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alternate headlamp to Coast HL27

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bmwpowere36m3

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Looking for feedback on any alternate/"upgrade" headlamps to a Coast HL27... father permanently "borrowed" mine ;)

527142.jpg


Honestly I really liked the light: no "mode" switch to cycle thru, narrow/wide beam adjustment, infinite intensity adjustment, long-life. My only critiques would be: plastic tilt hinge (never broke though), headlight not padded on forehead and weight.

Looking for something with similar level of output (300 lumens), AA batteries, solid run time, good for close up work and preferably lighter.
 
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bmwpowere36m3

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Infinia said:
Budget?
A few modes are good esp when it has memory and can bypass direct to your lumens setting.
Fenix HL50 yer dad will wish he waited for this one. all metal https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fenix+HL50

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Sub-$100

I like the size and the neutral color temp, but only 150 lumens on high using a AA (forget boost).

I use my headlight to better illuminate areas I'm working on (generally already lit) and not just general illumination in the dark.
 
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Infinia

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bmwpowere36m3 said:
Sub-$100

I like the size and the neutral color temp, but only 150 lumens on high using a AA (forget boost).

I use my headlight to better illuminate areas I'm working on (generally already lit) and not just general illumination in the dark.
Click to expand...

yeah you had me confused with 300 lumens single mode AND close up work. That's too bright in my definition of close up. you'd need a super wide beam and heck of a diffuser.
 
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Roobaix

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Petzl and Black Diamond make some of the best head lamps for mountaineering.

I keep a Black Diamond in my tool box at work. I don't remember the model off the top of my head but it's super light, very bright, and was $30-$40.
 
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IndyGarage

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Davefr said:
Zebralight. The neutral white floody works well.
Click to expand...

My daughter bought one of those before her last multi-day caving expedition.

Cool light, relatively lightweight, bright as the sun. Uses 18650 rechargeable batteries, which I happened to have a few of.

I think she paid about $90 for it, however she said that's what all the experts use in caves these days.

She said it worked perfect for exactly 2 hours in the cave and died - she had to resort to her backup for 4 straight days.

As I read the reviews, hers is not an unusual experience - seems they might have a QC problem.
 
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kctyphoon

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The coast HL8.. I've had mine for 3 years now... it's advertised at 615 lumen, but I think it's suppose to be 390 or 360.. whatever it is, the medium setting is enough for me...

HL8 Focusing 615 Lumen LED Headlamp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A7RM1JE/?tag=atomicindus08-20


You can get the HL8r too, which is the "800 lumen" rechargeable model, but expect to pay more...

Not a good choice if you want something small, but if you want something to run all night, take a beating, and light up everything you need - this is the one.. 3 people at work have bought this model also after I bought mine.

And FYI - Coast makes the headlights for LED Lenser, which is owned by Leatherman . the Coast is like $60 now, I think I paid $95 when I bought it..

Another option. - Costco has a 2 pack of a cost light for $29.. I have that one too.. small, bright, 400 lumens I think.. very similar to what you had. great light - but small battery pack limits runtime.. for $29 it's a great ******* deal for 2.. it's hard to beat Coast for their value vs performance. They always throw out a very nice even and wide flood light.. not sure spending more money on a more expensive brand will get you better light output, probably just a better housing..


Here - it's 23 for the 2 pack online I guess.. find a better deal than that :). Batteries are held in the light, so no battery pack on the back of your head. This might be more along the lines of what you want..
https://www.costco.com/Coast-FL72-Headlamp,-2-pack.product.100333882.html
 
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Ign

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I picked up two HL5's cheap. You do have to cycle through but it's only hi and low, that's it. Separate button on bottom for red. I paid under $15 at TSC clearance, but most TSC's have been cleaned out of them for a long time.

The way I use headlamps I don't want high dollar - I'll lose 'em or drop 'em or loan out at an event never to be seen again. Plus I don't believe in putting much money into anything that uses conventional batteries anymore. That's just me.
 
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shockwave

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Look at steel man has a new headlamp that I like my coworkers bought that is hands free just wave you hand in front to turn on
 
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Fixed

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Ign said:
Plus I don't believe in putting much money into anything that uses conventional batteries anymore. That's just me.
Click to expand...

I actually just ordered one with rechargeable 18650s. Not saying I disagree with your point about not spending much money though.
 
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nes999

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I prefer using normal throw away batterys. Nothing ***** worse than having to wait for your battery to charge when it does in the middle of doing something.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
 
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Fixed

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nes999 said:
I prefer using normal throw away batterys. Nothing ***** worse than having to wait for your battery to charge when it does in the middle of doing something.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Yeah, one nice thing about the 18650s though is that they last for an insanely long time, and charge fast. I still use conventional batteries in my flashlight though, because even with cheap ones it'll still go months before needing to be swapped out

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 
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Buster21

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I love my Bushnell from Wal-Mart, I got it for plowing snow at night, it has been caked with ice and snow several times and keeps on working. I put AA rechargeable batteries in it and used it all winter, it is 250 lumens and cost around $25.00

Bushnell.jpg
 
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Avplayer

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I really like the coast headlamps that they have at Costco...2 450 lumen headlamps for $30 (currently on sale for $23) runs on 3 AAA and has a very good spot and flood mode. 3 differnent intensity and also a map function (2 red leds). Only drawback is the runtime but for the price can't be beat In my opinion
 
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Davefr

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Avplayer said:
I really like the coast headlamps that they have at Costco...2 450 lumen headlamps for $30 (currently on sale for $23) runs on 3 AAA and has a very good spot and flood mode. 3 differnent intensity and also a map function (2 red leds). Only drawback is the runtime but for the price can't be beat In my opinion
Click to expand...


I agree. I just picked up the two pack and this is an excellent deal for anyone that doesn't require long run times.

Very lightweight/comfortable, bright and the zoom works well. The only thing I don't like is the switch. It's kind of hard to find while the light is on your head. There's no way you could control the light switch functions wearing gloves.

However that's not a big deal breaker.
 
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Aqua-Andy

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Another vote for Energizer headlamps. I started using there 200 lumen at work after misplacing my $80 petzl and could not be happier. Some of the lumen claims you see are ridiculous, you can only get so much power/longevity out of three AAA batteries. After my Black Diamond headlamp stopped working I purchased the Energizer 300 lumen lamp and now wish I hadn't, the light is very bright but starts to dim after about a half hour. So with Energizer at least 200 lumens seems to be the sweet spot and it is only $20.
 
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6PTsocket

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Petzl is the gold standard for headlamps. Cavers,mountain climbers and people that cannot afford a failure all use them.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
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