I've seen these in stores and magazines for a long time now, and I've always wondered what the fuss was about. Is there something about a $300 surefire that makes it awesome? Do I need one? It seems like flashlights have come a long way since the minimag days, and you can get a pretty good light for $30 or so now.

What am I missing?

Nothing is what you're missing -i got into ounce counting backpacking and the high dollar lights are a waste of money.
A $20 Energizer headlight is just as good as the expensive lights -maybe they don't have an absolutely perfect amount of light distribution -blah blah blah --paying $70-80 dollars for a light made in france is a waste of money.
Mention tacticool and jack the price through the roof and people will be clammering for them..

the $300 a Surefire costs makes it awesome. Just ask the guy who spent $300 on one.
I've been inspecting aircraft for 30+ years and have never needed (nor wanted) more than a good MagLite; one AA and one DD.
For outdoors, those Energizer headlights work great.

I have a couple of Surefire look alike's that work great. At the moment, cannot afford a C note for a flashlight, but as was mentioned, the $30-40.00 ones are pretty darned good these days.

Bright nice flashlights are the bomb, being able to see not only in a daylight lit spot but a secondary peripheral that nothing could hide or move in is incredible.

The range of types of spot illumination is wide, some have a tight beam with no spillover and others have an inner spot with a secondary lit area that isn't as bright as the spot.

I invested $8000 in about 2008 trying everything available from Romison and Sunfire directly from the Chinese factories. I was giving samples to the big police departments and security firms in California and had some substantial orders on the table. I was going to have flashlights made to my specs under my name and order container loads of them, part of the deal was me becoming these factory's US master distributor as too many people were destroying the market selling at wholesale to the public.

When the economy tanked it wasn't an option for police departments to be upgrading their flashlights.

Go in Ebay and look at LED lights, for $150 you can get a 1600 lumen light that makes anything sold on this market look tired. For $220 you can get a 3500 lumen HID that will fry the hair on your arm and light up a circle two blocks away and make it look like daylight.

I live in the country and I wouldn't think about not having a great light.

Try Fenix lights; like Anschutz vs. CZ, they are 2/3 the product of the Surefire for 1/2 the cost.

Most of the very bright flashlights and headlamps do have some utility for search and rescue, mountain biking, climbing, etc.
I have a little German made light(Lupine) that puts out 500 lumens and is the size of a couple books of matches.
VERY bright, and the battery seems to last forever.

Paid around $300 for it-worth every penny, IME.

Why spend a lot of money on a flashlight when you'll probably lose it anyway.

I got this little feller last weekend as a prize and it's become my new favorite based on it's handy size and decent light output.
It's about 2/3 the length of a tube of chapstick and only slightly fatter. It has a 2 hour run time and plugs into any 12v cigarette lighter or power point. It's no Surefire, but it's handy as all hell and has a light output similar to a 2AA mini-maglite.

some folks think a Surefire is worth the freight. Some don't. Simple as that.
If you want an inexpensive flashlight, then buy one.

One of the nice things about this kind of stuff is how the technology "trickles down", that is, you can pay $$$ for a good light one year, and a couple of years down the line you can pick up something as good if not better for a fraction of the cost.
Win win!!

yeah, the Chinese steal the technology, make a copy cat, and we fall all over ourselves buying them, and forcing the American company to go out of business.

I hunt deer late in the day and also fish in some pretty nasty rocky areas after dark. At my age, I sure don't want to get hurt or stranded because I can't see where I'm going. I don't need anything expensive (flashlights, headlamps). I'd rather take spares that weigh almost nothing and feel like I've covered all the bases. Marty

Ahhh geeze, Sam!
I hadn't thought about it that way.

FWIW, the maker of the best/brightest LED bulbs in the world is an American company-Creed, I think the name is.
That's what kind of bulbs my little German light has, at least.

I bought a Surefire for about $30 with a leather scabbard a few years back that is very bright. I don't know what a $300 newer model would offer as far as brightness if it uses the same Surefire batery as my older model?
Some lights offer the blue/white colored light but I don't care for them.

