High quality long lasting LED need advice, long post

New to this forum, but VERY glad I found it!

I have been an avid flashaholic for years now, and I am in the market for a few new flashlights. So being the sort that likes to do research when i can i found this wonderfull forum, but as usual, after a few days reading I am left with more questions than answers......

So I will start with my favorate hunting light, the criteria being small, bright, long run time (3-4 hours) and possible red or green filters.
To date my favorate light was/is a coast XXX (I forget the modle number but it is a small "tactical" LED with a twist focas and it uses 3 AAA batteries in a holder) I think the output is in the 60-70 lumen range.
The draw backs to this light are: 1, no filter for night vision, 2, not as bright as i would like.
I just recently ordered the newer generation of this light, forgive me again as i forgot the model designoation, think its t-7 or something. It apears to be slightly larger overall, but uses 4 AAA batteries and puts out 196 or so lumens.

So while I wait for that one I wanted to see what was out there that used li-po batteries and offered a substantial increase in power.
So far the lights that intreague me are the

M1X--- a bit on the large side, but way powerfull and offers good run time on mid modes.

M2SC4---- even better run time (i think) than the M1X, same output class and filters:twothumbs but not so nice to look at

M30--- love the form factor of this one but beem seems on the lower end of the other two....

So I am wanting some advice for a second hunting/working light with a bit more poop. As every day hunting involves 2-4 hours of hiking in the dark, I want a light that can output somewhere in the 400-500 lumen range and is still small enough to carry for that long a time. I know there are several lights avalable that fit the bill, and right now it looks like the M2SC4 has the nod, ( even though the M1X is still my favorate to look at..... )
Cost not being an option, what would you all recomend for a rugged light that pouts out lots of power for a long time?

As an aside, I hace 2 work flaslights, both of them are streemlights, one is a 80 lumed LED, the other is a long 5 cell incan. I am not happy with the run time of either of these. though they are very rugged the output/runtime stinks.
Thanks, Joe

Welcome to CPF, h22.

I'll move your thread to the LED Flashlights section.

Hi and :welcome:

h22 said:

"cost not being an option"

Click to expand...

man, that is a flashaholic's dream.

You might want to swing by here and check out the beamshots of the Fenix TK40, that is one incredibly rugged flashlight as can be seen from the Fenix TK40 torture test

400-500 lumens in the dark is really really bright and will simply blast away your night vision, if you're basing it on cheaper lights rated at 3w that claim 100 lumens when in fact you only get like 30 then simply get a headlight like the energizer hard case headlight 100 lumen and you'll be amazed by how much light it puts out in the dark and it's decent runtime, plus it's got red light for night vision and green for I don't know when you need green light. And asking for long runtimes 400-500 lumens will require lithium d-cells.

You can then supplement your light with any decent MC-E multi level floody light which will light up everything immediately around you, and then get a dedicated thrower for distance spotting. Then as a backup you can have a AA powered light. I think this should have your bases covered. Maybe get a UV light in case you need to find scorpions or just for fun.