Hey all - I know there's a wealth of info on here about great lights.  I figured I'd tap directly into the hive for this one - looking for a flashlight for my dad and GF's dad for Christmas - what's the best value for around $30?

Thanks, all.

I like the stream light PolyTAC LED.  I've gotten them for under $30 several times from LA Police gear.  They've held up great and they're cheap enough to buy several, which I really liked.

I have seveal solorforce lights and have been pretty happy with them. They don't seem to have any "fantom" voltage drain issues.
There may be some other comparable brands; you could check the candlepower forums for more options or try batterystation.com.
Good luck and Have a Nice Christmas!

I have a polytac mounted on my helmet but if it's for edc I like my Fenix ld15

Palmetto state just listed polytacs on clearance for 14.99 I just ordered 3.

I like my Fenix.

Thanks- I think....

Your post just cost me $150.00  

They also had an blackhawk offset light mount for 4.99

Do you have a clip for this light? I just got one and am on the lookout for something.

Crap.. I didn't see the mount!

im pretty sure these are the older version that are 130lm single output (on off) the new ones have more aggressive  ridges  on the body, 3 settings (including  strobe), 275lm and a pocket clip. Stremlight uses the same 88850 for both versions. So being that these are on clearance do not expect the newer 3mode higher lm version. But ive rocked version one on my fire helmet for over 3yrs and still kicking. For 14.99 its unbeatable!

The black aces mount for fire helmet  is what ive used. You can get them at fire store or ebay/amazon. Just blue loctite the screws!

Fenix e20 or e25. High lumen, tough body, runs on 2x AA's

I would recommend you look at AA lights because that makes batteries easy for them.  With that in mind...

Best EDC Light for under $30
These are small, single AA lights that fit well in a pocket.  They don't have clips or anything else that would chew your pants up.  It is simple to use 3 modes (click to switch brightness).  Not exactly a "tactical" light.
Fenix E12
Just learned that if you order through Fenix Store, you can get $10 off an order of $50 or more by signing up for their news letter.
The one thing I DON'T like about this light is that the lens is plastic.  It's more durable than previous generations, but I can tell you that keeping it in a pocket with keys was a bad idea.

The next step up from there is a Fenix LD09.  Same internals, but more tactical, has a clip, has more modes, and has a glass lens (more durable).  They are also come in at around $36.  Again, with the coupon code I mentioned above, you get closer to your $30 each if you order two, and with free shipping.

Also note that BatteryJunction has these lights with 15% off total order and free shipping.

Another good option is the Four Sevents Mini MA which is on sale right now for $28.  Four Sevens lights are higher quality than Fenix.

If you want to go right at $30, and want to look at a CR123 style light, the Four Sevens Quark QPL/C could be a good choice.  Available with and without a permanent clip.

Also, there is the Fenix E15, another CR123 light for EDC pocket carry.

Best of luck!

Look up ThruNite on amazon. They make great lights for the money.

fleshlights cost a little more than 30 bucks

Bite ore mt21a. Runs on AA's and can sometimes be found for $20-25 on sale. Usually it's $30+

Thanks guys - sure appreciate all the great feedback!  Have a great Christmas, all.

Make sure to get a flashlight with a pocket clip. It comes in handy. The Fenix LD09 is a very good flashlight that runs on AA's.

I've carried a Fenix E15 ever since my old Fenix P1 died; several years now. It's not only my most-used flashlight, it's my most-used tool, period. I'm not generally a fan of multi-mode flashlights, but in this case it's fine. Turns on default at 'medium' of 80 lumens which is fine for most things, and can be then turned up to 170 or down to something like 10-15 lumens. Runs over four hours (more than a month in my use) on a single CR123 on 80-lumen mode and is small & smooth enough to ride on my keyring every day. And it's $29.99 at battery junction

http://www.batteryjunction.com/fenix-e15.html

Half again your budget, but I've been very impressed with my Streamlight Protac 2L

I work a rotating shift in an industrial setting, and a quality light weight flashlight is a must.  I've used mine hard, and it has given me no trouble.  Very bright, decent runtime (on 17670 rechargables) and has held up well.

Good to know you like it. I ordered one of these for my girlfriends dad. He is a fedex driver and I am sure can use a flashlight all the time especially in the winter when it is dark more often. I have a PD35 I have been happy with but its a little big for a handy EDC. I got the E15 in the mail today but did not take it out of the package. I have a feeling other people who see it are going to want one too. (my girlfriend)

I'm going to second the Solarforce option.T1 is $25.00 shipped at 505 lumens and I haven't broke it yet.
http://solarforceflashlight-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=LF&s=26&id=569




 

came here to post that...I don't know if I'd expect before Christmas though

I don't expect anything from psa quickly!  But I'll take cheap over fast, cause you ain't gonna get both.

+3.

Although it works great with a single 18650 rechargeable cell, it also accepts a pair of ordinary RC123 cells - and has decent run-time with them.

It's also small and thin enough to fit nicely in a headband.



They only charge $2 for shipping, so the final price is just $25.

I like the one I use for EDC so much, I ended up getting a couple more.

Fenix makes some very nice lights for around $30 plus they make several that use AA

Anyone use  Coast  flashlights? They have them at home depot and seem pretty bright.

Just had two delivered yesterday from Amazon.

It puts out a very bright light, I was impressed with it.

I have a Streamlight 88030 that I compared it to and it was close to this in output.