Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I'm looking to upgrade to some good tactical light. I thought I'd get a Sure Fire G2 just to start, to see what they're like. Sounds like they have great output, but maybe batteries don't last especially long. They claim the G2L lasts for 12 hours, albeit not at peak output. Some of the others are only listed at 60 minute run time. I think it's worth it though, If you are able to blind someone long enough to neutralize a situation! Like to hear of anyone's experience here.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I have two Surefire G2L's. I think they are great and I should buy another couple for each vehicle. The LED's are 80 lumens for 12 hours. They are blinding at night.

Currently one is mounted to an M4 style carbine, and the other is in the nightstand drawer next to a Glock 30.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

What's a good price for the G2L? I can get one on Ebay for $60. Shipped.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

i really like the Illuminator wind up led--they are really great. got mine from walgreens local store and also walgreens online....

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I've got a C3 centurion, and love it.
Got it as a gift (wouldn't pay that much myself) and sure glad i did.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Give me my Maglite!

Not just a flashlight...but good for "other purposes," too. Especially the 4 cell.

http://www.maglite.com/D_Cell_LED.asp

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Yeah, I have 2 of the 4 cell Mags. Got em at Costco for 20 bucks, and they came with a penlight as well! Couldn't beat that price!

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

i've always had at least two small 2 CC Maglites

lately, i've picked up some of these cheapo dollar flashlights

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Fenix L2D-CE, 180 LUmens, 2xAA batteries instead of expensive Lithiums

Brightest 2AA you can find

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I've also got a 3 million candlepower spotlight, which is like an aircraft light! Like they say, if you hit an intruders eyes with that baby, you're dealing with Ray Charles for a few minutes! Game over!

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Not just expensive, but not readily available. Every retail store (including "stop 'n robs") carries AA, C, and D batteries. Only some carry Lithium, and then only a few packages.

When I was looking recently for a camera for my daughter's upcoming trip, AAs were a requirement...and Panasonic even stressed their ubiquity over specialized Lithium cells.

In an emergency, using the most commonly-available "ammunition" is essential.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Those are really fun! Mine uses the DC from the car battery if need be, too.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

WM, same here. Got mine at Sears for 20 bucks, 33% off. I like the pistol grip design. I can light up my entire backyard. Could be a great signal light as well. Keep one in the car for emergencies.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I love my surefire. I dont remember the model number off hand, ill find it later. But it takes two lithium bats and is 80/120 lumen split. Low(light pressure) is 80 lumens Higher(full pressure) is 120 lumens. Itll light up an entire room on low. Great for hurricanes. Eats batteries like a mother though.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Here's a nice 2xD mag mod:

http://www.lesliewong.us/blog/tag/kaidomaincom/

This is probably my favourite flashlight right now because of the amazing light output...

My next project is modding a 3xC mag with a cree Q5 led...or a SCC p7 led...I'm not sure...:wub:

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

From www.lapolicegear.com

$65 shipped (use coupon code surefire) with 6 free additional batteries:

http://www.lapolicegear.com/sug2ledhiouf.html

I have had success with them on other orders, but I would recommend you call first to make sure it is in stock.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Hey, thanks Scott! Thats about $15.00 worth of free batteries, huh?

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I've got numerous Surefire's. I like my E2D for easy carry in my pocket plus the defensive design of it. Unfortunately it's not LED so it burns through batteries.
For actual working flashlights I like my Surefire L1 and L2 LumaMax. Lots of light, good runtimes, and they don't heat up very much.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

NovaTac EDC, but SureFire, Fenix and BlackHawk also make good ones. My main criteria are waterproofing, lithium power for resistance against cold, a high-brightness setting for disorienting cholos and moose, and an extremely low-brightness setting in case I'm stuck in a cave for days or weeks.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

My favorite is my Fenix L0D that I carry on my keyring. Its handy as hell because its always with me and it has the brightness if you need it. It has three brightness settings...75 lumens on the highest setting. I use the middle setting 95% of the time. It uses one aaa battery. I ran the same battery in mine for about 10 months before I noticed a decrease in brightness. And I use this little bugger all the time...like I said its handy. The cree leds are amazing. Well worth the ~$50 for one. Its not the 'tactical' light or 'defense' light that everyone wants...but it is awesome for what it is and what I use it for.

I have some other Fenix lights too...equally impressed with them.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I'm a big fan of Mini-mags. When I used to cave, I used them for backup lights. I've dragged them through mud and water, dropped them down precipices, and they just keep on working. Plus, they're small enough that you can hold them in your mouth and keep your hands free if you have to.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Don't forget the Fleshlight from your local novelty store!!!

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Yeah, that way an intruder might be scared off, AND you reduce your risk of prostate cancer....

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

:rolleyes_m: My cheapo Romisen RC-F4 Cree LED.
It puts my G2 to shame on price,battery life and quite a few other things like brightness and Surefire's crappy xenon bulb that only lasts about 25 hours runtime before it needs replacing.

No Pelicans !! They are lifetime guaranteed,but it might take them six months to replace it or fix it.

StreamLight is now made entirely in China.
Your Mag is now assembled in California using US patented parts made in China also.

