In need of a bright flashlight

Hey everyone,

Almost every night I take a midnight walk through the woods in our backyard with my dog. I'd really like to get a flashlight where I can actually decently see around me. Not some $10 plastic thing from Wal-Mart.

Something quite bright but not ridiculously expensive is what I have in mind. I'd say keep it around $50-75. If there is anything cheaper than that, that would be great also.

I'm pretty much a flashlight newb, so any opinions or advice on what to look for would be great.

Thanks!

If you have a Lowes near you , you should try the Task Force CREE Flashlight, its about 30+tax

Make sure you get the one that says "60x brighter" becuase those are the better ones.

It uses common C cell batteries and is pretty darn bright.

Thanks for the info.

I was looking on Lowes website and found this, although it only says 30x

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=225285-50584-FT-NS-2C 3W&lpage=none

They didn't have any 60x listed, maybe it's not listed on their website.

its 30x, my head isn't in one piece atm

as an introduction to the new technology of LED's i think this would be a good start. Soon you will want better build quality, better runtime etc

then you'll wonder why your credit card bill is so high

Alright. Thank you a lot for the help! I appreciate it.

I like the price too. I've been researching that model a bit and it seems everyone loves it.

The next light i suggest you get is a Surefire 6p or if you're a bit adventurous the Surefire C2 both are very mod friendly hosts for all kinds of things.

Fenix L2T V2 Q2 and some Eneloop rechargeable batteries. Will be towards the top end of your budget, but is a quality light.

Dereelight DBS V2 w/ 1SM-1 will run you $110.00, but will likely serve most, if not all of your flashlight needs in the woods. Uses CR123A, or rechargeable Li-ion batteries. Highly recommended if you are willing to spend a bit more. The current standard amongst LED lights for long distance illumination.

Get the UltraFire C3 Stainless from shiningbeam.com
Great little light, run on 1AA.

What size?
What batteries?
What runtime?
Would having different modes be helpful(high, low, strobe etc.)

The Fenix L2T V2.o could work well. 8% off coupon at Fenix Store is "CPF8".

If you want really good throw for the price, try the WF-600 with 18650 batteries and a charger. Shipping will be slow but the light throws a pretty narrow and far reaching beam.

:welcome:

For walking the dog, I'd suggest a 3D/3C LED MagLite. Plenty of light, plenty of runtime, and a focusable head to adjust throw/spill how you want it. And in a pinch, a good impact weapon.

If you want something smaller, I'd say up the $$ to about $100 and get a SureFire 6P with a good quality drop in or a NovaTac 85T from Lighthound.

Any of the Fenix lights will do, too.

jake25 said:

If you have a Lowes near you , you should try the Task Force CREE Flashlight, its about 30+tax

Make sure you get the one that says "60x brighter" becuase those are the better ones.

It uses common C cell batteries and is pretty darn bright.

Click to expand...

I also strongly advise a CREE.

Walmart has a 115 lumen Coleman MAX CREE 3xAAA Aluminum flashlight for $25. Mine is amazing and is kind of like having a miniature spotlight.

I like the Surefire g2. I was real impressed when I got my first one.

Small, light, fits in the pocket, tough. Just make sure you get a few batteries to go with it.

They have an LED model now that seems pretty cool!

you could get a sams club power on board from fleabay for about 40 bucks including shipping. it has the most bang for your buck. it weighs about 9 pounds though. it can be lightened to around 4 pounds with, what are they called, envelopes, eneloops, eonoolps. {exscuse my n0obness on rechargable batterys :shakehead} But it comes with a sling so yours hands wont hurt as much. BTW- if you do decide to get one be carefull not to melt any trees with it :devil:

I have a POB and it is a great searchlight.

It can run for over an hour at full brightness, and it can throw for nearly a mile. You can light up a football field with it.

Welcome to CandlePowerForums !

:welcome:


The CPF Welcome Mat may provide answers

to some of yer' Frequently Asked Questions.


https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/172991



Hope this is helpful.

_

Thank you everyone for the input. I appreciate it.

Since the price was right and I could buy it locally I went to Lowes and picked up the Task Force CREE that was mentioned above (the 60x one, they had it in stock at the store). It's EXTREMELY bright for such a small flashlight. I was blown away by its output. Plus I got it for $20 with a coupon I found.

I couldn't decide between the Task Force and a 3D LED MagLite (the MagLite was about $5 more). I also liked the size of the MagLite more (as I could use it as a weapon as well). Hopefully I made the right decision, but so far I'm very happy with what I got.

In the future, I'm definitely going to look into more of these higher end flashlights. I'd just like to do a bit more research and learn a lot more before I drop $100+ on a light I know nothing about.

I was really contemplating buying that Dereelight DBS v2, but I couldn't make myself spend that much money for something I know so little about.

Thanks again for the help. This is such a nice (and needed) update to the crap I've been using.

jake25 said:

its 30x, my head isn't in one piece atm

as an introduction to the new technology of LED's i think this would be a good start. Soon you will want better build quality, better runtime etc

then you'll wonder why your credit card bill is so high

Click to expand...

you were right the first time it's 60x, the old version was 30x the new cree version is labeled 60x, the website doesn't have the new one on there. If your new to flashlights and you are only used to Maglites and cheep stuff, the Task Force will definitely impress you. :welcome:

The stock MagLED isn't that impressive for brightness, it's adequate for most uses though and lasts damn near forever on 3 D cell batteries.

if you want reaaaally bright....Roar of the Pelican..

might be slightly above your price range though, depending on how you make it.

its a pretty easy mod, decent runtime, and great color rendition.

Crenshaw