Best light in the $30-40 range?

I hope I'm posting in the right section.

I've been looking for a high(er) quality flashlight to buy, and thought I'd settled on one - the Surefire G2. It was in the right price range and its gotten great reviews. But after doing some research, I'm not so sure. Two other lights have caught my eye and I can't decide. Those lights are the Streamlight Task light and the Inova XO3.

As you probably well know, these two lights are LEDs and have longer run time for the same or more light output than the G2 (at least according to website specs). However, I've had a bunch of LED lights in the past and hated the bluish / harsh white light they produced. I'm not sure if this is an issue, if someone can give me some feedback on these lights (emphasis on color), especially in relation to the G2 I would appreciate it. Recommendations on other models/companies are also welcome.

Thanks

You might also want to check the Fenix L1 which is within your USD 30-40 range if you are looking for a EDC one.

SL 4AA Lux! NICE white beam that compares favorably with my Chop modded KL3 for throw!!! Runs nicely on NimH for Guilt Free Lumens!

Welcome! Newbie here, but I hope I can help.

Have you seen the beams of the Luxeon lights? I don't find them to be blue at all and now incans seem really yellow to me. Most of the 5mm LED's seem very blue to me though and I don't like that.

What do you want your light for? Given your choices I doubt it is for EDC (every day carry). Will the light see some abuse?

I don't think the Streamlight Tasklight is regulated. Does anyone know if it is? http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/streamlight_tasklux.htm I love the idea of regulated lights that hold their brightness for a while.

The G2 should be a great light. Tough, very bright with great throw. It will go through expensive 123 batteries quickly though. As I'm accumulating flashlights I feel like I'm keeping my Surefire E2D in reserve and using my LED flashlights.

The X03 is a $70 light according to flashlightreviews: http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/inova_xo3.htm Can someone comment on the spill of the X03? Inova's aren't known for their spill which helps light a broader area. I wouldn't want a light with little spill.

With the little experience I have I can wholeheartedly recommend the Streamlight Luxeon 4AA to anyone. http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/streamlight_propolyluxeon.htm It takes readily available AA batteries, it feels and looks well made and tough, has a great beam with great throw for a LED, it runs regulated for 3 1/2 hours, it has a regular clicky switch, it can end stand, you won't worry when you loan it to someone, and you won't cry (much) if you drop it. I got mine for $22.95 here: http://www.fox-intl.com

Aurora AA or Aurora 2c......a great flashlight!!!

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/aurora_alj-012aa.htm

It sounds like you prefer the more natural light of an incandescent light so I would recommend the Surefire G2. If you have never seen a light of its caliber in action it will amaze you. The downside is that it consumes CR123 batteries rather fast.

All of the LED lights from the cheap $28 Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon to the $240 Surefire U2 will produce some form bluish/white light, some better than others. The Streamlight 4AA Luxeon is a good light. Good throw for an LED and it uses normal AA batteries.

Both of the lights are great, it's just a matter of preference. Of course you could just do what everyone else around here does and buy both .

Ditto on the SL ProPoly 4AA lux. I would like to also add its big brother the SL 3C Lux. It will run an additional 2 hours (6 total) and is just a tad brighter.

onlinewarlord said:

It sounds like you prefer the more natural light of an incandescent light so I would recommend the Surefire G2.

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I'm not sure what you mean by "natural light" but incandescent lights are significantly yellower (4500-5000 degrees K color temperature) than "natural light" (noontime sunshine about 5500K). The latest Luxeons are quite close to true noon natural light (5300-5600K).

I think it's more of a perception since we are so used to seeing the yellow incandescent glow in homes and businesses. To me, after using LEDs for several months now, they appear starkly white.

That being said, your recommendation of the G2 is a good one!

Inova inflates their lumen ratings. Surefire consistently underrates their lights. I am unsure about Streamlight. You should check Flashlightreviews.com to see much more unbiased output ratings. (So you don't have to check -- the G2 is brightest.)

I own a G2 and I am very happy with it. Wouldn't trade it for anything but another Surefire (and then maybe not even just any Surefire).

SF G2 review
SL TL Lux review
Inova XO3 review

To my eyes incandescent lights have always seemed to provide better detail, and depth of the target that it is projected at or through.

Just my 2cent.

Welcome to CPF outofgum :wave:

Be careful with manufacturer quotes on total output...they often don't match up with the real world output for their products. Of course, this only applies to some manufacturers. Having said that, i own the G2 and a T3 (same as the Xo3 but with a clicky tailcap instead, output and throw is the same due to the same tiros reflector), and my G2 puts out alot more light than my T3.

The longer runtime and regulation on the T3 is nice though...

I guess it comes down to how much you'll think you're going to use the light. If you're going to use it alot...i'd probably recommend a LED, such as the Xo3 you looked at yourself, for it's longer runtime, no blown bulbs and shock resistance. If you're only going to occasionally use it, maybe the G2, just remember you'll want to have spares around for the G2 including a lamp assembly (bulb and reflector).

Oh, G2 throws alot further than the X03, fwiw.

outofgum said:

As you probably well know, these two lights are LEDs and have longer run time for the same or more light output than the G2 (at least according to website specs). However, I've had a bunch of LED lights in the past and hated the bluish / harsh white light they produced. I'm not sure if this is an issue, if someone can give me some feedback on these lights (emphasis on color), especially in relation to the G2 I would appreciate it. Recommendations on other models/companies are also welcome.

