why is Surefire lights so highly regarded?

[Roberts30]

IB4L :D

 

[DimeRazorback]

there will be at least 5 guys in line to take his place because everyone want to be like rent-a-cop or actor commando they see in gun rags.

Oh yeah! That's why I by Surefire! To think I'm a police officer!

:crackup::crackup::crackup:


:poof:

 

[nick__45]

I kinda like the G2 incandescent crazy as this may sound.:)

I like its performance but hates the run time and the potential of having it burns out when I am in the cave that Surefire warns me about. Doesn't Surefire have a light whose bulb has a very short run time limit before it burns out. If I remember correct, the bulb's operational life is 12 hours. I don't want to be that guy who counts every seconds he has his light on. If Surefire does have such light, they better install a run time meter on it; otherwise, people would either get screwed when the bulb goes out unexpectedly or many bulbs would be thrown out way before their time.

Some day I'll get a Surefire so I can just carry one primary light instead of 2 like I do now.

 

[Badbeams3]

Everyone who isn't blinded by the gun hobby knows that gun rags writers are paid major dollars to write flawless review on guns. Most magazines, not just gun rags, are quite cheap because it is the adverting that pay their salary; they only charge use for shipping. That is why it generally only cost a dollar or 2 for most magazine out there. The more magazines they sell, the more money they can charge the companies advertising with them. On top of that, companies pay them a lot of money for favorable reviews. Actually, all gun reviews in gun rags are favorable. Last but not least, whenever a custom gun maker is mentioned as a friend or a friend of a friend and he happens to be a great custom maker that specialized in certain firearms, we can rest assure that this friend or friend of a friend pays handsomely to have his unique skill published to the audiences that will most likely buy if they have the mean. When it comes to high end hobbies, which guns and flashlights fall under, advertisement and product endorsement is the backbone of the business. I am surprise you weren't aware of such dealing.

Again, Surefire is a great manufacture but I don't think their products are worth the money for what I do. However, if I am a SAR professional, I will go with them as well as one or two other top dollar brands for flashlight needs. The reason is rather simple as these tools would be the cheapest but most profitable investment for that line of work. To put it into perspective, I'd be looking at spending less than $1000 for 3 or 4 lights from two or three top dollars makers and these lights would have no bs warranty unlike Fenix and 4Seven, which requires me to keep a receipt and be the original purchaser from 4Seven. I would use these lights and if they do break, I would get a new one, possibly a upgraded version, free of charge. For the people who depend on their lights for living, this is a very cheap option. For 99% of the people in the world as well as those on CPF, it is a luxury we can opt out of. For me, Maglites serve me just fine and also come with lifetime warranty, which I never had to utilize.

I personally would not buy a Fenix and definitely not through 4Seven until they modify their warranty policy. If I buy from 4Seven, they should have my name and address to charge me money and to send me the product. Why in the world would I need to keep a receipt years and years later, assuming their products last that long? In addition, if their products are so great, why would the warranty applies only to the original purchaser. That is the same thing as saying that all lights should be bought new. If they don't want to deal with too much legacy cost, aka cost of having to warranty a product years after selling it, they should have a 5, 10, or 15 years warranty, which goes by the serial number of the product and not worry about who bought it where and when. This is why I prefer Craftsmen products from Sears; if something goes wrong I take it back and get a new one. I have many tools from Sears and have not utilize the warranty yet. Sears knows that they have to make/re-badge tough products or they would go bankrupted with high legacy cost.

Actually a good post...makes me think...

 

[nick__45]

Oh yeah! That's why I by Surefire! To think I'm a police officer!

:crackup::crackup::crackup:


:poof:

If I am a police officer, I would want a Surefire too as the cost of the light is fractional to everything else. It is like paying for Mobil 1 and Michelin when you own a good car. The oil and tires cost are fractional to the cost of the vehicle so why bother fooling around with unproven products. Unfortunately, a lot of agencies still want to get cheap on officers' firearm as well as training. I deal with leos at the gun range and those who only practice when qualification time comes are the scariest ones to be around. I have seen guys and girls trying to grip a Glock by double crossing their thumbs right along the path of the rail and their trigger finger leisurely resting on the boom switch. The worst part is that some of them are ex-military. I guess they're the one in the rear with the gears so training was limited before being weapon specialists.

