Newbe - Help Me Get Sta.....

Greetings All, I am hoping this forum will be as usefull as the Practical Machinist Forum has been for me in my trade!. That forum site had a tread on flashlights that caught my interest. I have an awesome machine shop, though I am disabled and only do work on the side as I am able too. Now that thread caught my interest, I have only used Maglight flashlights for years, then I find out about this new-fangled type units!. So, I went out and purchased a keychain type light for $3.49 at Menards and last night purchased a LED Upgrade Kit for my 2-AA Pocket Maglight, WOW, on both!. So now, I apparantly have been hooked and would like to find out which type I use most often, in my price
range is recommended by all you folk's!. I would like to start first with the equivalent, size
wise to the 2-AA Maglight and would prefer a unit that takes double A batteries (AA), if that is possible, if not, I will have to convert, and I would like to start in the under $40.00 price range!.

I have been looking in the Surefie Website and could only find one under $40.00. And that is the G-2 Nitrolon for $34.00 plus holster and shipping. It sounds good, looks to be the perfect size for my starter unit. So, I ordered a regular catolog from them to look at.

Here is where I need your input, folk's!. What information can you start me out with, any and all feedback will be most welcome!. I need to learn about this well before the end of the year, in time to buy my dad one for a gift, and of coarse, myself!. So, if you feel you can share some insight, I will be back to my computor in about 2-3 hours to check out your information!. Thanks All, I do hope this will help me to learn about a new to me area of technology!!... Sincerely Jim Luck........

Welcome to CPF and hold on to your wallet.

I'll leave the suggestions to our experts as my lights are rather limited and all high end so they're not what you'd want to start with.

Best recomendation is: Target. They stock some good lights a bargain prices.

SureFire is the "Rolex" of flashlights- greatest quality but greatest price.

Pentagon has some really good lights- SureFire knock-offs for sure- at down to earth prices but a bit above $40- not much at certain dealers.

One bit of advise: If you see a light you want, have patience and look around for best price if it is a stock item. Pricing varies a lot. You may not have that choice with a custom modded one of a kind types that float around here.
Check Ebay as well. Let your fingers do the typing and save a buck. Buy all your batteries from dealers on CPF- They have the best prices in the world. Don't ever buy any at Walgreens again. Get into rechargeables. Save Big.
Modern rechargeables are incredible performers. If you win the lotto, PM me And I will help you find a bunch of nice over $1000 lights- yup they exist.

Learn to search and read the old stuff and learn. Good luck and welcome.

Hello ottoluck and welcome to CPF! Like you I too am a newbie. I must warn you though, this hobby can be addicting:laughing: Anyway I believe that the G2 is a very good starter light. Its tough, durable and built by SF. It also has alot of accessories and you can change the bezel and upgrade it as you go along. The price is hard to beat too! Just my .02 cents

Chris

I'll comment on the G2. I love mine. Great size and weight. Nice beam with either lamp assembly, I use a P61 in mine, but I have several lights. It's modular, as shows on their site. The P6 has a few more options, but costs a little more as well. I don't think you'd be going wrong with the G2 for a start. But, as I stated, I have a lot of lights and more coming all the time.

There's a SureFire Group Buy thread in the group buy section of this forum. It shouldn't be hard to find it, and links to the co. that everyone's buying from. It's worth a look!

Edit: Nikola Tesla is so right about the batteries! There are some good deals to be had. If you order from SureFire's site, check their batteries as well, I believe $15 for 12 CR123a. Grocery stores and drug stores charge incredible amounts for one or two!

ottoluck said: "...which type...in my price range is recommended by all you folk's!...would like...equivalent, size wise to the 2-AA Maglight and would prefer a unit that takes double A batteries (AA), if that is possible...under $40.00 price range!..."

Jim by far the closest to your criteria is the Streamlight Jr Luxeon. It's about $29, looks similar to a Minimag, but is LED and has nearly 3x the output:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/streamlight_jr_luxeon.htm

Another top recommendation for AA-powered LED lights (but somewhat bigger than a Minimag is the Streamlight Propoly Luxeon 4AA, just about $25. It's a very fine light, and available in either yellow or black body:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/streamlight_propolyluxeon.htm

Yet another great AA light is the Fenix L1 (about $30) and L1P (about $44). They are about 2/3 the length of a Minimag, similar diameter, puts out about 3x the output and longer runtime:

http://www.fenixlight.com/
One dealer carrying the Fenix is http://www.jsburlys.com/ (though I think he's out of L1Ps right now).

The Surefire G2 is a great incandescent light.

Any of the above are so much better than a Mag you won't believe it.

Greetings!

Like the others here have already posted, you certainly cannot go wrong with the SureFire G2 as an entry level "high-powered" flashlight. You can choose to use the stock lamp assembly that puts out 65 lumens for around 60 or so minutes of runtime—or you can opt for the P61 HOLA (High Output Lamp Assembly) that TorchMan mentioned which illuminates at 120 lumens for roughly 20 minutes.

I like the G2 and keep it in my roller-around grip rather than using the aluminum bodied ones since it tends to get bang around alot inside the tool box. Beside as you may already know, it comes in different colors such as: SB (Stealth Black), ODG (Olive Drab Green), SY (Safety Yellow) and DT (Desert Tan).

Like most of the CPFers 'round here you have started out with the G2—you'll soon be "upgrading" to other models. Basically it boils down to this—You Simply Cannot Stop At Just One!

Whatever you decide upon, you will not be disappointed in any of SureFire's products. Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!

Finally got back to my computor, Thanks All, so far I am off to a good start, I will be looking forward to more suggestions. As I get time I will read previous post to continue to learn!. We have Kmart, Walmart, Menards and Lowes in my area, are there any less expensive "acceptable" units that would be good enough to say, throw in the car's glovebox, or my car's toolbox?. I know I will eventually find these answers when I start reading previous treads, but I would really like to just go out and purchase something NOW!!... OH NO, I am hooked, quess I will have another hobby to add to my list now!!... Thanks Folk's........

ottoluck said: "...Kmart, Walmart, Menards and Lowes in my area, are there any less expensive "acceptable" units that would be good enough to say, throw in the car's glovebox, or my car's toolbox?..."

Jim most of the lights there aren't so good. In general you can get better lights (sometimes lower cost) other places.

E.g, the Streamlight Propoly Lux 4AA is only $22.95 from http://www.fox-intl.com/item.asp?id=338, that's hardly more than a D-cell Maglite, yet it's much better for most use.

Another example: The Dorcy Metal Gear 1W LED at Wal-Mart is pretty good, but it's nearly $20, so why not get the superior Lux 4AA?

A few exceptions: the River Rock 2AAA at Target ($10) is very good for a small pen-size light. It's a relabeled version of the Nuwai TM-311H, reviewed here: http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/nuwai_tm-311h_2aaa.htm

The Brinkmann Maxfire LX is often available at retail stores (about $20), and it's very good for small powerful incandescent light:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/brinkmann_maxfirelx.htm

With the above exceptions in general I'd suggest against buying flashlights from common retail outlets, UNLESS those have been reviewed by Flashlightreviews.com. Why take a gamble a light might be OK, when you have a sure thing in the "known good" lights listed above, which often aren't much more expensive?