Surefires....

Hi everyone,
Thanks for sharing some great information here. I've been lurking for a few weeks. As usual, I'm doing some of my research after the fact. I was looking for a nice AA flood light. I ended up with a Gerber LX3. Very pleased with the quality and it works well with my rechargeable AA's. Its my around the house go to light and it goes camping and fishing too. I'll probably get another LX3 for my wife.
I like the LX3, but its lengthy for long term pocket carry. I like the look and feel of the Surefires. I considered the L1, L2, and L4. The high output of the L2 was nice, but its a little long. I also figured it had more light than I needed. The L4 was the right size, but again I wasn't sure I needed that much light, so I went for the L1 for the longer battery life. I mainly use my everyday light for working on cars and outdoor equipment and rummaging through parts bins and such with sun-adjusted eyes. I still think the L1 was a good choice of the Surefires for what I mainly need, but I find myself wanting more. I'm still wanting an L2 or L4. I haven't seen an L2 or L4 at night, so I can only compare the numbers at Flashlightreviews. I'm thinking my L1 throws a small spot out further than the L2 or 4, but they both throw out more flood closer in. Probably either one providing more flood than my LX3. I'm also thinking that in reality the L2 is not that much brighter than the L4, but the low power might be nice. Haven't had much use for the L1's low power, maybe when we get back to camping in the fall. Anyway, sorry for all the introductory babble. I guess my question to you guys is how do I talk myself into a new light and should it be an L2 or L4? What would I use it for? If camping/night walking is my only non-daily use, I might be better off to just get some more LX3's. Guide me here guys, I have the flashlight bug, but I have to create some needs to justify my wants, I'm sure you understand. I like pocket size and I like power, I'm half afraid if I get more light, I'll just waste the batteries playing with it rather than actually using it. Since I'm happy with the L1, maybe I should just wait a year and see if anything new comes along. Thanks

Welcome to CPF!

As a CPFer you should familiarize yourself with the following advice, as it can help you out in many situations:

"Buy both!"

Perhaps you would care to sell your L1 and buy a Surefire U2 (6 output levels; best of both worlds) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

Sorry I can't answer your question, I just wanted to be the first to welcome you to CPF. Hope you stick around for a while!

Side note: You may want to split long posts up into paragraphs for easier reading in the future.

-Brad

Edit: Illuminatingbikr beat me to posting. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Funny, I almost did exactly that last night. I figured I'd sell what I didn't like, but I know from my other obsessions that I would end up keeping everything. -Nick

The L4 and L2 are often debated around here for comparison purposes, I think that was my first post too.. I have since become far more educated (and broke). My opinion is the L4, it's tiny and very versitile.
I soon found the combination of using the head off an L4 and using it with a single cell rechargable. The single celled bodies can be purchased new here very affordably.
I still like to use the L4 with the full size body every now and then for the sole purpose of admiring it's beauty.
One big thing to consider when chosing between these lights is the L1 and L4 can be driven with rechargable batteries,not the L2, also sold here very affordably. J.S.Burleys has the rechargable batteries, I have had mine about 4 months and it gets used daily, hard.
The L1 is very useful with a beamshaper, my L1 sits on my L4 body now with a beamshaper for those times I don't require all the light of the L4.
The L2 is a praised tool also, just a bit big for me, that and you are limited to versitility with exchanging parts.
Bottom line, L4. Oldgrandpajack has some for sale right now, best price, uncompromised service.
Good luck with your decision, keep in mind the L1 and L4 are very, very different lights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'd also recommend the L4, but I'm a bit biased as an L4 owner. If you end up looking for an L4, I've got a perfect one available in the B/S/T that was intended as a backpacking light but wasn't really what I needed most in a light for that job. As far as comparing the L1 to the L4, in my opinion there is no comparison. They're totally different. The L4 has a massive amount of light that throws out to medium distances but floods everything with light up to that point. You have to see one to believe it. It might throw a tiny bit less than the L1 on high, but if it does it is very minimally less, and the total amount of light is just not even comparable between the two. The L4's a great light, just not the backpacking light(s) that I really need right now.

