Anyone think Surefire/HDS/McGizmo options are ridiculously overpriced?

I don't think that; I have no idea. I've owned nothing by any of those brands.

That said I'm curious - this is an incredibly friendly forum (thank you mods), but - (if it exists much or at all) - people who have bought any of the above, then decided that they were extremely overrated. Well, if you exist, speak up! And of course, articulate your opinion.

Thanks...could potentially be an interesting discussion. Or so I imagine...

Where's that 10 foot pole I have around here... Owned all three, all have their place, six McGizmos and two SF's (Ti Titan, E2e with Strion bulb/17670) on my bookshelf within reach of my bed as we speak. Quality tools one and all. No regrets.

I have a Surefire 6P incan and I think it's overpriced. It only takes CR123, isn't bright and want stay on continuously without using two hands to tighten the tail cap. Momentary is nice but crude.

My limit on any flashlight is 50 bucks or under. They are probably worth the price to some but, not me. I have one light that puts out 235 lumens & that's all I need for an outdoor light. It was under 25 bucks shipped.

I've only had my HDS edc R1S-200 for about 4 weeks & when i first got it i was wondering have i over stepped the mark on this one
but as sure as eggs are eggs as time went by i've became more & more convinced it was well worth the money.I just love it.It has
been with me everywhere i've went since i got it & i've totally neglected my other lights.So all in all i think my HDS Rotary is well
worth the money:thumbsup:

With Surefire's latest price increases I do definitely find them overpriced. Especially when you consider a drop in since the surefire LEDs are not that great.

They are very popular and people keep buying them so I don't think they are overpriced. Of these brands I only own HDS and plan to keep it that way, based on the way I use lights and what I want in a light. There are less expensive lights that are brighter, and I own some, but they don't compare to my HDS. As paulr put it, "There is a type of perfection that transcends the quest for lumens. Buying a $250 1-cell light for 'lum factor' is like buying a $250 scotch for the alcohol content." HDS, McGizmo, and Surefire are expensive because they are the best. Each brings something different to the table, but they all have top of the line quality and customer service, and that costs money.

I don't know about the others, but try to keep in mind that most Surfire's are built around weapon lights. If you're not attaching them to a firearm or using them in conjunction with one they may be over engineered for their use.

When I use then with a handgun in practice that is hundreds of concussion blasts next to it and sometimes hitting the light with recoil. When attached to a rifle they are usually shot much more often then with a handgun as most people don't take them off to practice, they simply leave them turned off.

I have sent emails to some other companies and they do not specifically state they test them to be used attached or in conjunction with firearms. This is a huge difference in the determined use and testing of the lights IMO.

with that said I haven't had issues with some of the other well built LED lights, but many that I've owned and used would NEVER hold up to be trustworthy as a weapon light.

These lights like any of the many others have appeal for a specific market segment what one finds $$ another may not and so it goes. The typical bell curve though depending which end you find yourself or your group, each of these segments also have a curve where purchases will fall.

Only overpriced for some people...well maybe most. Just like anything. Take watches for example. You can get a digital atomic super accurate watch for less than $100 or grab a luxurious $5000 Rolex. They both essentially do the same thing. For me and my uses YES these lights are way out of my league

Are those lights bargains? Nope. Are they worth it? IMO yes. I hear this all the time with high end knives too. "Man I can never afford/buy a knife that expensive" so says the person who will go out and dump a small fortune in a bunch of inferior products. If your the type that doesn't believe that you get what you pay for well then..........Probably not gonna be worth it.

JWRitchie76 said:

Are those lights bargains? Nope. Are they worth it? IMO yes. I hear this all the time with high end knives too. "Man I can never afford/buy a knife that expensive" so says the person who will go out and dump a small fortune in a bunch of inferior products. If your the type that doesn't believe that you get what you pay for well then..........Probably not gonna be worth it.

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You don't always get what you pay for, but rarely get what you don't pay for.

You're not just buying a flashlight from those outfits. You're also buying the most generous support available for any product. If your Surefire breaks during use, they'll send you a new one. If your HDS malfunctions, it'll get diagnosed and repaired. If your McGizmo survives a house fire, it'll get rebuilt for free. That kind of support costs money, and yes, you are paying for a little bit of it whenever you buy one of their products, but if you ever need that support, you'll get way more than your money's worth from it.

Speaking personally as an owner of about 16 Gizmos, I can say one of the biggest attractions is that they honestly feel like they'll still work fine when my still-hypothetical children are dead and gone.

