Flashlight addiction??

[Scott Douglas]

I'm addicted to the ones HF gives away. I missed the free one over the holiday dang it.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by vash

please reference my money&wives thread.

i have a knife problem and a flashlight problem. like i have a bunch of boxes to open in a very dark place.

my poor wife. she has a surefire defender in her purse and school backpack. all of our cars have surefire nitrolon..G2 or G3 (the 3 is for very dark nights)..my house has 2 stinger polystingers..and my truck has a 5.11 flashlight just in case the 3 is not enough.

the new regular AA battery flashlights coming out are awesome. inexpensive and awesome.

i have issues.

I didn't think tyhe 5.11 was all that great. It was not too bright. We have a bunch of G2s hanging around the various trucks and tool boxes on the job. Tell me about the G3s will ya? I found the G2 LED to be just the right size and weight. it could be a little brighter because I am tired of getting under the house. With these flash lights, no more getting under there. I can see everything from the outside. they are worth its weight in gold.

[rusnak]

I've got an LED Lenser that has become my go to light. And the Streamlight HID Litebox.

[speeder]

Was about to invest in a streamlight Stinger rechargeable, any opinions? My buddy uses them exclusively at his shop for inspecting and working on cars. They are better than bulkier fluorescent lights and pretty bright. I would use it for the same thing.

Is there anything better or cheaper? WhAt are the Surefires?

[rusnak]

Dennis, check out the LED stinger, or the Lenser. I'll see if I can take pics later if anyone wants to see them.

[vash]

Originally Posted by speeder

Was about to invest in a streamlight Stinger rechargeable, any opinions? My buddy uses them exclusively at his shop for inspecting and working on cars. They are better than bulkier fluorescent lights and pretty bright. I would use it for the same thing.

Is there anything better or cheaper? WhAt are the Surefires?

best shop light ever. even the Snap-On trucks carry the replacement batteries. i have had one flashlight since 1997..only needed on battery replacement.

surefires typically use expensive batteries..those CR123 things.

[VINMAN]

I have a couple of those Stinger rechargeables. They are the best. Only issue with them is you need to run the batteries all the way down every so often or they wont last.

[azasadny]

My BIL is into knives, flashlights, guns, optics, climbing out outdoor gear, etc... He really loves that stuff and apparently a lot of other people do too...

[KFC911]

I'm a flashlight novice...I have one Maglite 3D. What would you guys recommend that would throw a "spotlight" beam out say 30-40 yards. Ideally. the beam would be adjustable, but I don't want to break the bank. I've got a coyote that's taken up residence behind my property, and the Maglite isn't reaching out adequately enough for me to deal with it properly .

[vash]

Originally Posted by KC911

I'm a flashlight novice...I have one Maglite 3D. What would you guys recommend that would throw a "spotlight" beam out say 30-40 yards. Ideally. the beam would be adjustable, but I don't want to break the bank. I've got a coyote that's taken up residence behind my property, and the Maglite isn't reaching out adequately enough for me to deal with it properly .

i think they still sell the NON LED version of the Surefire Nitrolon G3. it is the plastic version of their aluminum torches. tough, economical..and every bit as bright as their high end alum lights. the guts are the same. about $50. takes their kinda expensive CR123 batteries, which ironically i think are pretty cheap straight from surefire.

bonus is the batteries store better than any of the regular batteries. makes it great for an emergency light. i have the non led version and it really throws a beam out there. the LED version which is very bright, but i dont know about distance is about $80..

if you are willing to spend $80 get the rechargeable streamlight stinger.

[vash]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

I have a couple of those Stinger rechargeables. They are the best. Only issue with them is you need to run the batteries all the way down every so often or they wont last.

actually, they say in the instructions NOT to run the battery all the way down. i am 80% sure about this.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by KC911

I'm a flashlight novice...I have one Maglite 3D. What would you guys recommend that would throw a "spotlight" beam out say 30-40 yards. Ideally. the beam would be adjustable, but I don't want to break the bank. I've got a coyote that's taken up residence behind my property, and the Maglite isn't reaching out adequately enough for me to deal with it properly .

Check out the LED Lenser. I have the one that comes in the plastic case and has the magnetic charger.

It has an adjustable beam, very bright, and a lithium ion battery so there is no memory. This is a bad-ass little flashlight. Just as powerful as the LED Stinger, but smaller.

I also have a very bright HID Litebox that you can use for area lighting, but that one is definitely not cheap.

[speeder]

OK, I'm about to pull the trigger on this one but can't seem to find the dimensions on the listing or at the Streamlight website. Are they all the same size? I want the ones that we use at the shop, they are about in between a full-sized flashlight and a mini. (If that makes sense). You can stuff it in your pocket but it's a little on the big side?

Amazon.com: Streamlight 75014 Stinger Rechargeable Flashlight with Charger, Black: Home Improvement

[rusnak]

It's a little on the big side. I really need to post pics. Smaller is better. Smaller and brigher is best.

[rusnak]

Rechargeable Flashlights by LED Lenser

Stinger® Series | Streamlight

Here are some links, which include light output, dimensions, etc. The LED Lenser is around 20 lumens brighter than the LED Stinger, and around 2.5 inches shorter. If I can find my Lenser, then I can post pics of my Stingers and the Lenser side by side. But dangit, can't find it. Might have left it at the house on Memorial Day.

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by vash

actually, they say in the instructions NOT to run the battery all the way down. i am 80% sure about this.

Who the hell reads instructions???

[speeder]

Originally Posted by rusnak

Rechargeable Flashlights by LED Lenser

Stinger® Series | Streamlight

Here are some links, which include light output, dimensions, etc. The LED Lenser is around 20 lumens brighter than the LED Stinger, and around 2.5 inches shorter. If I can find my Lenser, then I can post pics of my Stingers and the Lenser side by side. But dangit, can't find it. Might have left it at the house on Memorial Day.

Thanks. I had found that page but didn't see dimensions or model #s, (on the Streamlight page).

[rusnak]

You have to click the individual model on the Streamlight website.

Here's a great flashlight, the LED Stinger. I have it, and the light output appears to be identical to the LED Lenser, but as I mentioned, it's larger, heavier, and does not have a lithium ion battery. Stinger® Series - Stinger® LED | Streamlight

[rusnak]

I have to add: there is no way you should buy a non-rechargable flashlight. The battery costs for alkaline batteries is a non-starter, and the light output if you buy ni-cad cell batteries and try to put them in a non-rechargable flashlight is really sucky.

[speeder]

I bought the one from the link I posted on Amazon, it's a good price even if it's the previous model. I'm at the shop right now and none of the Streamlights have model #s on them that I can see, just S/Ns. One of the guys thought that the one I found was the previous model but I don't care. I'm excited to have a real light and have already bookmarked their headlight on Amazon.

I can think of worse addictions than being able to see things in the dark. In Minneapolis about a week ago, I could have watched a fight between a big mean cat and a fox, (yes, you read that right), if I'd had a great flashlight handy.