Please recommend a decent little flashlight

[Mr. Shawn]

For anyone looking for a quality and economical headlamp, check out the following thread. I have been interested in this headlamp for several months, and this sale was the final push for me to order one.

http://budgetlightforum.com/node/64206

[ugaarguy]

Another aspect I really like about all of the Surefire flashlights I've owned over the years is the fact that they can take really harsh abuse and handle harsh environments as well. I can't tell you how many times with my original Surefire E2D Defender that I've dropped it on hard surfaces and gotten it soaking wet ( submerged) on several occasions and I've never had a failure not even once. I've owned at least a dozen Surefire flashlights over the years and they have been exposed to all kinds of weather conditions ( hot & cold) and again no failures. I've also found the units that use the "123-A" batteries to be very dependable as well. And now you can get those in rechargeables.

Now I do like some of the less expensive flashlights and Fenix and Four Sevens seem OK for an inexpensive unit. And for indoor uses those cheaper flashlights are all right in most cases but when I need something really dependable I'll stick to Surefire.

We must have diffferent standards for just okay - https://youtu.be/LTb94zOhIec . As far as rechargeable batteries, be careful. Most Surefires will only take the Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo) chemistry rechargeable batteries. They offer a very few models that will run on a single 18650 or 17670 IC or IMR instead of a pair of CR123 primaries. Surefire's lack of innovation and extreme slowness in adopting modern rechargeable batteries are why I quit buying them.

Olight has another sale on that runs through Monday (12/17/18).

Thanks to this I have on the way the "Winter" version of the four seasons Ti limited run S1R ii Baton lights they released. I wanted a matte finished raw Ti light to match all my matte gray bead blast Ti framelocks / RILs from Spyderco. The magnetic charging base on all the S1R ii lights, plus the 80 CRI warm white LED in this version pushed it over the edge. Olight was selling these for the sale price on Amazon, with free 2 day Prime shipping, so I went that route. I should have it Tuesday. I did pick up the solid copper i3T during the Cyber Monday sale, and it's quickly become a favorite. At this pace, I may be buying an M2R on the next sale if I like the side switch and magnetic charging base of the S1R ii.

[Sharp Guy]

Olight has another sale on that runs through Monday (12/17/18).

Thanks to this I have on the way the "Winter" version of the four seasons Ti limited run S1R ii Baton lights they released. I wanted a matte finished raw Ti light to match all my matte gray bead blast Ti framelocks / RILs from Spyderco. The magnetic charging base on all the S1R ii lights, plus the 80 CRI warm white LED in this version pushed it over the edge. Olight was selling these for the sale price on Amazon, with free 2 day Prime shipping, so I went that route. I should have it Tuesday. I did pick up the solid copper i3T during the Cyber Monday sale, and it's quickly become a favorite. At this pace, I may be buying an M2R on the next sale if I like the side switch and magnetic charging base of the S1R ii.

I was also looking at that Winter S1R II. Kind of cool but I don't think I need a light that's finished to match my knives. I am thinking about picking up a couple of the S1 Minis to replace the cheapies we keep on our nightstands. The cheapies have done ok considering they rarely get used but the output and functionality of these better lights blow them away.

I'm not too sure yet about the magnetic charging base that some of these lights use. I've only charged my S2R II once and it worked well but I almost wish it also had an option to charge via micro-usb. I always have access to charging via micro-usb. The magnetic charging cord resides in my desk drawer at home. I don't think it'll ever be a problem but you never know.

[vivi]

Olight has another sale on that runs through Monday (12/17/18).

Thanks to this I have on the way the "Winter" version of the four seasons Ti limited run S1R ii Baton lights they released. I wanted a matte finished raw Ti light to match all my matte gray bead blast Ti framelocks / RILs from Spyderco. The magnetic charging base on all the S1R ii lights, plus the 80 CRI warm white LED in this version pushed it over the edge. Olight was selling these for the sale price on Amazon, with free 2 day Prime shipping, so I went that route. I should have it Tuesday. I did pick up the solid copper i3T during the Cyber Monday sale, and it's quickly become a favorite. At this pace, I may be buying an M2R on the next sale if I like the side switch and magnetic charging base of the S1R ii.

