Powerful Long-Lasting Flashlight ?

When i started this thread i had a vague idea that flashlights are somewhat technical and that figuring out which would be best for me might not be easy.
But, i had No Idea of the world of "FlashLightaholics" ! (this is a term they use for themselves). The links you all have provided are amazingly detailed and esoteric.
It's similar to our obsession with knives but they have way more technical data to 'worry' over. About a month of 8 hours/day reading ought to scratch the surface.
I'll get back with my decision. I may 'have to' buy more than 1 flashlight (same as with knives)
roland
 
Times have sure changed in the world of flashlights Roland.LOL,no more having to whack it on the palm of you're hand like back in the day.
 
"Times have sure changed in the world of flashlights"
That's what i just discovered. Obviously it's been going on for a few years. My surprise is how 'out of it' i am. Living in a very isolated area and doing whatever chores are best depending upon weather and season means you know more and more about less and less.
roland
 
rprocter said:
When i started this thread i had a vague idea that flashlights are somewhat technical and that figuring out which would be best for me might not be easy.
But, i had No Idea of the world of "FlashLightaholics" ! (this is a term they use for themselves). The links you all have provided are amazingly detailed and esoteric.
It's similar to our obsession with knives but they have way more technical data to 'worry' over. About a month of 8 hours/day reading ought to scratch the surface.
I'll get back with my decision. I may 'have to' buy more than 1 flashlight (same as with knives)
roland
Click to expand...
I don't know if I qualify as a Flashlightaholic but I have accumulated quite a few over the years. The industry keeps developing more and more powerful LEDs which produce more light, proportionately less heat and longer battery life vs brightness. Also, battery power and life is getting incrementally better. It's anyone's guess how far this trend can be taken but so far, LED lights are getting better every year.
 
xtestifyx said:
I would recommend anyone to check out Going Gear's videos. There was an Outdoors comparison amongst 50 lights, it was an excellent video and that showed me which flashlight shined in what way: http://www.youtube.com/user/goingprepared
Click to expand...
+1 on watching the GoingGear videos on youtube. Marshall is very good at giving an overview of each light, as well as showing use at night. The older videos would show him comparing a Maglite to the light he was reviewing in his yard. The newer videos also include a long distance test.

I'll throw in a few different lights you may want to check out:

1) Fenix LD40... Runs off of 4xAA batteries. It has a neutral tint (XP-G R4) so it renders colors nicely outdoors. Without looking, I recall it runs on it's highest setting for little over 3 hours, and about 10 or 15 days on it's lowest setting. It also has flashy modes that are out of the way, so you don't need to cycle through/access them unless you want to.

2) Olight S65 Baton... Runs off of 6xAA batteries. Tint is cool white (XM-L) and brighter than any neutral or warm white tints in the same emitter. Length is comparable to the LD04, it's just a bit more full (rounder) to accommodate the 2 extra cells. High runs a little over an hour, while the lowest setting provides 15 days of continuous use. 3 main settings (low, medium, high) and a hidden strobe mode.

The king in the AA format may be the Fenix TK41, but it's already been mentioned. Size and tint (there have been a few reports of it's cool white tint leaning towards green on this light) are something to take into consideration with this light.

3) If you are comfortable using li-ion (read up on the dangers over on CPF in the batteries sub-forum) or CR123A batteries then a whole other door of options is opened. Many of the lights that will take CR123A's will also take their li-ion counterparts (either RCR123a or 18650). Some examples would be the 4Sevens Maelstrom G5/X7 series and EagleTac T20C2 MKII to name a couple.

My most throwiest light is the Maelstrom X10. Runs off of a single 26650 li-ion battery. Throws plenty far and is pretty bright. Runs just over an hour on the high setting.
 
GWashington1732 said:
What do you mean? Have you any negative personal experiences with the Maglites or the Maglite company? Have you tried one of the new LED ones?
Click to expand...


