Most powerful LED for <$400 usd

I'm really looking at getting an Olight SR92. But, I don't know if I should get another flashlight such as the Olight SR90 or Jetbeam RRT3 XML. I realize that some are for throwing (SR90), and others for flooding (SR92), but I don't necessarily require either. I've finally saved up enough for my first "expensive" light, and I just need some advice. What should I buy? Thanks!

Check out the TK-70, its definitely worth a look. Those big Olights are really nice too. I think you should really narrow down what you want out of this light first, because when you get into this price range you can really get specific with your preferences.

Quality said:

Check out the TK-70, its definitely worth a look. Those big Olights are really nice too. I think you should really narrow down what you want out of this light first, because when you get into this price range you can really get specific with your preferences.

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The TK-70 is an awesome light! But truthfully, the overall size of the TK-70 and the SR90 do scare me a little bit. I guess I'm looking for a light that is a bit smaller than those, so that means that the lights that throw the farthest are probably too large for me to consider. I just want a light with a "WOW" factor that i can use for camping and occasional walking at night.

My favorite expensive lights are the VaraPower 2000 or VaraPower XML (1000). Kevin at Lambda lights makes some of the best lights around. The VP XML will out-throw anything its size, it has 30+ brightness levels, and uses safe NiMh batteries. I measured my VP XML at 90,000 lux @ 1 meter which is just shy of the SR90 and TK70 throw but it is less than 1/2 the size of those.

Output and throw are not that impressive when the light is huge (TK70, SR90). You expect a huge light to have massive output. You do not expect massive output from a "smaller light".

Alright based on what you just said, check out the Zebralight SC600.

Quality said:

Alright based on what you just said, check out the Zebralight SC600.

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+1 Suprer impressive output from a tiny light. I showed my SC600 to non flash-a-holics this weekend and they were amazed. I am still amazed by that thing.

For $300 -$400 nobody will beat Lamdalights.com Hydra SST-90 or XM-L. His triple XM-l is or should be brighter then Tk70

bigchelis said:

For $300 -$400 nobody will beat Lamdalights.com Hydra SST-90 or XM-L. His triple XM-l is or should be brighter then Tk70

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Thanks for all the info! I went to the Lambda website but all of the most powerful flashlights were out of stock or sold. Any other suggestions?? And I will definitely look into the Zebralight SC600.

For the SC600, what is the best rechargeable 18650 battery to use?

bigchelis said:

For $300 -$400 nobody will beat Lamdalights.com Hydra SST-90 or XM-L. His triple XM-l is or should be brighter then Tk70

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Without question his Hydra has more output than the TK70. What about your triple SST-90 that Kevin made. I'm certain your triple SST-90 has more output than any LED light ever made. I Was blown away by the beam shots.

Tin Pigskin said:

For the SC600, what is the best rechargeable 18650 battery to use?

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There are a few kinds that will work just fine but the standard (and good) advice around here is protected AW 2900mah 18650 cells.

Here is what I would do. I would get into the Surefire bored host route. Get yourself a C2 or a C3 that is bored for 18mm cells. Then pick up something like a Torchlab Triple with 1100 lumens or a Malkoff M91 or M91 warm. Im sorry to have to be the one to introduce you to oveready.com but you can get a phenomenal light out of there for under $400. And its upgradable and easily flippable on the marketplace. You can also find these parts often times on the Market so Id check there too. They are basically like investments. So yes you spend 3-400 but you can always just sell it and get 90% of your money back, typically. Those big lights depreciate alot more.

$400 will get you a Mac's 3300L. It'll keep up with all the lights mentioned here. If you spec 1550mA boards, it'll be closer to 4000+ lumens.

Tin Pigskin said:

Thanks for all the info! I went to the Lambda website but all of the most powerful flashlights were out of stock or sold. Any other suggestions?? And I will definitely look into the Zebralight SC600.

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Ordering is via emai Request

You email what you want and these days his triples range from 3000 or 6000 lumens. Single or 33 modes via varacontrol knob

Tommygun45 said:

Here is what I would do. I would get into the Surefire bored host route. Get yourself a C2 or a C3 that is bored for 18mm cells. Then pick up something like a Torchlab Triple with 1100 lumens or a Malkoff M91 or M91 warm. Im sorry to have to be the one to introduce you to oveready.com but you can get a phenomenal light out of there for under $400. And its upgradable and easily flippable on the marketplace. You can also find these parts often times on the Market so Id check there too. They are basically like investments. So yes you spend 3-400 but you can always just sell it and get 90% of your money back, typically. Those big lights depreciate alot more.

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So should I go with an Oveready light or a Lambda light? Haha is a 6000 lumen Lambda light safe?? I'm assuming they are both extremely well made!

Tin Pigskin said:

So should I go with an Oveready light or a Lambda light? Haha is a 6000 lumen Lambda light safe?? I'm assuming they are both extremely well made!

