cruel doubt about 18650 flashlights

Ultrafire C2 --- should be a good choice you will not regret.
( accepts 18650 protected battery ).

What do you need the lights for?

For a general use light, most of the lights you listed have a too narrow beam and even the C2 might have3 a narrow beam, unless your general use means the light has to project 70+ meters.

For something more general use, how about the WF-16 Seoul.

richdsu, Welcome to CPF!

This is the lowest priced 18650 powered light I have. I've banged it around at work plenty so I'm convinced it's durable. Good throw and useable side spill. Indoors I mostly use a little Lumapower light that's always in my pocket. I've never run down an 18650 cell. I just stick one in the charger on my day off and I'm set for the week. HTH.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3371


Ken

Ken 222 said:

This is the lowest priced 18650 powered light I have. I've banged it around at work plenty so I'm convinced it's durable. Good throw and useable side spill. Indoors I mostly use a little Lumapower light that's always in my pocket. I've never run down an 18650 cell. I just stick one in the charger on my day off and I'm set for the week. HTH.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3371


Ken

Click to expand...

I think this is a good choice. Whatever you decide at the end, best to stick to a one-cell format for maximum safety.

If I could only have one flashlight (scary thought!) I'd need at least two modes - a low of 10-15 lumens and a high of 50 - 100 lumens. As it is, my EDC tends to be a single-mode midrange (currently E1e) that's useful indoors. If I'm heading outdoors, I'll grab a 9V incandescent; and my cars and desk drawers have LED headlamps and Brinkman Maxfires just in case. There is no one flashlight for all tasks any more than there is one hammer good for all uses; you figure out what you'll be doing and choose the best fit.

If you've selected the 18650, I would recommend something that can take Surefire P60 compatible lamp assemblies. You could get a two mode CREE for most uses, and have a P60-compatible incan for outdoors. Examples of this type light are the Ultrafire WF-502B, Wolf-Eyes Sniper or Explorer, one of the Pilas (G2?)... Ironically, the Surefires these are modeled after do not take the 18650. The G2/G2L and 6P will take the 17670, and the 6P can be bored out to 18mm.

If you're thinking about EDCing it I'd get the one with the nicest pocket clip and smallest head design. I like this one.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5925

If you're never going to EDC it, any of the single cell lights should be nice. I lean toward the Ultrafire myself.

wf800 smooth reflector not just "long throw" but intense centered beam for inspection and illuminating objects at a distance the "spill" light is just an extra that you get from any reflector if its got any goodly amount of light output "spill" will occur naturally an op reflector (textured) will give you a diffused beam in my opinion good for lighting a room but not good for what a "flashlight" outdoors is designed for SEEING WHATS IN FRONT OF YOU! maglites have been around a long time and they dont have op (textured) reflectors! you must remember a lot of cpfers are not really people who use flashlights on the job. there more like "artists" who see ringy beams and such

I think many Flashaholics are quite happy to be regarded as "Artists" as well. Thanks. Of course, Flashaholicism is an art. And a very delicate one too.