Surefire U2, few questions before I bite the bullet

hogx1

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Feb 18, 2005
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Lately I have got the flashlight itch. I thought I could curb it with getting the Arc-P but sadly it just got me scratching more. I figured for the next one I would go big or go home, but before I drop almost $300 on a light I want to make sure its the right light.

1- Is the U2 the best 2 cell light SF makes? (I realize that this is a personal preference thing)

2- The only other SF I own is the A2, is the U2 a good match for the A2 or is there a more suited 2nd SF?

3- How worried should I be about the "Donut" and "tail clicky" flaws?

4- Is there a better SF light with similar specs coming out any time soon?

5- Does anyone have any real life beam shots of the different levels? (Lighting up a room or something instead of a sheet of cardboard with a grid on it)

6- Does anyone have any pics of the U2 next to an A2?

7- where is the cheapest and best place to order one?


I realize these are some obscure questions, but I was able to find the answers to everything else on here.
 

onlinewarlord

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Oct 13, 2005
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1. Not in my opinion

2. Yes, but the L4 with 2 stage switch comes to mind...

3. Worries about donut? Well that depends on how picky you are. For the most part I would say the donut (if any) isn't much of an issue for real world use.
Clicky problems? I would say call Surefire now and get your replacement tailcap in the mail because the one on your light will malfunction.

4. Don't know but PM me if you find out.

5. Formerly my U2
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/102555&highlight=donut+pics

6. I never got a shot of those two side-by-side but it would have been apples-to-oranges anyway.

7. Without a doubt opticsHQ.com
 
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CLHC

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hogx1 said:
1- Is the U2 the best 2 cell light SF makes? (I realize that this is a personal preference thing)

Personally, I don't feel it's SureFires best 2 cell flashlight. And like you mentioned—It's a personal preference.

hogx1 said:
2- The only other SF I own is the A2, is the U2 a good match for the A2 or is there a more suited 2nd SF?

Have a look into the SureFire L2. Simple albeit long.

hogx1 said:
3- How worried should I be about the "Donut" and "tail clicky" flaws?

That's a personal taste/matter to contend with.

hogx1 said:
4- Is there a better SF light with similar specs coming out any time soon?

Just sitting and waiting until after the SHOT SHOW in February.

hogx1 said:
5- Does anyone have any real life beam shots of the different levels? (Lighting up a room or something instead of a sheet of cardboard with a grid on it)

N/A

hogx1 said:
6- Does anyone have any pics of the U2 next to an A2?

N/A

hogx1 said:
7- where is the cheapest and best place to order one?

OpticsHQ which can also be found in the Group Buys and Passarounds forum.

Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!
 

Somy Nex

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I haven't taken shots of the U2 on all levels, but here're a couple pics that i hope can help =) click on any pic for a larger version.

here's the U2 on lvl 1 (brightest):


and the U2 on lvl 4 (assuming lvl 1 is the brightest):


SF A2 on the same:


Pila GL4 on the same:


I've also got a small shootout of some lights including the A2 & U2 which you can get to by clicking on the picture below,



I can't answer all of your questions, but here're a few of them. I find I am using my U2 more and more after I got rechargeable 18650s for it. The light output drops a little, but it's free 'guilt-free' lumens. My U2 has a slight donut, but it's not as noticeable in practical use, so I'm living with it, while i haven't had any clickie problems. There are a number of great places to get the U2 in the B/S/T or dealer's forum. Personal choice, but i'd go with either oldgrandpajack or OpticsHQ, but there are other choices out there that may be just as good.

Edit: oh yea. Keissling has taken some great outdoor shots of a variety of lights which also include the U2/A2. do a search for his outdoor shootout. Also, if you're willing to drop up to $300 on a light, you can also consider the Aleph series maybe? =) depending on your needs of course =)

hope this helps =)
 
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Hoghead

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Jun 25, 2003
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#1: Maybe or probably

#2: I think the L2 is a good match with the A2 because the high beam is the main beam on the A2, but the low beam is the main beam on the L2. I also think the L2 is more reliable than the U2 because of the U2 switch. The A2 and L2 both use the same switch so you don't have to think about what you're doing in regards to using either light.

