What are your beater lights? Crusty, old, well used, but trusty

Okay, so I don't own any 'crusty' lights, but some are definately 'old'. At least what I consider old. Am I the only one who has $200 Surefires on the shelf, yet generally reaches for the Minimag? Come on, there must be more of you out there!

I keep beater lights around to keep my nice lights looking nice and to keep them in top shape for if there is an emergency where I really need great lights. Yea, I'm sorta weird that way.

I have a 2AA Minimag with a pocketclip, mineral glass lense and white NightIze led module installed. Generally use this as my "walk around the house or the garage at night without turning any lights on" light.

Beaterlight #2 is my River Rock 2AAA. This light is so handy and versatile, sometimes I get lazy or just not want to deal with looking after my light and EDC it instead of a Centurion with a P61 or something. I know, I know, that's pretty lame huh? But the thing is really bright and lasts a long time on a set of alkalines, even much longer on lithiums.

My third beater light is a Maglite Solitaire. Why do I still keep this? In this day and age?? Sometimes I feel nostalgic and wanna break it out to look through some old LP's or something Other times, I just want a light so dim, that I can walk around a room without anyone outside or in the house being able to tell there's anyone there.

Beater number four is my Streamlight Stylus penlight. Sometimes at night when I'm not feeling like even having the bulk of the River Rock 2AAA on me, I'll just slip that into a back pocket. Definately not a barn burner, but enough light to navigate around and see what I'm doing.

Beater five is my beloved old Rayovac 2D flashlight. I think I've had this sucker for over ten years easily. Maybe closer to fifteen. It's got an even brighter bulb in it now and 2D batteries just seem to run forever when you're used to Surefire runtimes.

Last beater light is an "Aztec" purchased at Big Lots for the sum of about $2 or so. It takes 4AA batteries. I installed an old mystery bulb in it marked "Hong Kong", and now it lights up almost like a G2, but with much crappier beam and better throw. I use this on occassion at work.

Should make it clear that I don't abuse my beater lights either. In fact I'm usually about as careful with them as with my nicer ones.



So let's hear about your beater lights.

my beater light would be my 2AA mini-mag with the nite ize led and nite ize clickie tailcap. i rarely use anything else unless im going out.

My every day use lights are my P1, L2T, LOP SE and David 15. I use the others but not as much. I don't think I would get a light I didn't intend to use at least some of the time though.

InfidelCastro said:

Okay, so I don't own any 'crusty' lights, but some are definately 'old'. At least what I consider old. Am I the only one who has $200 Surefires on the shelf, yet generally reaches for the Minimag? Come on, there must be more of you out there!

I keep beater lights around to keep my nice lights looking nice and to keep them in top shape for if there is an emergency where I really need great lights. Yea, I'm sorta weird that way.

Should make it clear that I don't abuse my beater lights either. In fact I'm usually about as careful with them as with my nicer ones.

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Me too. All my Surefires are shelf queens. Those models which I had multiple units, such as E2D, E1E+KL1, G2, I will usually reserve 1 or 2 units as shelf queen and use the rest as beater lights.

I do not go out of my way to abuse the beater lights and have never drop them yet. They just get season while riding in my pants pocket with coins, keys, etc. I also restrain from doing any mod that drastically change the light such as breaking sealed bezels or using non SF bulb, reflectors, etc.

I no longer reaches for mag, given up hope on them. As they usually dead and/or battery leaks else sickly weak beam.

My beater light is a dorcy metal gear. My surefires are not shelf queens and are used at work all the time. I'f I'm going to spend $200 on a flashlight, its going to be used.

i use a modded Princeton Tec EOS and/or a modded Petzl TacTikka XP (with red filter)...

those are my most used illumination tools

I Don't use my older lights much anymore. I put all my surefire's to work, and I do not worry about them.

Surefire's are made to be used. It is hard to hurt them if you use them in normal everyday situations. Remember they are intended for military use, which would be the most demanding of all.

I say use your good stuff. It will not hurt them to be used.

Best,

RL

Okay here it goes.
Beater#1, a streamlight 4AA led for the kids to scare away monsters.
Beater#2, a rayovac 2D that stayes in the garage.
Beater#3, streamlight stinger for chgasing cats away from my garbage
Beater#4, maglite 3C for the basement
Beater#5, maglite AA LED for work.

The rest I use but carefully, darn just got a new nick on the head of my L2T.....Fenix, bring on the stainless steel!!!!

Inova X03 and Streamlight Pro Polymer Luxeon for lighting up the backyard.

Rock River 1xAA and Gerber Ultra Infinity for pocket carry.

Old and abused but still ticking Photon II clipped to my LM P4 Squirt in my mission wallet. Has been going strong for over 3 years. Gets the most use out of any of them.

Yes, my first LED light, a Steamlight propolymer (4AA 7 LED version) is a light I don't mind dropping in the mud, leaving in my car and loaning out.

Ian

my oldest light used to be a 2AA minimag that i've had for about 10 years before i finally lost it. I bought a replacement but never used it and eventually gave it away to some kid.

i also have a 4D Mag which i just keep around as a club. gun ownership here is very strict, and "_most_" breakins are petty thefts by juvenile delinquents or illegal immigrants without firearms anyway, so a club and my meat cleaver works well enough in most cases

my current beater light is my Pila GL4, which i only got about 3 years ago. it's got some gouges, scuffs, and wear from frequent and hard use, but has never failed me for my relatively non-extreme uses, whether it be camping, night jungle walks, or caving (in the easier caves).

Somy Nex said:

...and my meat cleaver works well enough in most cases

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ouch!

ianb said:

ouch!

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:laughing: ohhh now that cleaver is definitely a beater! it's chipped and worn, and sharpened and resharpened! i've had it for 10 years now and it's served (and still serving!) me brilliantly!

cooking's one of my hobbies and it was obviously bought for that purpose. but it makes a pretty mean weapon if i ever need it to be!

Man, that picture makes me hungry! I don't even like pork

Nice cleaver, I definately would not want to break-in to your place




...Keeping on the subject, though they're not mine I often reach for my Dad's 2D Maglite(15+ yrs old), or a cheap 2AA LED of my mom's because they're always around and I keep most of mine safely out of the way

Ian

L2 and E2O. The L2 is starting to look a little worn.

2AA MiniMag

Another aa mag for me (still incan) on the garage to get from the door to the light switch at the back of the garage. Hanging in the tool cupboard is the "house light" which is an old cheapo "Micromark" 2 D cell with an everled. As currently used lights get replaced that can do the job better I am sure these will go in a drawer somewhere.

Inova T4. Drop it, dunk it, throw it, and it still comes back for more. All this and rechargeable too.

Well it's still more of a go to light than a beater (but it is indeed starting to get beat up some)...my Elektrolumens FT-3C...got to love the C cell light form factor, not too big but still plenty of run time....

99% of my light usage involves dim lights and the vast majority of that would be one or another of the old CMG Infinities (non-Ultra). I seem to use the ones with green, blue/green and amber LEDs almost all the time. Maybe I'd use an ARC-AA daily -- if I had more than one of them.

Like InfidelCastro, all of my lights get treated pretty much the same.