# Flashlight gurus, is this worth it?



## GasholeWillie (Jul 4, 2014)

I currently have 2 flashlights that I use on a regular basis, one is a Maglite XL50 tri mode and the other is a Terralux model unknown. Both are completely adequate for my purpose and in some cases I find them to be too bright. I also own 2 Maglite mini mags, 1 brandy new and the other that I carried for years but still serviceable. The down side with these is you have to twist to light vs button butt switch. I see that Terralux offers a LED upgrade, been reading up on a few reviews for this. Some say it works great and is as close to a tactical(damnit there is that word again) light as you can get for $15 for the chip/bulb/reflector. Others have said that the twist action of refocusing the beam of the light(spot to flood to spot to flood) destroys the wire connection of the LED board/bulb and it's life is short.

While on the subject of flashlights, anyone else find that some LED high output sucks for close up work? Even at reduced power? If I am trying to do my logbooks or something I need to read, the white light seems to almost wash out the print. Minor problem, major improvement.


----------



## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Just like firearms or knives, flashlights are suited for different things depending on design and intention.
For close up work, high lumen LEDs are not optimal. Some high output lights come with an alternate color in a lower output, like blue or red, which might suit up close work a little better.

I only carry a dedicated flashlight for defensive purposes. It is high output to both illuminate my beam target and potentially render their vision useless for a short period.
It is, for all intents and purposes, a Surefire 6p with a CREE lamp upgrade. 450+ lumens of whitewashing power.
It is wholly unsuitable for doing anything up close.
For that task, I pull out the cell phone.


----------



## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

The small maglites you can get rear buttons for.


----------



## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

If I feel what have works well in my hands and I like the results, I tend to stand pat with what I have. Other people like to try every gadget imaginable. It is only $15 bucks. You could try it and see if you like it.


----------



## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

MagLite sells the entire kit- led, reflector, and rear button switch. It's bright enough for wandering around the house at night. Probably 15 or 20 lumens. The light no longer focuses and you can still use the twist to shut it down independant of the button.

Also, I have seen a headlamp at Walmart that has an actual dimmer built in. Surprised the heck outta me.


----------



## GasholeWillie (Jul 4, 2014)

Well considering I already own 2 of the mini mags and one was free from work I have very little invested. I'll have to look into the mini mag kit option.


----------



## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Most of my work is done after the sun goes down (2nd shifter), so a light is a necessity.

I use LED headlights. They are more than bright enough to get the work done, but don't wash out the paperwork or the electronic logbook work that comes after doing the hands on part of the job.

For some reason, the technical inspectors who "buy off" the work use ultra-bright, hand held led lights. I have no idea how they can read the paperwork with those things!


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

There are the single aaa led maglights, but I have only seen them online. Would be worth it considering the lumen output. 
I did also see an led upgrade kit online. However the lumen output is worse than the original bulb and according to research it doesn't fit properly anyway.


----------



## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

Although the tac lights put out more lumens per ounce, their cr123 batteries are expensive for a mere 2-3 hours of shine time. Scorpion and a few others make rechargable models and i find these to be the top of the heap, with only one exception: charging. Most can be optained with a car charger, this is good because it will recharge from any 12v battery including motorcycle batteries, alarm panel backup batteries, and many solar cells. 

Where i have beenpurchasing though has been LEDs like the coast brand. I left one of these AAA powered lights in a machine for 6 days. When i came back it was still shining. The digital circuits gradually step-down the power as the batteries drain. While they will not compare in lumens to a tactical lamp, they will last way longer and operate off of the most ubiquitous battery available: AAA.

The original Coast lights had a hole in the middle of the lense. These were the best (except for not being waterproof). Their headlamps are great, though they make my head hot as the batteries warm up during discharge. 

So which do you prefer? Power or longevity?


----------



## GasholeWillie (Jul 4, 2014)

So I went on line and found that my local Home Despot has the kit in store to do the swap, about $7. I said what the hey, bought one brought it home and promptly broke the flashlight trying to take it apart and fit the new pieces. Not sure it is fixable, broke a metal contact that attaches to the bulb lead. Snapped in half. It figures.


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

They have the older model multiple led lights at wally world for $1.00 batteries included. Its a three aaa light. I haven't tried one yet but I did get a similar one at Lowe's for a heck of a lot more money. Seemed bright enough for me. No rubbers on the tailcap so its not even a little water proof. 
They also have a 1,000 lumen at wally world too. Think its rechargeable. 
Then there was one on sale at tractor supply. It was camo. I nearly blinded myself. Think it was under $15.00 looked the size of a three battery maglight.


