Flashlights and only Flashlights!

Discussion in 'Knives, Gear, Guns And Other Tools' started by RocketmanDane, Sep 8, 2016.

  1. Sar75

    Sar75 Member

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    So I carry Surefire and 5.11 flashlights daily at work and off as most of us do and cant say enough about them... But I thought I'd post this impulse buy from Academy Sports. So it's a NITE IZE 3 in 1 mini LED. Its 80 lumens with a high/ low function, a lantern mode that's pretty handy, and has a red signal strobe with optional sos mode and is powered by a single AA battery and weighs less than my challenge coin. It fits nicely in my Hill people SAR kit, and best of all it was less than $5. So I thought I'd share, turns out it's a good bang for the buck, so go get one you can never have enough flashlights or knives. 20181128_210340.jpg 20181128_203417.jpg 20181128_203443.jpg 20181128_210354.jpg
     
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  2. Zeek

    Zeek Member

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  3. Delkancott

    Delkancott Member

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    Anyone have the surefire guardian @martin_j001 ?? Thoughts as an edc?
     
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  4. martin_j001

    martin_j001 Member

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    Don't have the Guardian, but do have the new Stiletto. So far, I like it a lot. It is NOT a tactical light equivalent to their others like the EDCL-2T or similar from other manufacturers, but it fits a niche well. It is very slim and easy to carry...first light I've had in a while that I can forget about while it's in my pocket. I like it's multiple outputs, controlled by the button on the front side of the light. It's still quite bright too, just a lot of spill. Add that it's micro-USB rechargeable, and its even better as an EDC choice, IMO.
     
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  5. Delkancott

    Delkancott Member

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    How’s the size @martin_j001 ?

    Can you compare it to a Malkoff 16650 or a CR123 light?
     
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  6. martin_j001

    martin_j001 Member

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    I will get a couple direct comparison shots tonight, but for now here's the few it's appeared in so far...

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  7. martin_j001

    martin_j001 Member

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    Apologies for the delay. Here are some shots next to a 16650 and 18650 Malkoff. These may appear in the classifieds section soon, in case anyone is in the market. ;)

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  8. Hammer

    Hammer Member

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  9. Dennis Adams

    Dennis Adams Member

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    Impulse item. LED spot 75-1000L and a power block.
    $33
    Rechargeable. About 4x4x1.5 inches. image.jpeg
     
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  10. C99c

    C99c Member

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    Ad much as I'm ready to move to only flashlights that use rechargeable batteries, the Surefire Edcl2-T is not leaving me wanting for anything as an edc light. The low is bright enough to navigate at night, inside or out. Surefire's 5 lumens is more like 20 - 50 lumens from some other lights.

    The high (1200 lumens) is very useful for spotting things at distance or throwing a ton of light at something close up. I've used it to identify sketchy people acting suspiciously near me at night while crossing parking lots a couple of times and it is really good for both letting me see everything going on and altering undesired behavior.

    And the UI is perfect for my needs. Love the gas pedal switch. Twist on low for working under the car hood, etc and you can still get high beam instantly by mashing the tailcap.

    I was hesitant about the size but it's actually been a plus as I can carry it clipped AIWB in the gap my holster creates if I'm going to be out all day and into the night and don't have to have an extra pocket clip showing all day. I'm big on not providing strangers with any more information about what I carry than absolutely necessary so this is definitely a perk. At night I just move it to a more accessible location.

    The other light is an AAA Olight that puts out 90ish lumens and was free with the Surefire. It stays clipped with the Vic Classic.

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  11. Hammer

    Hammer Member

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    I'm really digging the Fenix PD25. With 550 lumens on turbo, a 16340 rechargeable Li-ion, a tail switch that automatically turns on to whatever setting you last turned it off at, and a side switch to quickly and easily cycle through the various settings, it's a pretty killer light for the price. The pocket clip is great, the overall construction is seriously impressive and it comes in a 3.7" package. My Streamlight 1l-1AA and Olight M1T Raider have been usurped.

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  12. stjohn45

    stjohn45 Member

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    2nd the Fenix. I've carried an E-15 for 8 years. Has never let me down.
     
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  13. Ballenxj

    Ballenxj Member

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    I bought the Fenix UC40ue a few years back when I was working at Hahn's Military Surplus. I got it for cost, so I figured why not?
    The UC40 has since been discontinued, but still sets the bar for flashlights.
    Here's a review on it.
     
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  14. stickman

    stickman Member

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    Lights on a firearm means Surefire X300 (Ultra) for a hand gun. On a long gun there are other options.

    Why the Surefire? Durability comes in first and foremost. There are most certainly other brands who make pistol lights, but for hard use, there is no doubt Surefire comes in at the top of the list.

    Streamlight makes a good light, and they sell for half the price of the Surefire. Streamlight gives an affordable option for those who are unable or unwilling to pay for the Surefire X300. Streamlight is solid, and quoting one recent person, they are giving a light at half the Surefire cost and at 90% of the Surefire quality.

    I'm not sure about the exact numbers, and 90% is hard to quantify, but it seems pretty close to correct from what I've seen in training persons in the LE world, as well as reading online. The majority of people who need a weapon (pistol) mounted light will be well served by Surefire or Streamlight, the ones who intend to rely on it for serious (heavy duty or LE duty) use will find the X300U to hold up better in the long run.

    Hand held lights are a different story, as are long gun lights. I have no doubt that several years from now this post will be out of date as new lights come onto the market. However, these newer lights will not negate the durability of the X300U or the light output it provides.

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  15. Bozho

    Bozho Member

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    I only use Olights - the reason for this is that all other brands have almost no warranty service here.
    Olight however not only has a 5 year warranty but the dealer is top notch and will replace a faulty product ASAP. From a customer point of view this is all that matters for me, as electronics, as good and reliable as they are, they can always fail.

    Sure, we have had an Olight fail too, but a new one was send. If a Fenix or Nitecore fails, you are on your own. I have not tried Surefire or Streamlight as they are not officially sold here and if anything happens with the light, postage costs for warranty work would be quite high.
     
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  16. Dennis Adams

    Dennis Adams Member

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    image.jpeg

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    I saw this light a few months ago and waited until I found it for the right price. In this case $12 shipped on ebay.
    Nebo makes a quality product at a reasonable price and stands behind them. Designed in Texas and unfortunately manufactured in China.

    It has a pivoting head for area lighting, spot flashlight function, Pocket Clip, hanger, strong magnet in the tail and a pocket clip and kick stand. 3xAAA. Dimmable.
    Great for the pocket while camping, glove box, bug out bag or tool box.
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2019
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  17. Rich275

    Rich275 Member

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    I'm doing some laundry last night in prep for this week and throw in a couple pairs of pants. Just after starting the machine, we hear ta-tink, thunk, thunk, etc. My wife asks what I have in there and I tell her just some pants, thinking it's the zipper or buckle.
    40 minutes later the chime dings and I go to move the load to the dryer. When I open the door, there's this light shining at me from inside and I know our washer does not have an inside light. It was my Streamlight ProTac 2AAA, which had been clipped to one of the pants pockets. I took it out, gave it a once over and everything works just fine. I ended up taking the batteries out and leaving it open overnight just in case. Put some new batteries in this morning and it's no worse for wear.
    I had thought about putting it through the dryer as well, but my wife said that would not be a good idea.
     
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  18. Zeek

    Zeek Member

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  19. Bozho

    Bozho Member

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    I have the same I3T and it is awesome.
    Very convenient addition to my main EDC light.
     
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  20. Beard Man

    Beard Man Member

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    Last edited: Dec 4, 2019
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