Summary:what was your 3 best flashlights purchases for year 2016?

Last year i created a similar summary thread with great and interesting response of your best purchases for 2015.

Now it´s new years eve and it´s a great time to make a summary of your purchases of flashlights for year 2016. I know that most of you have baught more than three flashlights during this year, but which 3 flashlights was your best purchases for the year 2016?

Please tell your purchases and write motivations why these was your best flashlight purchases,and if you want to, feel free to upload pics of them! Moded lights could also be included in this thread, but please stick to LED lights.



These where my best flashlight purchases for the year 2016,from top to bottom:
Olight S30R Javelot
Olight Smini Rose Gold Copper finish limited edition(a beauty)
Olight S1R

To make a summary of the entire year of 2016, i think it has been guite good. No remarkable upgrades of diods has been released, but quite a few interesting lights has been introduced. Let´s hope that upgrades from Cree will be introduced during year 2017 and that the manufacturers will introduce more new interesting lights.

Happy new year to all flashaholics!

Great idea for an end of year thread!
Here's my top three, all modded lights from @vinhnguyen54.

Manker U21vn -
1,500 lumen, 260,000 lux

Eagletac MX25L4CvnT -
4,000 lumen, 155,000 lux

Thrunite TN40vn -
8,700 lumen, 500,000 lux

Haven't bought many this year. Money went on other things.

That said, my nice little Thrunite TH20 headlamp would be my choice for best purchase. I always stayed away from headlamps but I couldn't resist this one, and it works like a charm and is super useful. And it is in keeping with my "only AA" philosophy.

Oly light I bought thisnyear was my Fenix CL25R lantern. It has been the handiest thing to have. I use it quite often as a portable work light either under vehicles, in hesvily shadowed areas, etc. I am always wesring my HL35 hesdlamp when working but its nice st times to have full area illumination and the CL25R does a god job at this, hoping to add its big brother the CL30R to my lineup.

Good thread.

Tough to pick just 3 LED lights but here goes: in the order they were acquired;
1) Streamlight ProTac HL4. 2200 lumens to light up a city block but frosted optic allows absolutely zero adapted night vision flashback from nearby objects. Dual fuel helped that choice along with 60 low and 8+ hour 600 lumen medium. Good color rendition from a pretty cool ended emitter.

2) PK's PR-1. Nearly 400 steady lumens from a store bought battery in a light about the size of a Bic lighter. 8+ hour medium setting of 200 plentiful lumens. Dual fuel allows RCR123's for nearly another 100 sustained added lumens. Perfect low setting imo. Great floody beam with a nice bell curve amount of throw. Good color rendition from a cool end emitter.

3) Elzetta Bones. Dual fuel allows 18mm cells to be used, 1 setting at 650+ sustained lumens, near silent clicky switch, the dull dark gray finish and Elzetta bomb proof. Great combo of spill, spot and flood. Pretty good color renditions from an oh-so-close to neutral emitter.

Honorable mentions go to my pick for light of the year the Maglite ML25 in any flavor, the dual fuel (1x AA or CR123) ProTac 1L, and a couple of classics like SureFire's EB1c, or the Pelican 2350 1xAA.

This is a tough one as I have only recently gotten several new lights too close to the year end to really know yet how I feel about them?

As for the ones that I have used though....

-4/7 Atom aaa Ti with NW -Just an amazing tiny light and the handiest Mule that I have tried I think too!
I work in really tight places and behind electronics all the time and this is the ideal light for this work.
No glare,not enough to be blinding,great color rendition and freaky battery life in a simple and unassuming light with a strong magnet on the tail,whats not to love?

-Fenix HL50-Just a great all around HL with decent color and run time and multi-battery capability too.
Much more comfy on my head than the Nova or ZL for some reason?

-HDS AA Rotary-The best single light on the Planet and at last with my preferred fuel cell as well!
It is huge and I like that sometimes!

I have a feeling the Nitecore TIP will be a favorite for next year for sure too!