#3: The Donut beam isn't really an issue in use. If you get a really bad one you can send it back to Surefire for replacement. The same goes for the switch. I'm on my second switch.

#4: We will all know more after the Shot Show. The Shot Show is when new models are anounced. I think Shot is the weekend of 02/09/06 to 02/12/06.

#5: ?
#6: ?

#7: Maybe Optic Shop. Look in this thread.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/94341
 

CobraMan

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Nov 26, 2005
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I love my U2 and it is my favorite light so far (LionHeart and M4 close behind). I can tell you that I bought mine from Texas Tactical Supply for considerably less than most others so you may want to check with them.

Cheers,
Tim
 

jar3ds

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Sep 12, 2005
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USA
Lately I have got the flashlight itch. I thought I could curb it with getting the Arc-P but sadly it just got me scratching more. I figured for the next one I would go big or go home, but before I drop almost $300 on a light I want to make sure its the right light.

1- Is the U2 the best 2 cell light SF makes? (I realize that this is a personal preference thing)

I personally think so...

2- The only other SF I own is the A2, is the U2 a good match for the A2 or is there a more suited 2nd SF?

U2 would be a good choice... it takes 18650 rechargeable lithium ion batteries... etc...

3- How worried should I be about the "Donut" and "tail clicky" flaws?

well my U2 hardly has any donut, but yes the center is not quite as bright as the hotspot ring but in real life it is a non-issue... its bright white and clean... good tint... i have received a new tailcap and since I have I have had zero problems with my tailcap... I've heard that the tailcaps had a flawed batch...

4- Is there a better SF light with similar specs coming out any time soon?

who knows... there will always be something better in the future... but theres no denying the U2 is surefire's flagship flashlight...

5- Does anyone have any real life beam shots of the different levels? (Lighting up a room or something instead of a sheet of cardboard with a grid on it)

sorry

6- Does anyone have any pics of the U2 next to an A2?

sorry

7- where is the cheapest and best place to order one?

i am selling two here: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/101818

I realize these are some obscure questions, but I was able to find the answers to everything else on here.
 
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KevinL

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1- Is the U2 the best 2 cell light SF makes? (I realize that this is a personal preference thing)

Yup. Nothing else has six levels of light, a seriously bright LED, bezel down clip, black HA, clickie, and 18650 lithium ion cell support - in one package.


2- The only other SF I own is the A2, is the U2 a good match for the A2 or is there a more suited 2nd SF?

It's a good pair. I have a U2 and an A2 in matching HA-Black. (The A2-BK is a rarity, don't count on getting it)


3- How worried should I be about the "Donut" and "tail clicky" flaws?

Donut - solution is to stop whitewalling (ie. looking at white wall with light at point blank range). Go forth and use the light as intended. Tail clicky - Surefire customer service is good stuff. While I understand its unpleasant to have 'downtime', they do try to fix things for you.


4- Is there a better SF light with similar specs coming out any time soon?

Not that I know of. SF hasn't even launched their 2006 catalog or hinted at things to come.. I wonder. Things have been very dry since the U2's launch - that was the last new light they released. The E1L/E2L are lights we've suspected were coming for a long time ever since they launched their 4th-gen KL1.


5- Does anyone have any real life beam shots of the different levels? (Lighting up a room or something instead of a sheet of cardboard with a grid on it)

*hides behind white wall*


6- Does anyone have any pics of the U2 next to an A2?

aat.sized.jpg



7- where is the cheapest and best place to order one?

lighthound.com or oldgrandpajack on B/S/T :)
 

ICUDoc

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Aug 20, 2004
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Sydney, Australia
Hi Hogx1

My new U2 is great- 18650's slightly decrease top-level output cf. 2 primary cells but it's still good. No noticeable donut- you have to use special conditions to really see it.
Perfect clicky.
OpticsHQ was the source- I recommend them.
Good luck.
 

olephart

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Apr 27, 2004
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Best at what?

Since ya didn't mention what ya wanted to do with the light, I'll try to give you an idea why it works for me.

