Which LED flashlight would you guys recomend?

[prof student]

Evening ladies & gents. Loooooong time reader, 4rd (or 5th) time poster.

I am looking to buy 2 LED flashlights. 1 for my younger sis & 1 for me. This is what I am looking for:

1) cost: roughly under $70
2) purpose: general use, especially for power loss, so, ideally one that can
last a while - not just an hour or 2, especially if they run on 123's!!! lol
3) one that is preferably not too blue at all (my sister doesnt feel
comfortable using/seeing with a blue tint)

Current lights I am looking at, but have questions:
1) Streamlight NF2/TL2 (newer one) - up to 3.5 hours of good light...120
lumens
2) Surefire G2L - but how long does it REALLY last? 12 hours for real???
What rate does the lumens drop off at? 80 lumens
3) Some of the Fenix: but, looking for one that is simple, with probably 2
setting/ can the AA lights reallyyyy put out as much power as the
Cr123'S?

ANY and all info greatly appreciated.

I definitely picked 1 & 2 b/c of their reliability. Fenix, i have read is really good, but sometimes unreliable.

 

[Bigsy]

Re: Which LED flaslight would you guys recomend?

If I wanted a flashlight especially for powerloss I'd buy the nitecore infinity, or maybe the new Jetbeam IBS mk1 personally.

2 reasons, firstly, they run on AA's the most abundant battery going. Secondly, they will run forever on their lowest settings. Not to mention relatively unquestionable build quality (well for the NDI, the jetbeam is still very new).

And yes AA flashlights can outshine Cr123's if run on 14500 batteries (can still be on a par with normal AA rechargeable to), with the bonus you can still fall back on normal AA's as backup.

 

[greenstuffs]

Re: Which LED flaslight would you guys recomend?

If I wanted a flashlight especially for powerloss I'd buy the nitecore infinity personally.

OP asked for a light below $70 last time i checked the artificial high price is above the $70.

2 reasons, firstly, it runs on AA's the most abundant battery going. Secondly, it will run forever on its lowest setting.

So other Fenix lights, even the ultrafice C3 SS runs quite awhile with AA's

Not to mention relatively unquestionable build quality.

How was this proven? A light made by some fly by night company that has a life less than 3 month and there are problems being reported already.

And yes AA flashlights can outshine Cr123's if run on 14500 batteries, with the bonus you can still fall back on normal AA's as backup.

I think OP was asking if Alkaline AA was brighter than CR123 however lion batteries should be brighter than CR123 because they have higher voltage.

 

[Bigsy]

Re: Which LED flaslight would you guys recomend?

* Come one its around the $70 mark.

* But both don't run as long. And the ultrafire, apart from looking nice is crap in most other departments compared to proper AA light.

* You suggest an ultrafire then have the cheek to come back at me about build quality? I was taking you seriously till that point, LMAO!. The Nitecore has proved reliable, so there are some gritty head threads out there, so what?

* I made the distinction between 14500's and normal rechargeables perfectly clear thankyou, and the poster didn't even mention Alkaline at all you did.

 

[greenstuffs]

Re: Which LED flaslight would you guys recomend?

* You suggest an ultrafire then have the cheek to come back at me about build quality? LMAO!. The Nitecore has proved reliable, so there are some gritty head threads out there so what?

I have ultrafires that were high quality comparable to Fenix, i have had them for over 1 year, they still work just as good as the first day in my book they have been running longer than the Nitecore which is made by some unknown company just out of the blue as ultrafire i really like how marketing works. Just because you are paying $80 for some light doesn't mean it is worth that much.

Some proven reliability

If OP wanted something reliable he should go with a G2L which has a very reliable switch IMO.

 

[Bigsy]

Re: Which LED flaslight would you guys recomend?

Get out of it, ultrafire make bugdet quality flashlights, this is fact. I've bought plenty myself, build quality in general doesn't come close to the top end AA's.

There is a reason you can't buy fenix's for $15!

But hey if the poster had asked for a $15 $20 budget none emergency light, I'd probably be recommending a Romisen....that's how far the mark an ultrafire is imo.

Oh and as for your 'proof' of bad NDI's if I were to search the forum for poor ultrafire quality I think we both know there would be a lot of threads!

 

[greenstuffs]

Re: Which LED flaslight would you guys recomend?

Get out of it, ultrafire make bugdet quality flashlights, this is fact. I've bought plenty myself, build quality in genral doesn't come close to the top end AA's.

