It's Been Asked 1000 Times But, What Flashlight?

kmj153

kmj153

Joined
Mar 9, 2010
Messages
360
I am a total noob when it comes to just about everything on this site. I know absolutely nothing about flashlights, brands, batteries, electronics in general. I am not going to be collecting lights like I do knives so there is really no point in me joining candlepowerforums to ask a few questions.

Anyway, I read on here that somebody liked the streamlight stylus pro flashlight, so I got one. I liked it, for the 2 weeks it worked. It was bright, had a white light (not the yellowish light from a standard mag light), and it was a "clicky". If fell off my dresser one night and hasn't worked since.

For work I have a (2) AA maglite converted to LED with the nite-ize(?) conversion. It is nice for things up close, but does not have enough throw for me.

My Dad was issued a surefire G2 (I believe) and I used it to work on my Jeep when I was out on the trail and that was a great light but I wasn't a huge fan of the twist on feature.

So what I am asking is some recommendations on a flashlight that will have a decent run time, decent throw, "clicky", and 2 modes would be nice but not a deal breaker. I don't mind piecing one together, like a surefire with malkoff drop in, I just want a reliable light that will last a while and won't break the bank.
 
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Fenix LD10 or 4Sevens Quark AA for an AA powered light or if you don't mind CR123s, my favorites are the Fenix PD30 or the Quark 123 squared. All are quality lights that are reasonably priced.
 
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Fenix LD20 has been my favorite light. LD10 is nice too, but I need a little more light. I located a skunk an instant before my dog tried to make a run for it in my yard a while ago. It was very dark out and I never would have saw it with some lesser light. Thank God I saw it first and reined him in quickly. This is my 2nd LD20. My uncle was so impressed with the first one, I gave it to him as a gift.

PD30 is in my backpack and it's just as reliable and also very bright. Can't go wrong with Fenix lights.
 
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i carry a surefire lx2 at work.

it has a clicky tailcap with momentary on, two modes (200 lumens, 15 lumens), and a simple interface. the tailcap has two momentary stages. depress slightly and get the low output, depress fully or click on and get the high.

i also have a surefire u2 with variable output and clicky tailcap. twist the dial near the head to change from 5 output levels.

both are great lights, but expensive. i prefer the lx2's slimmer profile and higher output.


with the g2 series, the tailcap can be upgraded to a clicky w/ momentary on.
 
My go to light is the Fenix P2D Q5. Bright, small, relatively inexpensive. It has never failed me, and I use it everyday.
 
I have heard good things about the Fenix lights as well.

Have you tried contacting Streamlight about the broken Stylus Pro?
They have a limited lifetime warranty, but I've never heard how good they are about administrating it.
http://www.streamlight.com/support/
 
any of the Quark lights from 4sevens. they are great lights and use the latest LED's and tech, and 4sevens is great on backing up their warranty without hassles in my experience.
 
At work i carry a Surefire 6P with a Malkoff M61 drop-in. It works fine for me and all the experts say that Malkoff is the way to go. Nice thing about Surefire is that you can modify them as you please and in your case you could get a clicky for the 6P. The standard 6P LED puts out about 80 lumens and the Malkoff M61 puts out about 260 lumen with alot of spill.

My other light is a Surefire E1B backup...its a great little light with a tight beam and real nice throw! Clicky tailcap, with 2 outputs, 5 lumen and 80 lumen.

The Surefire E2D defender also has 2 outputs, clicky tailcap and bombproof construction. Might be something for you too.
 
Thanks for all the replies. From my small bit of research and the replies above, it seems that Surefire, Fenix, and 4 Sevens are the most used/liked flashlights. I guess I will have to narrow it down from these companies. I guess I can't go wrong with anything from the above companies. I appreciate your input, it helps to know what is actually being used.

I have not contacted streamlight but I will tonight. I didn't even think about it until today. I thought it was just a cheap light and I made a poor light choice.
 
Fenix LD20 all the way

Runs on AA batteries easy to find anywhere.
thin and light
tough as nails
220 lumens
number of modes including a SOS signal pre programmed
ive just purchased a headlamp which I can attach the LD20 to to give me hands free too.
 
kmj153 said:
Thanks for all the replies. From my small bit of research and the replies above, it seems that Surefire, Fenix, and 4 Sevens are the most used/liked flashlights. I guess I will have to narrow it down from these companies. I guess I can't go wrong with anything from the above companies. I appreciate your input, it helps to know what is actually being used.

I have not contacted streamlight but I will tonight. I didn't even think about it until today. I thought it was just a cheap light and I made a poor light choice.
Click to expand...


tell you what, if you want to email me some personal info, i would be happy to send you a few lights to try out. i have so many that i dont think ill miss a few for a bit.

different styles, batteries, and price points. you can decide if you need multiple modes, just one, or whatever.

ill make sure the batteries all have some juice, just promise if anything is broken or lost you will replace or pay for repairs. ill take your word here as the agreement.

-mark
 
You might try returning the Streamlight. I had one die on me and they replaced it under warranty with no questions asked.

Bruceter
 
MORIMOTOM said:
tell you what, if you want to email me some personal info, i would be happy to send you a few lights to try out. i have so many that i dont think ill miss a few for a bit.
-mark
Click to expand...

What a great gesture!
I am awarding you
27 Good Karma Points
:thumbup:

karma_police.jpg
 
MORIMOTOM said:
tell you what, if you want to email me some personal info, i would be happy to send you a few lights to try out. i have so many that i dont think ill miss a few for a bit.
Click to expand...

That would be great! Email inbound. And you have my word that I will replace anything that is broken, lost, or otherwise different from the condition I received it.
 
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kurt,

i got your email. ill package up a few lights and get them out this weekend.

surefire, nitecore, fenix, and a preon.

enjoy!
 
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no problem. i've been called a gear queer, so probably would have bought them all anyway.

but its always nice to be able to handle a light or knife before deciding what to buy.

think of it as a belated welcome to bfc.
 
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