It's a crap shoot out there...lot's of overpriced old technology still on the market and some cheap stuff that rocks.

Want an education in flashlights ?

Go here and get educated by the flashoholics.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/

Good luck

:rolleyes_m::rolleyes_m::rolleyes_m:

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I love my 6 D cell Maglite.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

For SHTF, I love these little crank flashlights. 3 very bright white LEDs, plus a red flashing mode for emergencies. $7.99 at BigLots.


http://www.goodmart.com/images/prodi.../LEDWindUp.jpg

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

And it's a good baton!

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Hey Scott, I ordered one of the G2-L's yesterday from the website you provided. It was shipped today, so I'm expecting it Monday. Thanks again for the link!

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

You want a great flashlight at a discount price ? go here....http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.999

many of these are Cree technology lights, read the reviews....Romisen & Ultrafire are hard to beat every bit as good as Surefire and much cheaper....their rechargeable battery's are a steal.

I have ordered from them many times no problems.....if you want a real flame thrower check out the Romisen RC-Creex4....also the ultrafire C2 & C3
I guaranty you for the price & quality you cannot beat the deal....there are some nice cree tactical lights also.

You will not be disappointed !

To learn more about flashlights & lasers go here......

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

For those of you that have standard MagLites, you would be shocked at how little output and runtime they offer compared to numerous LED lights on the market. They are better weapons than illuminating devices.

I recommend a Novatac 120E (American made) or some of Surefire's LED offerings. They aren't cheap, but if you purchase one of these lights, I promise that you will never use your MagLite again and wonder why you didn't make the switch earlier. Inova (another USA product) has some very nice and durable lights also. They are less expensive than Novatac or Surefire.

Here is where you can get Novatac's at the best price.
http://yourcornerstore.com/novatac-c-434_587.html

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

A SHTF flashlight, no batteries (even the rechargeable ones) and no bulbs, no wall wart charger needed, no solar time needed charge (like solar flashlights).

Totally waterproof, floats heads up.

http://www.jazebra.com/images/produc...01-800x600.jpg

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I have a mini-mag light, yes it takes batteries, stick to Energiser. It is brighter than some full size torches and has an adjustable beam.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

That is part of their appeal though. Any flashlight that can double as a weapon if needed, gets my vote. lol I also have a windup LED unit I like for different reasons. Better to have one of each.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I used to like the big 6 & 7 D cell maglites ...truth is they're to darn heavy to swing quickly. Most of the better flashlights (as I mention above) are scalloped, they'll do more damage when used for a weapon, the other reason for scallop is so you can tell if you left the light on when you set it on a table.

Switch to a Cree led flaslight.....you'll never go back.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Men will find the charging motion on these to be very natural!

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

A flashlight is nothing more than a holder for expensive batteries.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Not if you buy the rechargeables and charger over at Dealexrtreme

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

My brother gave me a Surefire E2D Executive Defender flashlight for Xmas two years ago and I would definately recommend it to anyone looking for a tactical light. It's compact, lightweight, very bright and the crenelated bezel is designed to be planted into your adversary's skull. Pretty cool!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l224/gopher29/E2D.jpg

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I bought one of those shaker lights when they first came out. Puts out a beam of light similar to an oil lamp in Abe Lincolns cabin!

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Here' a thread worth reading over at Candlepower, many more like it remember we're comparing a $25 Ultrafire light to a $150 Surefire light......

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...d.php?t=173189


And I'm not saying Surefires aren't nice I own a couple.....but Ultrafire, Romisen, wf-600 and wf-800 as well as the Fenix line offer tremendous value, I would even go so far as to say some of these are equal or better (equal anyway)at a third the price.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I'll give them this, they have made improvements on their latest version ,a bit brighter and longer run time.....probably the best shaker made, don't store near your credit cards or electronic devices and such.,as they have a capacitor.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I have the Fenix L2D CE. 135 Lumens for 2 hours on 2 AA(You can buy a body for 1 aa and cut time in half). I purchased it new for $65. It is shown in this video at 5:39.

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Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Here is something you can do with your old mini mags...

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CgJ0EpxjZBU&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CgJ0EpxjZBU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Dude, thats just nasty.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

+1:shocked_ma:

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I love my Cree Q5 :beer:

Has Cree or anyone else for that matter released a higher lumen/watt led than the Q5 yet?

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I don't think so. I think the limit (in efficiency) is pretty much reached.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

for Christmas I bought my brother in law a 6 million candle power light. The light intensity is unbelievable. Talk about taking someone's night vision away! This thing is a weapon.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I have this one as well, and it is excellent. Anyone who buys a Surefire is well advised to buy a box of batteries at the same time. A Surefire's high output drains batteries fast.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x...Mega_18650.jpg

Custom 1x18650 body + Malkoff M60 LED module + Panasonic 18650 Li-Ion battery (Or AW battery)

Will also take 2xCR123A cells.

200 lumens for about 1.5 hours...

Also have an 80 lumen module that runs for about 15 hours.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

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Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Recharger saved us a TON on battery use.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

You could just get the magled 3D or 4D.

I like the look of the mag, much cleaner than the competition.

