Looking for a Good Flashlight

[Umclemrbig]

Looking for a good LED flashlight. Looking for USB chargeable so I can carry charge in the field. Used primarily in my hunting pack. Looking a the Streamlight Protac HL USB. Thoughts or recommendations?

http://www.streamlight.com/products/detail/index/protac-hl-usb

 

[one9gt]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

Olight S30.. higher output than stream light and cheaper


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Infinia]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

Hi

I have many LED flashlights and find I use my headlamp the most.
look at 'Fenix HL60R' Ive been impressed with their product UI and engineering
As far as an external charging source. ( I find products that do multiple functions do none well ) id look at single cell 18650 chargers> one that can be charged from a 12V Cig plug. gives most versatility for charging a mobile phone.

I tend to use AA rechargeable for all my lights, I have played w/18650 cells quite a bit too.
I have the Fenix HL50

 

[a52-830]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

just bought this for my son. i have two, they are great (although not rechargeable, i have found that they last a long time on one set of batteries. i use the amazon basics batteries in them)

Maglite ML25LT LED 2-Cell C Flashlight

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016U0F378/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[ptgarcia]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

Other than those mentioned above, also take a look at SureFire, Nitecore and Sunwayman.

 

[KM223]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

Surefire. Period

 

[Infinia]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

what do you hunt?
I used to hunt around the lake near Warner Robbins GA

 

[Milton Shaw]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

I just bought a "vault" battery pack from office depot for $15 that is 14,000 ma source that would charge I phone 7 times. That is very handy to have and carry along while camping to keep everything charged. It would also charge just about any USB device enough for a weekend of use.

 

[katiexoxo]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

Olight, Thrunite, Fenix, Foursevens, Nitecore...
Any of them is just as good if not better than Surefire but at a tenth of the price!
The chinese make the best flashlights atm.

Maglite are not worth the price at all, their leds are very outdated, some still use lamps

 

[OCJohn]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

 

[Infinia]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

Maglite are not worth the price at all, their leds are very outdated, some still use lamps

Maglite make some good LED ones & quality is second to none. They may have longer product development cycles, so they can lag on the latest LED offerings.
Their twisty switches are proven and non gimmicky UI. I reckon my Maglite Mini pros ( 270 lumens 2xAA) will live longer than any light I have. Even Energizer has some real winners in 2016 (900 lumens on any AA 's).

 

[Umclemrbig]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

Hog in the swamp, deer in Bibb, Twiggs, Crawford.

what do you hunt?
I used to hunt around the lake near Warner Robbins GA

 

[d.mcfarland]

OCJohn, I think only a few people will notice that reference, but it's hilarious.

 

[Umclemrbig]

OCJohn, I think only a few people will notice that reference, but it's hilarious.

I had planned on fixing that but after seeing the pic I decided otherwise.

 

[a52-830]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

Hog in the swamp.

sounds like a great name for a band . . . .

 

[sgtmac]

I'm a huge stream light fan! They have pretty good warranty and customer support!

 

[Ty.]

I know your looking for a larger rechargeable light, but these little things are amazing for edc and you never notice how useful a flashlight is until you forget to grab it in the morning. They run forever on a AAA and you dont have to feel bad if you lose one at less than $15 each. they are also great gifts. I have two and they have both been through the wash several times and lost and found a few times, but they usually end up stuck to my seat belt in my truck as I keep it in my left front pocket.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00143JZ08/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[auxillaryman]

Another vote for Olight. I have several. I like the S10 baton for edc and I have the R40 seeker for wife's vehicle. It is a laser beam. At 1100 lumens with USB charging port, it's a winner.


Sent from my iPhone in the middle of somewhere I shouldn't be!

 

[Jlbc212]

I have a ZebraLight headlamp. So far it's been the best investment in flashflights I have ever made. I can work in my garage using just the ZebraLight headlamp. I have a couple of Fenix flashlights. All have failed to light after less than a year of occasional use.

 

[southalabama]

Olight or Fenix. I prefer Fenix but either will be money well spent.

I have a Surefire but it isn't LED so can't speak to their led lights

 

[Renchi]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

Maglite make some good LED ones & quality is second to none. They may have longer product development cycles, so they can lag on the latest LED offerings.
Their twisty switches are proven and non gimmicky UI. I reckon my Maglite Mini pros ( 270 lumens 2xAA) will live longer than any light I have. Even Energizer has some real winners in 2016 (900 lumens on any AA 's).

