brightest flashlight?

[oldpink]

I'll just leave this here...

https://www.foursevens.com/products/XM18

Do they make a belt holster for this?
[video=youtube;qsEz1mIDMFM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsEz1mIDMFM[/video]

 

[possum_128]

I like to refer to them as portable hand held tactical illuminators. They go well with my tactical air weight footwear ( black flip-flops).

 

[Tryin']

If you can handle the length and bezel diameter, I recommend the Streamlight Stinger LED HP. Rechargeable via wall or car, tail cap and body switches, great throw, and good spill. Comes with two batteries and two chargers. I use it every night I am on duty and have put it through the wringer. Awesome light.

 

[redpitbull44]

If you can handle the length and bezel diameter, I recommend the Streamlight Stinger LED HP. Rechargeable via wall or car, tail cap and body switches, great throw, and good spill. Comes with two batteries and two chargers. I use it every night I am on duty and have put it through the wringer. Awesome light.

And if that bezel is too big check out the HL series of Stingers, Strions (both are rechargeable) and TLR lights. Decent throw, great flood, nice big hot spot. If the Stinger is too big (its not very big or heavy) get the Strion LED series. They're smaller but with the same features and options (minus dual switches). Don't overlook the HPL either. Perfect combination of flood, spot and throw. I have the TLR-1HP, a TLR-2HL and a TLR-1HPL as well as a Strion LED 160 lumen. When comparing all the TLRs around the fields and barns at night, HLs are good 150yd on in for facial recognition. The HP will hot spot a guy head to toes at 150 with facial recognition at 350 (with optic), while the HPL will do a bigger hot spot and more flood all the way, while STILL allowing Target ID at over 400yd. It'll make a road sign reflect at 600yd easily.

I've carried my Strion LED rechargeable for 6ish years daily. Everywhere. It gets dropped on concrete daily. It's fallen in buckets of oil and coolant and puddles of muddy water. I've welded with it just a few inches from the arc. I've never had to replace the battery. I've never had it malfunction. The charger works with dog tooth marks in it and all. I've seen Stinger LED rechargeables run over by semi trucks that worked fine. Dropped off the top of a trailer 13'6" into a 5' deep lube pit, bounce halfway out and work like they were new.
And the TLRs I've had, I've only replaced for brighter models. They lock on tight. Thousands of rounds of .45acp and 7.62x39 later, still kickin names and takin A $$.

Buy Streamlight. They just don't quit.

 

[rhino]

rhino rhecommends one of the following:

1. Fenix PD35
2. Fenix UC35 (essentially the PD35, but rechargeable via USB cable)

 

[Klbeeks]

Surefire.. can't go wrong

 

[VUPDblue]

Surefire.. can't go wrong

Thank you for this most insightful, informative and well thought-out post. It's like you knew exactly what I needed. I can't believe you don't offer more help to folks looking for things. You are a true asset to INGO.

 

[Vigilant]

Thank you for this most insightful, informative and well thought-out post. It's like you knew exactly what I needed. I can't believe you don't offer more help to folks looking for things. You are a true asset to INGO.

Quality posts, I can has. But he ain't wrong.

 

[Vigilant]

That said, I'm currently using a 5/500 rechargeable Peacekeeper as are you. But I also keep an M3LT close by. Understanding you have a different job than I, but 500 quality lumens is daylight bright, but the I believe, 800 in the M3 make nucular(Bush spelling intended) daylight! Alas the M3 may be more light than you need or want, but crap it makes stuff shine.

 

[oldpink]

Surefire.. can't go wrong

Thank you for this most insightful, informative and well thought-out post. It's like you knew exactly what I needed. I can't believe you don't offer more help to folks looking for things. You are a true asset to INGO.

 

[redpitbull44]

Here are links to my recommendations. Pay attention to the HPL for best all around throw/flood/hot spot balance. The HP is more about throw/ hot spot. The HL and regular LED will throw a similar pattern, but the HL is more than double the brightness (and half the battery life). I included the PROTAC HL for its outstanding features, I have never seen one in person.

Full Strion line.
Strion® Series | Streamlight

Full Stinger LED line. Pay attention to the HPL and HL models.
Stinger® Series | Streamlight

UltraStinger LED (1,100 Lumens 1.5hr, 350 Lumens 4.5hr, 90 Lumens 16hr)
Stinger® Series - UltraStinger® LED | Streamlight

Protac HL USB Rechargeable
ProTac® Series - ProTac HL® USB | Streamlight

 

[redpitbull44]

They aren't worth HALF what they cost. Yes, they're good, but Streamlight, 4Sevens, Fenix, Elzetta and others make products as good or better, for so much less you could buy one and save your hard earned money, or spend it on multiples of them and they'd STILL last just as long if not longer. You're paying for a NAME. It's a tube, some O rings, switches and circuitry. And a battery and charger. It's not rocket science. Except, Streamlight DOES make flashlights for NASA astronauts...