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Oveready makes good EDC type lights. In fact the Peak Logan momentary on/off is incredible but sold out as expected.

Lamdalights.com makes Mag build hosts with technologoy light years ahead. He uses LED to copper bonding and a ton of copper too. Makes custrom driver boards and uses Fetie switches for best performance. He also designs his lights to be used with NiMH C or D cells and if you get the 33 modes then they will work perfect with Alkaline cells too as long as you keep them on lower modes.

I myself think the Lamdalights.com Hydra XM-L aka 3 XM-L is the best bang for the buck. YOu get well over 3000 lumens powered by 3 NiMH C cells all packaged in a stock looking 2D Mag hosts. Then his 33 mode control knob allows for Alkaline cells to be used in low modes. By the way 3 NiMH Tenergy cells are required and a single IMR 26650 could be used but due to cell sag the performance would suffer.

bigC

bigchelis said:

Oveready makes good EDC type lights. In fact the Peak Logan momentary on/off is incredible but sold out as expected.

Lamdalights.com makes Mag build hosts with technologoy light years ahead. He uses LED to copper bonding and a ton of copper too. Makes custrom driver boards and uses Fetie switches for best performance. He also designs his lights to be used with NiMH C or D cells and if you get the 33 modes then they will work perfect with Alkaline cells too as long as you keep them on lower modes.

I myself think the Lamdalights.com Hydra XM-L aka 3 XM-L is the best bang for the buck. YOu get well over 3000 lumens powered by 3 NiMH C cells all packaged in a stock looking 2D Mag hosts. Then his 33 mode control knob allows for Alkaline cells to be used in low modes. By the way 3 NiMH Tenergy cells are required and a single IMR 26650 could be used but due to cell sag the performance would suffer.

bigC

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Ok thanks! I have sent Lambda an email.....

If you have any spare change, just take a look at the DRY triple XM-L. The 3300L is !%#@!@# bright with 1.55A board but it's extremely floody. The DRY triple XM-L throws like 29k cd, ask Ric of cnqualitygoods to give you an additional O-ring for the lens. Get the 54mm UCL lens, nets you another 5% output. Thing is the UCL is very thin and so rattles, an additional O-ring fixes that but pls do not think it is anywhere even IPX-67 or what.... it should be rainproof though.

I'm going to give you some "lumens" figures. Ceiling reflected lux - If you are in a cold country you can get 280 lux. Colder yet like -15 deg C with 10-20kph wind you can get 300. TK70 gets you 215 lux <- 2200 ANSI luments OTF or Out-The-Front.

They have a new driver now, it is L-M-H and Turbo. Low is probably some 0.2A, Medium 0.85A, High is 2.8A. No strobe - flashaholics can celebrate! "Turbo" is direct drive. Be careful of direct drive, you may blow it the first instant if you put in NCR18650A Panasonic 3100mAh at 4.23V (slightly overcharged, happens sometimes), AW IMRs, any generic IMRs at 4.2V. Idea is to use in High first and when the cell voltage is below 3.9V (it's 3S or 3 in series, so that's 11.7V in the battery carrier) you let her rip in high and it does just below 4A. In a cold country, you do get that 200-300 additional lumens above 3A. (I have tested a heck lot of times and with some crazy cooling stuff like dry ice and well over 5 amps....that got me well over 3600 lumens prob LOL!).

It's a fun light for lumens junkie, it has some decent throw too. Best thing is, it is well below $100.

Do a google, i have written quite some stuff about it.

Only 15mm longer than Nitecore TM11. But way brighter..... If you compare it relative to the TK70, it is 3000 lumens OTF in a really cold country (add 5% output if you buy the $5.25 UCL lens) but that's only for the CW.... Best thing is, it has NW but it's out of stock due to emitter shortage.

TK70 is in 3-cell Li-ion mode with the 3S tube w/o extender. It is not the TK70S so no 2-cell tube.

The middle one has a UCL FP-99 "diffuser".





Still don't believe? Here's the video. Initially it got like 550 lux (TK70 = 450), but remember I am in SINGAPORE and that's only in an air-conditioned room. It's still 29-30 deg C during night time all year round. When it rains and if we are lucky, we do get 25 deg C or something. But still you can see the slide in output, not exactly a lot and yes that was a full 3-minutes run, not a 10-seconds run. If you search you can see how the LEDs are on MCPCB and bonded with thermal compound directly to the host. So while the mass is not a lot to soak up the heat, the heat gets transmitted to the host and external surfaces pretty fast. I reckon that 98% of the folks here enjoy colder weather than this.




Ok, one last video of Balder BD-4, Fandyfire STL-V6, and then the DRY. (ignore the last 2 beamshots, those are HIDs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNEQ3JYDmKs&feature=related

Can share where in Singapore do you get those torches? I am located in Singapore too.