There is a reason you can't buy fenix's for $15!

The Fenix E01 :naughty:

But hey if the poster had asked for a $15 $20 budget none emergency light, I'd probably be recommending a Romisen....that's how far the mark an ultrafire is imo.

Oh and as for your 'proof' of bad NDI's if I were to search the forum for poor ultrafire quality I think we both know there would be a lot of threads!

Ultrafire quality pretty irregular however there are reports of lights being very well made. I wasnt comparing quality of ultrafire, i'm just saying the ultrafire will run almost as long as a NDI or Fenix, given the widely availability of batteries, it shoulden't be an issue given the negligeable reduced amount of runtime.

 

[Bigsy]

Re: Which LED flaslight would you guys recomend?

The Fenix E01 :naughty:

Fits AA's does it?

In fact does it fit any requirements the poster wants?

Hey he might as well buy a fauxton and be done.

 

[greenstuffs]

Re: Which LED flaslight would you guys recomend?

Fits AA's does it?

In fact does it fit any requirements the poster wants?

Hey he might as well buy a fauxton and be done.

Your argument was "you can't buy Fenix's for $15" However if you want to split hairs i have seen Fenix-Store dumping luxeon fenix inventory for around $20 free ship just as cheap as ultrafires.

 

[Bigsy]

Re: Which LED flaslight would you guys recomend?

Ok you broke me....I conseed, ultrafire quality beats crap out of all other AA flash lights! It's like they were milled buy God himself, I see this now!

How dumb do I feel for not realising this before, I could OF SAVED MYSELF A BLOODY FORTUNE

 

[Cheapskate]

Re: Which LED flaslight would you guys recomend?

i really like how marketing works. Just because you are paying $80 for some light doesn't mean it is worth that much.

So which Surefire can you get for the same price as the Nitecore, and how does it's performance compare?

Surefire, Fenix, Maglite... - all companies are new at some point. You trash a product that has not received a bad review from anyone, that I have seen. Have Edgetac failed to respond to or fix problems where they have occurred?

They seem to be very responsive to suggestions and criticisms, the changes to the current version of the NDI being an example.

Edgetacs general behaviour indicates to me they are serious about what they are doing and are in it for the long-haul.

I have both Fenix and Nitecore, and I would recommend the later over the former any day.

My recommendation to the OP is get a Nitecore DI if you can afford it.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Surefire G3L, and look for lower prices than retail because they are out there.

 

[marc123]

Greenstuffs, do you even own a product from Edgetec? Their lights are popular for a reason, and I would hardly describe them as 'fly by nighters'.
I think you might have an axe to grind....

 

[Stainz]

Play nice now, children.

You can't beat the Inova X5 (2xCR123) for a long running floody light for loss of power situations. A pair should be around $70. Another choice is the 3xAA LED MagLite. Excellent build quality, if not the best use of 3xAAs, Lumen-wise. Again, a pair for <$70 - and available anywhere. Target did carry both flashlights.

Now, for $85 you can get a Surefire 6P LED, a bit more than the 'Nitrolon' plastic-like G2L model, but Aluminum. Some mail order sites, like LA Police, will ship for free - and throw in some spare batteries. Real Surefire CR123s are $21/12, too - great deal. All three of my suggestions are in VG+ to Exc build quality - and made in the USA. The 6P LED is just a standard.

Stainz

PS As far as PRC-made lights are concerned, my '4 in 1' Q5 Premium with P2D/L1D bodies & accessories has been a winner - $67.16 delivered with CPF 8% discount. A great value... and, you can use either a CR123 or a short-lived AA!

 

[prasinos]

The OP is asking for a light to be used mainly in power outages.
So:
- It's probably better to get a AA flashlight since AA batteries are much cheaper and easier to find (unless you already have some RCR123 and a charger for them). Nowadays with Lithium AA and Eneloops, R/CR123 batteries do not have such a big advantage.
- Get a light that tailstands and can be used in candle mode. (That rules out NDI - it can't tailstand).
- Get a light with high/low modes, preferably adjustable. You never know when power will be back and you might need the runtime (although with the availability of AA this is not so much an issue).
- Try to find a light with a good beam, it helps a bit when using it in candle mode. (SSC P4 leds seem to have an advantage here)
- If the light you 'll choose doesn't have any glow-in-the-dark part consider getting a glow-in-the-dark o-ring or tailcap for it. It makes finding the light around the house in a sudden power outage a little bit easier.
I don't know if there is a light that meets all the criteria, but Fenix L1D-CE and Jet-I MK IBS are good candidates (with less than perfect beams however).