 

[DimeRazorback]

I'm confused... :thinking:

A minute ago you were making fun of people buying surefires because it means that they want to be like the "rent-a-cop" now your saying you would use them if you were a cop...

Double standards?

Does that mean you would only buy one if you were a cop?
Or are you trying to back out of the argument you put your foot in?



:shrug:


:aaa:

 

[Woods Walker]

I like its performance but hates the run time and the potential of having it burns out when I am in the cave that Surefire warns me about. Doesn't Surefire have a light whose bulb has a very short run time limit before it burns out. If I remember correct, the bulb's operational life is 12 hours. I don't want to be that guy who counts every seconds he has his light on. If Surefire does have such light, they better install a run time meter on it; otherwise, people would either get screwed when the bulb goes out unexpectedly or many bulbs would be thrown out way before their time.

Some day I'll get a Surefire so I can just carry one primary light instead of 2 like I do now.

I don't like caves so not worried about that. I got the G2 some time ago even before they added a lockout. I upgraded my G2Z with a P60L however want a M60L warm tint. Still I just like that Incan tint and hope SF does not go all LED on me. When the bulb goes out I just replace it. I have an extra in my SF holder with reflector and all. If this would happen in the deep dank woods well I have a headlamp but think I could replace the reflector with Incan bulb blind.

 

[Bushman5]

well, gitting ma 2 cents in before the thread goes into DEFCON6 lockdown.

PROS of surefire:

- bombproof lights
- great warranty
- aftermarket moddable
- simple working designs


CONS of Surefire:

- WAY too slow to catch on to LED technology
- WAY too slow to catch onto HID technology
- their current HID lights are way too expensive for the non military funded person
- pricy to some who are looking for a light paid for out of their own pocket.
- SF advertises lights then takes years to release them into the USA> Some lights released take another 5 years to be available in canada....
- cannot use available rechargeable LI-ion batteries without blowing the leds or incans.
- LOW lumens in their "tactical" models. 60 lumens (to me) is USELESS.
- too many models with similar lumens ratings


thats all i'm saying about them. I have a few, they work, they are ok, they are NOT the light i reach for first though.

YMMV,as will your opinion. Thats ok.
​

 

[Badbeams3]

I don't like caves so not worried about that. I got the G2 some time ago even before they added a lockout. I upgraded my G2Z with a P60L however want a M60L warm tint. Still I just like that Incan tint and hope SF does not go all LED on me. When the bulb goes out I just replace it. I have an extra in my SF holder with reflector and all. If this would happen in the deep dank woods well I have a headlamp but think I could replace the reflector with Incan bulb blind.

Not me...I too like the tint of the Incans...but I have no interest in going back to using hotwires. Unless there is some breakthough where they use less power than led`s...ahh...maybe I`m just not a romantic...to me yesterday was just yesterday...

 

[nick__45]

I'm confused... :thinking:

A minute ago you were making fun of people buying surefires because it means that they want to be like the "rent-a-cop" now your saying you would use them if you were a cop...

Double standards?

Does that mean you would only buy one if you were a cop?
Or are you trying to back out of the argument you put your foot in?



:shrug:


:aaa:

Most people buy things they see in advertisement and think they are that person as long as they have the same tools. Little did they know that the leos and military people they see in gun rags are actors.