I once thought as you do, but then I saw the light (pun intended).

 

[Infinia]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

I once thought as you do, but then I saw the light (pun intended).

riiiiight
Thinks it's still fashionable to bash Maglites, that's so 2000s.
I'm a big fan of 2xAA neutral tint LED lights and their most recent version is quite good, sure not the best but then yould have to compare to the ones at 2x price. Most awesome feature is as a tail standing lantern, lights a whole room. Their machining and anodizing are still right up there. uhh did I mention still made in USA. In 10 years this one will still be useful meanwhile all your 'Gearbest' specials will be in the dustbin.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

I have a mix of Coast flashlights and headlights... not a "flashlight connoisseur" by any means. Their much better in terms of light output and battery life than anything I had before. I also find I use the headlight more often.

 

[64merc]

Recently it seems like they are coming out with more and more USB rechargeable flashlights, so there are a ton to choose from. I think the Streamlight you referenced looks pretty good. It's certainly not the brightest, but it looks more than adequate, especially if you don't have any other bright flashlights. Once the bug hits you, you'll find yourself updating constantly as technology improves. Don't fall into the trap!

Also, I would recommend getting a bright headlamp with several brightness levels. I think you'll find yourself using it a lot.

Edit: If you have to supply your own 18650 or other rechargeable battery, make sure you buy it from a trusted store. There are a whole bunch of fakes and exaggerated claims all over Ebay and Amazon.

 

[64merc]

This Olight S30R looks like it's right up your alley! I think someone else recommended the S30 as well. This one is from Illumn.com which I have used before. You will not beat this price!...and it includes the battery, free shipping, and most likely tax free

http://www.illumn.com/special-deals...18650-3600mah-protected-battery-included.html

 

[IUEC Medic]

I have used fenix headlamps exclusively and have 5 or more of their flashlights at this point. None have failed and I have used them very harshly. Both headlamps (one discontinued dual led 4aa powered and an hl55) were permanately mounted to hard hats and used 5 days a week for over 2 years and are still going strong. If I was in construction I'd probably grab the new rechargeable hl60.

The handhelds have held up incredibly well also, my tk15 from several years ago has gone through a washing machine and my pd35 has been fully submerged in tractor oil on more than one occasion. My current Edc is either a uc35 or a streamlight rechargeable that was provided.

 

[one9gt]

Edit: If you have to supply your own 18650 or other rechargeable battery, make sure you buy it from a trusted store. There are a whole bunch of fakes and exaggerated claims all over Ebay and Amazon.

This! Don't cheap out on 18650s. I've seen the cheap ones explode first hand. Not a good thing if it's in your hand or in your pocket


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MemphisR32]

I would highly recommend Streamlight and Surefire. I don't think you can go wrong with the ProTac USB unless you want to pocket it everyday. Its a bit large but has output and duration

 

[kctyphoon]

I swear - I'll never understand this .... there must be a market for them, cause places make them, and people buy them.. but honestly, in this situation, why people would want a "rechargeable" flashlight, that needs to be recharged via a USB cable and port, (that's out in "the field" which I can only assume means they won't be near utilities), REALLY confuses me.. when you'd need to buy and carry what's basically "another battery pack" to recharge "the other battery" in the flashlight, just doesn't seem efficient or logical to me. You're literally charging one battery from another using a cable, and waiting an hour or so to do this at least, when you could instead buy a good flashlight that runs off of standard batteries, and just buy a plastic case and carry 2, 4, 8, (ect) extra batteries that are ready to go in seconds.. it's not like 6 AA batteries will inhibit anybody that's already carrying stuff with them.

I can understand the concept of having some rechargeable things, and taking an external pack that can recharge stuff like a cell phone, or gps that might have internal batteries that can't be swapped out, or arent available at the general store, But I'd personally wanna keep that stored energy in an external pack for those important things, instead of having sometimes simple like a flashlight become a parasite to it. If the external pack goes bad, then nothing works. Lose the USB cable, nothing works.. flashlight dies in the middle of the night when you might need it, and then you have to wait for it to charge..

