Can You Recommend First LED Flashlight?

I do not own an LED flashlight yet. Have had a couple of Mag lights - one for work (inspecting aircraft) and one for use around the house. I am afraid I don't have a lot of dough, but would like to have an LED light that would make me glad I bought it. Thanks!

Have a look at the fenix lights. They're quite popular on this forum.
www.fenix-store.com

Fenix L1D-CE or L2D-CE. Check them out at flashlightreviews.com. Buy them at Fenix Store. I think there's a 5% off coupon code, and shipping is included.

What's your price range?
The Fenixes are great bang for the buck. You can have one and use it both for the house and for work, Different brightness levels are great.

If they are too expensive, you could look at Kaidomain, Dealextreme, and Qualitychinagoods for cheaper lights. Or for a higher price you could look at Lumapower, Huntlight, Surefire...

If possible, get the newer Cree and Seoul lights.

I think CPF8 is a 8% discount code at Fenix Store.

Isn't it cheaper to mod a maglite?

Fenix makes some great lights that are affordable. Smaller than your Mags and sooo much brighter! Give them a look..

Well, I have a 3 C cell mag that might be fun to tweak. I can follow directions well, if they are clear...long ago I was a Heathkit assembler, even though I am not electrically inclined (I am only checked out to load flashlights and jump start cars).

Those Fenixes look nice, too! We have lots of AA batts at work...

boltgunner said:

Well, I have a 3 C cell mag that might be fun to tweak. I can follow directions well, if they are clear...long ago I was a Heathkit assembler, even though I am not electrically inclined (I am only checked out to load flashlights and jump start cars).

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I mean just drop a LED in there such as: http://www.batteryjunction.com/tle-6k2.html

Re: drop-in LED in MAG lite - Pros? Cons?

If you get a LED Dropin, go for the TerraLux from battery junction using the SSC (Seoul Semiconductor) emitter. That one will be significantly brighter than the stock MagLED, and since the LED isn't being pushed as hard as the Luxeon in the MagLED, they can get away with letting it run at full brightness indefinitely. In the case of the MagLED, which drives the emitter harder, lots of heat builds up, so it dims itself in a matter of minutes as a safety mechanism. This will give you basically more light than you have with incan, and much longer runtimes (Good to have as an emergency light, a set of D-Cells will last for many hours)

However, I think there is definitely an advantage to having a more compact LED flashlight than a Maglite, such as a pocket-sized light that will still give you good runtime. Just about any of the lights recommended so far are excellent quality.

One great light that I absolutely love is the Fenix L0D-CE. It's very tiny, which ensures I always have it with me either in a coin pocket or on my keychain. It produces about 50 lumens on a NiMH or high-performance AAA primary cell. That will probably be enough light for you. If it isn't, you can get over 110 lumens out of it by using a LiIon rechargeable. AW's sells 10440 LiIon package, with 2 rechargeable lithium ion cells, and a charger, for $15 in the dealers corner.

Thanks to all of the repliers - been having some hard times as of late and hearing back from nice folks is very good for me.

God Bless You.

There's also the 2AA minimag drop in: http://www.batteryjunction.com/tle-5k2.html

It is much brighter than my 3AAA coast lenser.

If you have a hacksaw, file, wire strippers/cutters, and soldering gun you can modify your 3C light to be amazingly bright. I'll try to find the step-by-step buide, I know it's somwhere in the cust&modified section. The only difference from the guide is that instead of using a cree you would use a seoul(brighter, easier to install).

seoul-$10
heatsink-$12
thermal epoxy-$10

This will get you amazing brightness for longer periods of time than a dropin

Just give me directions, and where to buy parts. I do love to solder, I just burn up too many things to have any fun!

If you have a Target close by, the River Rock 2AA luxeon for $25.00 would be a great first led light if your on a tight budget.

boltgunner, if you have a minimag around you could put the terralux tle-5ex in like knot said. I'm VERY happy with it, and it is my first nice light. HIGHLY reccommend it.

boltgunner said:

I am afraid I don't have a lot of dough, but would like to have an LED light that would make me glad I bought it.

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Unlike most other manufacturers, Peak Led Solutions makes small lights in brass, stainless steel and titanium, in addition to aluminum. While it's not cheap, I think the Peak Pacific brass AAA light (see http://www.peakledsolutions.net/Products/Pacific_Brass.html), which you can get with either a Seoul P4 LED or a Luxeon LED, would give you the cool factor I think you're looking for. Very bright, well made, luxury look, etc.

Welcome to CPF and good luck.

boltgunner said:

Just give me directions, and where to buy parts. I do love to solder, I just burn up too many things to have any fun!

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check this thread out! https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/1738892#post1738892

instead of using a cree you would use a seoul
(brighter, wrong!
easier to install). wrong!

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better to type: they are soooo equal, that there is almost no difference at all.
Only the Seoul is easier to be run with standard focusing devices because of its beam pattern. With anything other than the Cree optic or a Sandwich Shoppe McR-XR reflector the beam from a cree is ringy.