 

[oldpink]

They aren't worth HALF what they cost. Yes, they're good, but Streamlight, 4Sevens, Fenix, Elzetta and others make products as good or better, for so much less you could buy one and save your hard earned money, or spend it on multiples of them and they'd STILL last just as long if not longer. You're paying for a NAME. It's a tube, some O rings, switches and circuitry. And a battery and charger. It's not rocket science. Except, Streamlight DOES make flashlights for NASA astronauts...

I realize that personal preferences for flashlights are not unlike those for a particular gun, and fraught with nearly as much emotion and subjective judgement, but I'm looking at more than just a tube, o-rings, etc.
I'm also looking at construction, durability, attention to detail, warranty, and (yes, this matters to me) the fact that most of the parts of Surefire are made in USA and entirely engineered and owned by a US manufacturer.
Not to mention that I've used them heavily for the last eight years straight, and nothing else.
Yes, you can probably get more for your money, and there's a perfectly good reason to look at the others, especially if you're on a budget, in an environment where it's likely that you'll totally destroy or lose your light, or for other specific reason not even related to money, but there aren't many lights out there that you can bet will still be working perfectly after decades of use.
Besides, I can also at least cop to the fact that spending the bit extra on my SF Peacekeeper makes it nearly impossible to admit that it was a bad choice.

 

[VUPDblue]

My Peacekeeper is very bright and very compact. I also have a Stinger in the car which is not quite as bright but has a very tight beam. I was looking for something compact like the Peacekeeper but brighter with a bit of a tighter beam.

 

[BOVindy]

As far as brightest EDC sized lights go, I'd look at Zebralight's new xhp series. They claim around 1300 lumens. The best performance out of a pocket sized (read single-battery) light is going to come from 18650 sized rechargable lithium battery based lights. If you're down to use a rechargeable like that then I'd look at a couple of 18650 lights. In my opinion, the leaders of the EDC market right now are Nitecore, Fenix, Thrunite, Eagletac, Olight, and Zebralight. As far as others are concerned, 4sevens still makes quality lights but have fallen behind in updating circuitry and LED emitters, though the atom is still a handy light with it's magnetic cap. Surefire makes lights that are more durable than tanks, but their circuitry and price leave room for improvement. What the others have said is fairly true as well, if it's going to be a work light, then it's usage range will likely be in the 50-300 lumen area. That means that you will still get the best battery life out of an 18650, but you can also reach that lumen level with CR123 batteries and AA batteries, and they're both available off the shelf. If 18650 batteries sound strange but you still want high capacity then I'd look into getting one of the newer (usb cable) rechargeable flashlights. I believe that Nitecore, Olight, Fenix, and Eagletac all make usb rechargeable lights with 18650 performance. On the AA side of the market, Zebralight is the winner in circuitry (efficiency) and maximum output, though the flashlights are fairly pricey ($65-100). AAs can reach 500 lumens, but I'd say your average usable maximum would be 200-100 lumens for a battery life of 2-3 hours. A more realistic output for AA lights would be 50-20 lumens for about 8-20 hours of battery life. On the cheaper end of AA lights you have the $30 Thrunite T-10 with a medium mode of 20 lumens and a claim of 39 hours on that mode. On the high end of AA you have Zebralight's $69 SC5 series, which have a high of 300 usable lumens and mediums of 20-50 lumens. My personal recommendation for lights is to stay in the cheaper AA market until you make the leap to 18650 or usb rechargeable. The AA market should keep you around or under $40 and making the leap to a quality 18650 would be around $75 for the light and maybe $30 for the battery and charger. You could also skip the 18650 and head up to a usb rechargeable light, available for $60-$150. Most of the usb rechargeable lights use 18650 cells anyways.

Thank you for your time. -Ben

 

[bigcraig]

I would listen to the rhino on this one.

 

[lovemachine]

rhino rhecommends one of the following:

1. Fenix PD35
2. Fenix UC35 (essentially the PD35, but rechargeable via USB cable)

Have you cut yourself with any of those lights?

 

[rhino]

I would listen to the rhino on this one.

You are wise!

I used my UC35 last night during the low light class. It works very well in a variety of roles, is rugged, and rechargeable via USB.

Have you cut yourself with any of those lights?

No, but there were self-induced blinding incidents with previous models (the most recent being the old PD32 UE, the predecessor of the PD35).

Got plans for transportation after we get our first snow?

 

[lovemachine]

Got plans for transportation after we get our first snow?

The burn! It hurts!

 

[Chase515]

I have the PD 35 and don't see how one could cut their self with it. The cheap Bushnell light I bought at Walmart has more sharp edges than a box or razor blades. I am interested in a low light class.