I keep hearing people say that, but I don’t get it. It’s marginally longer, it’s a bit heavier (because it’s built like a tank, and not the 007 kind), but I don’t see it as “bigger” the way lots of people seem to make it a dealbreaker.
But to me, the S9 is just anæmic, dunno why all the hype. Don’t see the appeal at all. I’d rather stick to the old workhorses of the S2, S2+, S3, S5, etc.
Another one is the Klarus ST10. Review here: [Review]Klarus ST10 (1100 Lumens, USB Rechargeable, 18650) Video available
Smaller/lighter than the Zanflare F1 and from a more reputable brand. Comes with a 2600mah battery included.
You will have to look for a coupon but I believe you can get it in or close to your price range with one.
I second and third the Sofirn C8F suggestion. It has a nice amount of flood lighting but still throws pretty dang far. I’ve been walking my dog at night with mine and running it on medium you’re getting way more light than you would from a flashlight from a department store. The runtime is really not bad at all. You don’t have to walk around with it on turbo or high all the time. I use mine on low most often and it’s still brighter than my other regular flashlights. Low or med will give you plenty of run time. I couldn’t be happier with mine.
I agree, “general purpose” means very different thing to different people and getting the use sorted out is really the first step that needs to be taken. Also, personally I wouldn’t consider single-emitter C8 to be general purpose.
Hi rhymeguy,
I’m new on this forum, and don’t have the knowledge and experience of all these fine people who have taken time to give you great advice.
…but recently I had to start, just like you, wanting to buy something good on a budget. So I have learned a great deal from my experience.
My first mistake was buying cheap batteries…Don’t! - for a few dollars more I could have bought a well known brand.
I agree with some of the others who have said don’t go for a rechargeable flashlight because you are limiting your options.
I bought my first charger secondhand at less than a quarter of the price and it had hardly been used. Works very well.
If your overall budget is $45 including batteries, I would buy a LiitoKala 202 charger or similar, as Lightbringer advised, currently $7.99 at Banggood.
Batteries like Samsung 30Q - currently $11.59 at Banggood (for 2). (You can actually get 4 for $18.69 using coupon code on this forum.)
That leaves you with about $25 for the flashlight.
I first bought a Convoy C8 and they currently start at $15.99 on Banggood. (various prices for different options)
There is a general coupon code “4BLF” which will take another 9% off flashlights as well.
I liked the Convoy so much that I bought a second one. It suits me for taking dogs for walks at night and finding them in the bushes and trees.
If you don’t want the Convoy, the $25 will be very close to getting you one of the other flashlights recommended on this post.
You might just need to spend a few dollars more.
Look at some of the posts on this forum with discount coupons, flash sales etc. including M4D M4X’s website.
Be prepared with batteries and charger, because once you become a flashlight junkie, you’re going to need them!
I like the Sofirn SF36 (NW) and 36W (WW) as a general purpose/utility light. Slightly larger than the typical tube light, but smaller than a C8. I don’t see any crazy deals on it at the moment, but the NW version with battery and charger is just under $20 on Amazon with the current 20% off coupon. Really pleased with tint on the XP-L V6, similar to the BLF Q8.
Or you could save yourself a lot of money and cut to the chase . An 14500/AA in your pocket and a BLF Q8 for a blaster. These are the two lights I find myself using daily. The C8F comes in third.
NItecore TIP on the keyring, Sofirn SF14 in the pocket, BLF A6 in the car, BLF Q8 on the nightstand, and an L2 or C8 as a searchlight/thrower.
Skilhunt H03 for headlamp flood, Xanes D25 for a more throwy runner/biker, and Boruit RJ-02 for the toolbox.
That’s my needs met, the rest are/were for fun and to try things out until I found what worked best.
I wouldn’t want to be without the TIP, A6, Q8, and H03, or have to choose between them.
Still plenty of lights I would like to have, but none will really fill a need.
I was gonna suggest something like a SP10 or TK05 loaded with a 14500. 500-600 lemons from an “AA” light is pretty impressive, and you don’t have to run it full-tilt all the time.
I keep trying to burn off over a hunnert AA alkaleaks by intentionally using my SP10s for, well, everything. Damned things seem to last forever, but I don’t want to toss ’em when they’re just half-dead, so…
Except when I want to go outside and want a good blaster at my side will I take something bigger, but for most things, yeah, those little donks are pretty capable.
And the beams for small-diameter reflectors in AA lights are nice and diffuse, so they’re great for lighting up what’s in front of you, etc.
Thorfire vg10s? Very cheap, throw in between a c8 and a tubelight.
