surefire L1 opinions please

i just bought one and i was wondering what yall think of it please dont sugar coat if it sucks it sucks. basically what i was wondering was how acurate is the "4 hours on high" runtime. and if you have had any quirks with the light like switches or seals or anything really. thanks for all your input

I like mine and it goes with me for most hunting and fishing trips. Though not ideal in all situations in puts out enough light for most and throws far enough for me when traveling into the swamps or thickets around here.

As for runtime mine seems to match up fairly well with what Doug at Flashlightreviews has listed, around 2 hrs full output and then gradually dimmer for the next hour or so. I don't normally run mine constant on though, its more of a light I carry on a lanyard that I grab when I need more throw than my headlamp.

So far no problems or quirks to report, I also normally feed mine batteries that are partially used up in my incandescent lights.

It's a GREAT light to have with you! Single cell, two stage - if you got the newer optics, slap a beam shaper on it for flood and it becomes very versatile!

My L1 is my everyday with me all the time light, it's not super bright but bright enough with the TLR lens. I've never measured run time but it seems to be a while as I'm still on my original battery and I got it in Feb. As a utility type light it gets my vote.

I EDC my L1. I now have the original v.1 (LuxI) red head and a v.2 (LuxIII TIR) white head. I love the light and have used it on a few night hikes and caches. With the F04 beamshaper it is very floody. Without it the LuxI head has a decent flood but the LuxIII TIR head is all throw. It outthrows my buddies 3D Maglite!

It is a great light and yes, the runtimes seem accurate to me. The two lighting levels is great too.

yeah cool i bought it yesterday and its one of the newest ones. i couldnt believe how well it throws on high its brighter than my e2e. i was very pleased

I just got the newest version from lighthound.com last Friday with the F04 beam diffuser and so far I am very impressed with it. The beam on mine seems very white on high and yellowish on low. I love the versatility with the high/low output and beam diffuser--it's really like having four lights in one. I'm really looking forward to using it in a variety of applications and then giving a detailed review of it with beam shots, since there seems to be a lack of such here on the forums.

What sold me on the L1 was the low output option and the 1X123A configuration with great runtime on high (pretty flat regulation to 1:45, 2 hrs to 50%) and exceptional runtime on low (90 hrs!). It definitely is big for a 1X123A configuration, but it clips to my pocket and I can't even tell that it's there and it's still smaller that a 2AA Mag.

What I'm looking forward to most is to see how much effect the low output has on my night vision when my eyes are fully night adjusted. It should be noted, too, that I chose the L1 over the A2 Aviator, but I could see myself getting the A2 someday--it seems like a fantastic light.

yeah when your eyes get adapted low is more than enough and high is... gosh i love this light. true it is big for a 1 x 123a but that extra length of the two-stage switch and electronics makes it easier for me to hold. low on mine is a pure white. high is that same white except the outer square around the corona is slightly yellow flavored. all in all im very pleased
does anyone know if you cant take a head off an L1 and use it on an e2e without causing damage to it?

mossyoak said:

does anyone know if you cant take a head off an L1 and use it on an e2e without causing damage to it?

Click to expand...

The regulating circuitry is in the body of the L1 (thus the extra length) and it has a "dumb" head (no circuitry), so no, it will not work on your e2e. The KL1 head would work, though, because its circuitry is built into the head.

mossyoak,

I am currently doing an evaluation of the L1 (old) vs. the L1 (new) since I couldn't find enough info about this anywhere else. So far, I have only done runtime tests on "low" with the following results:

The L1 (old) ran in "low" continuously (with occasional 1-2 second bursts to "hi" just to see if it still worked) for 208 hours. It fell to "moon-mode" (very dim) at about 160 hours, but the "hi" mode continued to work (albeit contankerously) until the 197-hour point. The L1 (old) worked normally in all respects to the 153-hour point, moon mode at 160 hours, "hi" mode until 197 hours, 208 hours to "death".

The L1 (new) ran in "low" continuously (with occasional 1-2 second burts to "hi" just to see if it still worked) for 168-176 hours. It fell to "moon-mode" (very dim) at about 118 hours, but the "hi" mode continued to work until the 118 hour point. (Apparently, this "last gasp" effort to "hi" at 118 hours CAUSED the fall to "moon-mode"). The L1 (new) worked normally in all respects to the 90 hour point, moon mode at 118 hours, "hi" mode until 118 hours, 168-176 hours to "death". (I was asleep when it died in the night sometime!) [It began to ease down to moon mode at 90 hours but was very subtle. It became more obvious at 102 hours, and was fully engaged in moon mode at 118 hours.]

