brightest flashlight?

[j706]

I have the a Stremlight ProTac HL3 1000 lumens that I carry on my duty belt. It is a awesome light. It is super bright for perimeters and such but can be used on a lower setting for TS's and so on. The battery life is actually quite good for what it puts out. However I still keep spare battery's in my car. I also have the little brother to this big one in a weapons light mount. I think it is 750 lumen light.

I have had and still have various lights that I have purchased and were issued but these HL 3 type lights are my daily users.

Another nice thing IMO with the Streamlights is that the HL3 can be had for 80.00 or so. IMO I like that because I have been know to lose one before.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

I use the Streamlight Protac, no issues - very reliable - very bright, BUT buying those CR17345 (123 lithium) batteries is getting OLD FAST! Very expensive. According to the spec. sheet I can replace with a Moli (or equivalent) 18650 which is rechargeable. Anyone done that with a Protac?

 

[VUPDblue]

I have the a Stremlight ProTac HL3 1000 lumens that I carry on my duty belt. It is a awesome light. It is super bright for perimeters and such but can be used on a lower setting for TS's and so on. The battery life is actually quite good for what it puts out. However I still keep spare battery's in my car. I also have the little brother to this big one in a weapons light mount. I think it is 750 lumen light.

I have had and still have various lights that I have purchased and were issued but these HL 3 type lights are my daily users.

Another nice thing IMO with the Streamlights is that the HL3 can be had for 80.00 or so. IMO I like that because I have been know to lose one before.

I just started looking at that light thanks to your post. That looks like a pretty awesome setup, but the odd number of batteries may make it a no-go for me. If it could be run on 1 or 2 18650s then I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I just don't want to have to keep buying CR123s. I would much rather be able to have rechargeables.

 

[ghuns]

I'd look at Zebralight's new xhp series. They claim around 1300 lumens.

There goes 95 of my dollahs.

My SC52W, with a 14500 Li-ion, has been the flashlight I have ever bought. Thinkin I have pocket room for the SC600 MkIII. It's only .2" bigger in diameter and .8" longer.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

I just started looking at that light thanks to your post. That looks like a pretty awesome setup, but the odd number of batteries may make it a no-go for me. If it could be run on 1 or 2 18650s then I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I just don't want to have to keep buying CR123s. I would much rather be able to have rechargeables.

The streamlight protac is supposed to run on an 18650, according to their website, but I haven't done it with mine...has anyone else done it and can verify?

 

[rhino]

I use the Streamlight Protac, no issues - very reliable - very bright, BUT buying those CR17345 (123 lithium) batteries is getting OLD FAST! Very expensive. According to the spec. sheet I can replace with a Moli (or equivalent) 18650 which is rechargeable. Anyone done that with a Protac?

I haven't with that light, but I've been impressed by the 18650 in my Fenix UC35.

Some lights will actually produce more light with the 18650 than they will with a pair of CR123As. Sometimes the advertised specs are only achieved with the 18650. Your mileage may vary.

I just started looking at that light thanks to your post. That looks like a pretty awesome setup, but the odd number of batteries may make it a no-go for me. If it could be run on 1 or 2 18650s then I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I just don't want to have to keep buying CR123s. I would much rather be able to have rechargeables.

<cough> Fenix UC35 <cough!>

You can get a rechargeable equivalent of the CR123A too. They tend to outperforms the CR123As in lights like the Fenix PD22 UE by about 25% in terms of max lumens.

 

[VUPDblue]

I haven't with that light, but I've been impressed by the 18650 in my Fenix UC35.

Some lights will actually produce more light with the 18650 than they will with a pair of CR123As. Sometimes the advertised specs are only achieved with the 18650. Your mileage may vary.




<cough> Fenix UC35 <cough!>

You can get a rechargeable equivalent of the CR123A too. They tend to outperforms the CR123As in lights like the Fenix PD22 UE by about 25% in terms of max lumens.

I was perusing around the web and read that the rechargeable version of the CR123 was inferior to the non-rechargeable version. Now I'm cornfused.

 

[rhino]

I was perusing around the web and read that the rechargeable version of the CR123 was inferior to the non-rechargeable version. Now I'm cornfused.

Allow me to be specific: I was referring solely to the light intensity available in certain lights, specifically some that use a single CR123A like the PD22 UE. It's capable of 550 lumens . . . but only with the rechargeable.

I can't address other significant factors such as run time and self-discharge rate.

 

[VUPDblue]

Allow me to be specific: I was referring solely to the light intensity available in certain lights, specifically some that use a single CR123A like the PD22 UE. It's capable of 550 lumens . . . but only with the rechargeable.

I can't address other significant factors such as run time and self-discharge rate.

OK, so with my Peacekeeper, I keep 3 18650s in my car, one in the light and 2 chillin in the door pocket next to their charger. This works pretty well for me. If I went with the ProTac HL3, it takes 3 123A batteries. Ideally, I'd like to keep at least one "reload" of batteries with me like I do for my current light. Are you saying that the rechargeable 123As would not be inferior batteries to use in that light?