I've got four Surefire flashlights. When I'm on a blood trail in thick cover when it is black dark, I want a reliable light that will turn night into day. That is why I buy Surefire.

RS

If you carry a handgun at night, I suggust you have a good quality flashlight on your person. My needs and application are different then the majority here. I carry a light be it night or day.

I have 5 Surefires, best thing since sliced bread.

No surefires here. I've got a streamlight and a bunch of maglites around and they're plenty good enough for me.

An expensive flashlight will give you excellent quality and a dented wallet. A less ex[pensive flashlight will give you (maybe) a little less quality and just as bright a light.

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.

Have you noticed the difference in quality and construction in Maglites from the 1980's and the ones sold now? My old 1980 model would suffice as a club ans be no worse for wear. The newer ones not so much.

Really? I didn't have one back then. Mine must date from the late eighties or early nineties. They are works of art...but now dated, kinda like the Selectric Typewriter. When did they start cheapening them up. I wouldn't be afeared to bludgeon somebody with mine. I guess I'll have to take a look at some of the new ones. I haven't bought one for years unless it was a little one. I figure I'd rather shoot somebody than beat them and I've got to where the smaller the light, the better, as long as you can see with it.

I'd gladly pay double for a Maglight or Surefire that was made here that had the features and brightness of the Chinese lights.

If you need serious azz light and don't want to carry around a spotlight the high end flashlights fill that niche, plain and simple.

Personally I prefer to keep a flashlight or two stashed in each vehicle, boat, packs, and around the house than have one or two high end lights that I don't remember where I left them. I also greatly prefer a headlamp over a flashlight so I have both hands free. One doesn't always need the most intense blinding light, so good flashlights fill most applications suitably.

PS, my budy gave me one of these for a Christmas present



Absolutely great when wrenching on stuff as you can get light into an engine compartment, and it has a magnet on the face of the light for picking up those dropped nuts and bolts.

I think I've got a 3 D and a 2 C.

I've got IIRC, three Surefires laying around here. One 6P stays atop a China Cabinet right by the front door. I think the other is down in the basement on top of the gunsafe and the Outdoorsman which is smaller, is out of order right now, needing a new lamp or bulb or some such. It will cost me as much to fix it as two of them Sam's Club lights that are brighter, take much longer-lasting batteries and cheaper to feed.

I carry a Streamlight Strion LED as a duty flashlight. That light will light up a very large area. It is absolutely blinding when shot into an inmates face. Plus it has a strobe function that disorients at close range.

Inside the locks I simply shine it on the ceiling. That lights up a cell like you flipped the light switch on.

I've got two SureFire mini flashlights in my suitcase. I was in Houston in 1983 or '84 when Hurricane Alisha passed over the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the downtown area (lots of damage and widespread power failures). I was on the 17th floor (long walk up after the electricity failed) and a small flashlight saved the day after the stair lighting went out (the batteries were exhausted after 24 hours). I bought these flashlights for just such emergencies and they've served me well.

I would not spend as much today as there are cheater alternatives on the market, but these have worked well.

we don't agree on much often, so when we do, it might be a clue for the rest of you fellers!

you can get a G2 Surefire for around $35 bucks or so, it's the nylon body which I prefer over the aluminum as sometimes if I'm doing repairs in the dark and it's the light I have to use I don't want a metal aluminum body to hold between my teeth or in a headband against my head in our temps we have up here. Also have a Streamlight that's metal but the barrel is housed in rubber so i can use it the same way.

They both are superior lights with a brightness that I find I can't match with lesser lights.

if you guys know of cheaper lights that have similar lumen output I'm all ears (or eyes in this case I reckon)


flashlights are a tool, I try and use a tool for the appropriate task at hand, I've got cheap flashlights I use all the time around the house or at the cabin

just like I have firearms of differing quality, some I'd bet my life on, some are just to make my life more fun.


the surefires and streamlights I own are used otherwise, but are mainly for air travel. If the lights go out in an emergency situation on a plane I want light I can count on.

