So I have been kicking around the idea of getting one for a while. There's a few reasons why I haven't, but I decided this last weekend I may as well. We went on a float trip, and one stop we made was at a cave. Went inside with my wife's uncle and went pretty far back, using 2 maglites. They gave a decent amount of light off, but I banged my head into an unseen rock at one point. Decided on the way out of the cave I'd buy a nicer flashlight. We've been camping a few times, and each time when it gets dark, I would wish I had a brighter/better flashlight. I've got a 4 or 5 D cell maglite now. It generally gets the job done, but surefire flashlights have great reputations and I think I will get one.

So I've not gotten one yet because mainly they are too retardedly expensive. As nice as they may be, $100+ for a flashlight is too damn much. My grandfather gave me a hundred bucks a couple weeks ago for some computer work I did for him, and I think I'll spend that on the flashlight. So now that I can justify the cost, I run into the other problem. The batteries. I don't like the idea of special little batteries that only last an hour or so. Yeah, I know the shelf life is long, and they are probably great batteries, but if I spend over a hundred bucks on a flashlight I don't want to think about how much money it's costing me to play with it when I'm out camping.

So this is what I've decided to go with:
http://store.kbcamera.com/8nx415.html

http://store1.yimg.com/I/yhst-36737137308290_1857_8523896

It's the cheapest of the rechargeable flashlights out there. I compared the rechargeables, and this flashlight is as powerful as the 8AX. It doesn't have the fancy aluminium body, but I don't really care too much about that as long as it's just as bright. This site has free shipping and the prices at every site online are all the same, so if this one gives free shipping, then I'll go with it.

So just looking for some feedback… If anyone has had good/bad experiences I'd love to hear them.

Surefire's flashlights are meant for a very specific purpose, namely extremely bright light for rapid threat identification. They have no equal at what they are designed for.

If you want a general purpose light, buy a maglite.

I have that exact light.  The rechargable battery dies in about 45 minutes.  It is a nice light though.  I have had it for a long time and still use it quite a bit.

I also have an Elektrolumens XM-3.  It's a LED light that uses 2 AA batteries.  It puts out a little less light, but runs longer and uses easy to replace AA batteries.  I've been using it for about 4 months.  It is a great light and it's less expensive

Best of luck with whatever you choose.

Buck

You might want to consider a Pentagon flashlight. I just bought an X2 Xenon from Talon Arms, a dealer on ARFCOM, and while you may want one with a longer life like the Xs multi-LED, it was impressive nonetheless. It also came in at under $60 shipped to my door, including a decent ARFCOM member discount.

Quoted: I also have an Elektrolumens XM-3.  It's a LED light that uses 2 AA batteries.  It puts out a little less light, but runs longer and uses easy to replace AA batteries.  I've been using it for about 4 months.  It is a great light and it's less expensive

+1 on the Elektrolumens (I've had mine almost a year now)  Great light.

Another good one is the Inova T-3.  It's another LED light that puts out 85Lumens (more than the XM-3 or the Basic Surefires) and runs 2 hours on a pair of CR123s.

I love my Surefires as Tactical & Weapon lights - but for general handheld duty there are other options.

Quoted: Surefire's flashlights are meant for a very specific purpose, namely extremely bright light for rapid threat identification. They have no equal at what they are designed for. If you want a general purpose light, buy a maglite.

+1

Additionally, maglites pack a wallop to boot.

$200 for a Glock "tactical" flashlight... no thanks

Quoted: Quoted: Surefire's flashlights are meant for a very specific purpose, namely extremely bright light for rapid threat identification. They have no equal at what they are designed for. If you want a general purpose light, buy a maglite. +1 Additionally, maglites pack a wallop to boot.

I you want a general purpose woods, cave, whatever light I would go LED.  

You can get a long run time and bright light.  I have a Surefire L1 and it's a cool light, only takes one battery, the L2 looks pretty cool too and it's very bright.  Both of these lights have a two stage switch, like the A2 Aviator, so you get a low intensity beam along with a higher intensity beam.


ETA:  Oh yea as for experiences.  The only experience I have with rechargeables is Streamlight, I carry my Strion everday and am fairly happy with it.

Remember these DL123-battery flashlight with the incandesant lamps, have a run-time around an hour or so. The Surefire G2, Streamlight Scropion etc would probably serve you better, you can buy a bunch of DL123 cells from Surefire for about $1 each.

Quoted: I you want a general purpose woods, cave, whatever light I would go LED.   You can get a long run time and bright light.  I have a Surefire L1 and it's a cool light, only takes one battery, the L2 looks pretty cool too and it's very bright.  Both of these lights have a two stage switch, like the A2 Aviator, so you get a low intensity beam along with a higher intensity beam. ETA:  Oh yea as for experiences.  The only experience I have with rechargeables is Streamlight, I carry my Strion everday and am fairly happy with it.

Based on the advice here and from earlier in the thread, I abandoned the rechargeable idea, and went with the L2 LED light. I like the fact that I can run it at a lower power for up to 18 hours, but still have the 100 lumen option.

When I got my L1 the dealer told me that the new style led has a better throw to it.  If I look at my L1 from the bezel end it doesn't look like other LED lights that I have.

Drove down to ADCO this afternoon and got a Gladius. I recommend you look into one as well. Less than an equivalend Surfire, but with a TON more features.

Dave

I have 2 Surefire GTZs and I love them.

I dont use them everyday so my batteries dont wear out that often. The only times they do is when I leave the push on cap on to tightly that when i put the light in its pouch on my IBA, the light stays on until it dies.

You can get a 12pk of batteries from Surefire for $15 plu shipping.

I use a surefire 6p as a general utility light that I carry everywhere with me at work.  Comes in handy, much more so than the much lesser maglite.

I install and maintain wireless internet access points, and a lot of them are installed on grain elevators around here.  One of them in particular has no lights in it, but that little 6p will light the inside of that think up like the sun.

I have several surefire weapons lights(m96's with 225 heads) and a G-2 and two E2D's. If you are on a budget, get the $19.00 Brinkman maxfire from Wally World. It uses the 123 batts, it is bright, pretty durable. Just my .02

Anyone tried the Inova T4 rechargeable?  It says it will put out 100 lumens and last for 2 hours.  I know it wont go for 2 hours at that rate, but how long till it goes below 50%?  It also says it will recharge in 1 hour, is this a full charge?

The Surefire rechargables generally give you about an hour's worht of light, so does a rechargeable MAgLite.

Mine died on me at a VERY inopportune moment, we ended up navigating out of a building with a pen lite, the kind you check pupils with and I've carried three lights on me since 1993.  The rechargeable Mag, a Surefire and a AA light of some type.

The battery lites are better. Surefires, even with the batts put you in the same boat, about an hour's worth of light, but you can carry extra batteries. There are lots of LED lites that offer good output for long periods of time.

I have a Surefire Aviator, 20 hours of LED with a white light too, that's good for an hour.

Quoted: Buy a SureFire G2 Nitrolon.  It's the ~$30 model to which Aimless referred.  Get a bunch of batteries. FWIW, you get what you pay for.  I couldn't imagine spending even $30 for a flashlight until I bought a G2.  It made me see the light (pun intended ).  I now have several SureFires, including an E2e I carry everyday.  Could not imagine going anywhere without it. If you carry a firearm for protection, you absolutely SHOULD carry a flashlight.  And train with the light!

+1
The batteries are cheap if you buy them from surefire, and they have a shelf life of over 10 years!
Surefire beats the shit out of any other flashlight I have ever owned.

Inova T4