I don't care for Surefire or anything gun rags claims to be the next best thing. Most of the time, the tools reviewed in gun rags aren't all that great. However, Surefire is the one exception. I wouldn't buy a Surefire for personal use any time soon because I can get a good enough light from Maglite for 1/10 of the cost. However, if I have to rely on flashlight as part of my job such as SAR or leo personnel, I would get a Surefire because the cost is a non-factor at that point. A 200 or 300 dollars Surefire is nothing comparing to the 1 week training that these people take a few times a year. I know SAR classes run around 3000 dollars a week for a good course. I am sure leo classes aren't cheap either. Therefore, why would I even worry about cost, especially since someone else will pay for it anyway. Another thing about agencies going with Surefire and track proven products is to cover liability issue. If something goes wrong, they can't be sued because they use inferior products when a better product can be had. That is why cops don't use Dorcy flashlight because if it :poof: on him while he's making a felony arrest and the bad guy kills him as a result, the agency will surely be sued by his relatives. Therefore, that $200 is nothing in term of overall cost.

For guys like me, who don't need to have what the "pros" or "experts" have, Surefire is simply overkilled. I am confident enough about myself to not need to have the high end toys to enjoy any hobby. Also, I use flashlight a lot for hiking, fishing, hunting, as well as patrolling the neighborhood and I am very happy with the flashlights I have. I just got the LED versions of Maglites and they are excellent. My use isn't life and dead so I don't need Surefire. There are a lot of people who buy high end flashlights and rarely even use them. There are also people buying Ferarri or Corvette that never even go past 100 mph. These people are dearly loved by high end manufactures. I am the guy they hate as I love buying used or "good enough" products.

By the way, I don't want to be a cop or military guy. I am perfectly happy being a regular guy. I also don't try to act like cop or military people by using the same products as them thinking that somehow my skills would magically improves because of what I use. While tool quality is always important, it is the operator that makes the different. Give an idiot a Surefire and put him in a cave and he'll run that battery down while running Turbo mode and won't make it out. A smart guy can make it out of just any cave he comes in with a shake to recharge flashlight.

 

[Woods Walker]

Not me...I too like the tint of the Incans...but I have no interest in going back to using hotwires. Unless there is some breakthough where they use less power than led`s...ahh...maybe I`m just not a romantic...to me yesterday was just yesterday...

Yea I hear your cry. I mostly use LEDs these days too but I got that old school thing going so every now and then......:)

 

[leon2245]

If I am a police officer, I would want a Surefire too as the cost of the light is fractional to everything else. It is like paying for Mobil 1 and Michelin when you own a good car. The oil and tires cost are fractional to the cost of the vehicle so why bother fooling around with unproven products. Unfortunately, a lot of agencies still want to get cheap on officers' firearm as well as training. I deal with leos at the gun range and those who only practice when qualification time comes are the scariest ones to be around. I have seen guys and girls trying to grip a Glock by double crossing their thumbs right along the path of the rail and their trigger finger leisurely resting on the boom switch. The worst part is that some of them are ex-military. I guess they're the one in the rear with the gears so training was limited before being weapon specialists.

I know I would demand S.F. too, if I were in L.E. Probably the same reason alot of us wannabe's & collectors demand them as well, even if we don't need them in the same way. I know I don't necessarily, but still a fan.

I also agree re: gun rags- I.D.K. that I've ever read a review of any gear that didn't just absolutely WOW the writer. Then coincidentally a couple pages later there is a full page layout of an ad from the same company. But of course they are only paying for the ad, not the review...

:whistle:

 

[berry580]

i think SF's prices are definately inflated partly due to its famous brand, just like how BMWs are higher prices than a Nissan with similar, if not better features.

Do you want to pay for the premium? Its up to you. Take it or leave it!

 

[crockett]

One big PRO for SF lights that hasn't been mention, but Leon hinted at.

Great resale value and resalability. This is always something I factor in when making a purchase. This allows you to easily "try" something out with a very low risk that you won't be able to resell it at a significant loss.

 

[nick__45]

well, gitting ma 2 cents in before the thread goes into DEFCON6 lockdown.

PROS of surefire:

- bombproof lights
- great warranty
- aftermarket moddable
- simple working designs


CONS of Surefire:

- WAY too slow to catch on to LED technology
- WAY too slow to catch onto HID technology
- their current HID lights are way too expensive for the non military funded person
- pricy to some who are looking for a light paid for out of their own pocket.
- SF advertises lights then takes years to release them into the USA> Some lights released take another 5 years to be available in canada....
- cannot use available rechargeable LI-ion batteries without blowing the leds or incans.
- LOW lumens in their "tactical" models. 60 lumens (to me) is USELESS.
- too many models with similar lumens ratings


thats all i'm saying about them. I have a few, they work, they are ok, they are NOT the light i reach for first though.

