Some L2 musings...

Today I was at a local shop that carries a full line of Surefire stuff. Of course I had to check them out. They had two L2's in stock and the clerk handed me one to play with. After playing with it for several minutes, including time in a darkened corner, I must say I will not be purchasing one. Don't get me wrong, it certainly had that "cool" factor, but it didn't seem overly useful to me.

On low beam the output was rather low. On high beam it reminded me of my L4. I just couldn't help but think "what is the draw with this?"

Maybe my needs just don't jive with others who would carry this light. For me it was too long for comfortable pocket carry and not bright enough to put up with the hassle.

I still like the L4, E2e and E1e with KL1 head for most of my carry. For work it's the original 6P or my newly put together 6P with A19/P90 (thanks, kfasold!). In my car I have a G2 and/or 6P with KL3 head.

I guess it's all what you like or what you need. I'm just glad I didn't buy one sight unseen.

(did I mention they wanted $250 for it?!? In fairness, they did have an E1e HA for $65)

Remember, this is only the ramblings of a guy who doesn't own one, just a guy who played with one in a store. For whatever that's worth.

Dave

I just got out my L2 and L4 and compared them. My L2 on high has less side spill and brighter hot spot than my L4. It also throws further. The only drawback to the L2 is the longer body. I find I use the low setting a lot for walking in the dark and around the house. The over ten hours on low setting is a plus. Does anybody know what the run time is for an L4 with the two stage LOTC on low is with 22 ohm resistor?

I always wondered why someone would buy the L4. . .the L2 seems as bright as the L4, with the added benefit of a lower setting. But then I saw them side by side. I guess I understand why a lot of folks say the L2 is just too big for EDC. . . I guess they're right for pocket carry, but for an emergency glovebox light, or an emergency "torch" where you don't have to keep it right on your person, the L2 still fits the bill. I really like mine, don't have an L4 (yet!). I've actually got the L5 backordered, so we'll see if I'll be tempted to bypass the L4 altogether. "Sigh". . .probably not. . .

I really like the L2, but I am also keeping my L4, it can be used with the E2E, E1E and KL1 to make several different light combinations.

Just to chime in, if you own the L4 I can understand why the L2 doesn't have as much appeal. Similar brightness and with McGizmo's two-stage switch it's pretty comparable. I like my L2 because I didn't start with an L4. It is hard to beat having both the high and low beams regulated. The low beam is incredibly practical for around the house and camping uses; the 15 lumens and beam pattern seem to be plenty for most of the those tasks. 10-12 hours regulated low beam plus occational bursts of white light a little bit brighter than the L4 make this light a winner. I know for myself that the L2 will replace a lot of lights in my collection.

How come Surefire hasn't listed it on there site?

SureFire doesn't post newly released products immediately, because it doesn't want a mad rush of orders right away. This allows them to ramp up to full production speed. They get plenty exposure from CPF members who advertise for them, as soon as a product is officially released.

So what about the X200A then?
Or the E2d?

The X200A was highlighted by SureFire.com before it was released.

But I believe it does have a lot to do with the numbers they intend to produce and the numbers that Dealers have pre-ordered. I'm guessing that certain models are more easy to manufacturer and assemble then others meaning that some products are in short supply no matter what.

Al

If you people don't soon stop posting good things about the L2, I'm going to have to save up for one.

"The L2 is great, good, fine, the best,...Blah, blah, blah..."

Next thing ya know, I'm selling something or working overtime to make a new purchase.

This must end!

Dave

i am a bit worried about the L2's run time

i heard not-so-great things about the run time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

can anybody verify?

My L2 on "high" runs 50 minutes to half-intensity, and on "low", it runs just over 12:30 to half-intensity.
I do NOT know if my unit is a prototype or a production unit, so I do not know how good these battery discharge analyses are as they relate to an L2 you can get now.

Here are the actual charts:


"High" mode


"Low" mode