----------



## A J (Oct 16, 2014)

I have a love/hate relationship with flashlights. I've had a number of them, dropped and broke expensive ones and have literally 'tried' to break cheap ones that just kept going. I'm convinced that for most uses, expensive flashlights are a waste of $$$.

I picked up a 4xAA LED flashlight at Walmart last year for something like $20. I've dropped it out of my treestand, kicked it, dropped it down the stairs. I don't know how a more expensive light would have done any better. I put the lithium AA's in it and it is really light too. The model number on the side is OT-200L, when I look on the walmart site, it says it's a 2xAA light, but mine is 4xAA. they have a special online for it and a headlamp for $15.

YMMV

AJ


----------



## GasholeWillie (Jul 4, 2014)

Like I said earlier in the thread the 2 lights I have in service are great, almost too much light. I discovered today that what I thought was a mag light is actually a Brinkman and slightly different than the mag light so the parts are not interchangeable. I did find out I can get a replacement part for the broken mag light, I'm gonna do it, I'm invested at this point. Can always use an extra flashlight.


----------



## hansonb4 (Aug 17, 2014)

Kauboy said:


> Just like firearms or knives, flashlights are suited for different things depending on design and intention.
> For close up work, high lumen LEDs are not optimal. Some high output lights come with an alternate color in a lower output, like blue or red, which might suit up close work a little better.
> 
> I only carry a dedicated flashlight for defensive purposes. It is high output to both illuminate my beam target and potentially render their vision useless for a short period.
> ...


I only carry one as well. A Nitecore P16 960 lumens. It has four brightness settings, SOS, strobe and beacon. Besides an on / off button, the same button, if depressed halfway, turns the light on as long as it is pressed. Great for Morse if needed. It is so damn bright that one night when walking the dog, I walked passed a high schooler party on a driveway that my son was at. At the brightest setting, about 60 yards away, everyone shielded their eyes when looking at me, muttering stuff such as "what is the @$$holes problem?"

Otherwise, I use my cell phone or the lighter in my bag.


----------



## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

I bought a Coleman 6AA LED flashlight from Walmart for around $28. It has 137 Lumens which was brighter than my old department's issued Stinger. I've had it for at least two years, and am still on the original batteries. Downsides; Plastic hull, which isn't necessarily bad, but it hasn't taken a hard fall yet either, and the power button is kind of a pain to locate in the dark. Forget it if you have gloves on trying to feel for the button. Otherwise, it's been a great light.

I have another smaller LED light, a Techlite Lumen Master that is only 100 Lumens, but it has an adjustable beam, Low/High/Strobe and is aluminum. It's Chinese mfg., but it works pretty well. And of course, I have a Maglite 4 "C" Cell. Which I haven't put batteries in since they died. I always thought Maglite's made a better club than a flashlight.

LED seems to be the way to go. It is a different kind of light, but you can get a ton of Lumens in a small package and batteries last forever, as opposed to something like my old Surefire G2 Nitrolon, which put out half the lumens and you got an hour run time on batteries that were $6 for two.

Some examples of low dollar flashlights you can also tan with. One is rechargeable, the other uses AA:

Ozark Trail 750 Lumens Ultra-Bright Rechargable Lithium-Ion LED Water Resistant Aluminum Tactical Flashlight - Walmart.com

Coleman CT70F Tactical Power Focus 700L Flashlight - Walmart.com


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I was looking at car headlights while I was out today. Cheap enough. Don't have to buy a particular one either. Then they have those 6 volts in the camping section. Not the 6 volt for the cheap floating flashlights. The other one the heavier one. I forget but I think there's a way to hook up two six volts to get a twelve volt current. Mah? Battery life.

Still haven't hooked up my $1 6 volt batteries to any bulbs.


----------



## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

James m said:


> I was looking at car headlights while I was out today. Cheap enough. Don't have to buy a particular one either. Then they have those 6 volts in the camping section. Not the 6 volt for the cheap floating flashlights. The other one the heavier one. I forget but I think there's a way to hook up two six volts to get a twelve volt current. Mah? Battery life.
> 
> Still haven't hooked up my $1 6 volt batteries to any bulbs.


I bought a 6 Volt at the hardware store a couple years back. It literally didn't survive the ride home in the trunk. Went over a speed bump a little too fast, and when I got home and went to get it out of the trunk, it was in pieces. Better then than when I needed it I guess.


