Flashlight recommendations

[maverick06]

Sorry to hear it wasnt at your expectations. i use mine a lot and like it. Frankly I find it, even on low, a bit brighter than i would like inside. The angle function isnt perfect (straight, medium, down) and the backer isnt anything fancy, but functional.

The 18650 battery though will last forever! Thats the big bonus for me. When "zoomed" the throw is impressive

 

[velvetfoot]

Yeah, it has potential. It's my first time using a LI battery like that. And the projector lens is something I haven't seen everywhere. The angle thing is what really gets me, and it doesn't seem like it would've cost a fortune to get it right.

 

[MasterMech]

My 200 lumen lights are much better than the old "million candlepower" halogen lantern I have. I really want to try one of the 500 lumen "tactical" ones.

Bought a Fenix TK75 for a very good friend of mine (also a flashlight nerd) this x-mas. 2600 Lumens - Insane. Especially for something as compact as it is.

 

[mywaynow]

I have tried the Surefires and would not go back to them. Too expensive to keep batteries around. Too short a battery life. Now I use the Mag lite that HD sells for around 35.00. It uses 3 AAA batteries and will last as long as the Surefires, but the cost is 1/5. Get the light with the single bulb though. I think they are brighter.

 

[MasterMech]

I have tried the Surefires and would not go back to them. Too expensive to keep batteries around. Too short a battery life. Now I use the Mag lite that HD sells for around 35.00. It uses 3 AAA batteries and will last as long as the Surefires, but the cost is 1/5. Get the light with the single bulb though. I think they are brighter.

I haven't bought a new one lately (5-6 yrs) but I'm forever ruined, cause now I can't stand the awful beam pattern the stock mag lites put out. If you're looking at high quality flashlights then get one with multiple modes. You don't need 800 lumens to find the bathroom in the dark, so a light with one or more "low" modes (under 40 lumens) and a high capacity battery (rechargeable too!) like CR123's or the 18650 series, will run much longer than a 3X AAA flashlight.

Also they make rechargeable CR123A's that will work fine in that SureFire.

 

[jebatty]

From many posts on other forums, I believe and agree that "too short battery life" for li-ion batteries is related to either or both: 1) crappy batteries and 2) crappy chargers. Buy high quality batteries with pcb, they cost more and are worth it, and do the research and get a quality charger.

 

[mywaynow]

I used the lithium CR123A batteries at a cost of 6 bucks or so per battery, and the light took 2 batteries. That is equivilant to an entire bulk pack of AAA. I also tried rechargables, but they were poor at best. Granted, they were not high quality. Take into accoiunt that recharging batteries is not so easy when you have no power, or limited time, and the choice is clear. At least for me.

 

[jebatty]

A lot may depend on how much a person uses the flashlight. If not often but a working light is very important, like for emergency use, then Li primary batteries may be the best, should last for many years. If occasional to moderate, then more options. I have switched to Eneloop nimh rechargeables for this kind of use because they have a very low self-discharge rate. If frequently, for longer periods, and especially if high lumen output is desired, then the li-ion rechargeable with high output led is my choice. But essential in this is quality batteries and quality chargers, and neither of these is necessarily inexpensive. One 18650 li-ion is about equivalent in voltage to 3 AAA or AA, and the capacity can be much higher. Plus, a high output led flashlight which uses an 18650 (might also be true for the some with AAA or AA) has voltage regulation circuitry which maintains high output even as battery voltage falls, which is a real plus.

 

[velvetfoot]

On that ZT-652, I used it while blowing snow the other day, and it's really powerful and focusable.. The angle thing was okay for me (still would be nice if it was more adjustable).

 

[velvetfoot]

I went to use it yesterday and the battery was dead. My other headlamp s don't do that.

 

[jharkin]

I picked up those two lights also. I suspect the battery died on your headlight due to that flashing red led on the battery compartment you can't turn off. Not sure the point of that, maybe to find the light in the dark.

Overall those two DX lights are OK for the price. Build quality leaves a lot to be desired ( no surprise). The handheld light is bright, but not massively more bright than my d cell mag led. The 5 modes are just annoying. The headlight is just so so overall.

Now I see why people spend big $$ on lights.

 

[jebatty]

Last week *ostco had 3 high output (250 lumen) flashlights, 3 x AAA batteries, for $15, that's $5 each including batteries. These are incredibly bright, throw a very nice beam, and make obsolete nearly every other small flashlight - unless long periods of use are the requirement, along with larger and heavier batteries. Light output approaches that of one of my 18560 battery flashlights with advertised much higher output.

 

[wesessiah]

i'm issued streamlight stingers/polystingers and they work well for me. for a pretty good cheap light, i like the serengeti 2 pack from sam's club for $20ish. it's brighter and the batteries last longer than some of the more expensive cheap flashlights.