why are only surefires modded?

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Because other than custom pieces, they are the best machined. They have the best construction, tolerances, etc. If you're going to go to the time and expense to mod something, might as well start off with the best.
 
i think its because "modding" lights or anything else has to do more with enthusiast, or people that are more passionate about their hobby or interest.
modding a surefire means starting with one of the best platforms then personalizing it, or improving on it.

but surefires arent the only lights that are modded. maglites are great platforms for modding.
budget light modding is another heavily modded area.
 
In addition to the reasons above, I think the longevity and stability of their main product lines has something to do with it as well. The Surefire P60 style hosts have been made for enough years, and in enough varieties, that there has been plenty of time (and demand) for third-parties to begin making accessories and parts for them. The same holds true for many of the Maglites as well.

Keep in mind that these lights were being modded back before LED's became mainstream. As LED's became more popular the ability to make drop-in replacements of light assemblies made them even more versatile for people (like me) who don't possess any special skills related to modding. They have been so popular that even some of the more budget Surefire knock-offs have developed a pretty strong following.

This isn't a knock against brands like Fenix, JetBeam, FourSevens, etc. but they haven't been around nearly as long and haven't had time to generate the same level of customization support. Also, modding most of these lights requires more skill than just opening the bezel and dropping a new light engine inside.
 
As was mentioned, Surefires definitely aren't the only one... But one of the most popular, and accessable for most without extra tooling (try pulling apart a Preon for Kicks...)

Like maglites, alephs (although themselves built around SF e-series measurements afaik), etc... Surefire have a standard and tolerance they work to on their lights, and separate them in to classifications (P60, E-Series...) to allow a part from one light, to be used on another etc...
They also (like maglite) never used to offer 'good' LED alternatives, and still don't support RCRs in the majority of their lights, meaning that it was a solid incandescent platform, built to a high standard, for many modders to work with to get the LED performance they were looking for.

Just my 0.02 fwiw
 
Everything on CPF eventually seems to get modded in one way or another. The SF P60 format just tends to be popular for its quality, availability of aftermarket parts, and Lego-ability. :shrug:

I can't get enough :devil:
 
gsteve said:
why are only surefires modded
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Quality of machining, threads, feel, everything is top notch on most sf's. I can see why they were such a popular base for modding.

for me it's not so much for performance boost, and I get no fun out of mods as I prefer factory configurations, but ergonomics require it. Among the dozen or so sf's I've tried, the three i ended up not flipping, yet, they have had to be modded or at least gone through some degree of lego-swapping too, & still are not as ideal as the few fenix I've tried so far, which all came perfect for me out of the box. All the more impressive considring the combined price of all the feni < one surefire. Same with the new sf's on the horizon I'm looking at, I'd be dependent on the custom parts makers here, or buying two then swapping tailcaps, flipping the leftover frankenlight for a loss etc. That part is definitely no fun. One day sf might make a light that works for me out of the box though.
 
Some posters already mentioned the keyword LEGO. You don't need to know anything about electronics, soldering or machining to exchange some components of a P60 host. If You want to swap the emitter of a common chinese light (or a newer Surefire) You need some tools to open the light and soldering skills to swap the LED.
 
SureFire lights (at least the old ones) have lots of aftermarket parts available and in the MarketPlace you can find both OEM and modified parts. They are also of high quality and worth spending your $$$ on.
 
Because they're the best starting point.

Sure, a Chinese light could 'outperform' Surefire in pure lumens. But not in terms of durability or quality.
 
I'm not sure if it counts as modding, but to me there is nothing better than an old Surefire with a Malkoff drop-in in it. :)
 
It's probably because the surefire aftermarket ecosystem is huge. Kinda like why the iphone is so popular. Their apps and aftermarket market is huge.
 
It's been said before but I'll say it again - because it's so easy to upgrade. You can replace the p60 lamp assembly with a package that includes the led, circuitry, and optics/reflector all in one. Just swap out the old with the new and you're good to go.
 
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