Best and brightest flashlight for the money?

TigerMike · 03-24-06, 08:39

Looking for a really good flashlight with high output for a modest amount of $. I had a Surefire G2 Nitrolon a while back (until it broke) and I remember it being really good for its size. Is there anything out there brighter than Surefire for reasonable cash? What are the best brands to check out? Looking mainly for a small to midsize light, nothing huge. Already have huge covered with a 2+ mil. candlepower from Home Depot.

Thanks,

Mike

Setec Astronomy · 03-24-06, 08:43

This is a question for Jason...who has been AWOL

. Where are you?

Accumulator · 03-24-06, 08:57

Yeah, our resident young jarhead is the expert on flashlights

He's sorta MIA around here what with college and all.

Brighter than SureFire, I dunno...IMO it's gonna be a matter of size/bulb choice anyhow. I'm a SureFire nut (have a scad of them) but they're not cheap. I will say that I've never had *any* problems with SureFires, and some of ours have taken some real abuse. Gotta have a lot of CR123 batteries on hand though, these things really go through them if you use them a lot.

ebpcivicsi · 03-24-06, 09:46

What is the correlation between detailers and flashlight gurus?

TigerMike · 03-24-06, 09:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebpcivicsi

What is the correlation between detailers and flashlight gurus?

Oh, about 0.00001% more than likely, lol!

I can see it now....guy walks into store wanting tactical flashlight, and dealer tries to sell him a bottle of Poorboy's polish as an add-on to the sale. Look on guy's face = priceless.

Soarer V · 03-24-06, 09:54

[quote=TigerMike] I had a Surefire G2 Nitrolon a while back (until it broke) and I remember it being really good for its size. Is there anything out there brighter than Surefire for reasonable cash? What are the best brands to check out?

How was the G2 damaged? Surefire has a life time warranty and may be able to repair/replace it depending on the circumstances. If the lamp assembly blew, you may just want to replace it with the P61 lamp, which gives you 120 lumens, (stock P60 rated at 60 lumen) but the run time would be lower on a set of batteries.

If your looking to buy a new flashlight, than recommendation would depend on what you will be using it for, LED vs Incandescent, quality, price, battery size, run time, the list goes on. Go to the Surefire site and see what lights describe what you are looking for in a light and then we may be able to help you with other alternatives. Just like Autopia, there's a whole new world in Flashlighting.

Pats300zx · 03-24-06, 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Yeah, our resident young jarhead is the expert on flashlights

He's sorta MIA around here what with college and all.

Brighter than SureFire, I dunno...IMO it's gonna be a matter of size/bulb choice anyhow. I'm a SureFire nut (have a scad of them) but they're not cheap. I will say that I've never had *any* problems with SureFires, and some of ours have taken some real abuse. Gotta have a lot of CR123 batteries on hand though, these things really go through them if you use them a lot.

I am with you. I have a ton of Surefires for work. I love them and use them all the time. Another good flashlight is the Streamlight Stinger. Not as small as the Surefires but they put out a ton of light.

Neo62381 · 03-24-06, 10:03

AH Flashlights! My other obbsessive compulsive hobby. For one, I suggest you hop on over to candlepowerfourms.com, they are THE be all end all forum about flashlights, just as much as this forum is to detailing.

I really like the Fenix L1P linky it really is the perfect light for everyday carry, its not as bright as a G2, however it is brighter than a MAG 3D in terms of brightness, plus it's a true white LED. It runs off 1 AA and has a runtime of just under 2 hours. Ive had mine for about 6 months now, and it can really take a beating. I think I'd about have a heart attack if I lost it. I turn it on and people say "da** whered you get THAT thing. It really is smaller than youd think too.

If youre willing to spend a little more money, you could move up to a surefire C3 with a P91 head, and cause some severe retinal damage to all your friends.

lix · 03-26-06, 12:15

Check out http://www.candlepowerforums.com

SureFire L4 is my current fav

General Lee · 03-26-06, 05:46

These are also an excellent choice

http://streamlight-flashlights.com/

The Stinger XT is 40,000 CP and is under 9'' long

Accumulator · 03-26-06, 07:20

IMO the Streamlight/SureFire thing is sorta like the Klasse/Zaino thing...you won't go wrong with either one. I do think there's something to be said for picking one operating style and sticking with it though. We're trained with SureFires so that's what we stick with for most stuff, it's just no-brainer operation for us.

Heh heh, I adamantly refuse to check out any flashlight forums...there'd be no coming back

Spilchy · 03-26-06, 08:12

I have a camoflauge patterned Coast LED Lenser V2 Tac Power Chip Torch. It runs on 3 AAA batteries.

.Patented Crystal Reflector System
.Diode-Charged 1.25 Watt Light Chip
.24 Ct. Gold Contacts
.Lightweight Aluminum Casing
.4-in. In Overall Length
.Includes Sheath and Lanyard

I'm not a flashlight guy like some of you, but for what I need it for, its perfect at only 4" long, rugged construction, super bright and lifetime guarantee.

Here are their flashlights: http://www.coastcutlery.com/?v=34&pl=141