----------



## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

James m said:


> There are the single aaa led maglights, but I have only seen them online. Would be worth it considering the lumen output.
> I did also see an led upgrade kit online. However the lumen output is worse than the original bulb and according to research it doesn't fit properly anyway.


Considering that I own 3 or 4 of the kits and use them daily, I have to say I disagree. The lumen output is perhaps not the same on paper, but is adequate for general use. As I said above, the thing won't focus after being fitted, which can make you think it's dimmer, but it illuminates a wider area. However, it DOES fit properly and works well. One thing it is not is a "tactical" light. It wasn't designed to be, so I don't think you can fault it. It's fine for the uses it was made for.


----------



## GasholeWillie (Jul 4, 2014)

The verdict is in on the conversion of the Mag light flashlight conversion. 5 years ago it MIGHT have been worth it, however presently it, IMO, is not. Someone on another forum suggested a $50 combo kit light, rechargeable battery pack and flashlight that puts out 1050 lumen. Can you say "you'll shoot yer eye ayt kid", this will burn your retina out. This conversion takes the Maglight up to 30. So based upon what is currently out there, 30 is week noobsauce territory, like holding a match.


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I left my cabelas Alaskan guide flashlight in my truck for a few nights. It was 20 degrees that night maybe a little lower later at night. So the other night I go to turn it on, its a white led with red as an option for output. So I go to switch from white to red and its too cold. The white worked but the red would come on and immediately switch back to white. It works now because it warmed up inside. It was the cold, so much for Alaska? It was a 2x cr123.


----------



## DerBiermeister (Aug 15, 2014)

I own two Streamlight ProTac HL 3s. One I 've had for about two years and the other for about a year (have it mounted on my Mossy 590 for primary HD). Bright as the surface of the sun. 1100 lumens. But after a few mins, that quickly drops down to around 600 lumens for most each life cycle. Uses 3 of the CR123A Lithium Batteries. The batteries have excellent shelf life, so the light on my gun lasts a long time, in fact since I don't turn it on much, I am still on the first set of batteries after a year. The other light (my first one) I use just as a general round the house light including keeping an eye on my pooches at night when they are in the back yard. Some people claim these lights are too bright. Not I -- I love them. When I practice at night with my shotgun, illuminating the world and having it on strobe -- I see just fine, but I can imagine being on the receiving end of that blast of light. Would not be fun and it would be tremendously disorienting. 

I buy the batteries in sets of twelve pretty cheaply from Amazon Prime.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

The absolute best edc flashlight I have ever had is the streamlight triple a flashlights. Both the stylus pro (2 AAA) and whatever the single AAA is called. Just enough light for utility and tough as nails. It carries very well. If you want to blind someone (and yourself) there are plenty of tactical lights. I recommend surefire for that.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

DerBiermeister said:


> I own two Streamlight ProTac HL 3s. One I 've had for about two years and the other for about a year (have it mounted on my Mossy 590 for primary HD). Bright as the surface of the sun. 1100 lumens. But after a few mins, that quickly drops down to around 600 lumens for most each life cycle. Uses 3 of the CR123A Lithium Batteries. The batteries have excellent shelf life, so the light on my gun lasts a long time, in fact since I don't turn it on much, I am still on the first set of batteries after a year. The other light (my first one) I use just as a general round the house light including keeping an eye on my pooches at night when they are in the back yard. Some people claim these lights are too bright. Not I -- I love them. When I practice at night with my shotgun, illuminating the world and having it on strobe -- I see just fine, but I can imagine being on the receiving end of that blast of light. Would not be fun and it would be tremendously disorienting.
> 
> I buy the batteries in sets of twelve pretty cheaply from Amazon Prime.


I have the TLR-1 HL on my bedside gun. It is excellent. Runs on 2 cr123 batteries. I don't remember the lumens on it but it is more than enough to get the job done. Works well on an ar for piney woods hog huntin as well. Highly recommended along with DerBiermeisters suggestion.


----------



## Smokin04 (Jan 29, 2014)

Another vote for this:

http://www.prepperforums.net/forum/general-talk/11712-best-tactical-flashlight-ever.html


----------



## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

Mini Cree Led Flashlight Torch Adjustable Focus Light Lamp - Basic Handheld Flashlights - Amazon.com
I bought ten of these and loaded them with rechargeable Lithium batteries, well worth the money in my opinion. Very bright, multiple modes.


----------