These preliminary numbers are impressive, and my tests continue. This is merely a first report to your post. I have a lot of testing to do. The main reason that I was interested in the L1 (new) as an EDC was the potential runtime on one battery with the newly added "distance capability", but I had no idea that it would run THIS long. I feel that it is basically a useless light without the F04 beamshaper on the front of it for short-range flood, but if I am going to EDC a light, it must also have SOME distance potential. This one does.

Hope some of this helps.
Flashdark sends.

Ralls said:

The regulating circuitry is in the body of the L1 (thus the extra length) and it has a "dumb" head (no circuitry), so no, it will not work on your e2e. The KL1 head would work, though, because its circuitry is built into the head.

Click to expand...

Can the "dumb" head from an L1 work on a single-cell body a la' the E1 or Vital Gear FB1 via direct drive?

chronos,

Yes, BUT, the Vf (forward voltage, operating voltage requirement) of the L1 (old) head is about 3.3 +/- volts (I'm guessing), and that means that the result will be VERY dim - on the order of 1-2 lumens. The Vf of the L1 (new) head is a hair lower (guessing again at 3.2 +/- volts) and the result is slightly brighter, about 3-5 lumens. The L1 head that really shines is the L1-RD. It must have a Vf of about 2.8-3.0 volts because it comes on full bright on the E1e body. I don't know about the Vf requirement of the L1-GR or L1-BL heads, and I REALLY would like to know. DO NOT PUT THESE HEADS ON A 2-BATTERY (6v) BODY!!!!!!!! MAJIC SMOKE!! BAD JUJU!!

Hope this helps.
Flashdark sends.

Flashdark,

Thanks! I just bought a Vital Gear FB1 body to use with my L1 (old) red LED head. Should rock!

:rock:

I've changed batts twice since I got my L1 at SHOT. I lost "high" a loooong time ago on this second batt, but the light just seems to keep on going and going and going and.... it's my reading light now.

Highly recommended.

Guys, tell me more about the beamshaper. Sometimes I wish the beam wasn't as tight (but most of the time I think it's great).

The beamshaper truly alters the beam from an intense throw (current version of the L1) to a more diffuse spill/flood with little, if any hotspot. I prefer using the L1 RD and WH with the F04 whenever I'm walking the dog or hiking as it puts out a great flood of light that fully illuminates the trail ahead.

For around $10-15 it provides me with a dual-personality light on high: pure throw or flood. I don't think I'll ever buy a SF light without the beamshaper (unless it is a flooder like the L2 or L4).

The effect isn't quite as dramatic as when I use the beamshaper (FM34) with my Gladius, likely due to the massive differences in output between the Gladius on high vs. the L1 on high.

greenLED,

What chronos said is very true. The F04 truely makes it a different light and I FEEL THAT IT IS REQUIRED TO MAKE THIS LIGHT USABLE. The L1 (new) with the TIR optic has a bit of a hotspot, even with the F04 attached, compared to the L1 (old) head. It also APPEARS that the flood/spill angle is a bit less because of this TIR optic effect but this is NOT the case. When actually measured, it is the same. Also, because of the L1 (new) power rating of 1.1 lumens on "low" vs. the L1 (old) rating of .7 lumens, combined with the TIR hotspot effect, the "perceived brightness" seems to be at least double on "low". For those that wanted more light on "low", you now have it. Be advised however, that the price you pay for this is that your night vision is now adversely affected slightly, and run times are affected substantially. (See my earlier post in this thread). However, drawbacks aside, it looks like I have found a new EDC. I like it that much, for the new brightness levels as well as the new distance capability. Runtimes be damned (and they are still impressive), I like it. Now, if they could only shorten the damn thing by about 1/2"!!!

So, how many versions of the L1 are there? Three?

???

4-square body/old head w/ hex
4-share body/new head w/ TIR
round body/new head w/ TIR

others?

mossyoak,

Sorry, I forgot to reply to this point earlier.
WARNING!!!!! YOU CANNOT PUT A 3 VOLT (1-battery) "DUMB" HEAD (NO REGULATION), ON A 6 VOLT (2-battery) BODY (E2e)!!!!!
MAJIC SMOKE, BAD JUJU!!!!!!

Hope this helps.
Flashdark sends.

Chronos said:

The beamshaper truly alters the beam from an intense throw (current version of the L1) to a more diffuse spill/flood with little, if any
hotspot.

Click to expand...

Thanks, guys. :thinking: I may have to try a beamshaper, then.

yeah i might have to order a beam shaper now where that cheapest place to get one?