streamlight or surefire?

N

notos&w

Joined
Jul 17, 2002
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im looking into buying an EDC flashlight. for those of you who have both a streamlight scorpion and surefire, which do you prefer? are the benefits worth the additional cost of the surefire?

is it worth the extra money to get a rechargeable unit?

how about holster availability for each model?

this will be used mainly for walking my dogs (not to illuminate the way but rather to show our position to oncoming cars. thus it wont be on for 1/2 hr straight; more like 2-3 times for 1 minute each) and checking bumps in the night.
 
Get two things.

First, the Surefire G2 is a low-cost entry for their product line, around $40-$50 online or eBay. I carry one in each car. My EDC
is an E2e-HA. Very sweet. I keep a 6Z w/P61 (along with my .45) for the bumps...

Next, for walking the dog, your local WalMart has a cool little 5 LED strobe light that runs on 2 AA batteries. There are like 4 or 5 settings, including a slower strobe. A buddy of mine uses one on his collie, and swears by it. These lights are only about $3 or so. Clips right on the collar.

Hope this helps.
Mike
 
Thanks for the link Sharpbits... :)


"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
thanks for the links/info. ill check out the website.

regarding LED lights, i looked into them a while back but got the impression you sacrificed intensity for longevity. is this true? what manufacturers/models would you recommend?

i had the strobe light you are referring to. it broke when the dog wore it into the water and then shook it off her collar onto the pavement. instead of replacing it i was looking more along the lines of a light for me to carry.

does anyone know if one brand is more reliable or otherwise better than the other?
thanx
 
Originally posted by notos&w
im looking into buying an EDC flashlight. for those of you who have both a streamlight scorpion and surefire, which do you prefer? are the benefits worth the additional cost of the surefire?
Click to expand...

The Scorpion is an excellent light, by all reports. The various similar Surefires you might look at -- G2, E2e, C2, etc. -- are in my opinion even better choices. Here's the perspective: You can buy a Benchmade Griptilian and have a quality knife that will serve you well, or you can buy a Sebenza which is higher quality but costs much more. It's your decision! Any of these lights are fine.


is it worth the extra money to get a rechargeable unit?
Click to expand...

Note that when it comes to rechargeables, from reading CPF, it seems like Streamlight's products definitely come into their own and provide a better value than SureFire, and for your use, Streamlight's in-light recharging is way WAY more convenient than Surefire's take-the-battery-out-to-recharge method. If I went rechargeable, I'd go with Streamlight.


Joe
 
While LED lights do give up some brightness as compared to a Surefire, with something like the Inova X5T you certainly get enough brightness that no one but the truly blind could miss you and you get the benefit of signifantly greater burn time.

You might also consider that with a light with the intensity of a Surefire, by flashing at an oncoming driver to let them know you're there, you could possibly hit the driver in the eyes causing him to experience a sudden (and unsafe while driving) spot of night blindness. If you ever accidentally looked down the barrel of a Surefire, you'll know what I mean.

As to rechargeables, as far as I know all the current rechargeable flashlight systems use Ni-Cad batteries which still have a memory problem and are troublesome to maintain. Until they get Lithium Ion batteries for rechargeable flashlights, I'll stick with disposable batteries.

I have no experience with the Streamlight so I can't comment on the comparison.

jmx
 
Sounds like the Scorpion would fit your bill just fine.
Streamlight is higher quality and comes with more options but if you're not going to use the options - why pay for them?

As far as rechargeables... Streamlight's ability to recharge the battery inside the flashlight is really nice but their rechargeables are also much bigger. Sort of a trade-off.

Another option might be to drop by this guy's site and e-mail him.
http://www.elektrolumens.com

He modifies flashlights and makes some very nice LED products.
LEDs are now rivaling incandescents in pure light output although they still don't "throw" the beam as far. For walking a dog it should be just fine.
Of particular interest might be his modified Brinkman's.
He takes a Luxeon Star LED and puts it into a Brinkmann AA sized light.
The AA batteries are much cheaper than the lithiums required by the Scorpion or the SureFires and the light output is staggering.
Not as bright as either the Scorpion or the SureFire but a very nice LED light for the money.
 
Notos

I have the Streamlight Scorpion and a Surefire E2e. They are both nice lights, but I EDC the E2e. The E2e has a lock-out tail cap preventing it from turning on in your pocket. I used to carry the Scorpion, but on more than one occasion I noticed my pocket getting very hot! :eek: I had accidentally turned on the flashlight, and the aluminum gets hot quickly.

I also have a rechargeable Streamlight Stinger XT. Also a very good light. I keep that in the charger so it's always ready. I also take it on S/R ops as it has a nice beam that penetrates. It usually lasts long as it's only on intermittantly.

I alwasy have my E2e on me, but for walking my dogs I take the Inova X5 and a Krill lamp. The Krill is like a cyalume stick and is very noticable so cars won't run us over. It runs on 2 AA's. I have the 180 extreme models that have around 50 hour battery life. They are made by Kriana Corp. if I remember right.

The Inova is like a flood light and lights up the area well. I flash cars with it without blinding the driver. For things that shake the bushes, I light up with the E2e.