As for the "debate" going on in the thread, it is true that we here are ready to pay hefty prices for having the word "tactical" in the description of the flashlight (although "tactical" does not mean really anything). You will see reviews ignoring faults for "tactical" lights (such as ugly beams) while being very harsh on cheaper lights on the same faults.
(Really: there is no excuse for an ugly beam, if Nuwai could manage it a few years ago on cheap lights, new expensive lights should have a good beam too. Same goes for tailstanding ability)
Besides, delving a bit in china/hong-kong manufacturing reveals that many companies that appear different are essentially one and the same.

 

[Jarl]

ok guys, the underground exists for a reason. Go have your "my light is better than yours" pissing contest there, please?

To answer the OP's question: Personally, I'd recommend a fenix L2D or L2T. The L2D has more modes and a slightly higher high, but the L2T is much easier to operate by non-flashaholics- tighten for high, loosen for low.

 

[greenstuffs]

delete...

 

[BigBluefish]

I'd get AA powered lights. CR123as aren't found everywhere, and can be expensive, unless you order online.

The Fenix L2T v2.0 is a 2 X AA light with 150 lumens for 2.5 hours on high and 16 lumens for 32 hours on low (approx. manuf. spec.) $48 - 8% CPF discount from FenixStore. You can also get a 1 x AA body tube for another $24 - 8% to make the light smaller and pocketable. High output is reduced to 90 lumens, and runtimes are halved.

The older Fenix L2P v2 is a 2 X AA light with about 45 lumens on high and 10 on low for 3 hours and 32 hours of runtime. $38 from Lighthound. You can also get a 1 X AA body tube for this light for about $12. Again, lower (but not much, in this case) output on 'high' and half the runtime on both modes. I have this light and like it alot...plenty bright for most indoor and short range outdoor tasks.

The Lumapower LM31 takes 1 AA battery. I don't own one, but they are highly regarded by many here. Not the brightest of AA lights on 'high' but has a very white, smooth beam due to its SSC P4 emitter. It has about a 2 hour runtime on high. It has a very low 'low' mode...I'm not sure, maybe 6 lumens...probably a little less bright than one of those little keychain lights (fauxtons). On low it will run for about 16 hours. For moving about indoors during power outages, this might be a good choice. $31 -5% CPF discount from BatteryJunction.

It wasn't clear to me whether you wanted to buy two $70 lights, or two lights for under $70 total. If you want to spend more money, $70 per light, you can get brighter lights, or lights with more features. Though I don't know if you'll get a much better light, for your needs.

Edit: someone above pointed out two good points I missed.
1. I don't know if any of these lights will do 'candle' mode.
2. The LM31 comes with a glow-in-the-dark o-ring around the bezel, and a glow-in-the-dark switch cover you can install. They do make finding the lights in the dark a bit easier...asuming they were under light before you were plunged into darkness.

 

[Brigadier]

I'd get AA powered lights. CR123as aren't found everywhere, and can be expensive, unless you order online.

In my book this is a non issue. If you are thinking ahead and ordering the latest and greatest power outage flashlight so you are prepared, why wouldn't you stock up on CR123A's at the same time? :thinking: Buy in bulk and they are very affordable, have a true 10 year shelf life.

That way you can buy the light you WANT and not be saddled by battery type.

Fenix P3D.

 

[BigBluefish]

In my book this is a non issue. If you are thinking ahead and ordering the latest and greatest power outage flashlight so you are prepared, why wouldn't you stock up on CR123A's at the same time? :thinking: Buy in bulk and they are very affordable, have a true 10 year shelf life.

That way you can buy the light you WANT and not be saddled by battery type.

Fenix P3D.

Good points, I generally like CR123s better, but AAs are still easier to come by, and they're cheaper (though L91s - lithium primaries - and Eneloops are almost as pricey). AA lights can also run off of plain old vanilla alkaline AAs, and NIMH rechargeables. Which of course, you won't be charging, when the power is out.

Personally, I use both, and have a bunch of Surefire CR123as and E2 lithium AAs and Enenloop AAs. I think the E2 lithium AAs actually have a longer shelf life than the CR123a cells, and are cheaper, and easier to find around here, in the Wal-Marts and supermarkets and stuff. If you order online, they're about the same. Some of the CR123as are actually cheaper than the L91s.