What flashlight provides the most lumens per US dollar?

NWLumenoob · Jul 27, 2011

I was wondering: What flashlight provides the most lumens per US dollar?

Assume reasonable quality, but not necessarily a light that you could fire from a cannon and still expect it to function. (But feel free to start another thread about which lights can surive being shot out of a cannon. :devil

J_C · Jul 27, 2011

There is no possible answer without knowing your complete definition of quality and how long it needs to be able to run at the highest lumens:dollar output level before it incurs rapid degradation (permanent damage leading to eventual if not immediate early failure).

Otherwise, anyone could just increase drive current to the LED and it'd run for a few dozen seconds till something POPS.

ebow86 · Jul 27, 2011

Most lumens per dollar? That's more than likely going to be some type of incandescent maglite mod. There are some pretty inexpensive one's that put out a whole lotta light for cheap. Which one specifically? I'll let someone else anwser that cause I'm no expert on mag mods.

NWLumenoob · Jul 27, 2011

I define quality as something you can drop from hip height and expect it not to break. Not a piece of junk in other words. I guess I should have specified that I didn't mean plugging and XM-L into a wall socket and watching it go supernova. I just meant an off the shelf or commercially available mod. Sorry if this wasn't a good question - my motivation was to find out if I could get a brighter light for less overall cash than one of the LED maglights.

J_C · Jul 27, 2011

Even my crappy Dealextreme lights that I cannibalized for parts have survived drops from chest height onto concrete.

J_C said:
and how long it needs to be able to run at the highest lumens:dollar output level before it incurs rapid degradation (permanent damage leading to eventual if not immediate early failure).

Otherwise, anyone could just increase drive current to the LED and it'd run for a few dozen seconds till something POPS.

The question still stands. It is mandatory that you consider a specific # of minutes it can run, lots of lights can produce a lot of lumens on high but can't just be left on high for their entire runtime, and/or have to have a cold environment or the heatsinking of your hand on it and that can get painful. To me, the quality of a light is not high enough per your use, if it fails due to not meeting the operational requirements you demand of it while it is outputting high lumens:dollar.

I suppose I should backtrack and suggest that most lumens per dollar is generally a bad idea. Define runtime you want, size, quality level, battery type, etc., THEN you can compare lumens among qualifying candidates. A light you never use isn't shining very brightly.

NWLumenoob · Jul 27, 2011

J_C said:
Even my crappy Dealextreme lights that I cannibalized for parts have survived drops from chest height onto concrete.

The question still stands. It is mandatory that you consider a specific # of minutes it can run, lots of lights can produce a lot of lumens on high but can't just be left on high for their entire runtime, and/or have to have a cold environment or the heatsinking of your hand on it and that can get painful. To me, the quality of a light is not high enough per your use, if it fails due to not meeting the operational requirements you demand of it while it is outputting high lumens:dollar.

I suppose I should backtrack and suggest that most lumens per dollar is generally a bad idea. Define runtime you want, size, quality level, battery type, etc., THEN you can compare lumens among qualifying candidates. A light you never use isn't shining very brightly.

Fair enough, but that negates my original question, so please disregard it and if an admin could delete this thread, that would be good.

dandism · Jul 28, 2011

http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=QvcwTuPtJbKJsAKI0vnnCg&ved=0CFYQ8wIwBQ#

That't the highest bang/buck light that I own. It has decent throw too.

gcbryan · Jul 28, 2011

You can probably get a light using a XM-L driven at 1.4 a from DX for $20 with an output of 400 lumens or so.

jalal20 · Jul 28, 2011

http://www.wickedlasers.com/lasers/The_Torch-74-41.html

this is a very bright ( able to burn stuff easily ) halogen light at 4000 Lumens but would only last for 5 minutes using a 12x2/3A 1500mAh Cells 14.4V Battery

stallion2 · Jul 28, 2011

assuming you're after a basic all-purpose flashlight then i would start w/ Solarforce's product line. there stuff isn't necessarily as cheap as what you would find on DX but for all around value i've felt they are the best option.
http://www.solarforce-usa.com/
http://www.sbflashlights.com/cart.php

kramer5150 · Jul 28, 2011

these 3, Lumen numbers are measurements from the BC sphere. (I have some DX junk lights that were cheaper and emit more lumens, but they dont count since they were DOA and required substantial repair to get them to function reliably). I leave the clearwater and Fenix ON for long durations, output dims with warming (as expected), but neither light gets alarmingly hot. So I don't think the emitters are being driven too hard.

Clearwater P7-18650, $25 (used though), 300 OTF
EagleTac P100C2, $25 during an ET sale, 210 OTF
Fenix E21, $27, Sale at REI, 205 OTF

This Solarforce L2m was a big surprise. With a 17500 cell it does 180 OTF with the inculded XRE-R2 drop-in. I paid $15 for it, I think I got it at DX. (Pictured here with an M60)

PCS · Jul 28, 2011

The cool white Xeno E03 is said to output ~500 lumens with a single 14500 li-ion cell. That's six cents a lumen.

jorn · Jul 28, 2011

a Solarforce with a xm-l module is hard to beat.
The new L2T is sweet, more compact and better looking than the old L2M.

ScaryFatKidGT · Jul 28, 2011

Xeno E03? $30 490lm

mattevt · Jul 29, 2011

kramer5150 said:
these 3, Lumen numbers are measurements from the BC sphere. (I have some DX junk lights that were cheaper and emit more lumens, but they dont count since they were DOA and required substantial repair to get them to function reliably). I leave the clearwater and Fenix ON for long durations, output dims with warming (as expected), but neither light gets alarmingly hot. So I don't think the emitters are being driven too hard.

Clearwater P7-18650, $25 (used though), 300 OTF
EagleTac P100C2, $25 during an ET sale, 210 OTF
Fenix E21, $27, Sale at REI, 205 OTF
[/IMG]

I have an E21, I thought it was only 150 OTF.

rmteo · Jul 29, 2011

TH-T60, $28, 800lm, $0.035/lumen.

2100 · Jul 29, 2011

It is about usd86 shipped for me, probably some 4500-5000 lumens or so. But it is HID. 1.72 cents per lumen.

Actually I have another one, usd57 shipped, same 55W ballast, so that's 1.14 cents per lumen. A bit crappy but it'd work and it'd dish out more throw and lumens than a TK70, confirm.

2100 · Jul 29, 2011

BTW, i thought somebody broke his Surefire light's glass by just a very normal drop on the ground.....

Napalm · Jul 29, 2011

The best ratio is achieved with the free lights you receive as promotional items or gifts. Usually 5mm keychain lights and so on. But there also was someone from Google posting here about his free Google-Elektrolumens monster:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?316968-Just-to-make-you-a-bit-envious

So lets see, 3000 lumens divided by $0 gives how many lumens per dollar?

Nap.

vali · Jul 29, 2011

Napalm said:
So lets see, 3000 lumens divided by $0 gives how many lumens per dollar?

Nap.

CN Facts:
"Chuck Norris can divide by zero"

Ask him XDDD

What flashlight provides the most lumens per US dollar?

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