I know this has been kicked around before, but I really want to be sure before I drop $3k on a pair of night vision that I'm not going to like.

I want a pair of Gen 3 night vision which are going to last me for a LONG time.  I don't forsee me ever attaching it to a weapon, so that's not really important to me.   I work for a rural PD, and would like to get it for surveillance.  

Looking at the PVS14 or the PVS7, or any other model you guys in the know can recommend.

All opinions would be appreciated.

I've used both 14's and 17's pretty extensively. I was also fortunate enough to be able to do so before purchasing my own unit. In the end I went with the 14 due to it's extreme versatility over the 17's.

There is also the new mini monocular from them that is worth your time to research and look at prior to spending your money.

ITT's tubes (the F9815 and MX-11769 used in PVS-14's) are rated for 10,000 hrs. minimum reliability. Here's a link that'll lead to some more info. Since all electronics have a limited lifespan don't expect these to last a lifetime. IMHO, if you're going to be using night vision with a lot of light pollution then GenIII is the way to go.