The Official HDS Junkie Thread

[Lantern32]

A new beginning to an old thread. The Official HDS Junkie Thread!

 

[nbp]

How will this differ from the main HDS thread?

 

[Lantern32]

How will this differ from the main HDS thread?

It will be a place where opinions may be spoken, and minds may be broken! Haha I have no idea, it's just a fresh start! haha

 

[P_A_S_1]

HDS 'junkie' thread....:thinking:......Isn't the current thread 'junkie/fanboy' enough already :laughing:

 

[Lantern32]

HDS 'junkie' thread....:thinking:......Isn't the current thread 'junkie/fanboy' enough already :laughing:

Maybe this one is better! haha!

 

[kj2]

Since I've one, I'm hooked Going on a short vacation on Monday, and the only light I bring with me is my EDC Rotary

 

[scout24]

Two is one, one is none...

 

[Lantern32]

Since I've one, I'm hooked Going on a short vacation on Monday, and the only light I bring with me is my EDC Rotary

Nice! Better bring plenty of batteries in case there is a zombie apocalypse and you need to have the light run for a while! haha

 

[kj2]

Two is one, one is none...

True. Should buy a second HDS light
Am looking at the 200N, or 170N for a good price.

Nice! Better bring plenty of batteries in case there is a zombie apocalypse and you need to have the light run for a while! haha

4 batts should be fine
Won't go to the end of the world.

 

[nbp]

HDS is the best flashlight ever, no doubt! No one can tell me otherwise! I won't listen to anything else.

 

[nbp]

HDS is the best flashlight ever, no doubt! No one can tell me otherwise! I won't listen to anything else.

Nonsense, you are a fool! They are overpriced and not very bright. I can get more from my Blastfire light for only $12!

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Nonsense, you are a fool! They are overpriced and not very bright. I can get more from my Blastfire light for only $12!

SWM V11R FTW. For the price of an HDS 325, you could have 7 (seven/siete) V11Rs and a some money left over for a few AW IMR 16340s.

Now, if you just like to have small batch, semi-custom, well made and well implemented things, I've got no problem with that, but those attributes don't necessarily make something better than something else, perhaps just better to you, personally, right?

Chris

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

Nonsense, you are a fool! They are overpriced and not very bright. I can get more from my Blastfire light for only $12!

I know you're being tongue-in-cheek, but my response to this is that you get what you pay for. When I drop an HDS flashlight, I pick it up and keep working. When you drop your $12 made-in-China pocket-rocket, you'll be picking up the the pieces. And that's assuming the switch doesn't malfunction or the LED doesn't burn out from being overdriven before you even have a chance to seriously use it.

While you can get a flashlight cheaper than an HDS, you're not going to get the same features, quality, and customer support as an HDS.

 

[recDNA]

Funny you mention v11r. V11r, HDS, and Zebralight are my three favs. I like MDC to but the 3 above have better ui for me.

 

[yoyoman]

V11R is a nice light, but not nearly as efficient as an HDS Rotary.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Funny you mention v11r. V11r, HDS, and Zebralight are my three favs. I like MDC to but the 3 above have better ui for me.

I'm not an HDS basher and would love to add one to my EDC rotation, but when I started hanging out here in Jan. of 2012, they were $195ish for the 200LM model, IIRC. I wasn't going to get into li-ion cells/lights after spending a boatload revamping my NiMH batteries, chargers and lights.

Then a little voice in my head started whispering to me and I got a PM from somebody here about the ZL SC600cw and that was that. At $95, it was by far my most expensive light at the time and to this day, it's still my most expensive light. The new HDS lights are now up to $300+, when you can even find them and well, I just don't think that that extra cash makes it a better EDC tool than my D25C Ti. clicky, or my V11R.

I just don't need my lights to have a perfectly smooth beam pattern, or a high CRI, or even awesome mode spacing, I just need them to come on when I'm in the dark and give me some flexibility above and beyond a single mode.

My brother, sisters and I were brought up around nice things and our parents' have what others would describe as 'taste,' so again, I get that people like boutique stuff and that 'pride of ownership' is a real factor in a decision, but at some point, price has to weigh into the equation for me, because I'm not a wealthy person.

Anyhow, if we all liked and used the same things, it would be a boring world, wouldn't it?

Chris

 

[reppans]

HDS is the best flashlight ever, no doubt! No one can tell me otherwise! I won't listen to anything else.

Nonsense, you are a fool! They are overpriced and not very bright. I can get more from my Blastfire light for only $12!

haha - typical thread progression, might as well get that out of the way.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

V11R is a nice light, but not nearly as efficient as an HDS Rotary.

I use rechargeable batteries/cells and two spare 16340s take up the space of a Tic Tac box, so efficiency has never really been an important factor to me, honestly. However, if one only uses primaries, or if one needs to use the light for a long period of time, but cannot carry spares with him/her, I could see where eeking out the last minutes from a battery/cell might be an important point for them.

I just wonder how many people here fall into that last segment. Same with beam profile, tint and CRI. I guess if you're out cataloging Poison Arrow frogs in the Amazonian rainforests, or you're a great 'white wall hunter,' those things matter, but when I'm under my truck trying to figure out what's leaking, or at a darkened restaurant with my love, trying to read the menu, that stuff really isn't that important to me, in the eternal scheme of things.

I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, so perhaps I should leave now?

Chris

 

[cland72]

What is the lead time at HDS right now?

 

[recDNA]

HDS isn't for everyone. It is a luxury item for a limited number of people. It is bomb proof and will last forever but that also means its led may become outdated. My rotary 170n is NOT for white wall hunters! I hear the 200n is though. I wouldn't try to talk you into one but I like them.