They make a good club and they also make a good hammer. I used one to bash the hell out of a starter once to get one final trip out of an old truck. You can't do that with an AA flashlight. Also hammers through plywood or smashes glass if necessary. Runtime is many hours (more than I've used since I bought the things). I'd assume it's longer than the small flashlights given the capacity of the big D cells.

But some people like the small ones that fit in your shirt pocket. To each their own, I guess.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=172

I have had good luck with Streamlight. I use one like this for duck hunting, it is tough and gets the job done.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Didn't realize this was so old, but necroposting or not everyone needs to buy these keychain lights. They're probably brighter then a AA minimag and you can keep them on your keychain. Buy them by the bushell. It's probably the best 47 cents you'll ever spend.


Water Resistant Casing
Weights almost nothing (0.26oz with batteries each)
2 x CR2016 batteries included for each keychain
Now Custom made with single 22,000mcd LED!

Works out to $0.47/ea shipped



http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1253

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I looked through the flashlight forum and was overloaded with information I didn't understand. I don't know much about flashlights but i know what I don't like because I have a bunch of flashlites I hate. GIMers are smarter than most people so maybe someone can help me choose a flashlight that fits the following criteria.

1) LED. Doesn't have to be a super spotlight, I'd sacrifice some candlepower for battery life.

2) Rear switches are absolutely unaccepatable to me, I want one I can operate with my thumb, not pinky. WTF? Do people hold their Surefires over their heads or what?

3) I'd prefer one that takes 1 or 2 123 batteries. I'm not worried about unavailability WTSHTF, I'll buy a supply of lithium spares that last a long time.

4) Round bell flashlights that roll off and fall on the ground when I set them on the hood of my truck suck, I have plenty of Maglites ROLLING around the floorboards of my vehicles. A hexoganol bell would be nice.

5) I don't want a rechargable flashlight because I live off grid and don't want to run a generator to charge a flashlight.

6) The switch should have standoffs like the front sight of a AR15 or something like that. I hate opening my console and seeing a flashlite that turned itself on.

7) I want an on-off-on switch, not on-dim-bright-off. If someone is shooting at me and I click a switch I don't want it getting brighter, I want it off.

HELP!

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I recommend the Surefire L4 for you. It takes (2) CR123 batteries, it has a clip (anti-roll), and is a simple one mode (on/off) clicky. It is a floody light though, I don't know if you want something with more throw.

http://www.surefire.com/L4-LumaMax

It is expensive, but you can pick it up cheaper than the listed MSRP.

EDIT: This light doesn't have the runtime you probably want.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

2 hour runtime would be hard to live with. When I walk at night I usually "touch" the switch without clicking it on. That way the light is only running one third of the time, plus to turn it off all I have to do is relax my thumb. But with the switch on the back it seems difficult to do that unless walking with the light held up over my head or with palm outward. I hate rear switches, which is why I don't own a Surefire. I've never seen a Surefire with a thumb activated switch.


There is a reason people hold lites low. Rocks and obstructions appear as long shadows. Hatband lites don't show them and the view is not really three dimensional. Besides, who wants to hold up their arm for hours on a walk?

Edit: When walking, less energy is expended if you swing your arms with each step. Also, in steep, snow covered or rugged terrain arms are used to help balance your body and keep from falling down. Forearms are used to deflect branches. With hand held up at face level, not only are these activities impossible, but you are more top heavy to boot!

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

tried several lights and my Fenix TK11 R2 Cree Premium 7090 XR-E LED Flashlight is the best i've seen yet. 225 lumens. takes 2- cr123a or 1- 18650 rechargeable battery. amazon's got em for around $70. maglite flashlights don't hold up over time.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Quoted for truth. I love the Fenix flashlights. Great quality for a great price. I have their LD-01 (single AAA), LD-10 (single AA), LD-20 (2 AA), PD-30 (2 CR-123), and their TK-40 hand cannon which runs off of 8 AA's. I have ton's of Eneloop rechargeables to power them all.

I highly recommend Fenix flashlights. I also own a Jetbeam flashlight and recommend those as well.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

Forgive me for being simple, but nothing beats the head-mounted lamp for me. This thing does it all while camping. This is because it's such a beast to set up your tent while holding a flashlight. Hands free is the way to go.

I also have a crank flashlight in the camping first aid kit. It's nice to have a flashlight that I don't have to feel guilty about running anytime I want, since the electricity comes from me cranking it once every 25 minutes.

Re: Anybody have a favorite flashlight?
 

I have one of the single AA Fenix L1D's and it is a great light. I have a little belt clip for it and I carry it whenever I'm going to be in town at night.

That TK11 looks nice for a great price. I don't have an 18650 light or charger yet and that might be a good place to start.

And I've wanted a TK40 ever since they came out. That kind of power out of rechargeable AA's is my kind of light. I have 90 acres and livestock and it would make a great light for when you need to go see why everybody out there is making noise and moving around. I've used the rechargeable spotlights but they never seem to last long before the batteries fail. Something like the TK40 can use the same AA's I use for everything else. And Amazon has them for $137 and free shipping!

Gregg