Hi output flashlights

A

arty

Joined
Oct 18, 2003
Messages
1,777
I am considering getting a high output flashlight. Is the LED version of the Surefire - the L4 - worth much more that an incandescent p9, with the same light output?
 
awww, rats! for a second i thought that HI was outputting flashlights now, would be one tough SOB if they did. :D
 
kronckew said:
awww, rats! for a second i thought that HI was outputting flashlights now, would be one tough SOB if they did. :D
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Damnit! Beat me to it. That thought did seriously cross my mind for a second thogh.

To answer the question though, IMHO, yes. Depending on the flashlight you can literally leave it on for days at a time before the battery dies, and the LEDs are basically forever (something the other side of a decade of life I believe - that's time the light is on). I've got a Lightwave (http://longlight.com/en/home/index.php), and I'm probably going to get another sometime soon. :thumbup:
 
arty said:
I am considering getting a high output flashlight. Is the LED version of the Surefire - the L4 - worth much more that an incandescent p9, with the same light output?
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Yes. Much longer battery life. Bulb life is incredible. You can get pretty good little LED flashlights at Home Depot for $30 - $40. Machined aluminum.
 
The L4 will have more battery life, but you're still getting way too much light to last nearly as long as many other LED lights. If your L4 works- mine needs to go back to SureFire- you should never have to replace the bulb, and it should be much more resilient to shock than an incan.

John
 
Spectre - What happened to your L4? Normal wear or?

For my needs, I really want the high light output. Are other brands as "good" as the Surefires?"

Eventually, Hi may decide to put out a khukuri flashlight. You never can tell.
 
Thanks for the Link to the review site. I need a very high output light and want one that will give me "white" light - a balance across the visible spectrum.
After looking at the review site, it looks like the LEDs may not give you a balanced light output ... it tends toward blue.
Is this correct?
 
I love my L4. Big wall of light. Nice hand warmer too. LOL.
 
arty,

Some L4s apparently were defective. In fairness to SureFire, their lights are typically second to none in terms of ruggedness and power for size.

(white) LEDs do tend towards blue. This is because they are actually one color, instead of the spectrum that makes up regular "white" light. SureFire LEDs will be "warmer" in terms of color tone than most other LEDs currently on the market.

John
 
Thanks for all the advice. I obtained a Maglite conversion kit, and it is useful - but does not quite put out the quantity of light I want.

I looks like another Surefire is in my future.
 
John, is that the L4 you got from me that broke? That's freaking ridiculous if it did, they already replaced that light once!
 
arty said:
Eventually, Hi may decide to put out a khukuri flashlight. You never can tell.
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I can see it now: 1/2-inch thick tube; powered by two truck batteries; and, capable of instantly cooking your neighbors if you accidentally point it in the wrong direction. :rolleyes: :eek:

n2s
 
If I were going to start over with flashlights I'd only need the one that halted my habbit. The Fire Fly III. Its tiny, and so close to as bright as my L2 and L4 that you can't tell with the naked eye. You can program three light levels, it comes equiped with SOS and strobe, and it works off a rechargable battery, so I haven't spent a penny on it since I got it. I was having a lot of fun buying Surefires and HDS lights, but the FFIII totaly stopped my light spending. And at ~$150 it comes in under the Surefires in price. JMHO.
 
arty said:
I am considering getting a high output flashlight. Is the LED version of the Surefire - the L4 - worth much more that an incandescent p9, with the same light output?
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If it were me, I would hold off for at least another week until Walmart puts out those new LED minimaglights they have had the hooks up on for the past two weeks. Info on these things has been very tight, but they are 3W, regulated, focusable, heat-sinked in some high classified way and $23 for the 2xAA - $25 for 3xAA (according the the aforementioned tags/hooks in the store).

This may turn out to be a very ho-hum light. On the other hand, it may be Mag's big move to reestablish the minimag as the light in everybody's pocket.
 
aproy1101 said:
If I were going to start over with flashlights I'd only need the one that halted my habbit. The Fire Fly III. Its tiny, and so close to as bright as my L2 and L4 that you can't tell with the naked eye. You can program three light levels, it comes equiped with SOS and strobe, and it works off a rechargable battery, so I haven't spent a penny on it since I got it. I was having a lot of fun buying Surefires and HDS lights, but the FFIII totaly stopped my light spending. And at ~$150 it comes in under the Surefires in price. JMHO.
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Andy, do you have a link for the Fire Fly III? I found a marine light with this name, but I am not sure if this is the same one you describe. Thanks.

Eric
 
Thomas Linton said:
www.flashlightreviews.com

If you have a 2 C or D battery Maglite around, HD has the 3 Watt Maglite LED conversion bulb.
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Tom, I was going to ask about these in this thread. I saw these at Home Depot the other day, but they were conversion units for the 3-D cell. They were about $16.

Do you guys think they would be worth it? Is it just the longer bulb life, or is the light output more with the LED? I am using the magnum star krypton bulbs in all my 3-D and 4-D cell maglites and they seem to be lasting very well, years in fact. However I would consider it if more light could be had. If not, I'll stick with the regular incandescent bulbs.

Thanks for any info.

Norm
 
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