Need Advice on two lights please

I was looking for a more powerful EDC light after seeing the Ra Clickie thread. I looked them up and realized they put out a lot more lumens than my current EDC the Surefire CREE L1. After looking around 4sevens site for a while I saw some lights that are almost too good to be true in my book. A Fenix that puts out 630 lumens, and a EDC that puts out 225 lumens, and finally a Microfire Warrior III that uses the 35w HID, putting out 3,500 lumens for 540.00. My question is, do these lights really put out as advertised, and secondly do they even come close to the machining and quality build of surefire? I wish surefire would up the lumens! I may be spending a lot of cash on Fenix and Microfire if they don't! The only option that SF leaves me for 2,500 lumens is the HUGE Beast FOR 4,000+ dollars. Which I am not willing to pay right now at this point in my life, I have to have money left over for knives, and firearms.


BTW: My current lights are a SF L1 CREE, SF DIGITAL L5, SF M6, and others like Dorcy lights and Inovas....

I have found any light 4sevens advertises does in fact perform as advertised, they wouldn't put just anything on their site unless it does what it says it can do rest assured. If you was talking about a Fenix that puts out 225 lumens my guess is you seen the Tk11 and though it is a wonderful light I think it to big for EDC. There are 180-220 lumens Fenix that are great size for EDC "P" series. The Lumens ratings is a good starting point when looking for performance but its better to pay closer attention to the Lux ratings you see in output reviews here and other places like here http://www.light-reviews.com/reviews.html. Oh yeh and surefire Lux to lumens ratings compared to other lights will give you an idea of what I mean. A surefire light that has 80 lumens may have somewhere around 150 lumens compared to other lights. And I know thats not exact just using it as an example. There are people on here more educated in this matter that can explain it better then me.

Surefire has some great lights, for sure. They show you what quality is. But as another poster here has said, they are a "box-end wrench"... make sure it is the right fit for your application, or pick something (more versatile) else.

And while Surefires will open your mind to quality, other brands show you what versatility, wide range, l-o-w low, HOT high, ramping, fuel flexibility, quality, and VALUE are all about.... and for a very moderate amount of money.

Choose a Surefire where the Surefire does best what is needed most. And choose other offerings where they do best what is needed most. I have a number of great Surefires, but now that I've discovered some great alternative torches (D10, LF3XT, Solarforce L2, Jet III-M, Romisen), my Surefires have become my least used lights... for Sure.

DHart said it best, Surefire is just one star among many..

And here are some other places for you to look:

http://www.lighthound.com/
http://www.batteryjunction.com/
http://www.bugoutgearusa.com/jefl.html
http://www.malkoffdevices.com/
http://www.elektrolumens.com/
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/58234

Hi! I would like to share what I've learnt so far.

The Fenix T series appears to put out the advertised out the front lumens. The D series so far quotes bulb lumens.

The new Inova also appears to put out advertised out the front lumens.

Surefire usually puts out more or way more than the advertised out the front lumens.

Take your L1 for example. (I'm guessing that it is the same L1 as my friend, CREE X-RE, TIR optics) It is advertised as 60 lumens. If you use it with a RCR123 battery, it will put out about (or more than) 200 lumens out the front. It throws as well as my Eagletac T10LC2 ~9000 to 10000 lux, has a huge hotspot but little spill. Ceiling bounce (with a "light meter" shows not much difference from my T10LC2 (which is about 250 lumens out the front?) and WAY brighter than my Fenix LD10 (advertised 120 lumens, my guess about 80-90 lumens). My Inova T1 (100 lumens is also brighter (ceiling bounce) than my LD10. The LD10 has (VERY SLIGHTLY) more throw, a smaller hotspot and spill.

So... The L1, is a formidable light when direct driven with a RCR123. Right where all the not overdriven 2 cell lights are. Just beware of the heat. =)

polkiuj said:

So... The L1, is a formidable light when direct driven with a RCR123.

Click to expand...

Sure is... the L1 comes into its own when powered by an RCR123! :thumbsup: Me likey!