Plus due to the ever encroaching travel restrictions, I can't even carry a pocket knife, pity that.

but I can carry a flashlight, and a good one can be a useful defensive tool.

if I'm confronted by someone that poses physical harm to me or my family, most likely they're armed with something more than a flashlight.

I've yet to see the guy that when I shine one of those lights in their eyes, that they don't blink or avert their gaze. It only takes a second, but a second is all I need to try and drive his adam's apple out the back of his throat.

If I can accomplish that, bad odds just shifted slightly in my favor.


I'm willing to spend $35-100 for that advantage, just like on a true defensive firearm, I don't care as much about price as I do quality and am willing to pay for it.

but I've long been a proponent of "buy what makes you happy"


tis what I do, and I don't really care if what I buy makes anyone else happy or not.

Got a couple of the Surfire G2's and a 6P LED, great lights and wish they would have been available years ago when I was still working. I do still have a Kel Light 4 d cell and a couple of Maglites as well.

i use a petzl led headlamp for outdoor and carry a 4 d cell maglite in the truck.

I too have a couple of early 70's model Kel lights. Here's to Don Keller of the LA Co. S.O who came up with the idea of making a strong metal flashlight vesus what was available at the time.

Your right Keith. We quit using Mag Lites here at work three or four years ago because they spent more time broken than in service, even brand new ones. Switched to Streamlights and have had very little problem. Had an older mag light that I lost about 10 yrs ago, was a great light. Bought one to replace it and it was a first class POS.

Bill

the polymer surefires are only thirty some bucks and they are well worth it. get one of them and a AA maglite on a dark night and compare....you won't have to ask why again.

http://cree.com/

Dude...

cree

+1 on this. Have one hanging on my BCD and one in the garage.
Pelican has a lifetime warranty to boot.

I've had the same flashlight and am damn impressed. Love that it uses rechargeables. I use Sanyo Eneloop in mine with great success.



Some other favorites of mine.



Dorcy 180 lumen.

I love the grip and it's yellow which makes it easy to find. Probably one of the best $20 flashlight you'll ever get. 4 AA abbteries.

http://www.amazon.com/Dorcy-41-4750..._1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330740651&sr=8-1




Smaller than the Fenix tk41 but just as powerful is the ThruHite TN11. Versatile with different attachment tubes for additional batteries(makes flashlight longer but better runtimes). For around $100, one of the best flashlight values you can find. Takes CR123 or 18650 batteries.

http://www.amazon.com/ThruNite-TN11..._1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330740828&sr=8-1




I don't have this but for you maglite fans, here's the new Maglight Pro Plus that runs on AA batteries. 245 lumens and it got good reviewss over at candlepower forums. About $30 which is a bargain. Will blow away your old maglites.

http://www.zbattery.com/Maglite-2AA-MiniMag-Pro-Plus-LED-Flashlight-Black

Wall thickness on the tube is half what it used to be. I gave my mini mags to the neighbor kids to play with. No use for something that won't work 100% of the time. Rather spend $35 on a Surefire G2 Nitrolon that does than $10 on one that doesn't.

Gee does Maglite make a weapon light?

You ought to try the flashlight on that link I gave Randy. You're not gaining anything on the Nitrolen because they're made in China anyway. I haven't seen them around here for $35 for a long, long time. More like $65. I gave my Nitrolen to a buddy several years ago. Do a search for Cree or Fenix on Amazon or Ebay and you'll come up with all sorts of cool flashlights.

Half my flashlights are buried someplace by the kids.

I have two Streamlight Jr LED lights and they're bright and slightly larger than a Minimag 2 AA battery size flashlight. They run $30-$40.

Got plenty.

Got some cheap ones...got some expensive ones...why? Because I want them.

I do think the LED Maglites are a step up, and given their battery life, I have little desire to look further.

glad you got a good one CY, but when you read the reviews quality seems spotty.

