlights.

Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival).
I work on a farm, and have seen everything but the most reliable/durable items fail in such a use, so I want real hell-and-back reliability.


12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):

I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today’s high end lights).
Other, please specify
The tail mounted switch on the SureFire G2, for example, appeals to me (simple on/off, lock out), and holding torches with my thumb on the base suits me, but I’m not too fussy


13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me. I want it to be very simple, so high/off would be ideal


14)Material/Finish/Coating

I don’t care. If I can get a lightweight plastic torch that still has to-hell-and-back reliability that’s all good.


15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.

Holster. I want my light to come with a holster or for me to easily get one, preferably closed top nylon with stud or velcro closure

Wrist/Neck Lanyard or lanyard loop if possible.

Crenelated bezel Would be a big plus


Thanks in advance, and sorry If I've done anything wrong, HEUTE

 

[00Moonshine]

Try a Surefire E2DL. Lots of holsters available and it seems to fit almost all of your criteria. If you want something a little smaller and with less lumens try the Surefire E1B.

 

[z17813]

I'm a really big fan of Malkoff drop ins (as are many people here, just run a search and witness the love) in your situation I'd be tempted to buy a valiant 123 twisty & a Malkoff M31W (or M31 if you prefer cooler tint & more lumens, but in the country I prefer what I consider the better colour resolution of the warmer tint lights). With shipping etc. the complete package would probably run you about $160.

If you prefer a clicky to a twisty you can go for a surefire e1e, a valiant head & an M31W.
If you search around you can find the surefire e1e at cheaper prices than they once were as it has recently been discontinued, though you may have to factor in the additional shipping costs of buying from a couple of places, plus buying a complete light then disassembling it (easy to do just cost wise).
Alternatively keep an eye out on the marketplace as you might get a completely assembled light turn up & save on shipping.

Just read that you wanted a crenelated bezel, in which case the lights suggested by the above poster better suit your needs. IMO crenelations are a bit overrated, in the hopefully unlikely event that you had to use your light to defend yourself crenelations may be considered by some a weapon. IMO in the no doubt unfortunate event you have to use a light (or multitool, water-bottle, pen or whatever else you have to hand then it's better that it's just improvised & not something that could be considered a weapon. Just my 2 cents though.
Since your considering a holster I like the Malkoff turnkey MD2 light, it's a solid chunk of aluminium, that is dual mode & practically unbreakable.

 

[Jrubin]

i agree totally with the guys here, but wanted to add one choice to also look at
the Armytek predator - http://www.armytek.com/armytek_predator.html. you can literally beat the hell out of all these lights and they will still bring you home.

 

[Vortus]

As mentioned, the Malkoff MD2 w an M61 dropin. Though no crenelated bezel. Very similar and even more heavy duty is the Elzetta ZFL-M60. Can order just how you want.

Elzetta ZFL-M60
2-3 cells
Tail Clicky (hi/strobe, rotary and hi/lo also available)
Uses proven Malkoff dropins

 

[HEUTE]

Hello. Thanks again for all the info and suggestions, but i'm afraid that I must reiterate/state a few things:

1. I live in the UK, and so I will be unable to obtain any vaguely obscure foreign lights or parts. (yes it sucks)
2. It is probably best to assume that I know nothing about flashlights, their parts etc etc.

z17813, having thought about what you've said, I agree with you. I would be happy to go for a non-crenelated bezel.

I am still very much confused. as to what would most suit me, but am tending toward the Surefire G2 LED. It is cheap(ish), from what I've heard ultra-durable, has an output suitable for my purposes, has a UI that suits me and, even in the UK, it is very easy to get accessories for. I would like to point out however that the field is still very much open, and I am open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks again,


HEUTE

 

[Harry999]

Heute,

There are suppliers in the UK who import the lights that might be recommended here so don't worry too much about availability Surefire is definitely a good brand with a reputation for toughness and good warranty but it I suspect it could be difficult to get that warranty sorted in the UK. I've not had to use the warranty on any of my Surefires and that tells you something about that brand!

The Surefire E2DL is slightly more expensive than the Surefire G2 but is in my opinion a much better light. You can also get the FO4 diffuser for the Surefire E2DL from UK suppliers which would diffuse the beam so you can use it for close in work. Without a diffuser on the E2DL has very decent throw and enough spill so you can see in the local vicinity. I highly recommend it.

If you want to use AA batteries the Surefire E2LAA is another nice light.

There are other brands as well such as Fenix, 4Sevens, etc which are good as well but perhaps not as revered as Surefires. Some of them may have something that is more to your liking at a better price. I love my Surefires but my favorite angle light is a Fenix MC11 and my favorite head light is a Zebralight H51Cf or H501w - go figure!

