Should I get another Surefire 9P or an Inova T4?

I have an older Surefire 9P that I love as a powerful compact light. :thumbsup:

I see that LAPoliceGear has them for $75 so I was going to grab one. The 9P is rated at 105 lumens for 60 minutes with its standard lamp.

Then I noticed that they also sell the new Inova T4 rechargeable LED light for $75. It's rated at 100 lumens for 2 hours regulated.

Somehow I imagine the Surefire 9P is more then 5 lumen brighter than the Inova T4. But the Inova seems like a more rugged light to me, as it is an LED lamp, and it is rechargeable, and runs regulated for 2 hours. The Surefire has more fragile lamp technology, uses 123 batteries and is rated for only 60 minutes and that's not regulated.

I already have a Streamlight Twin-Task 2L Luxeon LED light that is rated at 80 lumens (or 20 lumens). I really like it for general use, but it's not quite "tactically" bright enough, like the ol' 9P I have.

So how should I spend my $75? Should I get another Surefire 9P or an Inova T4?

I think I'm talking myself into the T4 unless you can convince me otherwise, I mean if it doesn't work out, I can always get another 9P later!!

No really, whaddya think? If I'm wanting another 9P, will the T4 be bright enough? I am more into tight beams and throw then spill or flood illumination.

Thanks for listening!

- Thomas

If you want a long-term investment, go with the 9P. I say that because great things are coming quickly in LEDs that will make you feel you overpaid for your $100 T-4. With incandescents, what can I say? They hold their value precisely because there's not much new...unless the rumors are true that regulation will soon be commonplace.

Also, you can run your 9P on 150S rechargeable lithium-ion cells. You can pick up a pair of those plus a charger for about $30 plus $5 shipping from CPF's AW.

Thanks for the response Paul!

The way you say it, though, that is just what i'm concerned with, that the T4 has superseded the 9P!

The T4 seems to have almost as bright a beam as the 9P for twice as long, and the LED is more rugged than the filament lamp.

But I'm not convinced the T4 is really "almost as bright". I guess that's where I'm looking for guidance or advice, if I'm wanting another 9P will the T4 be bright enough?

Of course, one answer is like, "After a hour goes by? YES!" But I'm mostly concerned with initial brightness, I don't run my 123's until dead, just until the light gets dimmer...

Thanks again for your thoughts!

- Thomas

Only you can determine if its bright enough, but the T4 is pretty bright, and definitely is a spot which you are after. Its built like a tank, and it does that recharge thing. Not much to dislike. Its one of the lights I carry in the vehicle

the T4 rocks !!!

http://www.jtice.com/review/lights/inova_t4/

The T4 is not 100 Lumens. Far from it. I think the 9P (I don't have this myself) will blow the T4 away, both in total output and throw. Just check the output comparisons on Quickbeam's flashlightreviews.com. I'm somewhat disappointed that Inova uses this exaggerated output number. The Luxeon III in the T3/T4 is simply not capable of putting out that much light. (They claim 85 lumens for the T3. I own both lights, and both appear to have essentially the same throw and same beam characteristics. Their output should be similar, and lower than 85 lumens.)

However, the T4 is a very nice light. It's a dedicated rechargeable light, which can stay on the charger until you need it. I wouldn't worry too much about new developments. The T4 is at the lower price end of dedicated rechargeable lights with $75 right now at LAPolicegear. The T4 is quite rugged, as you say. And regulated. And longer runtime than the 9P. But they're both quite different lights.

I can only recommend the T4. But don't expect the same output as the 9P.

Thanks everyone, for the helpful guidance, especially Paul and elgarak!

I know what the right thing to do is, and so do you all! :thumbsup:

I should get both of them, do a comparison and report back here! "Which $75 Light is Right for You? A Comparison of a Surefire 9P and the Inova T4."

Now where are those Grant applications.....

- Thomas

P.S. But since I already have a Surefire 9P, I guess I should get the T4 next. If it turns out not to be "bright enough" I'll put it with all the other flashlights I don't use and get another 9P!

ThomasH said:

P.S. But since I already have a Surefire 9P, I guess I should get the T4 next. If it turns out not to be "bright enough" I'll put it with all the other flashlights I don't use and get another 9P!

Click to expand...

Spoken like a true flashaholic
Now you know why all our accounts are typically empty.

Are T4's really down to $75? I paid a little over $100 for mine about six months ago, and consider it well worth it.

It will certainly not outthrow a 9P. My C2 outthrows it on fresh batteries. After about a half hour all bets are off.

You will appreciate the great throw combined with the regulation. You will also love the rechargeable aspect. Just stick it in the cradle, grab it and go with full power. I have a 12V charger and cradle wired into my Jeep for this reason.

It is a very high quality light and at $75 a bargain and a must have.

Mark

Check here: LAPolicegear T4 page. Price is stable for a couple of months now. The lowest price of the T4 I have encountered by a "normal" vendor.

Hey, thanks for the encouragement elgerak! :roolleyes:

Yeah, $75 seems like a good price for either light! Hooray for LAPolicegear!

Just got back from Target, got the last black River Rock .5W LED they had for $9.95. I like it! Of course I had to paint out the white brand name on the side and flip the clip, but this went right into my pocket!!

Just another happy flashaholic...........for NOW!

- Thomas

Oh, by the way, you flashaholic folks should be very careful not to get involved in Seiko and Citizen imported watches! Whatever you do don't go visit the Poor Mans Watch Forum (www.pmwf.com) or the Seiko-Citizen Watch Forum (http://www.network54.com/Forum/78440)! They will drive you crazy! What? Oh, yeah............