Streamlight Scorpion vs PT Surge

Hi, I'm debating which light to get next.

PT Surge
- convenience of AA battery
- very powerfull
- cheap to use ($2 for 3 hours of light)

Streamlight Scorpion
- small
- 2nd bulb storage
- as powerfull as Surefire

If I pick Scorpion, I can carry it in my jacket pocket, but loose the convenience of having all AA battery equipment when I go camping. If I pick the Surge, it'll be a great powerfull light but limited use due to bigger size. Any other points or suggestion would be very appreciated. Thanks.

I have them both, and love them for different reasons.

I pick up the Surge when my dog goes seriously ballistic during the night. It puts out a WALL of light. Cheap, as you have said. A tactical light, it is not.

The Scorpion (at it's price point) is simply superb. There are better 2 123 lights out there for 100% to 600% more money, but not much better IMHO. This size/brightness light can always go with you.

You can pick up both for $ 60 or so. Do it, you'll never regret it.

I have both, and use the Scorpion more. The Surge is brighter, at least when the batteries are fresh, but it's just too heavy for convenient carry. A flashlight is useful only if you have it with you when you need it ....

I have never used a PT Surge but I have used the Scorpion.

Its a very nice light (SL Scorpion) but it does eat up batteries often. It also has the spare bulb in the light.

I was going to purchase one of these SL TL-2 when my Scorpion bulb got stuck in the head rendering it useless. SL however replaced the whole head under warranty. So now my Scoprion is my back-up to my Tigerlight when I work.

Scorpion
Pros- Bright, decent beam, not SF but good, good amount of spill vs. throw (it doesn't quite provide the wall of light like my E2e with perfect beam, but it throws farther, but not as far as the Pelican M6 I had, but had better side spill, a good compromise.) The light also uses lithium batteries which is more shelf stable than alkalines and does better in weather extremes.

Cons- Short battery life (an hour or so) and the darn rubber sleeve likes to slide off. The lens is also plastic and scratches easily, but is replaced by SL under warranty when you send it in.

The TL-2 by reading its reviews and descriptions, fixes a few of the cons. The lens is now glass, and the rubber sleeve doesn't slide off because there is none. It also uses the same bulb as the Scorpion.

As for batteries...Get a few of these cases, fill them up with Cr 123's, then pack each one in a quart sized zip loc bag and stash them at different places (back pack, glove compartment, around the house, etc. etc.

I have been reading nice reviews on the SL TL-2 LED model listed here, here . The beam looks nice from the pictures I have seen. A nice hotspot and decent spill. Also, no bulb to replace.

Jason

Of my, modest, collection the Scorp is my favorite balance of size, brightness, switch operation, weight, and feel (I like the rubber). Unless rechargeables are used with the Surge, light output will diminish more than the Scorp on lithiums. Eight, alkaline, AA's will cost, roughly, what two lithiums do and are much heavier with poorer cold temp. performance.

When I can afford one, an A2 (or something similar) may become a favorite, surpassing the Scorps usefulness.

A tiny needle nose can be used to retrieve a loose lamp. Place the head up/opening down with the pliers tip through the hole. Slowly jiggle the lamp using the pliers to position the bi-pins down toward the hole. You can then grab one or both pins and easily pull it through. Slightly spread the pins to insure a tight fit into the contact base. You may want to clean contact surfaces with Deoxit or similar.

I have the Surge, and had to return my first after the reflector melted/peeled from the heat of the bulb. Probably due to jostling causing the bulb to be off center. My replacement still looks off center, but hasn't peeled the reflector much.

Great light for short (~5-10min) periods, but I get nervous with the heat buildup. Not sure how much I trust the light...(check my profile! lol!)

Calgaryguy,

Take a close look at the TL-2. I purchased the scorpion some time ago, then purchased an uncle mikes holster for my duty belt and had a heck of a time /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif getting it in and out - the rubber grabbed the nylon. No amount of stretching would help. Also, I do carry the scorp but I find the rubber grabs the pocket material and you have to "open" the pocket away from it to get it out.

So I purchased the TL-2 for my duty belt because I liked the ability to easily change the bulb which is same as the scorp, and the reduced cost compared to the SL line. It fits perfectly in the uncle mikes holder even with the clip on it, and slides out easily. Mission acomplished.
The TL-2 also has a clip for what I would presume is casual belt use. It appears well sealed with O rings and camel snot throughout. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the scorpion it is EDC.

The ability to utilize AA's for all my equipment I felt was important, but not to the point of preventing me from having a great light. So carry both the AA's and 123's, and the 123's are in fact lighter.

So, for camping I would suggest that you use an AA powered lights/headlights for general light, and the 123 powered light for "what the heck was that over there" scenarios.

Techmedic

The Surge works great in my Bass boat at night, lighting up the way back to the dock at my local pond....The surge is more of an outdoor/general use light, as the scorpion can have it's usefulness in many applications as well.

Techmedic- UPS just delivered my TL-2 Xenon.

I love my Scorpions, but I liked the body of my TL-2 LED so much, I ordered the "twin" in Xenon. A nice dark green color, 1/4" shorter than the Scorpion. Same bulb as the Scorpion, nice orange peel reflector. Flat base, stands on end. I am going to like this light.