I was also looking at that Winter S1R II. Kind of cool but I don't think I need a light that's finished to match my knives. I am thinking about picking up a couple of the S1 Minis to replace the cheapies we keep on our nightstands. The cheapies have done ok considering they rarely get used but the output and functionality of these better lights blow them away.

I'm not too sure yet about the magnetic charging base that some of these lights use. I've only charged my S2R II once and it worked well but I almost wish it also had an option to charge via micro-usb. I always have access to charging via micro-usb. The magnetic charging cord resides in my desk drawer at home. I don't think it'll ever be a problem but you never know.

I refuse to buy rechargeable lights that use a proprietary cable for similar reasons. I have micro USB cables in my bedroom, kitchen, office, car, at work, and have several portable 10,000mah-25,000mah battery packs I take camping.

Why would I want to be tied to one specific cable instead of the same one I charge my phone, go pro, bluetooth speaker, bicycle headlights and other flashlights with?

JD: I've used my Fenix lights very hard. They've crossed the country on a bicycle with me. Been dropped. Been used underwater and in downpours. They're very rugged lights, on par with the Surefires I've owned.

I can't fault the bulild quality of Surefire, but their lumen to price ratio leaves something to be desired.

[ugaarguy]

I was also looking at that Winter S1R II. Kind of cool but I don't think I need a light that's finished to match my knives. I am thinking about picking up a couple of the S1 Minis to replace the cheapies we keep on our nightstands. The cheapies have done ok considering they rarely get used but the output and functionality of these better lights blow them away.

I'm not too sure yet about the magnetic charging base that some of these lights use. I've only charged my S2R II once and it worked well but I almost wish it also had an option to charge via micro-usb. I always have access to charging via micro-usb. The magnetic charging cord resides in my desk drawer at home. I don't think it'll ever be a problem but you never know.

Well, I didn't need another flashlight myself, lol. Nor did I need any of the four Spyderco framelocks I own, all of which I purchased after I already had a ZT 0562CF CTS-204P. I've wanted a titanium body flashlight with neutral or warm white LED for a while. This S1R ii fills that want, and the similar finish to my Spydie RILs is a nice bonus. I suspect that this matte blasted Ti will hold up better, or at least show wear in a more aesthetically pleasing manner to my eye, than anodized aluminum or PVD coated Ti.

Those S1 Minis do look pretty cool, and for $28 with the current sale they also look like a steal for what you're getting. I wouldn't underestimate the little i3T with an eneloop or lithium primary either if you just want something to stash away for emergencies.

As far as charging, your S2R ii will run a standard 18650, but may not be able to hit the peak output in turbo mode. But it drops down after two minutes anyway for thermal protection anyway. If you're willing to give up the two minutes of turbo mode, then you could just switch over a Fenix or Nitecore 18650 with the micro USB charging port built in. I'm not sure why Olight doesn't offer micro USB 18650s since they do sell 16340/RCR123 batteries with that charging port.

My incoming S1R ii will likewise drop down from both Turbo and High to a 250 lumen semi-high output after a minute and a half. Giving up that 90 seconds of turbo and full high to gain micro USB charging on the battery might be worth it for me.

[Sharp Guy]

Well, I didn't need another flashlight myself, lol. Nor did I need any of the four Spyderco framelocks I own, all of which I purchased after I already had a ZT 0562CF CTS-204P. I've wanted a titanium body flashlight with neutral or warm white LED for a while. This S1R ii fills that want, and the similar finish to my Spydie RILs is a nice bonus. I suspect that this matte blasted Ti will hold up better, or at least show wear in a more aesthetically pleasing manner to my eye, than anodized aluminum or PVD coated Ti.

Please don't think I was being critical of your decision to buy one of these. I think it's a cool light and I have several Ti framelocks that it would pair nicely with. My comment was more to talk myself out of buying one. :)

Those S1 Minis do look pretty cool, and for $28 with the current sale they also look like a steal for what you're getting. I wouldn't underestimate the little i3T with an eneloop or lithium primary either if you just want something to stash away for emergencies.

I think I'm going to orders two Minis for us and one for my son. I'm sure the I3T is great for the $ too. I have a I3E and I've been really impressed with it.

