Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Expensive flashlights - why?

To me, the same question can be asked about $400 hunting knives and $2000 rifle scopes etc. The simple answer is there's a market for them. Lots of folks with the coin simply want the best and think that's what they are buying sometimes they are and sometimes they are wasting money. That said, it's sure nice having more choices than fewer.

Yes, they are. The Streamlights are good also.

The energy shortage created by our government.

Neat idea, who sells it???:)

Lowes (and probably some other folks ) have ball caps with the lights build in. $20 or so and very convenient, frees up both hands.

I have several Mag lights. I have upgraded to the LED versions, as the battery life is so much longer.

I did break down and buy a Surefire 6PX as a gift. Not cheap but it does at least have a machined case, with a nice strike bezel

Why do you care what anyone else does?

YOU are probably not missing anything. If you're happy with a $30 flashlight by all means use it.

That doesn't make it wrong for someone else to choose to buy a more expensive light than what you're comfortable spending if they feel like it.

(Why is it people seem to want everyone to make the same decisions they make?)

When it comes to flashlights, I can have whatever flashlight I want. What I like, because it gives me the most light for the weight and bulk, is a silly ass $20 Coleman I got through Amazon on a whim. It's an LED light that runs on 3 AAA batteries in a cartridge rather than stacking end to end. Fits in a pocket, don't even know its there, and it puts out more light than my 4D cell mag light.

On the other hand, if I were hanging a flashlight on a handgun that had some recoil, I might well want one of those higher $$ lights in hopes they'd not fail under recoil.

I spent about $20 on two flashlights from Costco, TechLite Lumen Master. Crazy bright, tough, had them for a couple years and still going. Think they're rated at 160 lumens. If the high-end ones work for you, cool. I'll stick with my $10 ones.

it's Cree, named after the inventor. They have moved most production to China now anyway.

In 1980 I was a rookie cop making 10K a year. I spent $80.00 of that on a Streamlight SL-20 (think four c-cell) rechargeable. It was much brighter than any Mag-lite or Kel-lite made at the time and, while smaller and easier to carry, still stout enough to thump someone when the need arose.

It now hangs in it's charger on my workshop wall, I used it a week ago.

I replaced it with a Surefire around 2000 that I think I paid over a hundred for. That has sat on my nightstand since I retired.

There's no problem buying the cheaper ones to use around the house or camping but your priorities are different when your life depends on it.

Here's the intelligent answer to why ask for anyone else's opinion or experience.

Two ways to put it, if you don't you inevitably find that you could have had twice the bang for the buck for half the money.

The other perspective is that there always people who try everything on the market that have way more money than time and can direct you right to the thing that is the best for the money.

I guess I'm just one of those guys who always researches and asks for opinions and just happens to consistantly get some of the best chit on the market. I like it that way.

Buy yourself a 2 , 4 or 6 cell MagLite and this is all you need in a flash light that will last a life time if you halve way take care of it.

As flashlights those 6 D-cell Maglites make excellent clubs.

Got a 3D maglight I've had around 15 years, always rode in door pocket of the pickup.
Think I put a bulb in it maybe once, used it a lot. Did always ask myself though, why the hell I didn't get a 2 or 4 cell - dang batteries always came in even numbered packs and always had an odd one left. Thought it got lost the other day, got a 2D LED.
Sheeit what a difference! Love it. Then found the old one in the camper - woo hoo.

have 4 and 6 d-cell maglights with LED bulbs in the vehicles, partly cause push comes to shove they are a handy club and ive made sure the wife and girls are aware and think of them that way aswell....plus their larger size means they are easy to spot in a dim vehicle when your looking for them....really do like the LED bulbs over the old ones, lots brighter and the batteries last forever.....

as to the smaller expensive ones, not tried them, havent been able to justify $100 on a flashlight....maybe some day ill try one for myself, do like trying out new things...

Try looking for a wounded hog in thick cover at nite and you will see why the $300 light is better.
Most of the expensive lites throw a white beam while the Mag-Lite uses a yellow beam.
My Olight will shine 750yds and light up the woods at night.
It will also blind an intruder at nite for several minutes.
About the size of a 2D-cell Mag-lite with 1/2 the weight, runs on rechargable batts., and cost less than $150.
The Mag-Lite does make a better club.

Coach

I had an old Maglite in which I put a new generation LED replacement bulb and it's just as bright as a lot of the super expensive ones are today. Many times brighter than the original Maglite bulb.

I have the 6 D Cell Maglite that sits by the front door and the 2 C Cell Maglite i carry in my truck. Both are great lights.

Coach: I have looked for and found things far more dangerous than a wounded hog in thick cover and done so at night. I put in more time working in the dark than most anyone except whores and coal miners. I appreciate a good flashlight more than most and for the record, for my purposes Maglites do not cut it. I have run stream lights for over 20 years and have used surefires and inovas as well, total cost of all would be about $300. Have not used an Olight though, I'm not sure 750 yrds of illumination would be necesary for me. I damn sure couldn't hit something that far, not with a pistol anyway .

Last year I went thru this flashlight thing.
It was a real education!
I have been a 'maglight' kind of guy, but I put my cash ($130) on a Fenix TK41.
Three handy light modes, on it's high power setting 800lumens (what ever they are), walking the fence line I could easily illuminate a target at 200 yards.
The light uses 8 AA's. I use rechargeable NiMh.
Highly recommend the TK41 if you have that kind of need.

Cree.

I won't put myself up as an expert, but I own probably two-dozen flashlights and am up for buying the latest and best technology I can afford.

Maglights were great a couple of decades back. They are still as good as they ever were, unfortunately back then there were none better but now there are. Surefires are the same way. I'm not sure you're right Sam, about the Chinese stealing the technology in this case. I'm no fan of them, but the very latest technology for the everyday guy, seems to be coming off of ebay and the like and in the form of the Cree stuff, etc. Rominsen that somebody mentioned is a good brand too.

I keep flashlights to hand almost everywhere and won't go anywhere in a vehicle without a couple of good ones. I don't bother with extra batteries for the vehicle lights because I try to keep the ones in the lights fresh and figure spares would be dead too, if I needed them.

I bought a 400 lumen light awhile back. I have no idea what the batteries are called, but I got two with it and a recharger. I also bought two more extras. I haven't run out of the first charge yet. It's awesome. Cost about $100, all told.

For everyday, in the truck and around the house, I've mainly got Sam's Club lights that will take three AAA's and are around 100 lumens in their latest incarnation. They cost about $15 apiece, usually coming in a two pack for $30 with wrist lanyards and 6 AAA's included. The latest ones have some mini lights to put on your keychain with them. Lately they've been going by the "Rocky" brand, but before that they were something else.

Surefires are great, but like Maglights before them, IMO they've been passed technology-wise. They're now over-expensive and under-teched. The only thing going for them is that they're made here. That's a big plus, but still...

Pelican light, submersible 500 ft, 2 or 3 c-cell, bright as he'll, abt 26 bucks.