Sometimes keeping things simple is just better.. that's just my 2 cents.. not directing this at the OP - but you hear about people buying "survival" stuff, and then opt for the most expensive, brightest, smallest flashlights they can find, - that only last 2 hours, take the most uncommon batteries on earth, and cost more then a case of military grade MRE's.. I just don't understand the logic, but that's just me..,

 

[Infinia]

^
Remember folks lives now revolve around their mobile smart phones.
Most computing devices that are slim E.g cool, have non-replaceable batteries, hence must rely on charging devices, the more specialized the better. so IMO all the other devices now follow 'form' over function. Sadly Millennials are the Marketers' golden standard. 'Wireless' is a way of life even if it doesn't make sense. Heck even cars are being designed with Wi-Fi have hard drives , and compatible Apple connections. E.g. disposable after 3-5 years.

 

[ptgarcia]

I swear - I'll never understand this .... there must be a market for them, cause places make them, and people buy them.. but honestly, in this situation, why people would want a "rechargeable" flashlight, that needs to be recharged via a USB cable and port, (that's out in "the field" which I can only assume means they won't be near utilities), REALLY confuses me.. when you'd need to buy and carry what's basically "another battery pack" to recharge "the other battery" in the flashlight, just doesn't seem efficient or logical to me. You're literally charging one battery from another using a cable, and waiting an hour or so to do this at least, when you could instead buy a good flashlight that runs off of standard batteries, and just buy a plastic case and carry 2, 4, 8, (ect) extra batteries that are ready to go in seconds.. it's not like 6 AA batteries will inhibit anybody that's already carrying stuff with them.

I can understand the concept of having some rechargeable things, and taking an external pack that can recharge stuff like a cell phone, or gps that might have internal batteries that can't be swapped out, or arent available at the general store, But I'd personally wanna keep that stored energy in an external pack for those important things, instead of having sometimes simple like a flashlight become a parasite to it. If the external pack goes bad, then nothing works. Lose the USB cable, nothing works.. flashlight dies in the middle of the night when you might need it, and then you have to wait for it to charge..

Sometimes keeping things simple is just better.. that's just my 2 cents.. not directing this at the OP - but you hear about people buying "survival" stuff, and then opt for the most expensive, brightest, smallest flashlights they can find, - that only last 2 hours, take the most uncommon batteries on earth, and cost more then a case of military grade MRE's.. I just don't understand the logic, but that's just me..,

Like a AA light, you can always carry a couple extra rechargeable batteries. You don't have to recharge them in the field. Also, many of the better lights work with both types of batteries.

 

[IUEC Medic]

I swear - I'll never understand this .... there must be a market for them, cause places make them, and people buy them.. but honestly, in this situation, why people would want a "rechargeable" flashlight, that needs to be recharged via a USB cable and port, (that's out in "the field" which I can only assume means they won't be near utilities), REALLY confuses me.. when you'd need to buy and carry what's basically "another battery pack" to recharge "the other battery" in the flashlight, just doesn't seem efficient or logical to me. You're literally charging one battery from another using a cable, and waiting an hour or so to do this at least, when you could instead buy a good flashlight that runs off of standard batteries, and just buy a plastic case and carry 2, 4, 8, (ect) extra batteries that are ready to go in seconds.. it's not like 6 AA batteries will inhibit anybody that's already carrying stuff with them.

I can understand the concept of having some rechargeable things, and taking an external pack that can recharge stuff like a cell phone, or gps that might have internal batteries that can't be swapped out, or arent available at the general store, But I'd personally wanna keep that stored energy in an external pack for those important things, instead of having sometimes simple like a flashlight become a parasite to it. If the external pack goes bad, then nothing works. Lose the USB cable, nothing works.. flashlight dies in the middle of the night when you might need it, and then you have to wait for it to charge..

Sometimes keeping things simple is just better.. that's just my 2 cents.. not directing this at the OP - but you hear about people buying "survival" stuff, and then opt for the most expensive, brightest, smallest flashlights they can find, - that only last 2 hours, take the most uncommon batteries on earth, and cost more then a case of military grade MRE's.. I just don't understand the logic, but that's just me..,

All of the fenix lights I have (except for the 4xAA and the handful of 1xAA and 1xAAA) run on rechargeable 18650's that are either charged on a charger or built in USB charger. However they also except the very Standard and widely available cr123 (ive found cr123's at nearly every grocery store or cvs/Walgreens or sporting goods store I've ever looked for them).