No problem with the Maglite company. Just quoting off what I said previously though:
xtestifyx said:
The Maglite's a popular brand in the states, but popularity doesn't mean much in terms of performance
Click to expand...



yablanowitz said:
Well, I admit I'm not a real flashlight nut, so I only have Fenix, Quark, Surefire, Coleman, Rayovac, Inova, Energizer and a few off brands to compare to, and the only thing that comes close to that 3D LED Mag-Lite for throw is an old Duracell Durabeam lantern I've had for decades. My first 4 D Mag-lite (Paten Pending) (Yes, that IS what it says. Typo stamped in.) is still going strong with a drop-in LED upgrade after being knocked around in my truck for more than twenty years.

My Quark X 123^2 is rated at three times the lumen output of the Mag-lite and thows about a third as far at twice the cost.
Click to expand...


My friend, throw is relative as is Lumens. There are so many mods that we can do to the Maglite platform that will blow any factory Maglite away.

I can tell why your Quark does not throw as far as the Maglite with the giant reflector ;)
 
rprocter said:
Thanks to all. Lots of info here. I'm in the process of following up on most of these recommendations. Reading the ad copy on these is tricky and i can't tell how they would actually perform; basically what "x-----x" said: "which flashlight shined in what way"
Click to expand...


Way to go. The only way you'll know how much "better" it is, is if you see it with your eyes. Words don't mean much and can often mislead people.


If you need a light that can run for ~2hours and with good throw, there might not be a production light that can do it.
 
I use a Fenix TK 21; got it with 2 18850 rechargable batteries & charger for about a hundred bucks. I am very pleased with it.

Tom
 
The basics seem to be: what kind of light ? Xenon or LED; and What kind of batteries ? regular, 18650, or Lithium ion.
So far i don't have any of this figured out. Anyone know of a link to a succinct presentation about types of light and types of batteries ? I'm slow 'bout technical stuff so thanks for the help.
roland
 
xtestifyx said:
My friend, throw is relative as is Lumens. There are so many mods that we can do to the Maglite platform that will blow any factory Maglite away.

I can tell why your Quark does not throw as far as the Maglite with the giant reflector ;)
Click to expand...

Yup, I know that. If you want to modify, tinker and/or spend a bunch of money chasing the "best", you can do that. The O.P. asked for a recommendation for a flashlight with good throw and good runtime based on personal experience. My experience has been that Mag-lite has good throw, good run-time and is durable and reliable. Is it the "best"? I don't know, I haven't personally tried every light on the market. Is it at the forefront of technology? Not even close. Is it compact and easy to pocket? No, but the O.P. didn't ask for that. Will it do what he asked? In my personal experience, yes it will, and without draining his bank account. I threw in the Quark comparison to illustrate that the numbers don't tell the whole story, and spending more money doesn't guarantee you'll get a light that is better for your needs. I carry the Quark and like it because most of my use is indoors, and I seldom need long throw. The floody beam at 50 to 100 feet works great for me, the way I use it. Outdoors, checking a treeline at three or four times that distance, it would not be my first choice.
 
Last edited:
The smaller Maglite LEDs will also produce a nice beam, it won't go quite as far, or wide, as the D-cell ones but they still can light up a good distance. I have a 2 AA (duct taped to my bike's handlebars), a 2 D, and the XL one with all the fancy pants settings. I'm happy with them, I haven't really tried anything else but I can light up a whole field with my $35 D-cell LED, I really can't think of anything else I'd really need out of a flashlight and don't really want to spend $100 to find out.
 
rprocter said:
So i need a powerful light that does not drop off quickly and one that lasts at least 1-2 hours at full strength. I have one of the big rechargeable 2 million candlepower spotlights and it can illuminate the field 150-200 yds. away, but it only lasts for about 3 minutes.
Can anyone offer recommendations from personal experience ?
Click to expand...