Sorry, but F1 is bigger than S9, and I, personally, wouldn’t call it marginal
I remember you disputed it before and I, from my end, never understood it honestly. Wanted to put up a photo of F1 next to S9, but got tied up with something else
Granted, F1’s got higher output, sturdier…all that, but S9 is small, elegant
Wondered where that perception comes from, and only thing that comes to my mind may be this American sense of beauty that usually involves size.
Remember a girl I knew in Germany who once told me, after being asked what is she missing from USA, saying…bigger things (!!) And boy, was I surprised on my first visit to US - after having a cup of coffee you end up with a pile of garbage, plastic spoons, plastic bags, both regular sugar and artificial sweetener, filter, condensed milk……and coffee maker itself “oversized” by the way. A grandpa next to me ate a very big turkey sandwich
Then you enter a gentlemen’s room only to find a urinal bowl that is a few, or several, times the size of those in Europe…
You are lucky you haven’t encountered a Japanese 
F1 next to S2, and S9 is a tad shorter than S2 actually
A bit unfortunate angle, but still clearly shows that F1 is bigger, both length and diameter
Granted, the S9 is smaller and lighter, but it’s also an 18650 light.
And this is my point. That it’s only got (just looked it up) 580lm out the pipe. Take a 14500 light like an SP10 or TK05, and they’re in the same 500lm-600lm range, and lots smaller.
Granted, there’s no on-board recharging, but it’s, as I mentioned, anæmic compared to other 18650 lights that push out twice the lemons.
I holster a ’502 as my “real” EDC light, but nowadays I’m also pocketing an SP10.
Edit: And that’s what I wanted to mention, that with the same output, you could be using a 14500 light, and have it be lots smaller. So to me, instead of filling the gap between much brighter 18650s and much smaller 14500s, and getting the best of both worlds, the S9 is kind of the worst of both worlds, almost as big as most other 18650 lights, but with the lesser output of 14500 lights.
Huh? Where were you getting your coffee?
Here, you ask for a coffee, you get it in a cardboard cup, made with milk/cream/sugar/nutrapoison, whatever you ask for, and walk out with… the cup.
Go to a 7-11 and you build your own, from doll-sized cups to a nice big pail of it, but you roll yer own. Me, I like Colombian roast, a few packets of honey, some French-vanilla creamer, and some half’n’half. Oh, and a coupla shots of Stōk.
Hotel room, a plastic bag holding multiple plastic bags inside, two (2!) spoons, regular sugar / sweetener, plastic cup, packet of ground coffee, filter, napkin, milk etc….each in its own bag inside. A single cup, and you cant avoid a pile afterwards
Of course, this may have been an exception to how it is done normally, but that was my first experience, and that’s why i mention it
Lightbringer, as for me my personal favorite is JetBeam Jet-1 MK, which is roughly same output as S9, but still, S9 is, as far as I know, smallest 18650 (“standard” size) light with USB charging, with decent quality. Of course, 18650 will also provide more enrgy compared to 14500
This new one from Skilhunt is smaller: M200 USB magnetic charging flashlight – LED Headlamp │ Tactical Flashlight
Well, yah, but that’s different. To be “accommodating” they have to throw in all that crap.
What would you expect otherwise? An actual sugar-bowl, small ewer with creamer, etc.? I’d hate to have to deal with the bug problem from having exposed edibles all over the place! 
Or have a dispenser of all the packets, and have people “empty” them with each stay?
Hey, if you know a better way to do it…
Yeah, I got two Jet-Is and a Jet-II.
Also got more Convoys than I know what to do with. S2s, S2+es, S3s, S5s, C8s, complete, hosts, white, UV. I think I bought Simon that new pool he’s got with all the Convoys I collected over the years.
So I got nothing at all against Convoy, just question why the S9.
Man you need a proprietary or special cable for this Skilhunt thing. That alone kinda negates the concept of S9, or better still don’t like non-standard experiments
Well that was the question you had from the beginning
Again: if you voluntarily “limit” your choice to 18650, and 18650 only, which is understandable (or you want more energy than 14500), AND you want USB, also understandable…than you in the S9 niche. As simple as that
Of course, “lemons” dont bother you all that much and ~500lm is Ok, which could be fine for some, believe it or not
Never saw this in Europe, not even in hotel rooms, that tells something. Maybe even the coffee example can be questioned to some extent, but you have numerous other examples, industrial products, consumer goods, urban planning, motor vehicles, food…even medications
Uhhh, I forgot what this was all dealing with. I thought you were questioning/criticising “American” taste for all things bigger.
Considering how things lately have been shrinking (vs raising prices), I don’t think this applies anymore.