[Sharp Guy]

I ordered some S1 Minis and a couple more I3Es to give as gifts. Thanks to a coupon code that was thoughtfully shared with me I was able to get $10 off on 3 separate orders.

These Olights are really nice little lights for the money. I'm glad you guys turned me on to them.

[Sharp Guy]

We're experiencing an unusual power outage here tonight. The S2R II I bought is sitting on the counter that separates our kitchen and living room and is pointed at the ceiling. It's illuminating the whole area nicely. My GF kind of chuckled when that light came in the mail. She's seems pretty grateful now as she can see well enough to cut up all the baked goods she made yesterday. ☺

[ugaarguy]

Please don't think I was being critical of your decision to buy one of these. I think it's a cool light and I have several Ti framelocks that it would pair nicely with. My comment was more to talk myself out of buying one. :)

Ohh, not at all. My comments were more justifying the purchase to myself. It (S1R ii Ti Winter) arrived yesterday (Tuesday evening). It's an interesting little light - and I do mean little. The color of the bead blast Ti body is a little lighter gray than my Sage 2, and a little darker than the Ti frame side of ZT 0562CF. The warm white looks very similar, if not identical, to the old Surefire P60 incandescent color. It's amazing that this tiny little light with a single 550 mAh 3.7v rechargeable CR123 can get 3 hours and 40 minutes of run time at the same color and same 60 lumens the old Surefire incans got for only an hour on 6v and 1400/1500 mAh from a pair of 3V CR123 primaries. My only real complaint is that both the 550 lumen high and 850 lumen turbo both drop to 250 lumens after a minute and a half. So, the high mode is effectively a 2/3 Turbo mode. I'd rather have straight access to the 250 lumen output for the high mode, and then a 600 or 700 lumen turbo mode. The light pretty quickly gets almost too hot to hold in the 850 lumen turbo mode.

[JD Spydo]

Oh I agree with you "uraarguy">> when it comes to batteries whether they be "rechargeable or disposable" I only use high quality Surefire Lithium Ion. I've only been using the Surefire "Rechargeable" batteries for about 4 months now >> and they are the rechargable batteries I get directly from Surefire themselves. The disposable 123-A batteries I use are the official Surefire brand that I also get directly from Surefire themselves. I've been extremely picky about my flashlight batteries for a long time now. I did use some "DuraCell" lithium ion 123-A batteries that a good friend of mine gave me last year and the dozen of them I used in my Surefire E2d Defender model I had no problem with at all. But I do agree with you that being particular about the quality of the batteries you use is an important factor.

That's one of the main reasons I've stayed a faithful customer of Surefire products. And Surefire has always been great to me with their customer service department. Now I have nothing against some of the lower priced flashlights that have hit the market. Again I've been impressed with Fenix and Four Sevens >> but overall the flashlights I use on a daily basis that I like the best are my Surefire units for the most part.

I'm just a bit disappointed that so few guys here at Spyderville say anything good about Surefire>> that wasn't the case even as recent as 5 years ago :confused: .

[Sharp Guy]

I received my orders from Olight yesterday. Along with a great price for the lights and an additional $10 off each order they through in a gift bag for each order with a card, sticker, and another goodie in each one. I'm not sure we'll use the two sheaths for the I3Es but the battery charger is kind of cool. Never saw one like this before.

[ChrisinHove]

I agree mate. Fun as it is to play around with different modes, I always go back to simple. The last build I did uses a driver with literally 100 odd programmable modes and I usually have it set at a simple low, med, high. Speaking of which if you are keen to try a triple with a simple user interface, the Jaxman e2l is low, med, high.
Ramping UI is simple too and probably my favourite, it’s very intuitive. Hold to increase or decrease light.

An Emisar D4 landed on my doormat today. I had to rob an unprotected 18650 from the Mrs’ powerbank to test it*, but wow! I got the Nichia version with opaque lens, largely because I want to try using it as a illumination source for work photos using an iPad.

You’re right about the ramping ui - very nice amount of control.

*I’ve just ordered a Sony vtc6 battery. Every 18650 I have is protected.

[Sharp Guy]

Every 18650 I have is protected.