Not sure where your going with your questions or what you hope to achieve by asking. I see this thread heading downhill fast, let's watch and see. - Norm

I don't have any of the three; just a Fenix TK15, but it's great; very bright and good throw. From what I've gathered so far, Surefires are intended for mounting on guns so they're built like tanks to withstand recoil & etc. They're also US military-grade so that might explain why we pay a premium for them. Surefires are said to be tried and true. I didn't want to get a Surefire in the beginning, because of the price and low lumens, but my friend's 6P Defender is almost just as bright as mines. I'm getting my first Surefire (6PX Tactical) next week, I can't wait to compare it to my TK15.

"Anyone think Surefire/HDS/McGizmo options are ridiculously overpriced?" Yes, I'm sure that there are people who do. I think that goes without saying.

So I hope you're not disappointed when you don't get a definitive answer to your question because there's really no way to objectivly evaluate everyone's answers. Everyone has their own criteria for purchasing and evaluating their flashlights. Criteria that are valid for one person are not valid for another. Even a casual perusal of threads here will show that (for example, see if anyone can agree on tint colors...).

As for myself, I don't have any McGizmos. The only "HDS" I have is a NovaTac 120E (an earlier creation by the same designer), it's my EDC and I love it. I literally have it with me 24 hours a day. When it was rumored that NovaTac was folding I bought another as a back-up. Some may wonder "why didn't you buy an HDS?" Well, because the 120E meets my criteria. And since it's my criteria, no one can argue with it, just as I can't argue with the criteria that they use to purchase their flashlights.

I got my first Surefire in 2003 (a G2 which I still use) and I haven't looked back since. I now have 7 Surefires and I'm eagerly awaiting the UNR Commander, I just hope I can afford it. The only light I regret buying is a Fenix E21, not that there's anything wrong with it. In fact, it's a great light, well built and good value for the money. I really can't fault it, except when I compare it to my E2L AA. Why? Because I compare them using my criteria. And that's just the way it is.

I guess what I'm trying to say is you're going to have to figure out for yourself if they're worth the money or not. No one is going to be able to give you an absolute answer, only their opinons based on whatever criteria they have established. But be careful, your question is potentially provocative and may lead to a discussion that is less "civil" than "interesting"...

Norm said:

Not sure where your going with your questions or what you hope to achieve by asking. I see this thread heading downhill fast, let's watch and see. - Norm

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He probably hopes to achieve people's opinions, you know, just like every other thread ever started.

Surefire - without a doubt yes

HDS - maybe, not sure

McGizmo - expensive but no

DrZoid said:

He probably hopes to achieve people's opinions, you know, just like every other thread ever started.

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I'm pretty sure Norm was referring to the judgemental tone of the thread title. BTW, the mods around here don't take kindly to remarks like "you know, just like every other thread ever started." It was frustrating for me to adjust to not being able to post every snarky comment that came to mind, but nowadays I have to admit I think the internet would be better without most of that crap. All it does is **** people off. There's no rule against speaking your mind, you just have to be reasonably polite about it.

I don't think they are ridiculously overpriced.
As humans, we all must abide by the Law of Diminishing Returns.
This much better, for that much more money...

DrZoid said:

He probably hopes to achieve people's opinions, you know, just like every other thread ever started.

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DrZoid, welcome to CPF. If you look at the user info located in the upper left corner, you will see that Norm has been a CPF member for 5 years, has almost 5000 posts, and that he is a moderator. It is his job to maintain a family friendly atmosphere here on CPF, and to make sure peoples posts are positive and constructive.

To the subject at hand, the most I have ever paid for a surefire is about $50.00 and I own 3 of them. I think that is a fair price, but I probably wouldn't want to spend anymore than that on one because I am not a collector.

I think HDS lights are worth the money, $150-$200 for something that is very durable and that you can carry and use daily, really isn't that that much money. Especially when compared to how much some other flashlights, that wouldn't see nearly the same amount of use cost.

I think the McGizmo's are worth the money as well, and I just now picked up a Sundrop XRU from the B/S/T section. It's my first McGizmo, it is only about 50 lumens and was over $300.00.
I am very happy with this purchase for a couple reasons. First, because I emailed Don twice, and even though I am not a heavy hitter on here and he had no idea who I was, I still got a prompt and courteous reply from him both times. This is more than I can say about some other manufacturers I have emailed. Believe it or not, this had a big impact on my decision.
Second, I am going to EDC this light, and I want to carry something that is small, that produces useful light, that is durable, has decent runtimes, and is, well, nice. The McGizmo fits the bill in all these categories.
No, it is not 1000 lumens, but I have several other lights that are if I have that need.