Flashlights: which is the best?

FireInvestigator said:
Wow! Just got back to read and learn about this thread and was shocked. I had heard such rumors of course, but took them as bull.... but no more. There is just too much evidence to the contrary, and I thank you guys out there for bringing this up.Otherwise,users like us would never know.Tip of the cap to you all.

I have had to return a light but it was a VERY expensive rechargable light. it was ready to explode,until I manually released the pressure and the tail cap litterally blew off. Yeah, Dumb.but hell...I didnt know! The battery stick was a mess with a ton of leakage. The company returned to me a brand new Light.Didnt think much more about it till now.

I also caught up with some of the comments that included 'I wont buy chinese junk and will only buy surefire', I chuckle cuz those posters sound like me. Anyone who knows me knows I buy (or try to buy) the very newest or best of a certain gadget. I can tell those posters have not had the pleasure of handling a fenix light. Wanna know how bad I am? I refuse to buy Glocks. Gasp! what? Yup. To me, Garbage. Chew toy for the K9. Plastic(polymer)should never wrap or encase Metal.In my circles of shooters it is known as a yuppies gun,and a very unsafe one at that. Huh? you dont put safeties in triggers! Boom shackalacka. Every cop I know, every Agent or shooter I meet who is issued a glock and HAS to carry one looks down to the ground when they see my customized ever so gently 1911. Just a thing I have a qwerk about. I think AK 47's are junk. Stamped metal on a firearm? The Horror! ...and so I make sure I upset everyone here, I'll add a few others. I hate cats, vermin. Mossy oak wearing mall rats during hunting season.Come one guys, mossy oak is field gear and isnt gucci or polo. The words 'Tactical or Extreme'. Uggh, over used to the point of being redundant and silly. If you gotta sell something by prefacing those words to it, it prolly isnt. Oh yeah! almost forgot! If you own a knife or watch etc etc that has Navy Seal or Green Beret stamped on it... it isnt. Trust me. Been in the biz too long. The spec ops/ SWAT guys I know use the finest of gear and most if not all is sterile. Ask a guy like Busse (I doubt he remembers me) if he remembers having around five sterile badger attacks at the Great Western gun show when 8 or so short haired guys overheard telling another customer that he had some...and quickly sold them to the gents at an amazing price(I still have mine, 175 bucks,thank you Mr. Busse)in the early 90's...And yes, he asked to see our credentials.

Rant over, sorry. (umm, no not really, hehehe)
Again, thanks for the heads up on some of these safety issues, Really.
Click to expand...


good rant!!

the glock is not by any means my favorite gun, but for an issue firearm is hard to beat. low maintenance, few parts, easy disassembly and cleaning, durable, accurate, perfect for the average officer.

i also prefer the sterile look, but recent lawsuits have dictated a change in swat attire. POLICE in big letters everywhere. helmet, shoulders, chest, back, some even wear lettered sleeves. lowers the chance of the suspect arguing: "i didnt know they were cops. i would have given up. i just thought a bunch of guys in black with helmets, vests, and machine guns broke into my house!" (cause that happens all the time. criminals typically wear "tactical" garb when robbing some dope dealer's house, and they do it in teams with flash bangs, break and rakes.....)
 
Hanae4fun said:
I just ordered a fenix p3d. Can't wait for it to come. After hearing from you guys i am pretty sure fenix will be my new buddy for quite a while.
Click to expand...

The Fenix P3Dce is a sweet choice -
and probably one of the brightest "pocketable" lights around (for now).
It's very versatile too having 3 lower brightness levels, so the light doesn't just "blind" :D

Here's a link to my review with lots of side-by-side comparison photos -

Fenix P3Dce Comparison Review

I like lights that run on a single battery -

like 1x AA -

Fenix L1D-CE Comparison Review

or 1x CR123A

Fenix P2Dce Comparison Review

Fenix P2Dce Special Edition Q2 Comparison Review

These single battery lights can also attain very high brightness levels -
the "secret" is to use the respective 3.7V Li-Ion rechargeable battery (14500 for AA, and RCR123 for CR123A) - even then they still don't quite reach the highest brightness level achieved by the P3Dce, although it's close for almost all practical usage.

Hope you enjoy the light - it's a good choice.

--
Vincent
http://clik.to/UnknownVT2007
http://clik.to/UnknownVT2006
http://clik.to/UnknownVT2005
http://clik.to/UnknownVT2004
http://clik.to/UnknownVincent
 
Vincent, erm, ahhhhh...remind me to never debate you on flashlight tech. I hate to lose.
Excellent review, you really know your stuff.Outstanding.salute
 
Wanna know how bad I am? I refuse to buy Glocks. Gasp! what? Yup. To me, Garbage. Chew toy for the K9. Plastic(polymer)should never wrap or encase Metal.In my circles of shooters it is known as a yuppies gun,and a very unsafe one at that. Huh? you dont put safeties in triggers! Boom shackalacka. Every cop I know, every Agent or shooter I meet who is issued a glock and HAS to carry one looks down to the ground when they see my customized ever so gently 1911. Just a thing I have a qwerk about. I think AK 47's are junk. Stamped metal on a firearm? The Horror! ...and so I make sure I upset everyone here, I'll add a few others. I hate cats, vermin.
Click to expand...
Oh ya, You and I would get along just fine!
 