It's the only SF light I have, so no help on comparasons. My desires:

1. Long battery life with usefull output for 5 days without power. Hurricane season is only 5 months away. Level 1 is pretty bright and good for 40 hours. 20 Hours on Level 2 and 10 hours on L3.

Level 2 or 3 is more than enough light to do anything in a dark house.

Typical power out use is 5-6 hours per day, so 1 spare set of batteries will easily make 5 days.

2. I spend 3-4 weeks in the SW Texas (50 miles from nowhere) every year. There's no electricity. I need to look for Bambi's dad, avoid rattlesnakes and attract help if I fall down a canyon and break something.

The U2 is quite good for this. The "wall of light" is no joke. It lights up a large area with enough light to accomplish search tasks out to 30 yards. You can see a lot farther with it, but the ability to do what I want is quite good out to 30 yards.

Level 4 is good for over 5 hours and is about as bright as most of my 3W lights. Level 5 blows away all the LUX IIIs I'e seen. L6 has no comparason for my uses.

3. Reliability. Probably a twist on/off tailcap would be best. No problems with the clickie, so far. The rest of it is solid. No heat issues and the internal parts and construction are first class. I dropped it once (so far) on concrete from 3'. No problem.

I don't carry it in my pocket every day. It's probably a little large for that. It's not so big that it couldn't be carried every day, if necessary.

My U2 has warm white color, no donught and the tailswitch works fine.

Upon reviewing my comments, it appears that I like the U2. Yep, I don't know of anything else that would suit me as well. It's all about what ya need a light to do. If I had other needs, I may have picked a different light.
 

GWC3

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somy nex - great beamshots but 1 question. The A2 pictures appear to be closer to the end of the hallway judging by the size of the door at the end (vs the U2 oh high). Am I correct and do you know the distances to the end of the hallway in each case? thanks. I own both btw and like both.
 

Somy Nex

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GWC3 said:
somy nex - great beamshots but 1 question. The A2 pictures appear to be closer to the end of the hallway judging by the size of the door at the end (vs the U2 oh high). Am I correct and do you know the distances to the end of the hallway in each case? thanks. I own both btw and like both.

Hi GWC3 :)

glad you found them useful. they are both great lights, and personally i like the A2 slightly better, but the U2 edges it out in actual use due to the ability to use rechargeable batteries =)

the distance to the photocopier at the end of the hallway is about 25-30 yards or so, give or take. i'm not the best at measuring distances but it's definitely within that range. the doorway looking bigger is actually my fault, an optical illusion from resizing the pics to different sizes. sorry about that =)

just a bit more info on the pics, what you'd see with your eyes in those beamshots will be somewhere between the 2s & 4s exposure times, closer to the 2s, depending on how dark adapted your eyes are.

hope this helps! :)
 

hogx1

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Feb 18, 2005
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Thank you all for the great info. The L4 looks great, but I want a light that can run long if I want and not just gobble up these batts. Plus with the U2 being able to use rechargeable is quite nice.
 

cbxer55

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Jan 1, 2006
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My U2 is great! It goes in left pocket when I get dressed in the morning. Comes out of same when I get undressed for bed at night. I find that around the house at night, level 1 is plenty bright. Level 6 lights up the woods out the back door real nice, spotted a pack of wild dogs at about 50 yards, no problemo! I usually keep a second light on me, mostly an E2e. The U2 way outshines this and I like the color of the U2 light beam better than the yellow of the E2. The other day I bought one of them Coast Tacv torches. It has a single 1.25 watt led with a hole in the lens. This little sucker seems to equal the U2 on level 5 but has a much tighter hot spot, possibly due to the hole in the lens.

I think the U2 is Surefire's best so far!? Who knows what the future will bring. I have not had a clickie failure yet on any lights that use clickies. I like the clickie better than the twisties. I have 8 Surefire lights and have never had to use their customer service but understand they are the best.

I would get the U2 for what it is, one of the best lights you can buy.
Note I said "one of the best"! Their are many good lights, but only a few qualify as "one of the best". The U2 is one of them!
 
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