Budget Vs High end lights

Hey Ya'll


I have a question that I've spent some time searching threads for, and I haven't found any thing that really answers the question. What makes a $300 flashlight so much better than a $70 flashlight? Assuming that the lights are using comparable led's and batteries. Leaving out "Super-duper, handmade, solid ti w/ 24k gold accents, 500,000 lumen" custom art pieces.:laughing: What I am talking about are the production lights that are on the market. For example what really makes Wolf Eyes and Shurefire's so much better than say Aurora or Mte. Thanks for letting me open this can of worms.

detwolfsdad said:

Hey Ya'll..<snip>
..Thanks for letting me open this can of worms.

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I wouldn't count your chickens before they're hatched young grasshopper...

Build quality, reliability, better regulation, beam quality, among other things. Higher quality lights also usually have better threads that fit together better. Some have lenses with anti reflective coating. Others have type III anodizing, although some budget lights have this also.

They also come from actual companies, not just no-name factories in china. If it breaks, you know who to contact, and you are more likely to get your light repaired or replaced.

Mjolnir said:

Build quality, reliability, better regulation, beam quality, among other things. Higher quality lights also usually have better threads that fit together better. Some have lenses with anti reflective coating. Others have type III anodizing, although some budget lights have this also.

They also come from actual companies, not just no-name factories in china. If it breaks, you know who to contact, and you are more likely to get your light repaired or replaced.

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The only answer needed for this thread.

I generally think that the question "What makes Brand X worth $Y more than Brand Z" is the wrong way of looking at things. (It's also a good way to start protracted and fruitless arguments. )

People have different purposes and priorities for their flashlights. For some people, it's worth the extra expense; for others, not.

What really makes a Hummer better than a Ford station wagon?

Outdoors Fanatic said:

What really makes a Hummer better than a Ford station wagon?

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One will work.

I wouldn't classify a $70 flashlight as budget, for the price you can get pretty decent lights, some even considered the best of its class. In this range you can find Fenix, Nirecore, Eagletac, Jetbeam, etc... these are solid and reliable brands.

Generally speaking, any flashlight beyond the 50-200 range is not intended for practical use, but for collecting or tactical purpose. This does not include HID lights or specially designed lights.

Now, real budget flashlights, xxxfire, aurora, mte, etc, are mass produced and the quality does not compare with the mentioned above and the performance is not as good neither.

One thing you should always remember is that more expensive does NOT necessarily mean more useful.

Search said:

One will work.

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Exactly.

Outdoors Fanatic said:

What really makes a Hummer better than a Ford station wagon?

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Now it is a collection vehicle. :mecry:

richardcpf said:

Generally speaking, any flashlight beyond the 50-200 range is not intended for practical use, but for collecting or tactical purpose.

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If I pay that much for a light, it better not just be for a collection! It better get used everyday!

Hope we're talking about H1.

Search said:

One will work.

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Yes, but which one? I really don't think a hummer is the best example of premium versus budget...

Nissan vs Infinity
Honda vs Acura
Toyota vs Lexus

Mjolnir said:

Build quality, reliability, better regulation, beam quality, among other things. Higher quality lights also usually have better threads that fit together better. Some have lenses with anti reflective coating. Others have type III anodizing, although some budget lights have this also.

They also come from actual companies, not just no-name factories in china. If it breaks, you know who to contact, and you are more likely to get your light repaired or replaced.

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it also depends on what you're going to use the light for.

homeowner or tactical (police/military).

homeowner: $10 p4, or $11 rc-g2 would suffice. adaquate for 30 feet.

tactical: no way i'm going to trust my life on a $10light in a combat situation. plus i probable need to see at least 100feet

detwolfsdad said:

Thanks for letting me open this can of worms.

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Armed_Forces said:

I wouldn't count your chickens before they're hatched young grasshopper...

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I think that should be ' dont count your worms... '.


Really this question has been asked many times before. A companies reputation for product, and service, actual product materials, long-term flexibility. It also depends just as much on how you're going to use the product, from a practical standpoint (something we don't really care about here) your usage determines whether a $10 light or a $200 light is needed. There are design decisions that make some lights more suitable for some tasks than others. If you don't think you need the more expensive light you probably don't, especially if you have used any light for the expected task(s), this should give you an idea of what you need in a light to meet your expectations.

Outdoors Fanatic said:

What really makes a Hummer better than a Ford station wagon?

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ummm My work truck, which I bought new, is a 1991 Nissan it has 296,000mi
with normal maintenance and having replaced the water pump a year ago. It starts every time and still looks very nice... I see your hummer and raise you one Nissan

IMHO the difference is down to (in order of importance):

1. Marketing
2. Reputation
3. Engineering
4. Performance

I have no doubt, for example, that Surefire lights are tougher than many (but not all) and that Surefire has a good (but not perfect) warranty. However, IMO there's also a healthy dose of marketing BS and herd mentality behind their inflated prices. I mean, $150 for an E1B??? I have yet to hear or see any reasonable justification for that sort of price. Even at the "old" price of $120 it was pushing it IMO. Same with Novatac, HDS and many others.

Chinese manufacturers lack the first two, which is why their lights tend to be so much cheaper, relatively speaking. They may have a few inferior components but those alone cannot explain the price differential.

kromeke said:

"There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person's lawful prey. It is unwise to pay too much, but it is also unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money, that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought is incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot... It can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better."

John Ruskin (1819 – 1900) English social reformer

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I have bought lights that were less expensive because I had felt that Surefires were too expensive but until I actually purchased one and felt the quality, I wont allow myself to go the inexpensive route because I feel it costs more in the long run. Surefires just feel complete, I know that this is hard to translate in words but their lights just seem totally solid on all fronts whereas some other lights there usually seems to be one or two build/design issues that bug me making the light useless because I opt to carry the Surefire instead. At some point, you will have to make a decision and very few if any one light will do everything that you WANT but "If you try sometime you find you get what you need". R.Stones