 

[Renchi]

Re: Looking for a Good Flashkight

riiiiight
Thinks it's still fashionable to bash Maglites, that's so 2000s.
I'm a big fan of 2xAA neutral tint LED lights and their most recent version is quite good, sure not the best but then yould have to compare to the ones at 2x price. Most awesome feature is as a tail standing lantern, lights a whole room. Their machining and anodizing are still right up there. uhh did I mention still made in USA. In 10 years this one will still be useful meanwhile all your 'Gearbest' specials will be in the dustbin.

LOL! I would never bash on Maglite. I happen to own many (oh so many!) Maglites, and I love them all. They make a great product, and that product is made in the USA.

Unfortunately Maglite is a company that once led the way in the flashlight industry but then rode their own coattails for far too long. Their products continue to sell well only because so many people know the brand by their past reputation. Reality is that Maglite was too slow to embrace LED technology and is now way behind the curve with their newer products.

Not to be rude, but your comments about price and quality are just silly. For example, compare the Mag-Tac and the Fenix PD35 Tac. Both flashlights cost roughly the same amount of money. They can use the same batteries (Fenix allows multiple choices), are the same size, and are intended for the same purpose. In every aspect (output, beam distance, beam intensity, waterproof rating, user interface, etc.) the Fenix flashlight is superior. Fenix also provides a nice metal clip and quality glass lens instead of the crappy plastic clip and plastic lens on the Maglite. The only argument one could make against the Fenix flashlight is that it only comes in black (and that is not much of an argument unless a need for pretty colors happens to be your thing).

Again, I once thought as you do, but then I saw the light.

 

[Infinia]

Not to be rude but you completely ignored the 2xAA light I mentioned. IMO and others have mentioned any light that only uses non standard batteries is a fail. ( CR123 maybe is standard but not from my chair) Maglite to compete in the tactical segment is probably another misstep. Your other arguments are a purely subjective and minor (silly). I hate clips, plastic lenses would be better than glass in Tac situation? and street prices are 30% off. IDK its something I would never buy. I have no Idea what Law Enforcement uses (CR123?), but they probably lost that market a long time ago. Playing catch-up by copying stupid mode cycling / tail E-switches is lame. Yeah Maglite has had a lot mis steps and they aren't done yet, Im sorry you bought into some them.
I'm just tired of the whole Maglite beat down routine, I still use my old ones and I happen to think the Mini Mag pro was still nice compared to other 2xAA LED I bought. I just want something that turns on when I need it. I don't need strobe or E switches that fail or drain batteries.

 

[Danglerb]

USB recharge I see as nothing but trouble, its the main failure point on phones, and phones get treated much nicer than flashlights. Limiting yourself to lights with a USB will also eliminate most of the best popular lights.

For a nice AA light I would get a Zebra. For a cheap good AA light an SK68 type for $5 that works on 14500 as well (plus keeps your hands warm with one on high).

 

[kctyphoon]

All I know is I carry a led maglight when I walk my dog that takes 3 "D" batteries and never said " damn I wish this flashlight was better cause I can't see that thing 1/4 mile away"..

And if need be I have complete confindence that it would withstand me using it to beat the hell out of anyone that needed beating..

 

[Davefr]

Go with a Zebralight.

 

[one9gt]

Earlier I suggested the olight s30 but then realized it was the S30R II that had the USB powered charging dock


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DieselDent]

I have quite a few flash lights but my go to and every day carry is a Streamlight ProTac 1AA. AA's are cheap and easy to come across so when one dies I just through another in. It also has 3 settings High, Low and strobe.

 

[M6erfan]

Not USB chargeable but I am a huge fan of Zebralight and have been using them for years. Have one in the shop, each car, and my backpack.

As far as Maglite, yeah I gave up on them years ago after noticing a decline in quality. Then about a year ago I was intrigued with their new ML300L series so I bought one in 3D config. Really nice light and miles ahead of the crappy products they've been putting out recently. Mine's going on over a year without any issues...



https://www.amazon.com/Maglite-ML300LX-2-Cell-Flashlight-Matte/dp/B00S7W3GDQ/ref=pd_sim_468_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00S7W3CT4&pd_rd_r=8WAZZHV4DYJ6KYZNMEH2&pd_rd_w=ee53p&pd_rd_wg=C2gNs&refRID=8WAZZHV4DYJ6KYZNMEH2&th=1