Kind of new to "real" flashlights. And of course newbies always have questions...

Kind of new to "real" flashlights. And of course newbies always have questions...

I just recently started getting into the better quality flashlights, and the research to go along with it. I've been a knife fanatic for a couple years now, and most knife nuts share at least a passing interest in other "gadgets", to include flashlights of course. I understand the difference between different flashlights suiting different needs, brightness vs battery life, spot vs flood etc. I mainly have a question concerning the upgraded Inova X1 I just bought. Most of the reviews I have read declare it a decent buy, but it's not as bright as I expected it to be. My coast v2 triplex is brighter, covers the same area if not more, and has a better throw. What purpose then does this flashlight serve if a lower grade equally priced light betters it?

Re: Kind of new to "real" flashlights. And of course newbies always have questions...

You make the decision of buying it based on quality, name, dependability, etc. If you are looking for brighter and better look into Luxeon LED flashlights with Lux III and Lux V LED such as Surefire, Streamlight, Inova, Pelican, etc.

matlt said:

I just recently started getting into the better quality flashlights, and the research to go along with it. I've been a knife fanatic for a couple years now, and most knife nuts share at least a passing interest in other "gadgets", to include flashlights of course. I understand the difference between different flashlights suiting different needs, brightness vs battery life, spot vs flood etc. I mainly have a question concerning the upgraded Inova X1 I just bought. Most of the reviews I have read declare it a decent buy, but it's not as bright as I expected it to be. My coast v2 triplex is brighter, covers the same area if not more, and has a better throw. What purpose then does this flashlight serve if a lower grade equally priced light betters it?

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Re: Kind of new to "real" flashlights. And of course newbies always have questions...

It very much depends upon what you mean by "betters". Yes there are plenty of lights out there that are brighter and have longer throw. Those are not the only two considerations in a flashlight, no matter what you may have heard elsewhere (some people consider it so, but many others do not).

Battery life, durablity, dependablity, size, are also big considerations. I myself prefer less lumens, and longer battery life in an EDC light. Usage has a cumulative effect naturally on the remaining life of a battery, so at any given point the battery is somewhere between 100% and 0% when you pull it out to use it. If, when it occurs the battery is near the end of its life, and you find yourself in an emergency situation, or simply in great need of a flashlight, you could find yourself with anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours of light. I do not find your Coast on Flashlight reviews website so I have no idea what the runtimes you can expect out of it.

And I don't believe in the saying, oh battery life does not matter, I always carry spares, and can simply pop one in, life happens (yes I was going to put the other word but thought better of it ) and you can and will find yourself without that spare.

I prefer to personally gamble on a light with longer battery life, others prefer more light, its a very personal thing. I can toss my Fenix P1 in my pocket at the same time, and often do, if I want more output which it has in spades for a small light. Or stick my Inova X5 or X0 (old school baby not the new version) in my hip pocket for a brighter light companion.

"Better" is a very personal and subjective thing. The X1 is a very good blend of output/battery life/durabilty/dependablity/size, at least many people including myself think it is, which is why it is my personal EDC.

Re: Kind of new to "real" flashlights. And of course newbies always have questions...

The X1 has a ton of runtime and you can run over it with your truck. Its not super bright, but the runtime and toughness make it a great light...

Re: Kind of new to "real" flashlights. And of course newbies always have questions...

Welcome to the land of crazy flashaholics, matlt. It's easy to read the volumes of info here and come to expect more than a particular light delivers. The X1 is durable, affordable, one of the brightest single 5mm LEDs, long running, and economical. It can't compete with the v2 Triplex for brightness and probably tint, but aren't 3 N cells at least 3x the cost of one AA? Like all lights it's a compromise, but a pretty good one.

Geoff

Re: Kind of new to "real" flashlights. And of course newbies always have questions...

That's pretty much the answer I was looking for. I'm very satisfied with the light. No trouble yet other than the lens that I reglued using a tooth pick to apply around the edges. Anyways, I just bought a maglite 2 AA LED a couple days ago, and after 2 days it just stopped working. This light was perfect for my purposes (I'm a mechanic, and there are times that I work outside at night), until it stopped working. I'm looking for a replacement, and I basically want everything the maglite has, just not a maglite. 3 hours run time was a good tradeoff for the level of output it offered, and I would prefer it to use AA's. Any suggestions?

Re: Kind of new to "real" flashlights. And of course newbies always have questions...

I just bought the new version X1 and really like it for the extended runtime plus it is built like a tank. Puts out good beam as well.