Surefire L6 owners chime in please

I am looking for a light with good throw, I would prefer a Surefire and I am looking into an L6.
Any experience out there to guide me a bit? I also like the turbo head but I am partial to the LED's.

I am a newbe here, but I do like my L6 a lot. Very good trow, much more than the KL4, which is also 5 watts, which makes sense since the KL4/L4 is all about flooding a room with light. Don't get me wrong, the L6 still has usable spill (unlike my Inova X0 which is mostly a spot light).

Definitely the deep reflector in the L6 makes for more trow for longer distances, but for a room in a house/indoors, the KL4 is perhaps more practical. For anything outdoors, I would probably take the KL4 for close work and the L6 for everything else.

The other nice advantage of the L6 is that being that the body is the same as in the M3, you have access to the lamps/heads/turbo heads for even more punch if needed.

Now, having said that, an Aleph 3 head with the proper LE and a 2 cell body probably has more trow (from what I have read here before), so keep that in mind before you purchase. I knew this, but I wanted the L6, I got the L6 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Will

I like my L6 too but it is beaten in throw by a couple of my Lux III lights. On the other hand it puts out way more light so you actually see more. I also run mine on Pila batteries so it's "guilt free" use. I don't think it's quite as bright as with 123s but it doesn't really bother me.

Good luck with your choice.
-LT

PS Someone had great beamshots that helped me decide. Try a search for that.

[ QUOTE ]
wquiles said:
I am a newbe here, but I do like my L6 a lot. Very good trow, much more than the KL4, which is also 5 watts, which makes sense since the KL4/L4 is all about flooding a room with light. Don't get me wrong, the L6 still has usable spill (unlike my Inova X0 which is mostly a spot light).

Definitely the deep reflector in the L6 makes for more trow for longer distances, but for a room in a house/indoors, the KL4 is perhaps more practical. For anything outdoors, I would probably take the KL4 for close work and the L6 for everything else.

The other nice advantage of the L6 is that being that the body is the same as in the M3, you have access to the lamps/heads/turbo heads for even more punch if needed.

Now, having said that, an Aleph 3 head with the proper LE and a 2 cell body probably has more trow (from what I have read here before), so keep that in mind before you purchase. I knew this, but I wanted the L6, I got the L6 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Will

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you, great advice. I wasn't aware that you could use other heads on the L6, Having the ability to take a Turbohead just adds to the appeal.
I understand your decision to pass on a light that may be brighter to handle the one you actually want.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Thanks for sharing the info!

Next to the Aleph3 the L6 is one of those lights with the most throw using a LuxV (not counting modified Mags).
However, a light using the LuxIII easily outthrows those lights with a much smaller reflector ... for example an Aleph1, McLux-PR, LionHeart, Gladius, ...
The total light output of those LuxIII lights will be less, of course, but the runtime generally longer and the heat less.

It is all a matter of personal choice.

bernhard

P.S.: the L6 is a cool light though ... you can look into that deeeeep reflector for hours ... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

The L6 throws pretty good for a 5 watt, but it doesn't throw like a TurboHead. The L6 is one of only a few of my lights that I actually use. I always carry a L6 with Pilas in my grip. The L6 is one of my favorite lights and while it's to large for me to EDC it still travels with me daily.

I wasn't really expecting someone to try to talk me out of it, I wanted some hands-on experience and I am getting it, getting it good.
Thanks!
David

The KL6 is a great light and even better on an M4 tube. It's great with two Pila 168S. Probably my favorite light. Plus it's very easy to take apart. Three screws and you're ready to change the emitter (or have someone do it for you). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif

I think the L6 is one of the most effective hosts there is for the 5W LED. I prefer the U2 because you can turn down the volume and increase the run time but the L6 will reach out further if that is a significant objective.

I've got one - I love it! Plenty of throw, lots of light, and useable spill. It is the light I use when I'm hiking at night. The syringe grip and clicky tail switch makes it easy to hold the light and a GPS in the same hand, should I need to do that. 1.5 hours regulated runtime, but really it's more like 2-2.5 hours before you really have to change the batteries. It fits in the pockets of my cargo pants just fine. (In any other type of clothing, it is hard to carry, though.) I don't EDC it, but it's definitely the light I use when I'm out in the woods at night. Highly recommended - this light really exceeded my expectations.

I really like mine. . . but I must say that in brightness, it does not really outshine the L5, which is much more compact. Throw is probably a bit more, but so is price and battery cost (3 vs. 2). Just go with the old CPF rule. . . buy BOTH!

Mine is a keeper I run it on 2 Pila 150s most of the time but sometimes on a M4 body with 2 Pila 168s
Topper /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The L6 is a masterpiece of light engineering. Mine has a wonderful white tint and throws farther than the Inova T3. It runs for two hours in regulation, and the mass of the light takes care of dissipating the heat.
It is very good night companion because of the very good, not to say perfect, balance of throw and spill.

I must say that now I use the U2 more, due to the incredible efficiency at the mediums levels, that people seems not have realized yet.

The L6 is definetively a keeper. One lucky day in the future it will host an overachieving X-bin like one of my L4.

Anthony

My L6 is the light I go for when I hear the dawgs barking at night, it also goes on any trip longer than to the grocery store if it might entail driving at night, I always have my 5 D cell mag club in the truck but for a different purpose than the L6.IMO the L6 has an incredibly long reach. We had a large 4 legged critter last night that had every dog on my road up and howling. I went out side with the L6 and a 40S&W and what ever it was was irritated that it was lit up, it gave a low growl and started heading away from me and the light, but it would stop and look back and its eyes shone yellow till it was more than a 1/4 mile away, I could not see anything but its eyes the entire time. I have no idea what it was but I have a feeling it was a canine from the pace with which it departed, if it was a member of the feline family it was one big critter the eyes were an easy 18 to 20 inches above the ground.

I'll agree with everyone's "glowing" comments about the L6. It is indeed a fine light with a virtually flawless beam, and good reach for an LED torch. But you may also want to check out Surefire's L5. . . I notice very little difference in brightness and throw, it's smaller (thus cheaper to run and easier to carry), less expensive, and also a fine flashlight.