Your honest opinion on SF M6?

[lyte~speede]

Hello all,

I want to start off by saying the following:

I'm NOT knocking the M6. Its build quality and iconic status will go down in history. AND, I DO own one. It fills a limited niche in my collection. Note the key word "limited". I'm sure many of you agree.

Now, here is the question I'm looking for honest answers/opinions for:

Is such a short and unregulated run time with the MN20 (not to mention the MN21) outdated or past its prime??-OR-perhaps TOO limiting?

The stage is yours...

 

[Groundhog66]

I bought one, thought it was awesome but didn't really have a NEED for it so I sold it. A few months later I was really regretting passing it on, so I bought another. Had it for a few months and realized once again that I really have no use for it, so again it was sold. GREAT light, but with some of the regulated mods out there now I feel there are better options for me personally.


Tim

 

[paulr]

I don't think you should evaluate a light like this in functional or technological terms. It's more like a classic sports car. No it's not computerized and it's less efficient than the latest LED marvels. Yes it will give you a rush of adrenalin followed by an enormous smile every time you use it.

 

[lyte~speede]

<--paulr. Well said. I wish I could pull the plug on this thread and just go home.

<--hog66. You sir, sound exactly like me (decsion~regret~re-aquire~confirm initial decsion~repeat) and this is why I asked the question in the first place.

 

[:)>]

It is my opinion that incandescent lights in general are past their prime and being an incandescent, the M6 is not excluded. I do own one and I would not use it if I had to power it with primaries; fortunately, it runs excellently off of AW's C-cell LiIon's.

It is also my opinion that while the incandescent lights are generally past their prime, LED's have not fully come into their prime yet to challenge high output long throwing lights like the M6. I was reminded of this when I took my kids on a walk on the beach last night and lit up the occasional top floor of a dark condo:naughty: Strong throwing LED lights could also reach the top floor of the condo, but they could not "bathe" the area in a flood of light like the M6 could (even with the MN20 and not the MN21).

So my opinion on the M6, and I always give my honest opinion:thumbsup:, is that the M6 still sits at the very top of the current flashlight heap and it looks to be the light that can stay there so long as battery advancements help it to run without the financial sting of replacing 6 primaries per battery change. I don't think that it is a classic yet.

 

[Lobo]

IMHO, the incans are far from out of the game yet. LEDs are superior in many ways, but many people (me included) prefer incans for better colour rendition, seeing details etc. That being said, I still mainly use LEDs since the other advantages weighs out the incans advantage in most applications I use a light for.

Just a curious question, how would the M6 and a good ROP compare? You seem to get better runtime and greater output to a lower cost in a ROP. What's the M6 advantage? Better beam? Sturdier?

 

[leukos]

The funny thing about the M6 is folks quickly fork over $300+ to own one and then very soon afterward look for an economical way to run it (ie, rechargeable). It certainly is not an economical light in its stock form. There have been some good regulated rechargeable packs available for this light in the past, and may be some again in the future. The thing about selling lights is that new products are always becoming available. You may be discontent with the M6 now, but in a month or two, a new exciting mod or product will become available for it, and then you won't even be able to find an M6 (this happened when js' M6-R came out and AWR began his threads about his rechargeable pack). I've learned just to hang on to some lights. Who is to say that a new battery technology is not just around the corner that might give us 4x or even 10x the current capacity of Li-ions? http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=183485 All those folks who poopoo SF because they can't run on 18xxx sized Li-ions will have little to say if new batteries could power your light for 8 hours. Who knows? But the M6 is still a great light for what it was intended for. I know LED technology has advanced tremedously, but until it can exactly replicate what an incandescent does for my eyes out in the woods, I'll still be sticking with my dinosaur incans.

 

[LED61]

I used to own two, now only one. I will NEVER part with it. There are some specific uses for mine to look momentarily at things at a distance. Other than that, I'd say my A2 aviator and WE Raider are sufficient incandescent light out in the woods where a number of trees are nearby. The M6 just shines back too much light and it is blinding.
As far as incandescents go, outdoors they are my favorite color rendering tools. Until LED's can match similar color temperature there will be no replacement. I have been walking my coffee farm at night lately as we are in picking season and the Raider and Aviator have been the mainstays. No M6 for this purpose.

 

[Size15's]

I have a few M6's and use them quite a lot. They are my grab light for when I really need light - especially outdoors.

They are my single largest outlay of SF123As - likely at least one SF72BB (72 SF123A 'brick') a year.

Well worth it in my opinion.

Al

 

[Illum]

to be brutally honest the surefire M6 is

• too heavy for EDC
• too big for us Asian guys to hold with one hand
• ridiculous output beyond what is necessary for practical everyday outdoor life
• with the MN15 installed its ridiculously long running which came as an irony because after using surefires for awhile I tend to think the light will go dead tomorrow
• so far I still haven't justified why I spent so much on that one light, for the price of a McluxIII-PD [which was a steal for an M6 at $270] at least theres a low mode:shrug:
• as a long time 1MCP user it blew my mind something small enough to fit in my pocket [heavy, very heavy] can do the same with something that can't even fit in my backpack and doesn't mind getting wet

that being said...I <3 my M6

 

[lyte~speede]

I wish someone would offer up a M6-R or simillar these days--maybe a thread like this will re-ignite interest and demand. I have just enough electronics background to caution:be dangerous) and to design and fabricate a cell-pack--just no time.