Mark
 
I prefer the Sure Fire E2e. But if cost is a concern I recomend the Brinkmann Legend LX. Available at most Wal Marts. This should be sufficient to get you hooked on compact, high intensity flashlights. Then the next step will be the Streamlight. Or you can leapfrog to the Sure Fires. :D
 
I'm right with Oni on this one. X5T for general night time walking around, but my E2 is on hand to light up those moving bushes.

jmx
 
Right now I have an E2E ha in my pocket.I used to carry a Scorpion.Now both are fine lights.After all I read i thought the E2 would be much more brighter than my Scorpion,but it does seem to be.

The scorpion costs about half what the e2 does,and it comes with a spare bulb,the bulbs are also cheaper than the E2 bulbs.The scorpion also has that spare inside the light,so you always have a spare with you.

I love the clip on the e2,and the lock out cap and over all it is built stronger.

For work I have a rechargable Streamlight Stinger.This is the way to go for a light you use a lot.I can go though a set of batteries a night in a e2e and when you add in all the bulbs along with all those expensive batteries,well I'm not going to spend a grand a year on batteries and bulbs.

If i had to pick it would be the e2e,but for years I used the scorpion and would not feel to bad to have to carry it again.
 
I have a half dozen SureFires, from an M3 to the E2e, a Scorpion, a rechargeable SL20XP, and a Petzl LED.

The SureFires are essentially overbuilt, hard use "tactical" lights that represent the best production flashlights - durable, bright, nice features, etc, but they are expensive and their rechargeables are less convenient. If you don't really need SF features, there are cheaper lights that work just as well - but aren't built like tanks. For your intended use, the E2/E2e, G2, or 6P lights, or the rechargeable 8NX, are all good choices.

The SL Scorpion is a great light, and for walking the dog it would be a great choice. If you anticipate using it a lot, the 123 batteries are expensive, but the light itself is a great value. Can't go wrong here, this is a super bright, durable and affordable light. Unless you run over it with your car, you might never know it's not a SureFire, although it lacks the lockout tailcap.

The SL Poly Stinger rechargeable is an excellent solution for a frequently used utility light - it's compact, durable, has a convenient recharger, and it's bright. It's not a "tactical" light, but it's a first class utility flashlight and you won't be buying $10 worth of batteries every two weeks.

The LED lights are cool -they're also VERY easy on batteries. If you need light 20ft away though, there are better choices. The LED's are terrific for illuminating your immediate surroundings for long periods, and they ration power wisely. No problem seeing them from a long way off, and you won't blind anybody.

Bottom line? Put a Petzl Tikka LED on your dogs collar, get a Streamlight Polystinger for general use around the house and walking the dog, and a SureFire E2e or 6P - or a Scorpion if you don't want to pay for the SF lockout cap and enhanced durability - for an EDC backup light.
 
I used to carry the E2e-HA. I thought it was the best EDC flashlight ever. Until, that is, I got a KL1 for field-testing. I've been carrying the E1e+KL1 for a while now, and I prefer it over the E2e+KL1 because it's tiny, feature rich, durable, bright, white light, regulated output, and get this; runs just as bright on a previously used SF123A battery as it does on fresh. The runtimes on my used batteries vary so I have a few in my rucksack and jacket pocket incase I need more runtime.

The KL1 is outstanding.

I've ordered one for myself to outfit the E2e-HA I have "kicking about the place"

Al
 
Like you flashaholics I have several Sure
fires and Scorpians...Both good companies.
both great lights...the Surefire is a bit
brighter but the bulb assembly is more $$$
is you have to replace it...the Scorpian
feels better to the touch and is cheaper
to replace bulbs...plus you can hide one
in the cap...both companies offer fabulous
customer service...Surefire has a cooler
catalog and more tricked web sites...make
it easy on you self...but one of each...
 
From what I gather, the Scorpion bulbs are cheap because they don't last as long as SureFire lamps. I believe it is about 5 hours v. 25 hours of use.

Al
 
I just got a Surefire E2E after hearing all the word about it. And it's really great, I love it. I like it more then the original E2. Its small enough to fit in your pocket without noticing it, and it really packs a punch. For the money check it out.
 
thanks for all the help guys. first hand accounts/experiences are invaluable to me in evaluating a tool.
 
I, like many of you, have way too many flashlights. As mentioned the SF E2e is a great light and is my EDC. AS a non-uniform LEO its a great fit in the bottom of my pocket. I've also carried the SL Scorpion, another great light but if I had to do it all over agian I would have bought the E2e first and stuck with it.

However, for your tasks I think the SL Stinger is your best bet. As many have mentioned it is bright, rechargable, and very durable. 123 lithium batteries are expensive and add up quick. The Stinger is a great everyday light, bigger than a Scorpion, but an all around great light. Look at it this way, a lot of uniformed LEOs carry the stinger on their duty belt everyday and count on them to work.

If you want something small to carry everyday spend the few extra bucks and get a SF E2e, if you want a good utility light that is rechargable and a bit bigger get the Stinger.

Check out this site: www.brightguy.com great service and a lot of options.

Just my opinion
-Wick
 
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