I'm curious what you mean by "protected".

[ChrisinHove]

Every 18650 I have is protected.

I'm curious what you mean by "protected".

Some cells have little protection circuits to ... errrr...

“Protected Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) batteries have a small electronic circuit integrated into the cell packaging. This circuit protects the battery against common dangers, such as overcharge, over discharge, short circuit/over current, and temperature. Protected batteries are safer to use in your devices.”

They make them taller as well.

[ugaarguy]

Well, I'm reviving this.

Shortly after Christmas I got that Olight M2R, in neutral white no less - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0763F1S55/re ... UTF8&psc=1, with some Amazon gift cards I had. This is now the light I carry everywhere, all the time. It lives on my night stand at night too.

Earlier this week I got a Rofis R1 (also in neutral white) - https://www.amazon.com/Rofis-Multifunct ... 07CHB3PH5/, which may be an Olight Baton killer with the vari-angle head, included headband, and ability to charge stand 16340 batteries in body. The current $36 price (electronic American greenbacks) is also significantly less than the 16340 size Olight batons. This may get a CR123A lithium primary and go in my glove box.

Today, my Nitecore EC4GT arrived from Illumn - https://www.illumn.com/special-deals/ni ... umens.html. This light has a monolithic die cast aluminum body. The heat sinking affect of this body allows for long sustained run times in the high modes. The $35 closeout price was too good to pass up. This also scratched the itches of a multi 18650 light, and a fairly throwy beam, while allowing me to put one of this series of lights in my collection. If you buy batteries in pairs, they ship them in a really nice package too.

I'm not buying one myself, but Olight has another flash sale coming up for labor day too - https://www.olightstore.com/.

[JD Spydo]

There are a couple of Flashlight companies that about 4 years ago were both highly popular but now you don't hear much about either one of them. I'm speaking of Four Sevens and Streamlight. I never owned either one of them but had a couple of buddies that used to really be sold on both of those brands.
I guess there is a lot of change that has transpired in the flashlight market. Also as much as Surefire was leading the pack a few years back you don't hear many people bragging on them anymore either. I personally stick to Surefire because I've always been impressed with their durability and their customer service is second to none IMO. As well as being a "Made In The USA" company.
Also there used to be a flashlight forum a few years back. To the best of my memory I think it was "candlepower.com" or something like that. I wonder if you guys know of a great flashlight forum currently operating?

[wrdwrght]

Uh, http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forum.php

[JD Spydo]

Uh, http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forum.php

Thanks wrdwrght because it had been so long since I looked at that forum I couldn't remember the correct URL on it. A guy almost has to be a part of a forum like that to keep up with the changing technologies of flashlights. It's amazing to me how fast some of my older Surefire and Fenix units went virtually obsolete in such a short time. It seems like many flashlights these days have become obsolete in 3 years or less anymore.
I'm most definitely going to check it out. thanks again

[ugaarguy]

Uh, http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forum.php

Thanks wrdwrght because it had been so long since I looked at that forum I couldn't remember the correct URL on it. A guy almost has to be a part of a forum like that to keep up with the changing technologies of flashlights. It's amazing to me how fast some of my older Surefire and Fenix units went virtually obsolete in such a short time. It seems like many flashlights these days have become obsolete in 3 years or less anymore.
I'm most definitely going to check it out. thanks again

Also take a look at http://budgetlightforum.com/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/flashlight/ .

[wrdwrght]

Uh, http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forum.php

Thanks wrdwrght because it had been so long since I looked at that forum I couldn't remember the correct URL on it. A guy almost has to be a part of a forum like that to keep up with the changing technologies of flashlights. It's amazing to me how fast some of my older Surefire and Fenix units went virtually obsolete in such a short time. It seems like many flashlights these days have become obsolete in 3 years or less anymore.
I'm most definitely going to check it out. thanks again

Also take a look at http://budgetlightforum.com/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/flashlight/ .

Yep, innovations—mostly Chinese I sense—in circuitry, battery chemistry, and form-factor have become so rapid that you need the benefit of other eyes to brighten what your own might see.

Fenix and ZebraLight have been my go-tos for quite a few years.

And to the original question, I like the Fenix LD02 V2.0.