Also got to give some love to the S1 and ZL SC600III-Hi both for obvious reasons I think.

1. Rey's version of the Lumintop Tool Ti. I always have one in my pocket now. So handy and so useful.

2. Malkoff MD2. I know, it's about time I got one of these classic lights. An instant favorite with high CRI dropins L, LL, and LLL.

3. Luter CR2 Triple. A unique piece, and a triple that runs on a primary battery.

My top 3

Coo you quantum for keychain. Low level is perfect got car to door and open door. With bight of 120 and USB rechargeable. A must have for keys.

Ultratac k18 aaa,side switch,and bright,and tiny !


Klaurus Mi7 in stainless steel. AA 700 lumens ,side
Switch ,clip, aces to low and high. Good regulation with lion still bright in alkaline

I think these are ALL the lights I got this year.

I won from GearBest a Manker U11 Quinlan a great little 18650 EDC light, with a moonlight low.

I was gifted by Manker a Manker U21 REVIEW HERE a compact 700 meter thrower, for SAR, and to present it to my CERT team commander for consideration in making it standard issue.

A Crelant CH10 a 2 mode programmable 18650 headlamp.

A Defiant 850 lumen Triple 3C cell, that I load with a spacer and 18650/26650. $12.88 at home depot. It gives a decently broad hotspot within it's floody beam, but with enough throw to be generally useful for back yard, or camping uses.




EDIT, I wrapped some reflective tape around the defiant so it can be more easily found in the dark.

I'm kinda ending 016 along the same lines as you Poppy... not much out there I want to add. It's all becoming a blur of homogenous sameness to me.

I'm sure I'll add some niche lights to the toolbox collection, and likely some more vintage lights to expand my knowledge of how they used to get current from point A to B without getting sued by Eveready, Maglite and SureFire.

This day last year I was like a drunken sailor returning from a long time at sea. I even pulled the trigger at 11:55pm to see if I could complete the transaction before midnight. Then by noon new years day had broken my vow of no more until ground hog day. Nope, not this year.

Heck the only eBay time lately was to acquire a pair of classic Maui Jim sunglasses for my wife and some Hobies from the 80's.
A search for a lens for a 1920 something Rayolite of all things led to finding a brand new pair of shades for the wife I'd casually been searching for over the last several years. The Hobie shades were for kicks and giggles of days gone by when I was unable afford both top quality shades and diapers... so diapers won out.

I agree that this is a great topic for end of year, but I think I have already posted my Top Three Purchases of Year 2016 in another section of this forum, or maybe in another forum, if I recall correctly.

Chronological order:

1. Fenix TK75vnX2Q70 dome on. Because this light outperforms all entries in the 2.5 inch pop can flooder category, even though it is a larger head diameter; and therefore, in a different size class. This purchase effectively ended my need to add additional 2.5 inch pop can flooders to my collection, for the time being. Maybe the future Zebralight offering will be a must have item for me, but that item is not coming for a while or so.

2. Acebeam K70vn. Because this item offers great throw for the everyman.

3. Acebeam X65vn. Because of the great power projected far out there. There is nothing else that does this. Any other light is less power less further out there. Or more power much much less further out there. The flashlight is about yay big, but that is what is needed in order to get the big power far out there.

In the mail yesterday, but purchased in Year 2016, so I don't know yet if it will bump one of the above three items off of my list: P60vn quad XHP35 16 volt, 4*18350 body. Because I want the option to, in a short burst, be able to emit all the power that the cells are capable of delivering, in a small-medium size class. A .458 Win Mag single shot Derringer, by way of use of firearm analogy.

Mine are;
1. PKDL Trifecta
2. Protac 1L-AA
3. Surefire EB1 Tactical.

Yes Richbuff,
You have added nicely to your vinh collection this year. :thumbsup:

bykfixer said:

I'm kinda ending 016 along the same lines as you Poppy... not much out there I want to add. It's all becoming a blur of homogenous sameness to me.

