Help Make Decision

Here's the situation. I'm considering scaling down my SureFire collection. The main reason is for lack of usage. Sure, it's nice to say I have this and that, but these suckers are not cheap and trying to justify a light collecting dust at these costs is simply not resasonable as far as I'm concerned.

Here's the current SF collection:

1-E1E
1-E2E (HA)
2-ECE (CAMO)+ looking to purchase 2-more
1-M2
1-M2 TURBO HEAD
1-M3
1-M3 TURBO HEAD
1-M6

Most of these lights are less than 30-days old. I find myself always grabbing one of the E2E's when I need a light (assuming the requirement is too large for my ARC-AAA or ARC-LS to handle). Of those instances where the E2E won't cut it, I grab my M3. I prefer the feel of the M3 over the M2. The M2 gets fired-up once in a while just for the heck of it. The M6 (less than 72-hours old) gets lit to impress the neighbors.

With all that being said, what would you do to scale this collection down? Which lights would you keep. Keep in mind, I'm not a LEO or security guard, so the extent of my light usage is for mostly walking at night, getting around my backyard at night and camping a couple times a year.

Which of these lights will offer me the most usage and bag for the buck? Which ones have the most durability and expandability as it relates to current/future option, lamp assemblies, etc?

By the way, none of my SureFires are EDC for me.

-Ray-

Well for me and reading what you'd said I'd keep the E2's cause they get the most everyday use it seems from your post.

The M2 is a nice light and offers the P61 bulb for a lot of light in a small package.

The M3 is a step up from the M2 but still easily put in a large pocket. If I had to pick only one surefire it would be a M3.

The M6 is amazing, enough said.

I would eliminate the M2 turbo and M3 turbo and the E1e.

The turbo's are nice but the large head makes them hard to put in a pocket and well the M2 turbo or M3 turbo cannot compare to the M6 at all. When you need a turbo light grab the M6 with a hour of 250 lumens.

The E1e, this is my personal opinion but I just don't like it. The 15 lumens is just so little light compared to the E2e and the E2e is just a little longer. I had a 3P with 15 lumens and I found myself always disappointed in it everytime I used it. If they had a 30 lumen bulb for the E1e I'd probably love it.

Todd

I'm curious. Does the M3 Turbo have a
longer/further throw than the M6?
I know the M6 has 'more' light, but i'm
interested in the throw/range of the M6
compared to the M3Turbo.

Much thanks.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by this_is_nascar:
I'm considering scaling down my SureFire collection. The main reason is for lack of usage.
1-E1E
1-E2E (HA)
2-ECE (CAMO)+ looking to purchase 2-more
1-M2
1-M2 TURBO HEAD
1-M3
1-M3 TURBO HEAD
1-M6
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ray,

Heteric! Blasphemer!

What are the ECE? I can't say what to do with them, since I do not know what an ECE is.

Assuming you can sell them, here is what I would do.

Keep an E1e (nice and small)
UNLESS you like the ARC LS with the 123 pack better.

Keep one M3 (whichever one you like better)

Buy a Brinkmann Legend LX. While still a 2, 123a lithium light, it is not as small as the E2e, but it is supposed to be a little brighter, and while the beam is not as ultra perfect as a surefire, it is a very nice beam. Please research this topic here, as there was a lot written about it. IF the LX meets your needs, get rid of the E2e. If not, make sure you have the receipt, and take it back.

Buy a 40-60$ rechargable spotlight. I like the Optronics 2,000,000 CP light, read about it in the Spotlight forums. That can sub for your M6. I think it is brighter than the M6, cheaper to run, but not as much "WOW" factor as the M6.

You can sell 7 lights, buy 2 cheaper ones, and still be able to light up the mountainside at night!

I've been buying 123s, a few here, a few there, and a couple dozen here and there when a deal comes up. And by now I have accumulated tons of 123s so, although I cannot tell you which lights to sell, when the time comes, you'd probably find a buyer in me. Let me know...

Here are some beamshots that show the M3T and M6.
http://www.pk-engineering.com/gallery/FineFiveBeamEval02.jpg

To me at least the M6 250 lumen beam looks noticeably than the M3T with the 225 lumen bulb. My guess this is partly due to the fact the M6 uses 2 pair of 3 batteries and can give that extra oomph of voltage, and it does have the extra 25 lumens.

I have been in the same position as you. I am currently debating selling my M3 since I don't really use it as much as I did my M4.

Instead of buying a bunch of lights at once I buy a few, keep the ones I can't be without and sell the ones I don't really use, then I use that money to buy more. That way, in the end I have kept only the lights I feel are useful to me and I have experienced all of the other lights that I did not keep. I have tried to keep a record of the lights I have bought and used on my website.

I would suggest that if you want to sell some Surefires to free up some money just pick a few you never use and sell them, it's not like you can't buy another one if you change your mind.

Or you can just keep them all.

keep the E2 pal.
sold the M6 . (wasting to much money on batteries)
about the M3, ermm... have no idea.
sold it as well maybe?

A simple suggestion to avoid lengthy analysis and math: rather than identify a few which are indispensible and keep them, find a few which you'd never miss and sell them.

Find a table with enough space to stand all your lights on their bezels. Put all your lights in a box under the table. Get them out as you need them, put them on the table when done.

Go about your business.

Anything which stays in the box is a good candidate to sell. Anything which never leaves your pockets-- never sell. Those left on the table are in between.

You are already doing this in a less formal fashion. The E2's are indispensible. You use the M3 a lot. And anytime the M3 is insufficient, the M6 is as bright as it gets, trumping the Turbos.

Pistol, Rifle, Artillery:
E2, M3, M6.