most powerful flashlight for the money/size/runtime

hoho, in my previous newbie thread i was looking for a hiking light with dual output, and i decided to go with the A2 or L2 in my $150 price range

in my search for that light, i came across the elektrolumens tesla6 http://elektrolumens.com/4_SALE/For_Sale.html and was very impressed with the supposed lumen output/price

if i compare the tesla on paper to say the surefire m6, i get

432 vs 500 lumens
8,000 lux vs. ?
169 vs 390 dollars
luxeon vs xenon
longer battery life vs. shorter battery life
less throw vs. more throw

i assume 6 luxeons will eat batteries fairly quickly, but i doubt it will be nearly as fast as the 20mins at 500lumens of the m6. also, i know nothing beats the throw of the incans, but everyone tells me the luxeons have a pretty nice throw unlike normal leds. too bad the tesla doesnt have multistage operation (at least not according to the specs)

of course, i also assume surefire wins on quality, although i dont know much about elektrolumens and ive heard they make some pretty nice stuff

the point of this post is:

what is the most powerful bang for your buck flashlight in terms of cost, size, and runtime

unless im really missing something about the elektrolumens tesla (tell me if i am), then what im really asking is:

are there any flashlights that offer more or about the same lumens as the tesla:

at a lower price?
in a smaller package?
with a longer runtime?
better quality?

etc.

what are the competitors to monsters like the m6? or to the tesla?
what do u guys think of elektrolumens in general and the tesla specifically?

thanks

I don't know about Elektrolumens products but it looks like he builds quality and reasonably priced flashlights. Very interesting to boot!

Have you tried looking at this http://www.inretech.com/ for similar type as that of Elektrolumens?

I don't know how they did it, but the Fenix L1P has got to be the most bang for the buck in LED lights right now. It is super small, throws more light (with useful sidespill) than it has a right to, runs on common AA's and is HA3 coated. It has been a constant companion since it arrived last week and until I can afford a McLux PD, it will remain that way (and possibly even after I get a McLux; the L1P is that good!)

fenix f1p looks neat for its size, but note that in this thread im looking for lights that compare in output to the m6 or the tesla. im only interested in smaller sizes if the output remains comparable

I backpack pretty frequently, and would recommend a headlamp if you don't already have one. A flashlight is not very convenient while on the trail, as I need my hands free to use hiking poles.

While in camp, a flashlight is great, but pretty useless on the trail.

Why has no-one mentioned the HDS U85? Isn't this the smallest, most powerful flashlight?

P.S. Most powerful for it's size I mean

No one has mentioned the U85 because he is asking about HIGH powered lights like the Surefire M6 and Tesla. 100 lumens or so versus 400-600 lumens.

If what you really want is bang for the buck in a reasonable size, it's hard to beat the Mag 2D modded with an 1111 and 6 AA's. Almost as much output as the M6, longer runtime, and about $100 to $120.

Bill

If you're still thinking about a backpacking scenario, I doubt you'd take a Tesla-6.

If you just want the greatest output in the several hundred lumen range for the lowest cost, the Tesla-6 is probably it, excepting spot lights.

If size/weight isn't critical, a hand held incandescent spot light is by far the most lumens per dollar. They're not super lightweight, but neither is a Tesla-6.

The below Vector spotlight produces 1 million CP, probably at least 1500 lumens, costs $15.00.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2190911

at a lower price? - Surefire pretty much loses here at $392
in a smaller package? Surefire wins here by a large margine (comparing the M6 to a 2C/2D Mag is not even close, let alone a 6 cell Mag, my 6D is like a Chevy Suburban vs. the Surefire's Honda Insight......)|
with a longer runtime? 60 for MN20 (250 lumens) and 20 for MN21 (500) I only run the 500 and keep the 250 in a SC2 along with 6 cells.
better quality? I haven't held/used a Elektrolumens light so no comment there, but Surefire is top notch. My Surefire M6 is a finely crafted tool that looks serious and performs just as well.

I find the M6 practical because usually in the field there is no source of power, so one use cells work well for me.

no nos, this is not about hiking anymore. i already decided on an A2/L2 for that (im buying both and going to sell the one i dont want ). and i plan to pick up a princeton headlamp too

this thread is simply about the most devastating flashlight for the money that can compare to the m6 or tesla in size/quality/runtime

AlanP said:

Why has no-one mentioned the HDS U85? Isn't this the smallest, most powerful flashlight?

P.S. Most powerful for it's size I mean

Click to expand...

KL4 with E1E body and R123 (TW4, aprox 100 lumens) is about same size and puts out way more lumens than any three watt.

this would include HDS U85, which probably comes w/Ubin.

it's amazing what hype can do

most output for your budget range for a quality light is a used Surefire M3 w/200+ lumens, but that's not dual output.

your original two choices are excellent. you may want to look at SF L4. there's a group buy for $129.

Ah ZippyDan guess I missed the transition.

If size isn't a factor, Thor spotlight. The USL does look interesting, possibly the Surefire Beast. These three are usually 2000 lumen +.

Good luck with the A2/L2 I have handled both and went with the L2 and then sold it and currently use my U2. I gave L2's as gifts though, both the recipients are happy as heck. Gonna give out two A2's this year (one to a nephew that mentioned it in an ad in Popular Science, and the other to a good friend.)

Electrolumens is a quality product, however it is still based on the Mag. So if a Mag is not good enough for you in terms of durability/quality, then its unlikely that a Tesla is going to meet your requirements.

I have the Quadstar, its plenty bright with nice throw and smaller due to its 2D size. No doubt that the Tesla 6 would be pretty amazing as far as output. I know that I would never shine the Quadstar at anyone's face if they were closer than 20 yards or so, unless you wanted to blind them...

oh crap now i have to throw the 951 lumens mag by juancho into the mix

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/94713