 

[icecold]

i second the elzetta,i have 3 of them and they are awesome.i like the 3 cell models with the hi/lo tailcap.i dont think there is a better light for the money.
pete

 

[z17813]

Heute I'm in Australia & while there are a few great dedicated suppliers here, by and large your looking at buying from overseas.
Malkoff do international shipping, as do a number of the others mentioned. I think it's probably safe to say (even though it's just a guess) that most of us living outside the US order most of our lights and accessories from overseas. If your light is going to be something you use a lot then rechargeable batteries are worth it in the long run. If your looking for occasional use ie. the brief periods part of your post, then CR123 batteries are good as they last a long time when your not using them.
If your going to use your light a few times a week and want easily replaced batteries (ie AA or AAA) then there are good lights that will be very bright on rechargeable batteries, if you want rechargeable batteries that will last a long time on stand by Sanyo Eneloop brand are a well liked (easily replaced) brand of batteries with low self discharge (which means that if you don't use the light often the batteries won't be dead when you go to use them).
Fenix are a Chinese brand of lights that are very high quality for their price (although IMO they not as good as the more expensive malkoff offerings, I have a few of their lights and like them a lot) they offer a lot of AA & AAA models. This battery format means you can get rechargeable batteries if your getting lots of use out of them, or easily buy batteries at any store if you want to use disposable (or "primary") batteries.
Malkoff Devices are an American company (google them or search on this site) that are made on a much smaller scale and very, very good. They are a little more expensive than some of the other options mentioned, but that's due to them being much smaller production than fenix or surefire.
The Surefire G2 LED is a good light and I am sure that you would be happy with it, although for a light that you are going to carry in a holster on a belt then I don't think you would be bothered by the extra weight of some of the other torches mentioned & I rate the malkoff over the surefire for reliability, though in saying that I haven't had one of either of them fail on me, I just think the Malkoff LEDs have better tint & better overall build quality. Most people aren't put off by greenish or blueish tint which you are more likely to find in lights made on a larger scale, but if you get hooked on flashlights then you'll tend to find a tint (or range of tints) that your prefer. "Warm" tints appear more like incandescent lights, while cooler tints produce more lumens and are brighter (although whether they appear that way depends on lots of factors, there are lots of threads about tint if you want to search the forums, for me the takeaway message is that people tend to have a preference, your unlikely to know what you prefer until you have compared a few, & 99% of people who own torches probably don't care all that much - without a frame of reference it's basically just bright or not bright - people who are really into lights however tend to find a tint they like and stick with that.
The Malkoff MD2 has a similar UI to the G2 LED, but is brighter and has a low & high mode. I don't want to sound like I'm spruiking for them, I'm not (sadly) paid by Gene, I just have a bunch of his products and think they are great. If I was only going have one light for all situations then I think the MD2 with an M61 & a High/low switch in it (look on his site for the complete light) would be near the top of my list. You can twist the head of the light to have a lower mode, or twist the head to have it on high & the tailcap switch allows momentary on or permanent on. If you buy a stack of batteries in bulk (they have a shelf life of 10 years) then they aren't very expensive.
Another option if you like the Surefire G2 is to buy it and use it as a host, if you did this you would buy the stock G2 (not the LED), open the head, remove the bulb and use an LED drop in from Nailbender, Malkoff or one of the other respected makers. The standard bulb size in many of the surefire lights was the P60, because these were made on a large scale there are now a lot of LED light engines that can be used to replace the incandescent bulb. Search for P60 drop ins and you'll find a variety of options.
Zebralight also make a range of very good lights that can be used as headlights as well as handheld, so if you might need to use both hands that is another option.
Any questions ask away. But for simple, no fiddling around then you'll be happy with the Malkoff MD2, elzetta, the Zebralight, any of the surefire or fenix range that meet your requirements & the Armytek predator that JRubin mentions is a highly regarded light as well (though not having one I can't vouch for it personally).
Basically there are lots of lights that will do the job really well within your price range. Your personal preferences will have a lot to do with what you end up getting, and if you want the convenience of AA or AAA batteries etc.

 

[HEUTE]

Hey.

After a huge amount of deliberation (as you can probably guess from the post times), I've ordered a Surefire 6PX Tactical. I'll let you know how I get on I think when I've got a reasonable period of use behind me. But for now, Thank you VERY much for all the assistance and suggestions.


Good Day.

H

 

[azoutdoorsman]

Hey.

After a huge amount of deliberation (as you can probably guess from the post times), I've ordered a Surefire 6PX Tactical. I'll let you know how I get on I think when I've got a reasonable period of use behind me. But for now, Thank you VERY much for all the assistance and suggestions.


Good Day.

H

Excellent choice. Before i got to the bottom of this thread and read your choice, I was going to recommend a 6PX or G2X. I keep a G2X tactical in my Jeep, and it is durable as well as terrific performance.