Gift: Flashlight and Knife for Service Mechanic

[Andy Griffith]

My brother in-law is a heavy equipment mechanic, he splits his time between working out of the company shop and on the road at the job sites using his service truck.

I've been wanting to get him a gift or two and he happened to finally drop some clues during recent conversations. He said he keeps meaning to get a decent flashlight, something smallish to be used mostly while working on equipment away from the shop. Apparently his current flashlight is weak and he receives no small amount of ridicule from his peers about it.

One of his co-workers had one that was 'really bright and had a nice white light beam' so I'm thinking probably led, and maybe about the size of a surefire G2. I have a few surefire's and like them a lot but I find that not having a low lumen option in addition to the super bright setting to be a determent even for my measly home shop work. There are times when the super bright level actually makes things harder to see, like reading a serial number plate for instance.

Being a service mechanic the flashlight will obviously need to be robust as his stuff gets beat-up pretty good during normal use. I know we have more than a few mechanics on the board and was wondering if you all had some suggestions?

The second item would be a clip-it type knife for one-handed opening. I am a big fan of spyderco clip-it knives, but I was wondering what type of knives the mechanics on the board use?

Thanks

 

[caper]

Streamlight Stylus Pro-It lives in my coveralls chest pocket.Hands down the best small flashlight I've ever used.Extremely bright light in a nice compact package.I've been using mine for a year now,daily use, as a truck mechanic and only gone through 3 sets of batteries.Used to use Pelican lights before the Stylus.The Pelican would eat batteries compared to the Stylus Pro.I dropped my Stylus Pro in a bucket of hot engine oil one day.It was submerged for several minutes with no ill effects.

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=133

 

[wellstig1]

I have been abusing this for over 2 years now and have zero complaints about it. The best part about it is that its rechargeable and the light output can be changed.

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=123

 

[Hlidskjalf]

Check out 4sevens.com for high quality and high technology flashlights. You will not be disappointed. I have mine strapped to my belt all day as a HVAC service tech and I love it!

 

[hammergodthor]

Streamlight Stylus Pro-It lives in my coveralls chest pocket.Hands down the best small flashlight I've ever used.Extremely bright light in a nice compact package.I've been using mine for a year now,daily use, as a truck mechanic and only gone through 3 sets of batteries.Used to use Pelican lights before the Stylus.The Pelican would eat batteries compared to the Stylus Pro.I dropped my Stylus Pro in a bucket of hot engine oil one day.It was submerged for several minutes with no ill effects.

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=133

X2! Best out there!

 

[selohssa]

Streamlight Stylus Pro-It lives in my coveralls chest pocket.Hands down the best small flashlight I've ever used.

+3 I love mine.

 

[Romanova]

I've beat the hell out of just about everything with my two Streamlights... seriously, 5 years of police service. VERY happy with them.

 

[rodm1]

fenix ld20
http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?products_id=362

fenix ld10 - smaller version of above
http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=466

kershaw leak
http://aoknives.com/kershaw-leek-1660

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Surefire 6P LED will last a long time on its batteries and is indestructable. Kershaw assisted opening knives (leek, chive, etc.).

Combat light for me is a Surefire E2D executive companion.

 

[vssjim]

I like my Pelican M6 lithiums they may work on batteries but they sure light up the world, i get batteries off Ebay for about $2.00 each so no big deal.

 

[chadster1]

Another vote for the Stylus pro