YMMV,as will your opinion. Thats ok.
​

Sounds almost like Maglite. People like to point out the Surefire has great proven track record but they never recognize Maglite for that. Maglite has been around since 1955 from a one man shop in good old U.S.A. Before these fancy lights came to the scene, Maglite was the lights everyone use. It is in more home in American than probably all many, if not all, other lights combined simply because it won't die.

 

[Badbeams3]

One big PRO for SF lights that hasn't been mention, but Leon hinted at.

Great resale value and resalability. This is always something I factor in when making a purchase. This allows you to easily "try" something out with a very low risk that you won't be able to resell it at a significant loss.

This is very true. I`m not set up for the paypal stuff myself...but many members are and enjoy being able to try them a bit and flip them with little loss.

 

[nick__45]

One big PRO for SF lights that hasn't been mention, but Leon hinted at.

Great resale value and resalability. This is always something I factor in when making a purchase. This allows you to easily "try" something out with a very low risk that you won't be able to resell it at a significant loss.

Kinda like Glocks, which can be bought used and actually sold at a nice profit if not fit after months or years of use. :nana::nana::nana:

 

[Badbeams3]

Wow...made it to page two. Well shall we up the chances for a shutdown? Let me try...as I posted in the begining I wonder if the quality control at Surefire has been slipping. Back in the incan days there were no reports of fingerprints on the lenses...that I was aware of anyway. Perhaps more care was taken as the bulbs did not like oils from fingers on them. But now we see reports of fingerprints. Mixed colors on the body parts...off center leds (interesting to me that 47`s so simply made some tool that automaticly centers it...but Surefire with all their years in busines, great research dept and their $$$$ hasn`t)

Am I the only one that feels they are getting lax on quality?

 

[nick__45]

i think SF's prices are definately inflated partly due to its famous brand, just like how BMWs are higher prices than a Nissan with similar, if not better features.

Do you want to pay for the premium? Its up to you. Take it or leave it!

+1. If it is my dollars and only for personal use, the answer is a clear no. If someone else pays for it or it is life and death situation on top of liability issue such as SAR and other use, then I'll take Surefire because it is the cheapest decision out there. A lot of people fall into the trap of buying things others say they should buy. These people bite the "tactical" bait like it's crack. From 1898 when David Misell invented the world first tubular flashlight to as late as 1990, military, police, and security personnel did just fine without "tactical" equipment. Before, people delivery *** whooping consequences to bad guys with torch. Pass forward to the past 5 years, it is next to impossible to convince someone that he can do just fine without going tacticool. Somehow and someway life is at stake if his defensive tools are properly classified as tactical gears by the armchair community of ***-perts.

 

[nick__45]

Wow...made it to page two. Well shall we up the chances for a shutdown? Let me try...as I posted in the begining I wonder if the quality control at Surefire has been slipping. Back in the incan days there were no reports of fingerprints on the lenses...that I was aware of anyway. Perhaps more care was taken as the bulbs did not like oils from fingers on them. But now we see reports of fingerprints. Mixed colors on the body parts...off center leds (interesting to me that 47`s so simply made some tool that automaticly centers it...but Surefire with their great research dept all their $$$$ hasn`t)

Am I the only one that feels they are getting lax on quality?

Aren't they suppose to wear gloves while working on that stuffs, not just to prevent scratching things up but also for personnel safety? If they miss the fingerprints, one must wonder if they really test it like they say. Even a $1 flashlight at K-Mart has fresh and shiny lense until it is used for a few minutes and start to scratch or get dirty.

I also don't like buying handmade products as they are overpriced but not necessary better. CNC is the way to go since it has no emotion, bad days, pms, or cranky girlfriend.