New EDC

https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/6879 this is the review i meant to post the other link is a comparison between the two

Welcome to BLF, RobCob. What else are you looking for in a light, other than size and price? How bright, battery preference, number of modes, etc.?

Price and size are the big two. As far as battery goes I don't have any 18650s so a light running those will automatically add on the price of batteries and charger =$$$$. I would like it as bright as possible with good runtime with decent throw. Really only need three modes (low, medium, turbo). How are the zebralights for durability in the switch? The SC600 is too big for my needs as I need something I can put in my pocket on the construction site without limiting mobility. SC51 looks nice.

Batteryjunction is having a sale on their V10r's. 20% off

RobCob, Zebralights are known for reliability and I haven’t had any issues with mine. The SC60 is barely bigger than an 18650 cell and smaller than some AA hosts. XP-G w/300 lumen in high. Until you own a Zebralight you may never appreciate how awesome they are, especially the user interface. I know I didn’t!

This light has 3 main levels (High, Medium, and Low). Each main level can be configured to one of its two sub-levels. The second sub-level of the High can be further configured to different brightness levels or strobes.

  • Basic Operation
    • Short click turns on the light to High or turns off the light.
    • Long click (press and hold for about 0.6 seconds) turns on the light to Low.
  • Advanced Operation and Configuration
    • Short click turns on the light to High. Short click again quickly to cycle from High to Medium, and Low.
    • Press and hold to cycle from Low to High, release to set. When press and hold, the light always cycle from Low to High regardless which level you are currently in.
    • Double click to toggle and select between the two sub-levels for that main level. Sub-level selections (except the strobe) for the 3 main levels are memorized after the light is turned off and through battery changes.
    • The second sub-level of the High can be configured after 6 double clicks. Double click (startng with the 7th) to cycle and select different brightness levels or strobes. Short click to turn off the light when finishing configurations. The selections for the second sub-level of the High are memorized after the light is turned off and through battery changes.

This is an easy solution, all you need in one go, proven forum favourite way under budget....

http://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=LF&s=45&id=422

I've never used a Zebralight but they do sound like great lights.

Roche F12 is awesome from intl-outdoor but runtime on full is limited by heat generated by such a small host. NW tint, no noticeable PWM, sensible 3 mode no blinkies and great build quality.

Aloha and welcome to BLF RobCob!

Both nice lights but one of his requirements is 4" long or less. Neither of those lights are. If the SC600 is physically too big for him then the Solarforce is for sure.

+1 for the sc600 and illuminationgear.

Thanks for the input. Hmmmmm zebralight is looking pretty interesting but sunwayman keeps tugging at my leg.

Welcome aboard, RobCob!

Usually the best question is what do you have right now as far as lights ?

what's you best or most favorite light ?

I'd buy a used ? shelfqueen D-10

But if you don't have a light at all ...lots of lights work .

Balder se-1 or a xeno tiger e03

I honestly think there is no reason to spend more than 20~30$ on a flashlight

Oh yeah, 4" is a problem but what's half an inch between friends! I'd suggest the Roche is just as pocketable, it looks more slender than the Zebra and should be about twice the lumens. Not knocking the zebra though, I'd love one

LOL! And I'd love a Roche. :)

How come women never say this?

:stuck_out_tongue:

Right now I have a Fenix tk-10, an ultrafire (don't know the model got it off deal extreme a few years ago), and a romisen (same story). The tk-10 works great but its big and uses two cr123s ( I forgot to mention I'm looking for a single cell light) but the other two lights are garbage. The other two work when then feel like it and the cap switch on the ultrafire is horrible.

The zebra lights are very small and fit into a pocket nicely. Much smaller than you would expect. Great warranty and fancy U.I. Plus automatic entry into the “cool guys with zebra lights club” is included. No small thing.

You can get a Zebralight 1xAA which gives you 200 lumens instead of an 18650. This gives you the option of using normal AAs, or NiMH rechargables. Less runtime of course, but I dont know how much you'd be using it at work, and 200 lumens is quite a bit.

If you are gonna get a 18650, I'd spring for an XM-L version that lets you really crank up the lumens if needed. For example the SC600 XM-L zebralight lets you hit 750 lumens turbo mode!

Other good options are Romisen Flood to Throw lights. A CR123 (using a rechargable CR123), an AA, and a 3xAAA are all decent options for a small light. The advantage is that you get a nice EVEN FLOOD light with no hotspot. I use these around the house for working on stuff.

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-237/Romisen-RC-dsh-C6-II-R4/Detail 18 bucks. CR123. 3.3 inches

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-180/Romisen-RC-dsh-29-II-R5/Detail 20 bucks, 1xAA, 4 inches.

You can get a generic 3xAAA one which will be a bit fatter than AA but shorter for 10 bucks.

I've checked out all the lights you guys have suggested(thank you)and I think its between the zebralight SC31 and the sunwayman m10r xp-g. Zebralight interface is kinda cool but I can't see how it would be any better/more convenient than a magnetic ring selector. The other factor is if all stated outputs/runtimes are accurate on the manufacturers websites then they are basically both the same. Only difference I see is zebralight rates lumens using OTF and sunwayman uses ANSI. Big difference between the two rating systems?