E1B LED or HDS EDC Tactical?

I am a law enforcement officer who recently purchased a Surefire E2DL for duty use and am very pleased with the purchase. I am now looking for a moderately priced 1x123A back-up light to compliment my E2DL and would like your advice and opinions. I am debating between a Surefire E1B backup LED and a HDS EDC Tactical 120 lumen model both of which I can get for roughly the same price. Given the choice, would you choose the Surefire or the 120 lumen HDS? Anything else I should consider that is very robust and reliable in the same price range?

Thanks,

AmicusCuriae

It is hard to go wrong with either one. The HDS is a bit more versatile (programmable settings, etc)

Look into the UI of both and see which would fit you best! Both have very loyal followings.

Given the choice, I'd choose the HDS.

The E1b is a small spotlight. The HDS has a lot more flood, although it does still have a hotspot.. I guess it depends on which you need more. Spot or flood. For a light that will be used in a tactical situation, I'd go for something more along the lines of an L1 or wait for the LX1. Otherwise, the HDS is a lot more versatile.

If you want ultimate reliability, the E1B is the better choice. No complex circuitry to go wrong - just a simple high / low tailcap switch.

Simple design, brilliant beam, long throw.

I wonder if the E1b could survive an EMP....

Buy both, you can't go wrong. I have a E1B and Ra 170E both great lights. The surefire is a bit smaller and more of a spot light. The Ra is just a great all around light, you can set it up however you want, do to your needs. I think it will out throw the E1B.

d337944 said:

If you want ultimate reliability, the E1B is the better choice. No complex circuitry to go wrong - just a simple high / low tailcap switch.

Simple design, brilliant beam, long throw.

Click to expand...

Anyone had the electronics of a HDS fail? I own one surefire Z57 switch which failed three times, counting the replacements.

d337944 said:

If you want ultimate reliability, the E1B is the better choice. No complex circuitry to go wrong - just a simple high / low tailcap switch.

Simple design, brilliant beam, long throw.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I have to disagree. At this level of build and engineering of circuitry failure is pretty much unheard of. It's the mechanical things that go wrong IE the clickie switch in the surefire. I have had ten both and loved them but the HDS is te better light. And I can't think of any weakpoint in the HDS's design

The E1B has the same UI as the E2DL, which I can see as an advantage in stressful situations... no need to think about which light you have.

I can't really speak for the E1B having never even seen one in operation, but I imagine the Clicky would be more versatile because of its programmability, beam shape, and multi-levels. I'd say it would complement your E2DL better. If you're worried about the complexity, the programming will allow you to make it a single level light by setting all 4 presets to the same level. Similarly if you only wanted a dual-level light. You can not do that with the E1B. If I'm correct, you also won't be able to set the intensity of each level.

BBL said:

Anyone had the electronics of a HDS fail? I own one surefire Z57 switch which failed three times, counting the replacements.

Click to expand...

Not that I've heard of. There probably have been (?), but the worst I've heard so far is a parasitic drain issue caused by a faulty capacitor. This is a very rare occurrence. As for reliability, it would be pretty hard to go past the Clicky. It is just over-engineered to the teeth.

The E1B has better throw and is an excellent light, but in my opinion everything else about the HDS is better:
1. I find the E1B to be slippery and too small to grip comfortably. I have big clumsy hands. The HDS fits my grip perfectly, and the aggressive knurling is much more secure. I find that I drop the E1B a lot.
2. The HDS light is much more flexible - you can make it work pretty much however you want. (This can also be a downside if you don't want to fool with this - the default UI on the tactical is pretty sensible though.)
3. Both are extremely well made lights - but the HDS just feels better made and more solid. (No disrespect intended to the E1B - it is exceedingly well made itself.)

To be a little more precise about the E1B - in an overhand type grip with your thumb on the tailswitch, it's fine. In any other grip you might try, it's just too slippery in my opinion. The HDS can be comfortably and securely held in several different ways. Obviously if you prefer to carry the E1B the way it was designed to be carried, then this is a non-issue.

Maybe you would consider the 4Sevens 123 R5. It actually has a high output of 205 lumens and is 3/4 inch smaller than E1B with several setting modes for only $59. I just bought the 123x2 model.

I've read a lot of E1B v HDS threads lately and they all seem to come down to flexibility and size.

They're both bullet-proof (figuratively...maybe), have great emitters, are multi-level.

The E1B was designed in consultation with LEOs and is a perfect backup to the E2DL...same optics, same UI. I also think the clip is a bit better. There are many different after-market clips for the HDS but the E1Bs is superior out of the box IMHO.

You aren't going to regret either.

I vote for the Surefire!!

AmicusCuriae said:

I am a law enforcement officer who recently purchased a Surefire E2DL for duty use and am very pleased with the purchase. I am now looking for a moderately priced 1x123A back-up light to compliment my E2DL and would like your advice and opinions. I am debating between a Surefire E1B backup LED and a HDS EDC Tactical 120 lumen model both of which I can get for roughly the same price. Given the choice, would you choose the Surefire or the 120 lumen HDS? Anything else I should consider that is very robust and reliable in the same price range?

Thanks,

AmicusCuriae

Click to expand...

I just ordered my first HDS EDC 170T Custom and still haven't received it yet, but I've used the following less expensive 1x123 alternatives as a backup pocket EDC light and they've proven reliable:

• Fenix PD20 ~ 190 lumens ~ $57
• Olight T-10 ~ 210 lumens (newer version) ~$49

I've had both and still decided to buy the HDS EDC 170T Custom. Don't get me wrong, the Fenix and Olight have proven themselves to be reliable, but I'm not sure they could take the abuse that Henry of HDS Systems put one of his HDS Tactical lights through and still survive. Check out his website and you'll see the torture test he ran on an HDS Tactical light and it still functioned. I'll probably never put my light through that kind of abuse, especially since it'll be a backup pocket EDC light, but it's good to know since I've dropped many a light on numerous occasions in the field on asphalt/pavement/etc, which makes you just cringe.

I eventually gravitated towards the HDS Clicky, but that's a journey you'll have to take on your own...

Hope this helps.

I say, as a backup, the Backup. As a compliment, the HDS.

Marketplace is a wonderful place to pick up a light you're unsure about. You can grab it for cheaper, and if it's not to your liking, you can list it back up there.

For example, this brand-new E1B which Brasso just listed today: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=239986

For that price, you can afford to get both now.

I would go for the HDS Clicky, for it's super low low. Just enough light for myself so that it would be easy to sneak up on the suspects.

You will love the HDS, just ask Belstaff1464, he has got like 5 in a short span of time.:naughty:

I have both and I have stopped carrying the E1B ever since I got the HDS. Both are very tough lights and you can't go wrong with any. Ultimately it depends on what your training requires out of you. If your training requires you to do a light, move, light, move, light sequence then E1B might not be suitable because it would keep changing it's output level if you need to turn on the light again in less than 3 seconds. And we all know how precious 3 seconds could be in a life & death situation. Also, in a tactical situation where adrenalin is running high and your palms are sweaty, not too sure how it would feel like to grab a very smooth light with no knurling. Think about what you would need or don't need based on all the advice given & you would be able to make a more informed decision.