Oh, and again I'm reminded I gotta get a MN15.

 

[Daniel_sk]

A battery eating incan monster . No way I could afford or enjoy this light running on primaries. But for me, it's the most beautiful incan flashlight.

BTW. I wonder how does the runtime compare on 2x C lion to primaries? Stupid question - would 2x D cells fit with an extender? (sorry I don't own a M6, so I don't have an idea how much space does it have inside).

 

[ttran97]

The M6 wasn't designed for casual use by non-LEO or non-military...so it's understandable that many of us who have one rarely use it. I love both of my M6's, but one of them is always in a protected case, totally untouched. That's my "mint condition M6 that I will sell if my house burned down and I seriously need cash" light. My other one is a different story. I have the beam cover on it to protect the head, and an MN15 bulb in there for extended use.

It's not the most versatile or economical light, true. But you're paying for quality, reliability, uniqueness, and the pride of being an M6 owner. How many times have you shown off your light to others and they're simply in awe by it? Not everything we buy has to be versatile or economical. If we always did that, why would we ever buy Sony laptops, Mercedes/BMW/Lexus cars, Nikon cameras, etc etc.? Brand X, Y, or Z could easily replace those other brands in terms of utility...but there's a reason why those other things cost more, yet plenty of people buy them...and remain loyal to those brands.

 

[EV_007]

It's not my primary light, but one I am happy to have with me when going out into the night.

 

[ugrey]

I always know exactly where my M6, first aid kit and weapons are, and I always take them with me when I travel. When the power goes out the M6 is in my back pocket or right next to me. It is carried alot and used very little, but when I need it, I NEED it. No, it is not a "check the fuse box" kind of light. It is the ultimate "bump in the night light". The M6 makes the rest of my lights look dim.

 

[zehnmm]

Not to hijack this thread, but I not too long ago decided to not purchase an M6. Instead, I spent about the same money on the KT4 turbohead kit (comes with MN15 and MN16; turbohead is the same as what is on the M6....) I put the turbohead on a Leef 2x18650 C-M body, along with one of Leef's tailcaps. Main reason: I use my light about 15 to 20 min. each day. If I used the M6 with CR123s, my cost would be very much higher than with the rechargeables. At the time of my decision, the big-Leef bodies were not yet out.

Having said all this, it is kind of an-imitation-is-the-best-form-of-flattery thing. I made my choice to take advantage mainly of the protected 18650s, relatively easy to charge in home or in car, the feel in my hand, and some other considerations.

Were it not for my individual preferences and goals that were met with my Leef configuration, I would have purchased the M6 without any question.

My last point about the M6 and similar choices like the one I made: I have 4-wheel drive on my truck. I only use it about 10% of the time. But when I need it, I need it. In my experience, you get 4-wheel drive for that 10%. I feel the same way about a great light such as the M6.

 

[Brozneo]

I have three M6's - I love the look and build of the light however IMO they are a throwing machine only, they are too bright and the hotspot is too focused for close / medium range work, that is why I have one M6 in stock form and then the other two have mutliple LEDs in them for the medium / close work - As I said I love the M6 form factor and hence had to get an M6 modded over a Maglite for duty.

 

[powernoodle]

I have never touched one, so I don't know what I'm talking about. :laughing:

But until SF makes a rechargeable flavored M6, I'm not interested. No way I'm going to feed that thing primaries.

 

[Lightraven]

Haven't used mine a lot, but. . .

A week or so ago, I came around a corner to check out the scene, when I came face-to-face with about a dozen bad guys (some badder than others, but you get the idea).

I pull out my Wolf Eyes Boxer 24watt High Intensity Discharge. "Wait till they get a load of this!" I thought. So, I clicked it on. And we waited. And waited. "Is this thing on?" I wondered.

I gave up, slung the Boxer, and pulled out the Surefire M6 and launched photons towards the closest guy's face. He backed off. I went to seize his illegal item and he came back in. I swung my baton. The crowd started to voice disapproval and the closest guy grabbed a long piece of metal rebar with a hook on the end and it started to get a little close to my face. Drew my gun. They got angry and I said to them, "This is the game." Holstered my gun. Two SWAT guys arrived after 10 minutes. Fired non-lethal after verbal exchange. Two more other agency officers arrived. Bad guys ran for their lives. I guess that agency has a reputation. . .

Honest opinion of M6? It is a useful light for these situations.

 

[Team Member]

It eats primaries like a kid eats cookies but you got to love that light, atleast I do..

A throwmonster like Tiablo A9 is nice but nothing beats an incan like the M6.
I like the possibilty to flood an area with light when needed and my M6 is the only light that I´ve owned that will do so.