I'll be glad to purchase one for non emergency situations, but when I'm counting on one, I don't mind paying a bit more to get the reliability that often comes with a higher price tag.

the other thing I forgot to mention about the Surefires, if you're depressing the button while in your pocket, you'll realize it pretty soon, it puts out some heat vs. most led lights, I like that feature personally.

I have a small, high-ish end unit. Called the Aviator, not sure if it's a Surefire or not. What I do know is that in the couple years I've had it, has not let me down. Can you buy a 20 dollar job that'll shine plenty of light on a basement wall, or on an engine to be looked at? Absolutely.

But, take that same unit, turn it on, and be in a flooded, frozen marsh in the pitch blackness of pre-dawn on a duck hunt. Drop that sucker in the drink, and watch it go through the slushy, salty water and down a couple feet into the muck.
Does it still work? If so, can you put it in your pack, and just before dark later that day, spend an hour at full power scouring the phragmites and marsh grass for a duck that sailed across a creek, and have it bright enough to actually assist you in finding that hidden bird?

Show me one like that for short money, one you feel you can count on to work *every* time (assuming battery life isn't a problem), and I'll buy a pile of them.

In fairness, I never saw the economy of them until I found one I truly can depend on. Hate to be in a jam, say, on a sinking boat with no power, at night, desperately looking to get survival gear on, look for stuff that could save my life, and be unable to see because my crappy light rolled into the water, now rising on deck, and immediately died...

Bought a few G2 Surefire's a number of years ago for <$30 a pop and have never needed anything more.

Try a Maglite.... crap... I'm pretty sure it's the XL200. Crazy bright, solid, runs on 3 AAA's, and well under fifty bucks.

I like the old-school maglites, too, and own a bunch of them... but a) if a battery ever corrodes badly in them you are screwed pretty much and b) the good new LED flashlights are smaller, brighter, and much cheaper to run. I use a flashlight a lot. Feeding a Maglite D-cells is bad "light mileage"!

This isn't all to you, but if you don't mind...

I'd rather have two of the Element or Rocky flashlights I was talking about, than one Surefire. Without looking, I'm pretty sure the "Aviator" is a Surefire model. I've got three flashlights that are effed right now. One is an older Element, one is some POS that the folks gave my daughter and the last is the Surefire Outdoorsman (about the same thing as an Executive Elite). They will all quit you, no matter the brand. Probably the old Maglight C and D cells are the best on that score, but you just give up too much in brightness unless you have something upgraded by Black Bear and then it's no longer really a Maglight.

While we're on Maglights...I've had probably close to a dozen AA's over the years. They were good, solid little lights within their parameters. They got passed a long time ago. The LED kits to upgrade them, whether from Maglight themselves or Nite Eyz, suck. The Maglights that are LED from the factory, don't suck quite as hard, but there is still definite suckage.

As to the Streamlights...I know a lot of guys who like them. Maybe some are still made here, but I don't know of any. Their biggest advantage was when they were made here. I've got two or three. If they're not effed up, the batteries are dead. You don't have to worry about the batteries if they're effed up though. In Kamo Gari's scenario, I wouldn't have a Streamlight at all.

Again, the Sam's Elements or Rockies are decent for the money lights that are bright, take common, cheap batteries and are available right now in stores that just about anybody can access. The technology is nearly constantly upgraded and is just below that of the Fenix and Cree type lights I mentioned.

IMO the latter are the best going right now. The drawback is having to buy them mail-order usually or having to pay more for them if some store has them. I don't know of any chains carrying them. The brightness and features are there and so it the value. Take your pick between easily obtained batteries or weird, long-lasting rechargeables. Some will run on CR1-2-3a's OR AAA's.

Brinkman's, Dorcey's, etc. I won't say I've had 'em all, but I've had most of them. Most of the technology comes from these other flashlights. Some are okay and some aren't.