I didn't think it had a LOTC, but unscrewing the tailcap 1 1/2 turns makes it one.

For a few bucks more, this is a definite improvement over the Scorpion.

I have been super happy with my Scorpion! I find no hinderance in the rubber sleeve at all. I have read where folks complain of it adhering to the lining of their pockets or the sleeve sliding off. Maybe you are wearing too tight of trousers? I am wondering if I have a different brand of Streamlight Scorpion cause I just don't see the mentioned faults or problems.

Dave

Dukster, I agree 100% with what you said.

Well, from all the recomendations so far, I'm leaning toward Scorpion...

JasonC, JohnK, I like the TL-2 but my local store only carry the Scorpion and I couldn't find a Streamlight or Surefire dealer in Canada.

Jayflash, I can pick up some cheap AA Alkaline from Ikea for $3 Cdn ($2 US) for a 10 pack. Ikea Alkaline is about 80% to 90% power of the Energizer Alkaline but price is only 20% of Energizer.

Nightgaunt, I believe that Surge problem is now fixed with the new batch. If your current one still cause problem, you might want to send it in for a new head assembly.

Techmedic, I like your idea of carrying AA and 123. Use the AA light for common use and 123 light for "what the heck was that over there".

You could also look at the PT40 (smaller, not quite as bright as Surge). On the 123 side, you could look at the TL3 (brighter than the 2x123 lights) or the SF G2, Pelican PM6, etc.

Don't believe the 3 hour runtime for the Surge. 2 hours, maybe.

[ QUOTE ]
CalgaryGuy said:
JasonC, JohnK, I like the TL-2 but my local store only carry the Scorpion and I couldn't find a Streamlight or Surefire dealer in Canada.

Jayflash, I can pick up some cheap AA Alkaline from Ikea for $3 Cdn ($2 US) for a 10 pack. Ikea Alkaline is about 80% to 90% power of the Energizer Alkaline but price is only 20% of Energizer.



[/ QUOTE ]

If you want a good shop to get the Scorpion, try LeBaron (www.Lebaron.ca). They're specialized in mail order, and they have 4 retail stores east of Toronto. The Scorpion is around $65.00CDN, last time I checked. Their shipping charges are also decent.

For 123 batteries, I ordered them in bulk from BatteryStation. The batts were $1.00US each (make sure to tell Kevin that you're a CPF member to get that price), and shipping was $12.00US. So if you order 20, the cost will be around $2.00CDN per battery.

I bought my Scorpion about 3 years ago and it's still my EDC.

Guy

Paulr, I already got a PT Tec40, but I find it a bit big to carry around that's why I'm considering a smaller flashlight. According to Princeton Tec's web page, they rate the surge to be 3 to 5 hours of light so I took the 3 as the more "accurate" number.

Denix, thanks for the info on cheap 123 batteries. As for the Scorpion, a local store carries it for $55 cdn and I can pick it up in person /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Denix, did you have problem shipping the 123 batteries to Canada? Last time that I ordered a DVD from UK, they hit me with GST and processing fee so my $25 DVD came out to be $50.

The Surge is brighter but bigger and heavier. It is better suited for sitting in the car or house than for every day carry. However, if you don't want to spend the money on CR123's then use the Surge, as it will run 3+ hours on 8 AA's and the Scprpion will run an hour at best on 2x123's.

It comes down to what you will be using it for. Also, the Surefire G2 can be had for about the same price as the Scorpion.

Or get both, they are cheap!

[ QUOTE ]
CalgaryGuy said:
Denix, did you have problem shipping the 123 batteries to Canada? Last time that I ordered a DVD from UK, they hit me with GST and processing fee so my $25 DVD came out to be $50.

[/ QUOTE ]
*heads up*
it'd be cheaper for you to order it online then pay the $50 in person..
from www.texastacticalsupply.com it'd be about $10 cheaper.. and i imagine there could be better deals too.

Calgaryguy, if your PT40 is too big, a Surge is the last thing you want!

One other alternative: get a PT20 and a GH88 bulb from

http://www.reflectalite.com/halogenpage.html

and run it on NiMH rechargeables (alkaline AA's will work in a pinch). Runtime won't be that great but it will supposedly be as bright as a stock PT40. The PT20 is like the PT40 except 2" shorter because it uses two AA's side by side instead of four AA's.

Also, if small size is really an issue, I'd go all the way small and get a Surefire E2e instead of the Scorpion. The UKE 2L is also very small and light, and has longer runtime (2+ hours) but is less bright than the E2e or PT40.

BlindedByTheLight, thanks for the link, but I can pick up a Scorpion for $55 Cdn at a local store instead of paying $35 US + shipping + GST + duty fee.

Paulr, I'm "ok" carrying the Tec 40 but something smaller would be nice but it's not necessary. I like the PT20 but PT discontinued that light and I can't find a store still carrying them. I also like the E2e but the price is off my budget. I didn't though of UKE 2L but now that you mention it, I might buy UKE 2L bulb and keep it in the Scorpion spare bulb compartment incase that I need run time instead of brightness. As for my PT40, I use a Mag Krypton 3 Cells bulb. Makes it really bright.