Which single cell .. HDS or SUREFIRE

[Louise.UK]

Hello Good Folks Of CPF

I really would appreciate as much input as possible please ... so thanks in advance

I'm looking for a single cell 123A , its for my husband serving in the military with a budget of ( sub $250 ) he's asked me to research and purchase either the Surefire EB1 or E1L

BUT .. Ive discovered a flashlight by HDS which looks very popular and fits into the above criteria.



So regardless of price which out of the top 3, would you trust you life with ?


Thanks for all your time in advance

Louise x
UK England

 

[Norm]

You might consider a Malkoff MDC as well, New Malkoff MDC in the works.

Norm

 

[880arm]

Hi Louise :welcome:

The EB1 and E1L are very different from one another. Do you know what your husband's primary usage will be? That would go a long way toward recommending one over the other.

 

[nbp]

Surefire, HDS, Malkoff, build something from Oveready...all super reliable options.

As noted, knowing the usage/needs would help a lot.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

He's in the military. An HDS, Malkoff, or Surefire might be adequate for him, but your husband indicated a Surefire EB1 or E1L. Best to get him what he wants, and not take time to second guess him. You will get responses regarding dozens of flashlights that might work, but you don't have the time, per your post.

Bill

 

[Louise.UK]

Thanks guys very prompt :)

Norm will look into the Malkoff . Cheers

880arm are we talking about max brightness v run time ? .. i would say run time, just due to the lack of availability in spare batteries , Usage would be close up work nothing over 6-10 feet range .

nbp thanks for the heads up will deff check out that site.


Again thanks for all the info gents , it is appreciated.

lou x

 

[Z-Tab]

I would second the recommendation to just get a Surefire if that's what he wants. The EB1 with a tactical tailcap is the way I would go for most purposes, Surefire's two-level tactical UI is excellent, intuitive, and incredibly reliable.

Based on their history of production problems, if you order an HDS today, it might not arrive until the middle of next year.

 

[880arm]

880arm are we talking about max brightness v run time ? .. i would say run time, just due to the lack of availability in spare batteries , Usage would be close up work nothing over 6-10 feet range .

Yes, that is the major difference between the EB1 and E1L. I should have mentioned that in my first post.

Both the EB1 and E1L are two-mode lights - The EB1 at 200 lumens on high and 5 lumens on low, the E1L-A (the latest model) at 90 lumens on high and 5 lumens on low. Both lights use a "click" type tail switch to activate the light and change modes. The EB1 always comes on in high mode first and then can be changed to low mode with a second press or click. The E1L is the opposite, always coming on in low mode first.

If the light will be used for close-in tasks as you describe and if extended runtime is a priority then the E1L is the way to go.

 

[Louise.UK]

880arm thanks for the reply, you answered all my question in your last post :thumbsup:

Didn't know about the HDS Lead time and problems so cheers there guys.

Catch you all later, bye for now.
Louise xx