I take back part of what I said about Maglights. I did right after Christmas, buy a barrel-shaped Maglight that takes three AAA's at Home Depot or Lowe's. It's LED and seems okay. It is bigger than the old Mini Maglights, a bit smaller than a Nitrolen. IIRC, it is made in USA. It is more expensive than the Sam's lights and probably less bright, but it seemed adequately bright and hasn't quit yet. Seems a lot more positive going on and off than the Mini Maglight LED's. It's in my gun bag right now I think.

This^. The law of diminishing returns very much applies to lights. I would add that some people stake their lives on lights every day/night. You must also calculate the cost of batteries. A $20 light that eats $8 batteries may be just the ticket for an occassional user, but a bad choice for somebody who goes through a couple of charges 5 days a week.

What are you doing up Pat.

How did your hog light work?

Working an Army contract job (6-2). The light is good, DocRocket was quite taken with it.

Not much sleep I guess for you. Five hours will do.

I bought one last year, works good in the night for the hogs and other things.

I was amazed by the improvement when I switched out the old Maglite bulb for the new LED one. Like night and day.

.... so one can store Expensive dead batteries!

You can get one off Amazon for around $35.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...=1330783111&sr=8-1&condition=new



People might want to pay attention to the different Maglite models. Even within the LED class. Big difference between a 40 - 50 Lumen model and the 174 lumens of the XL200 or the 245 lumens of the Maglite Pro Plus. Nice thing about the XL200 is the size. Don't get fooled by the maglite packaging that shows distance. That doesn't equate to lumens


I buy some higher end flashlghts but there's something to be said about maglites. A cople years back, I lost a mini mag when hunting and found it the following year. Thought it would be useless but hit the switch and it lit right up. Even after sitting in snow and rain for 10 months.

A flashlight you Surefire fans should consider is the Surefire Fury. 500 lumens and it's dropped way down in price to $108. Uses a polycarbonate lens rather than glass so it can scratch but it's a great thrower(don't own one, just read reviews).


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._BK_Fury_Ultra_High_Dual_Output_LED.html


Here's a discussion over at the candlepower forums on it.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...B-quot-Fury-quot-500lu-flashlight-thread

A Mercedes SUV; a Weatherby; A Krieghoff and a coupla pairs of $500 boots? ;O)

I have several "high tech" lights. None cost more than $25, all work just fine.

My favorite for general duty, is the Task Force from Lowe's that cost me about $8. 9 LEDs, takes 3 AAAs and is still on the first set of batteries. Lives in the door pocket of my truck, gets used fairly often. Also have a fairly new Mini Maglite LED, if I need to spot coons in tree tops.

Don't own a light that requires "special" batteries. Most all of my junk takes AAs, which is why there's always a magna-pack of 'em in the truck. "Walkie-Talkies", rangefinder, lights, AM/FM/Weather radio, digital cameras, etc. Now that I have some LED lights that require AAAs, got plenty of them, too.

I find the real Maglite LED swaps to be excellent. The lower priced clone systems are complete crap.

4 c cell maglite 3 18650 batterys and a wa 1180 bulb = one heck of a good fire starter. Also about three times brighter than most high beams on cars. Makes a million candle power spotlight look dim. And with modern battery tech it runs almost an hour on a charge. You can make 1 for about $90. for coyote hunting at night these are great.

Agee on the Maglite LED's. They too emit a white light. Do not fall for the clone LED bulbs as they are totally worthless. Use only those with the actual Maglite name/logo.

I purchased three of these MAGLITE 2-D cell LED flashlights last fall and have been impressed with them.

They are much brighter than the conventional bulb version they replace, yet you can get about 30 hours of usable light from a set of batteries. The advantage of D cells is that they have about 7 times the energy of AA cells, yet cost little more. I also have many smaller LED flashlights that run on just a single AA cell and these are great when you don't want the size and weight of a D cell flashlight.

Why not buy them? I've found that a $100 flashlight works just as well as the $3.00 you can buy at Home Depot.