newbie

i'm new to the world of "good flashlights" and recently purchased my first 3 led lights
I got a dorcy metal gear 1 watt led light
a guide gear 21 led light
and a garrity nichia led aluminum flashlight

(all three lights use 3 AAA)

I am very impressed with the dorcy as I find it to be very bright with very good throw

I find the guide gear light to make an excellent floodlight but I find the momentary push button/twist on to be very annoying

lastly I got the garrity nichia led aluminum flashlight today because I thought it looked sharp but got it home to find that it has a single 5mm led and it has absolutly no sidespill and very little throw. It may come in handy however for bow hunting to get to my treestand due to the dim red led light produced while using the red lense filter (the dim red light will not freak the animals like my bright 1 watt dorcy would)

has anyone tried any of these lights?
what did you think of them?
how do these lights compare to what else is on the market?

Greetings and Welcome!

I don't have any of those lights you've listed, but do have the Dorcy Super 1 Watt LED which surprised very much with its brightness (warmer white) and decent throw with great uniform spill (corona).

There are many many many lights out on the market from $0.## all the way to $$$$.00+. From so-so lights to finely built ones. Then again, that depends on one's needs (more like wants) and of course—time and money.

Try checking out FlashlightReviews.Com for more in-depth perspectives on other flashlights.

Enjoy!

Welcome to CPF!

I have never tried the lights you mentioned but I have heard a lot of praise about the Metal Gear here.

A lot of people would be quick to point you in the direction of lights made by popular brands on CPF like Surefire and Streamlight... I would say enjoy the cheaper lights while you can, because once you get into the expensive ones your wallet will drain like a bucket without a bottom. Well, mine seems to, anyway.

I would suggest getting a Brinkmann Maxfire LX, available at Target with a holster for $17 and a little bit higher at Walmart. It uses lithium CR123A batteries (more commonly used in cameras) for a runtime of an hour but you will be very pleasantly surprised with the output of the incandescent bulb. The batteries are available online for $1 each from Amondotech.com and Batterystation.com. Most high-power lights used by CPFers seem to use CR123A, and less commonly, CR2, for their size/output ratio. It uses a tactical-style clickie switch (not reverse) to turn on, which means you press it a little bit for momentary and press it further for constant-on.

The lights you name are all 3xAAA. The Dorcy is a highly regarded 3xAAA with good brightness but most 3xAAA's share certain characteristics which eventually cause most CPFers to gravitate toward other designs. 3xAAA lights:

- are inexpensive to make. They require no voltage boost or regulation (except possibly for a resistor) since 3 batteries provide enough voltage to light a LED.

- require a battery holder. Most are OK but they add another part to break

- have relatively short run times where initial brightness fades quickly with alkalines. There's not much energy in 3xAAAs so run times are limited. Nimh AAA's will have a flatter discharge curve but will also usually run less bright due to their lower voltages (not true for all models but true for yours I think).

Other kinds of lights which CPF'ers favor are:

1xCR123 lights with 1W or 3W luxeon LEDs. Small, high power, flat regulation. Fenix P1, Amilite, Dorcy 1W, and many other models. I like the Nuwai 2611X for efficiency (long, bright, flat run time).

Multi-CR123 lights. High power potential, lots of stored energy, more features. Owners usually buy the batteries in bulk to save $$.

1xAA 1W luxeon lights. High power ones are a recent innovation. Good performance, low cost batteries, small size. Check out Fenixes from 4sevens.

multiple AA 1W and 3W LED lights: good general purpose lights often with good output, run time, and regulation. Too many kinds to count.

Big lights - power, run time, useful as a club

Incandescents - power and better color rendition (spectra). Tons of info on these.

And many other variations. There are "flashlights" which enthusiasts think would be a steal if they could find one for $1500. Hang onto your wallet, and enjoyl

Welcome netofficer3710. It won't take long to get it all sorted out. If you try to collect em all, you will go insane. Better to specialize and decide early on a form format. One good light that is cheap and very high quality, is the Nuwai QIII. Takes a single 123 and is very bright. Reliable too.

So you collect swords......I have been thinking of selling a Cold Steel Imperial Katana that I have had for a few years................