Roland:
I suggest you forget the technical aspects for now. You just need a portable light which illuminates a field 150 to 200 yards away for one to two hours. No small inexpensive light will do this. You need a large model for professional use. It will not be cheap and it will be on the bulky side. But there are state-of-the-art lights out there which will do what you want.

From personal experience I can recommend the Wolf Eyes Super Storm. As I mentioned earlier, it is about as bright as a car headlight. It's also bulker and heavier than any of the smaller "tactical" models but probably fits your needs.

Here is a bigger brighter light (still portable) http://shop.hidcountry.com/2500-LM-35W-HID-Flashlight-p/2500 hid fl1.htm It's almost twice as bright as the Super Storm and the battery lasts long.

This website http://shop.hidcountry.com/ has the kind of lights you are looking for and usually specifies distance and expected runtime.

One technical thing about bulbs:- What you are looking for is either LEDs (light emitting diodes) or HID (high intensity discharge). As things stand now, HID lights are by far, the brightest. To avoid disappointment, you should probably select one of the larger, more powerful HID models.

---VB
 
Last edited:
Thank you Vorpal. you correctly understand my situation and what i want. I like being out at night and am very grateful that whatever light there is comes only from the moon and stars. I don't need or even want a powerful light just to be outside.
Night time is the busy time as most of the animals that live here, or are just passing through, are nocturnal: deer. elk, bears, coyotes, skunks, mostly. I go out at night to investigate some compelling noise a few times every week. Could be a young elk tangled in fencing, bears in the orchard, coyotes after my dog, etc. It's hunting season now and over the years i've often been out looking for signs of a hit (bow hunting), blood, or downed deer after taking a shot in fading light.
So a bulky and 'heavier' light is fine as i will not be packing it around, just out for up to an hour or two, close to home.
I'll head to the link you provided now.
thank you, roland
 
I spent quite a few hours online reading ads for hundreds of flashlights in addition to following up the suggestions given in this thread.
There is such a vast array of flashlights, eventually i just had to choose. I decided on one LED flashlight and one High Intensity Discharge, both from USA merchants.
For LED i bought a "Monster 5Q5-1200-5-1200 Lumens Cree LED" for about $50 and then another $55 for 3 Li-ion 18650 rechargeable batteries and 2 battery chargers. App. 11" long and 13 ounces weight.
I've had it for about 2 weeks and am quite happy with it. Well balanced in-hand and throws enough light to illuminate the top of a 70' fir tree 300 yards off. So far holds the charge well.
I ordered a 2800LM 35W/28W HID Flashlight with one 4400MaH Li-ion rechargeable battery and charger for about $220. Claims to beam light for 2500+ feet with 100 minutes run time on high.
The retailer has just called to say this one is not available so he is sending me a new "just arrived" 3500LM flashlight that is $40 more but at no additional charge to me. So new it's not on his website so i cannot compare it to the one i have paid for. Hopefully i'm not being scammed here. There is obviously a lot of competition in the "Flashlight Jungle".
I'll post back when i've received this 3500LM HID Flashlight as to whether it's worth the relatively expensive price.
roland
 
I just brought this high - intensity tactical flashlight CREE XPE L.E.D. 3 pack from Costco for $19.99. :D
There are 3 flashlights in the pack. It even includes the 3 AAA batteries for each flashlight. They are made from aircraft grade anodized alumium body 4-1/2 inches long.
The high beam puts out 150 lumens for 1 hour. The distance is listed as 100m = 109.361 yards (that's a little farther than a football field). The low beam is about 4 hours. There's also an emergency strobe light.
It's not super powerful or super bright and doesn't last a long time but for $20 bucks who cares.:thumbup:
It gets the job done. Just had power outage for 24 hrs. and it worked flawlessly. I saw what I needed to see.


 
Last edited:
I'm sure they are fine for indoors but the LED light doesn't 'penetrate' well outside where there are no lights until you get into the more powerful ones with much higher Lumens (like 1200LM and higher).
roland
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top