Surefire L1 Lumamax

Hi all,
I'm a brand new member to CPF and this is my first post. I currently only own a Surefire 6p which I love to death and several maglites. I'm looking at getting another Surefire and this time I'm considering the L1...for several reasons:
Nice runtimes
Dual Output
LED reliability
Single battery operated

I seem to find that my 6P is sometimes TOO bright, especially for close range and my maglites aren't good for much more than sitting on my nightstand or laying in my car for looking under the hood or when I drop something under the seat. Will the L1 be a nice medium?

I'm hoping that the L1 will be good for lighting up a trail (while my 6p does this just fine, it's a bit overkill for just letting me see my way when I only get 1 hr. of runtime). Will the L1 be capable of lighting up objects at a decent distance away on high mode?

My only concern is the low mode is only 1 lumen. Is that low of a light output really good for much more than reading and the like?

Any experiences with this light or other comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!
-Andrew

Let me be the first to say, Welcome to CPF Andrew!

The L1 is a great light. You should check out this review of the L1:
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/surefire_l1gen2.htm

The newest version of the L1 has an optic that focuses the beam for good distance spotting. It has virtually no sidespill however, and some people find this undesireable. If you haven't yet experienced a beam like this I recommend trying one out in a store to see what you think of it. The L1 is a very versatile little light, however the low mode is pretty low, better for dark adapted eyes.

I am a huge Surefire fan, and I own several myself. However, you might also consider looking into the HDS line of lights. They have a more standard beam pattern, and come w/ 4 light levels (more on the ultimate models). I have one, and love it. It seems it might fit your needs nicely. The regulation on these lights is FLAT!, and they are built to very high quality standards. One of my favorite lights. It also runs on a single cell, is shorter than the L1, at least twice as bright (depending on model) and runtime on max averages around 30-50 minutes.

Here is a review: http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/hds_edcu60xr.htm
Available here: http://www.lighthound.com/sales/hds_edc_flashlights.htm

I don't own an L1, but I have a KL1 head, which puts out the same beam as an L1. I like it, but it's not my favorite, mostly because of the lack of spill. I find it good for specialized uses, but most of the time I find myself wanting a more standard beam pattern, thus my love of the HDS.

Good luck in your search, and again, welcome.



Josh

I personally think it is too low, i agree with SCblur you will be happier with a HDS EDC

I'll agree with the HDS also. Smaller package, good runtimes, and great versatility. Quality is also first rate, you won't be disappointed.

Well, I bought an almost new L2 Lumamax on the B/S/T for less than a new L1 so I decided to go with it. I was originally going to go with this model but decided I really didn't want to spend the cash on a new one. Should be the best of both worlds. 15 lumen low mode and 100 lumen high mode.

You'll love the L2 if its not too long for you. I have had two and liked them both but they were just too long in my pocket. They are BRIGHT though!

my L2 is my favorite of the lights I own. It's the biggest, but I love how it feels in my hand, and the SF two-stage switch works like butter. Cograts, you'll enjoy it I think.

Congrats on the L2!


The L2 is a great light. I find that the 15 lumens is a very good low level light for outside. And as for the high beam, well that's just WOW! I find it to be a very nice length and balance for my hand.

I'm not sure if you already know, but you can use also 14670 rechargeables.

Enjoy your new light!

Hehe, I can't wait for my L2. This site has me about hooked. My Solitaire on my keychain is begging to be replaced with an Arc AAA and I still would love to pick up an Aviator sometime.

Between Paintball and Zippo collecting my life just got that much more expensive.