What trend do you see in your purchases in the past year?

[Lee1959]

Have your purchases changed in the past year? Do you buy less lights and spend less money than you did a year ago? Two years ago? Do you buy more lights and spend more money? Less lights and more money? More lights and less money? Or have they basically stayed the same in the past year(s). I am not incluiding lights you bought to give as gifts here, these are strictly for your own use.

I have found that each year I buy less lights, and spend less on them than I did in previous years when I started buying a lot of flashlights. I only bought 4 last year which was down from about 8 the previous year and more than that the year before. This year I have bought none so far, and am only considering a new Inova T1, possibly...

 

[dulridge]

Have your purchases changed in the past year? Do you buy less lights and spend less money than you did a year ago? Two years ago? Do you buy more lights and spend more money? Less lights and more money? More lights and less money? Or have they basically stayed the same in the past year(s). I am not incluiding lights you bought to give as gifts here, these are strictly for your own use.

I have found that each year I buy less lights, and spend less on them than I did in previous years when I started buying a lot of flashlights. I only bought 4 last year which was down from about 8 the previous year and more than that the year before. This year I have bought none so far, and am only considering a new Inova T1, possibly...

Mine have changed...

I've spent very little on lights in the last year or so and most of them have been Maglites (2x6D, 1x2D) to be modded into ROP lights. Most of my lights contain Luxeon LEDs which will indicate when I bought them. I've bought Three lights with Cree LEDs (Zebralight - the Only Q5 I own and Romisen 4Cree, Ultrafire C3) in them in the last year. I've bought several Cree/SSC LEDs to modify older lights though.

Considering very, very little other than high power incan bulbs at the moment though I will be getting more batteries / chargers and the like to build high power lights.

 

[Hodsta]

My trend has been a move over from 2x123 to single 123 lights.

 

[Sgt. LED]

Moving into single cell format and customs.
Plenty of Surefires............
More lights than last year and way more money.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

More cheaper lights. Mostly one cell AA but a few 1x17670 or 18650 lights too.

All with LEDs! Mostly newest brightest LEDs.

 

[Germ]

I've been avoiding buying every light I see My trend has been going to smaller incans, plastic, and rechargeable lights. I'm trying to be picky and get good value for my money. I am willing to splurge now and then though.

I'm trying to get my powerful incan lights smaller than a Mag 2D. Towards that end I got a SureFire G3 and assembled a 2x18500 Leef bodied light. I want to assemble a 2C ROP.

The plastic lights would be the the SureFire G3L, SureFire G3, and Streamlight Sidewinder. Being plastic they are relatively inexpensive. I worry about them less than my beautiful aluminum lights so I end up using them more. Plus, they are less likely to scratch other things.

Going rechargeable makes me less concerned with how much it is costing to use a light.

I came THAT close to getting an M6 around Christmas. Now a light with the funny name Invictus sounds very appealing :devil:

 

[HoopleHead]

a steadily upward one!

 

[Paul6ppca]

I have probably bought less,I always try to use 1 cell lights,at least when using lion. Nimh Ill use multi lights.I also have really taken to multi level lights for ecd,around home.
Outdoors its 1 level ,bright, mag 85,blaster 3d if long runtime needed,or for smaller /shorted use,electrolumens Dacree nearly 200 lumens ,1 18650,2 hr runtime.
I do favor small bright lights for edc with low lows,ex; novatac,litheflux,2 flupic ights,and nitecore DI.

I have tried to be more selletive and find something that fits a need,or sometimes is just plain cool!I also hae tried to buy more quality lights and stay away from cheapie light of the month .

Also I have modded many lights with seoul p4. Its like getting a new light.

 

[nerdgineer]

Last couple have been toward the cheaper DX/Kai end because:

1. They're cheaper

2. Cheaper lights are becoming very capable very quickly. They comprise an interesting and fast moving arena.

Basic, reliable, efficient, highly usable light has gone from $80 (early Arc LS) to $35 (Fenix L1P) to $13.50 (Kai's XJC-B8) in like 4 years. Amazing...

 

[scottaw]

I've gone to high end 1 cell lights, LOTS of L1's, Nova, and now i'm moving to rechargables, so i've been spending more on accessories.

 

[Gunnerboy]

Lately, I've been paying more attention to SureFire deals.

Last month, I bought my first A2 during the Sportsmen's Warehouse blowout. (It now runs a Strion bulb + SMJ's.)

Last week, I picked up a new-condition 9P from Cabelas' "Bargain Cove" for $51.00. The SF batteries inside were dead so the two ladies at the sales counter figured the light was defective. (It's been sent off to CPF'er scott.cr for boring service to fit 18500's.)

There was also a SF M6 Guardian there for $260.00, in immaculate condition, however, I wasn't interested.

Gary

 

[alanagnostic]

I'm definitely spending less on lights. I only bought a few this last year and I will probably only buy 1-2 this year. I've got most of my needs covered and now I'm just looking for the best EDC I can find. I don't plan on buying any more incans for a while....all LED's for me.

 

[Flying Turtle]

I'm probably buying fewer, but better lights than last year. I'll still pick up junk lights now and then to quiet that flashlight jones, but not as much as in the past. Spending has probably remained pretty constant.

Geoff

 

[83Venture]

Buying fewer lights. Usually smaller single cell AA/AAA variable output types. Moving away from speciality rechargeable battery lights (18650s etc) or the expensive 123/CR2 types. (I know, buy over the net).

Mosty General purpose EDC that I use often. I don't seem to use the more special purpose lights I have very much, no reason to update them.

 

[Oddjob]

I have been spending about the same amount of money as the previous year. The main change from last year is that I finally bought a DMM and a battery tester to take some of the guess work out of using my batteries (I highly recommend doing this). I am still partial to single cell lights and will probably only buy a few high end lights this year (i.e new Arc, HDS).

I have noticed that lately I am liking a brighter primary setting on my programmable lights. I used to prefer the 3-5 lumen range but now I am liking the 10-15 lumen range. I wonder if this is related to more concientious battery use?:shrug:

 

[Cydonia]

I used to hold out hope for an "off the shelf" solution... some new flashlight that would "have it all". Now I know that custom modded is the only way to go. I don't bother reading reviews or even looking at the new lights. I'm back to modded m*g's hosts with upgrade ability in the future. If anything breaks I fix it myself with a part. When a new LED comes out, I just order it and replace the old one etc.,

 

[BillG]

a move to AA format and a move to ONLY multi level lights.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

The lights I've bought over the years have weathered the technology advances pretty well. I don't buy like I did a few years ago as I have lights for my needs. I did bump up my purchases a bit after Katrina to cover a couple things that hadn't occured to me until then. Since then we've bought a couple custom lights from Elektro Lumens and that's about it.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

I'm spending more on quality rather than quantity. The fade of "damn that's bright I need to buy it, damn a new BIN! Gonna have to buy more again" to me is over.

 

[BassClefJeff84]

Lately I have been focusing more on lower output lights and not concerning myself with the "most lux possible" mindframe I used to have. I purchased an 85p vs the 120p just for the sole reason that, even though it would be nice to have the 120 output choice, using the 85p doesn't even allow me to give into the temptation to use the 120 level. That is why I am proud of surefire for being modest with their output levels on the single cell lights this year.