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If you're trusting Inova to their "82 lumen" rating of the X03, you would be mistaken; a real test was done, and it only produces about 42 lumens. Other than that, the X03 is a pretty decent light; unlike many LED's out there, the output is very white, not blue as you may have seen with other LED's. Also, the Tasklight Luxeon has even less output than the X03, but it retains the advantages of the X03, in addition to using easy-to-find Alkalines.

As for recomendations; the G2 is a great light, but if you ask me, IMHO, a Streamlight TL-2 would cost a dollar or two more, but you'd get a bit more; the body is made of metal, it's just as bright, with just as good of a beam, but bulb replacements would by 12 dollars cheaper than with the G2, so you save a bit.

If you go with the SureFire G2, you can have the both worlds (incandescent and LED) and buy a drop-in BOG 3W LED for it.

Also, like what others here recommended, the Fenix L1P and the Streamlight 4dbA ProPolymer Luxeon. Practically every Inova I've come across, including the XO3, I've seen, NONE are WHITE in it's lighting appearance. More bluish. I've yet to see the Inova with a white light. Even the SL.4AA.ProPo.Lux is bright white with it's 1 Watt LED.

Welcome to CPF and hope you find what you're looking for. Enjoy!

igabo said:

As for recomendations; the G2 is a great light, but if you ask me, IMHO, a Streamlight TL-2 would cost a dollar or two more, but you'd get a bit more; the body is made of metal, it's just as bright, with just as good of a beam, but bulb replacements would by 12 dollars cheaper than with the G2, so you save a bit.

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What's the quality on the TL-2 bulbs? I keep hearing that SL bulbs pop out of their socket, but maybe this is not the case here. I do know, however, that the Surefire P60 lamp assembly is exceptionally solid and will last 25+ hours.

Streamlight PRO POLY 4 AA 1 watt Luxeon!!!

Streamlight PRO POLY 4 AA 1 watt Luxeon!!!

Streamlight PRO POLY 4 AA 1 watt Luxeon!!!

Bang for the buck, it's pretty hard to beat the Golston 7w. This thing blows away my previous best thrower - a Surefire modded by McGizmo. I own a lotta lights and there is nothing that I have in that price range and form factor that will even come close to it. Did I mention, I like this light.

You've mentioned 3 fairly different kinds of flashlights so it's difficult to tell exactly what you're looking for in a flashlight - throw, task, EDC (every day carry), etc...

I and others have spoken well of the Gerber LX 3.0 in prior posts. It's a good general purpose flashlight that would easily replace and far surpass any multi-D flashlight that you may now be using and looking to replace. It's quite well made, produces about 45-50 lumens, has modest but effective throw and a bright and useful spill.

Some things to consider, though. It is not regulated, so the brightness of the LX3 follows the typical discharge curve of alkaline batteries. It has, however, an almost regulated performance with the flat discharge curve with NiMH batts. It takes 3 batteries, so it is longer and heavier than 2xCR123 flashlights. New, the LX3 is closer to $50 delivered, but good deals can be easily found. And if you, ultimately, decide to use NiMH batts (my recommendation), you'll need a charger that can charge an odd number of batteries. I use an eight bay Rayovac slow charger that costs about $20. I rotate batteries and always have a set ready to put into the flashlight for several hours of quality (over 50%) runtime. If you're in a bind, you can always use alkies which are good in emergencies and blackouts with their long discharge tail.

More posts on the Gerber LX 3.0 can be found by searching CPF for "Gerber AND LX"

I also have an Inova XO3. It's a beautiful flashlight with a sumptuous "feel". Mine is a Luxeon Lottery winner that produces a great "shade" of white. It too produces about 50 lumens but, unlike the LX3, the XO3/T3 is all spot - and a fairly large one at that, as far as those things go. It's an excellent mid distance thrower.

73
dim

I don't know for sure if there is a consistent pattern, but I think that the Streamlight 4AA Luxeon contains an emitter with an X1 or V1 color bin. Mine definitely does. This is on the yellow/green side of white, and many CPFers (including myself) prefer that color to the more coveted X0 and W0 bins.

Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon
Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon
Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon
Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon

Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon
Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon

Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon
Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon

Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon
Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon

Thanks for all the great replies.

The light will probably not be an EDC, I have a micro light for that and my pockets can't fit much more in them. This will be more of a light to keep at home/carry in a bag/take on a trip. With so many recommendations for it, the Streamlight Luxeon 4AA can't be ignored (which jbay and tsask should appreciate). Although a regulated light would be nice, there's something to be said for AA batteries and a bulb that doesn't have to be replaced. As JoeShmoe put it "guilt free lumens." Plus, I do have a surplus of NiMH batteries laying around.

I'm glad I asked here, didn't know manufacturer info could be that skewed, I expected some fudging, but not that much. It seems like the SF and SL estimates are more inline with real world measurements. Right now I'm still a little stuck between the G2 and the 4AA. Looks like I'll be doing some more research, and looking up the other lights mentioned.

Edit: oops, it is regulated.