I like the L4 better. I am not a big fan of the L2 because of it's non use of rechargables etc...Rechargeables are great if you use your light all the time. They more than pay for themselves..

Now on a side note, why not consider another light besides Surefire for your needs? The HDS is a great light but a ton of clicking. The McClux III-PD is a nice light...has a high and a low that aren't off the charts...seems to be a nice tool and affordable...Plus you may be able to have McGizmo customize it to the light output you want...

Welcome to CPF and hold on to your wallet. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Had to make the decision myself.

I am a big fan of variable power/multiple output lights. But I still have a single-output L4.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Rechargeables are a must, I KNOW they say $1 is cheap but psychologically it adds up. I wouldn't dare to run these lights as hard as they are run today if they were on primary cells. Paradoxically, despite having the light, I might opt not to use it, or use it less if there is a psychological deterrent. The moment I get rechargeables then I really use it as it should be. SUPER kudos to the One Who Knew Better and gave us (unofficial) 18650 lithium ion support in the U2. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif overnight, the 18650 became my favorite cell /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif (also because almost all my laptops use it in some form or other)

The L4 is also the perfect gateway to the Surefire Modular System - with exchangeable tailcaps, exchangeable bezels and so on. Officially, it has a lot of options. Unofficially, the L4 is probably THE most extensible light in the book. Third party adapters and conversions would fill a three ring binder by themselves! The L2 has only got official options, end of story.

And seriously, consider the U2 option. 90% of the time when I reach for a light, it's the U2. That's something considering there are 30 other lights here..

I just got an L2 and really like it. Amazing output. It is a BIT long, but not too bad. An EXCELLENT light. I also have a TW4, which, due to certain circumstances which we won't discuss here, may get renamed soon. The TW4 is simply a KL4 head on an E1e body. This gives you great size, detracts little from overall output, and still gives the superb "floodability" one expects from an L4 light. I would suggest that you consider this TW4 concept. You will NOT be disappointed.

Troy, I told you that you'd like the L2. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nana.gif It is a nice light.

KevinL, the L2 is 100 lumens on high so that's where it's at, right? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Nick, welcome to CPF. Buy them all, because there is no one perfect light for all situations.

The L2 has two levels, but it is 6.1 inches long. The length fits my hand very nicely, but I notice the length when it's on my belt. The L4 is 5.1 inches long and Li-ion 18650 cells fit, but it is one level output only (unless you get a two-stage tailcap) and less output than the L2. The U2 has six levels, fits Li-ion cells, but it is bigger in diameter than the L2/L4 (1.62 inch diameter versus 1 inch diameter) and it is just as long as the L2 (actually listed as about 10 hairs longer than the L2 at 6.13 inch vs 6.1 inch).

The L2 on low is the same lumens as the L1 on high (15 lumens). The flood of light from the L2 is sweeet. The new L1 is more (all?) hotspot with the optics, where the old L1 had sidespill. And if you need more light from the L2, just mash the button further and get 100 lumens! The low on the L2 is nice for many-many tasks within arms reach, and the 100 lumen high lights up most of a room inside or reaches out 50-75 feet outside easily (more in really dark conditions).

I dont have any of them, but it seems like any one who has gotten a L4 has loved it. plus if you want two different light levels with the L4, I know someone makes a two-stage tail cap for it.
just my 2 cents

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the friendly welcome and all the great comments on lights. I ended up with the L4, it should be here tomorrow.

The smaller size and all the extras sold me. I need to learn why the L4 is better for re-chargables, but that was an important point too. We like rechargeables here. Also, the L4 looks a lot like my L1, so my wife probably won't notice that I have another light. She has to get 'equal cash' when I buy toys, so anything I can slip by her saves me money.

I can see I'll be spending more than I want to with this flashlight collecting. I hadn't looked at the U2, but now that I have, it looks pretty sweet. Maybe that will be next. First I need the rechargeables and maybe a 2 level switch for the L4.

Thanks again. -Nick