DocArnie said:
At CPF are several threads about exploding cells. And not every CR123 user is part of online communities.
It happens only to flashlights with at least two cells. Single cell lights don't explode.
I never believed it would happen to me, but then, *poof*, I went to my brothers room and he just pointed at his flashlight, that was standing there on a shelf, untouched for days.
ETA: Here is the thread I posted at CPF click
Click to expand...

Hate to disillusion you, but single lithium cells do explode.

Please look at this CPF thread -

Battery explosion with Fenix P1D

The Fenix P1D is a single CR123A flashlight,
and the explosion was not trivial.

Think of it this way - lithium batteries are great because they pack a lot of power/energy into a small volume - and they are mostly "safe" -
but along with that is the possible danger (albeit slight) of all that power/energy being released in an instant.

--
Vincent
http://clik.to/UnknownVT2007
http://clik.to/UnknownVT2006
http://clik.to/UnknownVT2005
http://clik.to/UnknownVT2004
http://clik.to/UnknownVincent
 
Holy crap! Thanks for the heads up! Really!
Maybe I should ditch my Nuwai Q3 and buy a Pentagon molle light instead...
 
I have a Chinese made "8W" LED flashlight that uses 2 Li-Ion rechargeable 123's. I have had that thing run for about 4 hours without draining the batteries. and I alway replace them with the other set of fully charged batteries I have for it.

The nice thing about it is that I only paid $26 for it.
 
caint quite agree that surefires are the best. they are overpriced for what they are are and their quality is matched by many other manu's. damned fine lights though. different tools for different jobs no doubt, but if you want the *best* your in custom level. Kinda like another hobby we obviously share.
 
mete said:
www.pelican.com has a new one , developed for the LAPD. It's the 7060, LED with rechargeable batteries .Not a small one though.
Click to expand...

ive handled this light. not bad, large for a "small" light, if that makes sense. ugly, and strangely shaped.

keep in mind it was built to lapd's specs. they wanted a light that and officer would have difficulty using as an impact weapon. they have succeeded.

also, i like to keep my flashlight in my pocket, and the two switches make this difficult. the switch on the housing near the head will activate if you sit down. i prefer a tailcap button.
 
I use a Streamlight Scorpion incandescent almost everyday for work and I really like it.
Very bright. Spare bulb inside. Fairly durable. And they can be had for as little as $30.
All of these xenon flashlights just devour batteries so be prepared for that. Keep some
replacements on hand. Good luck. DT
 
dttomcat said:
I use a Streamlight Scorpion incandescent almost everyday for work and I really like it.
Very bright. Spare bulb inside. Fairly durable. And they can be had for as little as $30.
All of these xenon flashlights just devour batteries so be prepared for that. Keep some
replacements on hand. Good luck. DT
Click to expand...

led's use far less energy than incandescent bulbs, and are far brighter. xenon gas bulbs are different.
 
Xenon-filled bulbs are just a type of halogen, which is still incandescent. Quite a bit more efficient, but nothing compared to modern LEDs.
 
Yes. I meant I use a Scorpion Xenon bulb. It's much brighter than the LED version of the same model but a set of batteries only lasts about an hour. DT
 
DETAILS:
• Lithium batteries can explode, leak or cause
burns if not handled appropriately. Please
observe the following rules of thumb:
• Use only Panasonic™, Energizer™,
Duracell™, or Sanyo™ cells
• Do not mix with used or other battery
types/brands
• Replace all cells at the same time
• Do not open batteries
• Do not dispose of in fire
• Do not heat above 75C (167F)
• Do not expose contents to water
• Do not recharge
• Do not install backwards
 
Hi,
Without question Surefire is the best light made. They are relatively expensive, but offer the most power, features and reliability for the dollar.Their customer service is superb!
 
I have a small Gerber RECON flashlight that has a RED, WHITE, GREEN and BLUE "filters"
Not sure if any of those would be helpful in your line of work
I think the blue one is supposed to be for "fluid detection" (i.e. leaking gas??? or oil??)

https://www.brightguy.com/products/Gerber_Recon.php

It's pretty bright for a single LED flashlight I guess..........
 
imho the best lites are a fenix P1D-CE for utility and a surefire L4 for a tac light, the best combo i have found.
 
I own many Surefire's and loved my E2E, untill I got a fenix p3d. The e2e now sits in a drawer.Hunting, on the job around the house the P3D just kicks the E2E's butt.

My streamlight 3 cell (cr123) For $50 makes the E2E look like a birthday candle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top