 

[rhino]

OK, so with my Peacekeeper, I keep 3 18650s in my car, one in the light and 2 chillin in the door pocket next to their charger. This works pretty well for me. If I went with the ProTac HL3, it takes 3 123A batteries. Ideally, I'd like to keep at least one "reload" of batteries with me like I do for my current light. Are you saying that the rechargeable 123As would not be inferior batteries to use in that light?

Unknown! I'm sorry, but I don't have direct experience and I haven't done the research on that application.

If you got one of the lights that recharges via USB, you could keep it charging all the time.

 

[Indy60]

My favorite for a small F.L. that uses 3 AAA batteries is the NEBO Redline 5581, 220 Lumens LED. The only thing I did not like is the trademark red plastic ring in the barrel that lights up. Take a thin piece of electrical tape and mask the ring and you have a really nice insanely bright
small pocket flashlight.

 

[bwframe]

I don't know how folks can use anything but rechargeable batteries?

 

[j706]

I would prefer to not be required to buy battery's either. However my experience has been that you will have to buy battery's whether you go rechargeable or throw away. I have a LED Surefire light issued to me. I forget the model number but it it about 10" long. If I had to guess it is around 500 lumen or so. It has a decent run time also. Problem is with steady use the rechargeable battery last but about 18 months and the run time goes to crap. They are pricey to replace even going through battery's plus instead of Surefire.

With my present lights I shop ebay for CR123's. I buy Surefires only. My last purchase was 10 boxes of 12 each for 129.00 shipped. I keep a box in my door so they are readily available. I made that purchase in Feb. and I still have 8 full boxes left. Also all of my stuff uses CR123 so I have more than one thing using them. Not to mention having to give other guys a few from time to time.

With this larger output Streamlight if you are anything like me you will use the low setting most of the time. Believe me when I say that you do not want to be using the thing on max when dealing with a TS because people will be complaining. The thing on max is literally that bright. I was on a permiter last month watching a fence line that was about 350 yards away. I had no problem whatsoever keeping that fence line lighted up. I was on that thing for 5 hours and replaced the battery's once. The ones I replaced had been running for a good two months worth of work.

My point is these things do not eat battery's like many people think.

 

[oldpink]

I would prefer to not be required to buy battery's either. However my experience has been that you will have to buy battery's whether you go rechargeable or throw away. I have a LED Surefire light issued to me. I forget the model number but it it about 10" long. If I had to guess it is around 500 lumen or so. It has a decent run time also. Problem is with steady use the rechargeable battery last but about 18 months and the run time goes to crap. They are pricey to replace even going through battery's plus instead of Surefire.

With my present lights I shop ebay for CR123's. I buy Surefires only. My last purchase was 10 boxes of 12 each for 129.00 shipped. I keep a box in my door so they are readily available. I made that purchase in Feb. and I still have 8 full boxes left. Also all of my stuff uses CR123 so I have more than one thing using them. Not to mention having to give other guys a few from time to time.

With this larger output Streamlight if you are anything like me you will use the low setting most of the time. Believe me when I say that you do not want to be using the thing on max when dealing with a TS because people will be complaining. The thing on max is literally that bright. I was on a permiter last month watching a fence line that was about 350 yards away. I had no problem whatsoever keeping that fence line lighted up. I was on that thing for 5 hours and replaced the battery's once. The ones I replaced had been running for a good two months worth of work.

My point is these things do not eat battery's like many people think.

I should point out that not all batteries are of equal quality.
If you invest the bit extra in decent batteries, with the likes of AW, Orbotronic, and others that use Panasonic cells with decent components, you will get excellent run time and lifespan of the battery.
Use crap like anything with "Fire" in the name, and you'll have terrible results.

 

[bwframe]

I should point out that not all batteries are of equal quality.
If you invest the bit extra in decent batteries, with the likes of AW, Orbotronic, and others that use Panasonic cells with decent components, you will get excellent run time and lifespan of the battery.
Use crap like anything with "Fire" in the name, and you'll have terrible results.

I've apparently had different results. I actually look for UltraFire brand. I have 3/4 18650's saved for emergency that are years old. They showed no signs of degrading, but were replaced just in case.

 

[ghuns]

Use crap like anything with "Fire" in the name, and you'll have terrible results.

Meh, I've got a pair of UltraFire 18650s that came in a cheap Chinese headlamp. Been pretty happy with them.

Alternate a pair of these of these...



In my ZebraLight. Swap them out about once a week. And I use the light a lot.

 

[z96Cobra]

I used to EDC a SureFire U2 Ultra because I loved the ability to turn the dial & increase/decrease the brightness. A year or 2 ago I switched to a Nitecore SRT7.

It has the same style of adjustable brightness/intensity, from about 5 lumens up to 1000 lumens. The SRT7 also has RGB LEDs in the bezel should you need those colors.

If you don't like the "gimmick" of the colored LEDs, the SRT6 is basically the same light without them and it has a slightly smaller diameter bezel. I own the SRT6 as well, but like the extra LEDs at times. I mainly run 18650s but occasionally will use CR123s.

My SRT7 is used daily at work and is banged up & scratched from being dropped & used. It hasn't given me any issues yet. There are other lights in the Nitecore SRT series as well.