Suggestions: Best throw and Best runtime light

Hi

I am interested in getting some flashlights for gifts, birthday, wedding and Christmas.

I want the best value for my money, best bang for my buck.

I was thinking CMG/Gerber Infinity Ultra or a mini mag with some mod for runtime but not sure of a value in a throw light.

I think that I would be better off sticking with AA,C or D rather than 123's due to cost and availability.

I would appreciate any suggestions and opinions on these lights.

Thanks

the Infinity Ultra is a great light. But it's not a thrower.

Consider the Streamlight 4AA Polypropylene, a great thrower, regulated, reasonably priced, runs on AA batteries, great white color beam.

What price range? That's usually the big limiting factor for people looking for gift lights.

Check brightguy.com to give you some ideas that might be in your ballpark.

I really don't want to spend any more than I have to. Perhaps up to $30.00 per light.

I am interested in TWO different lights ONE for runtime and the other for throw.

Thanks for your help

Streamlight Jr with one watt luxeon is $30. best bang for the buck. decent throw, with good spill. has optic, need reflector for best throw.

looks like you should be able to drop a so17 for $5. really a good light, reguardless of low $$ spent.

Gerber LX 3.0 has good throw and a decent runtime. Even with the newer Lux based headlamps available I still like the Princeton Tec Aurora headlamp. The PAL lights are GREAT for indoors use as the "glow mode" makes them easy to find in a darkened bedroom and so forth.

How about Streamlight Twin Task series? They have a 3C model that has a long runtime with the LEDs and incandescent for throw. If feels good in the hand and if you shop around, you could probably find it in your price range. Here's a review /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Runtime: UK 4aa eLED. 11 hours of constant regulated output (one of mine has actually gotten MORE runtime than this). Uses 4 AA batteries, excellent beam quality...albeit a flood beam. This would be your runtime light.


Throw will be difficult with those battery choices (AA, C, D). There is one maker that I've owned that offers these battery lights and has serious throw, but the quality control sucks my opinion says and I cannot recommend them.


You might want to consider a Pelican Saberlight, which I have no experience with. But, based on other Pelican models I own (all M6 variants), the quality is at least average or better.

for some throw look at dive lights from princeton tec, pelican, and underwaterkinetics

The only real problem with SL TT lights is they don't really throw. It's way more of a flood.

The SL 3C XP/Led is kind of cool. A bigger reflector that does throw pretty good. Individual switches for LED and Xenon, meaning Xenon is just a thumb away when in LED mode. I think the leds have pretty good runtime as well.

It is a bit more than $30... more like $40-45. But it's a pretty nice light.

An Opalec module in a minim*g is a nice long 8 hour plus in regulation.

The UK 4AA AS2 Xenon tosses pretty good, just not a real meaty beam. Get a 4AA Eled and a Xenon module and have both.

Put a M*g Xenon Star bulb in a standard M*g reflector and you get a tighter spot that throws.

Enough rambling... Good luck!

Best throw, under $30, takes regular batteries?
Got to be the Princeton Tec Surge! I'm very happy with both of mine.

For a long running light I'd second the UK eLED. It's probaby my most used light. At $20, it's a great deal.

I have to retract one blanket statement I made about SL TTs...

I played with my TT3C and found it isn't as flood as the others. I still wouldn't call it a throw monster, but if you can get over "click" 3LEDs, "click" 6LEDs and "click" Xenon (followed by "click" off) then I guess it is a pretty good light after all.

Personally I still pick up the 3CXP LED/Xenon FAR more often...

Another vote for the UKE 4AA eLed as a long running light. Else the Eternalight is a great light too, which gives really good runtime esp in 'low' mode.

For throw, I've seen a Pelican 2020 Recoil Led light in action, and it does a pretty good job with throw esp running on 3Cs. You might want to check that out too, altho I think its somewhere around $40+...