I'm sure I'll add some niche lights to the toolbox collection, and likely some more vintage lights to expand my knowledge of how they used to get current from point A to B without getting sued by Eveready, Maglite and SureFire.
<SNIP>

Click to expand...

Yes bykfixer,
When I saw that you started collecting incans, and then those from the 1920's etc, I knew that you already had a variety of LED lights, such that you could handle any lighting task, typically put to you, and then some.

Me too! For the most part lights are flooders or throwers, or somewhere in between. So yes, I have flooders and throwers, and a bunch of in between. I don't need any more flooders, or throwers, and in between lights, yet I am tempted by the new XHP emitters.

I sometimes think I'd like a Acebeam K60 with the XHP-70 emitter. But when I ask myself, WHY? I look to the sky, then to the left and right, and say, like Bill Cosby's Brain Damaged children... "I don't know"

1. Olight R50vn (rarely leaves my hand)




2. Thud Ti 18500 by Tain (my nightstand light... makes me feel warm inside)




3. Muyshondt Aeon Mk. III copper by Enrique (my edc)


^^the Aeon is the small light on the right. lol


Honorable mention:

6XLvn



Okluma TinyDC (pictured in above [trio] photo),
McGizmo Haiku,
Jetbeam T6vn,
Noctigon M43 Meteor
and Muyshondt Flieger (stonewashed)



Double Honorable mention:

My Deft-X

I broke this light almost instantly upon its arrival, but it could end up being far and away my best light purchase of 2016. wait for see...

wimmer21 said:

2. Thud Ti 18500 by Tain (my nightstand light... makes me feel warm inside)

]

Click to expand...

Wimm, flashlights are for external use only.

My 3:
1. T6vn. What an impressive, powerful light. Handles heat well, lights up as far as I've ever asked it to, and has a great useful spill for a thrower.

2. Toolvn. More expensive than its weight in gold (or so it'd seem), but remarkably powerful for its ability to disappear in a pocket.

3. M3xs-ut. My first thrower, and what without a doubt led me to buy the t6vn and other lights.

No pics, bc I'm lazy and on a phone...

m43vn - made me say "now that's a flashlight"
mx25c turbo - with a face only a mother can love, it's so simple, yet does the job at 1/2 million cp
4, foursevens mini's: outstandingly long lasting and too small for words

As for flashlights my 3 best were the
1. HDS hi cri rotary. Simply love it. Best ui out there IMO and obviously very high quality.
2. Zebralight sc62w. Small, bright, generally very usable.
3. Malkoff MD2 HOT. Excellent throw. Simple two mode. Also built like a tank.
For headlamps
1. Zebralight H600fw. Same reasons as the 62 above.
2. Zebralight h52fw. Smaller and lighter than the other zebras but still bright.
3. Black diamond revolt. I just like it's usb recharge-ability using non proprietary batteries.

Custom builds 2016

I finally got to finish three custom builds in 2016 which I had been working on for quite a while. Gathering the needed parts involved interactions with some of the nicest members here on CPF ....

1) McGizmo PR-T E-series lego (with custom modded SST-50 LE) on Leef C2E grooved HA 18650 host and RPM C-series tailcap



2) A3 Titanium "Pineapple" with datiLED warm white XM-L light engine



3) McGizmo Aleph3 with custom VoB Adventure Sport triple XHP-50 ( ~5000 lumen ) LE on 1wrx7 EN host with Ti Seraph tailcap and v54 high-current switch





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Production torches 2016

I think I only purchased three production lights in total last year, so I suppose they all qualify for "top three" ranking ...

1) PK-PL2-TiO2 Rainbow AAA



2) LensLight Mini Ti



3) SureFire Titan Plus

ThruNite TH20 and TN4A Hi both in neutral white. I only bought 2 lights and they are the best for me.

My 8 lumen 95+CRI Yuji LED's are in the mail but those were free but that would be my 3rd if I had to.