Surefire 6P LED vs Fenix LD20

I'm looking to rid myself of CR123 batteries and flashlights that use them. The horror stories I've read about these batteries make them sound too risky for my taste, even with the proper precautions. I'm just not willing to risk damage to people or property, and I'll take a hit in terms of runtime for it.

That being said, I understand that most of the better/brighter/longer lasting flashlights generally use CR123 batteries.

Anyway...

I'm considering the Fenix LD20+ as a replacement for my 6PL, which I'll probably sell. The 6PL supposedly does 80 lumens with about 11 hours of runtime - which is more or less what I've seen with it (at least, runtime, I have no way of measuring the ligh). The LD20's closest setting to that is 94 lumens, which nets 5 hours of runtime.

I'm also considering the 4sevens Quark AA^2, R5 edition.

So - experts/collectors out there who may have seen all these lights - will the LD20 and/or Quark AA^2 give around the same performance and throw as the 6PL does? Any other lights I should take a look at?

Thanks!

Dave

Either the Quark or the Fenix will own the Surefire in terms of throw and output - and runtime on lower modes. The Fenix is probably a little throwier than the Quark but either will do the job. More importantly, they are much more versatile by virtue of their multi-mode interfaces.

Now if you get a 3rd party drop-in for the 6P, such as a Malkoff, you can get cooking in terms of output - but then you could buy both the fenix and the quark for the amount of money you'd have spent.

The Quark is an excellent value, as it is the same price as the previous R2 edition, but now has the premium R5 emitter. I am a happy Quark owner, and I highly recommend them.

If you are just a normal user and don't require the forward tactical switch and ultra reliability of the Z41 twisty the Surefire will give you then get the LD20.

If you want performance differences in day to day use, even my LD10 out performs a stock 6PL. LD20 is the same with a brighter turbo and longer runtime.

Its a great general purpose light, you will be happy with the LD20 or LD10.

or you can get a P60 style drop-in and run your 6P on 17670.

I have a 6P with an LED dropin from Lighthound (http://www.lighthound.com/Lumens-Fa...ssembly-for-SureFire-C-P-Z-Series_p_2620.html)

that uses 2XRCR123/2xCR123A or 1x17670. You can use up to 3xCR123, 3xLi-ion's (16340 and above), or an external power supply from 3.0 volts to 13 volts.

I also have a Neutral Quark AA^2 Tactical. The Quark is outshined/outthrown by the P60 dropin, but the AA^2 throws a fair distance on high, but isn't designed to run on high all the time, due to there being insufficient heatsinking to let it handle that very well without the LED's life being shortened, unless you are using it in cold weather.

If you want comparison shots between the 2, let me know, and I'll take some beamshots for you.

~Brian

CR123s are only a risk if you use them improperly and if you buy cheap batteries.

The 6PL doesn't run 11 hours at 80 lumen, it's more around 3-4 hours at 80 lumen, and the rest is above 1 lumen (look at the runtime charts).

The LD20 and Quark AA^2 should be brighter then the P60L (the Surefire in house drop-in used by the 6PL and the G2L) on max. The LD20 and Quark AA^2 should at least match the throw of the P60L too on max with a wider beam (the smaller reflector means less throw, wider beam for the same output).

The LD20 or AA^2 should both be good lights for general use. Check out the discounts thread in the marketplace to see if the place you are buying from offers discounts for CPF users.

Gunner12 said:

CR123s are only a risk if you use them improperly and if you buy cheap batteries.

The 6PL doesn't run 11 hours at 80 lumen, it's more around 3-4 hours at 80 lumen, and the rest is above 1 lumen (look at the runtime charts).

The LD20 and Quark AA^2 should be brighter then the P60L (the Surefire in house drop-in used by the 6PL and the G2L) on max. The LD20 and Quark AA^2 should at least match the throw of the P60L too on max with a wider beam (the smaller reflector means less throw, wider beam for the same output).

The LD20 or AA^2 should both be good lights for general use. Check out the discounts thread in the marketplace to see if the place you are buying from offers discounts for CPF users.

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Gunner: In regards to the batteries... That's true. I do take the safety precautions - I just get a little nervous. I'm still not 100% sure that I want to actually get rid of the 6PL. I do only use Surefire batteries, replace them in pairs, and I don't let them get too low. I've read enough of the horror stories - and the safety guides here on this forum - to make sure I handle them properly!

Also, thanks for clarifying the output vs runtime specs - I'm sure that is the case - I just don't use that light very often, so I probably never noticed the differences in brightness until it got significantly dimmer.

shark_za said:

If you are just a normal user and don't require the forward tactical switch and ultra reliability of the Z41 twisty the Surefire will give you then get the LD20.

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shark_za: That's a good point, and that's actually the reason I went with the Surefire for my first nice flashlight.

Since BrightGuy.com is about 20 minutes away from me - and they take walk-ins - I think I'm going to head up there and pick up an LD20.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I do not see any risk when using cr123's properly?

I have been using them for years now without a problem.