"spousal flak"
"You catch some shrapnel on that last one?"
"Yeah, I think I got the bleeding stopped but you know they're gonna just keep shellin' us 'til we take out that damn 88mm"
"There's the mailman . . . incoming! . . .incoming! . . . oh man, look at that poor fellow - what happened to him?"
"Spousal flak, caught him right square in the face. He just stood there and took it . . . nothing he could do."
"It's like a daisy-cutter, there's no escape . . ."
noescapeFoy
Sounds like you're just about to burn out :P
vfmaddict nailed it ....We are all looking for what works best for us and all of us are different and our circumstances changing .If I were under a car or in a mine my lights would be different than what they are . I'm never looking for the biggest or brightest .Impressing someone else isn't as important as me being impressed .Quality starts at the host and imho has nothing to do with brightness .Emitters can and will be changed if it's a host worth keeping.
Vectrex makes a great point ....Lights in the 20~30 $ price range seem to be keepers....As long as I can buy 60$ lights used for half price :)
I think it needs to be interesting :
Enough bread and butter lights in the collection ...
I already have KD C8 on the bars and UF-2100 on the helmet. I love my KD C8! I'm just not sure these are water proof.
My first four LED purchases were from Fenix. Two for me and - in my enthusiasm - two more for family.
Now I only have the TK11 (R2) and I feel guilty for not picking it up more often and enjoy its superb craftmanship. But I just don't, as for every task I have a dedicated budget one that does that particular lighting job better.
Correction: Actually, there is a task for which I'd pick the TK11. Thanks to the handy cigar grip and momentary on, I do choose it for searching for that small part I dropped to the floor.
Interesting thread. I'm new to LED flashlights but in principle, working in construction and photography, I've always agreed with ILF; if you buy cheap, you'll end up buying twice. Trouble with that is that the price difference is often SO big that it's hard to justify. I started out looking at higher end lights but came to BLF because I couldn't find a flashlight that was just right for me, and if it's not just right I may as well save the £. But I'm already beginning to question this.
So far I've made about 30 purchases, all budget, including 8 different flashlight models, a digital MM and an Xtar WP2 ii. The Sipik 68's are great little lights and amazing value, but of the 6 I've bought, 2 have minor issues. Three little yellow angle lights: one is excellent for the price, one has a less responsive switch and one still hasn't arrived after 3 weeks. The 504b feels "tinny" and the threads grate but I can't try it out yet because the WP2 is doesn't seem to be working properly. This is by far the biggest pain. No way I can send it back (postage), and it highlights the budget priced quality control lottery.
But.. So far my total expenditure is probably not much more than the price of the Lumapower Signature Tactical VX that I was seriously tempted by. £105 is a massive amount of money to see where you're going in the dark..
I started with a budget light, the Trustfire R5A3 when it first came out (3 mode, High, High, Strobe) after spending MANY MANY months looking for the "one" light. I was Very impressed by the output, but the UI really annoyed me. Thats when I started looking for a better UI, and I ended up buying a nitecore Infinity Defender, and that was it, the quality of the build, the UI was right, most importantly everything was SIGNIFICANTLY better built. Then I needed another.. hehe
I know everyone has what their looking for, but for me, I'm a perfectionist at heart, and as a enthusiast who builds things to the level of perfectionism as far as my skills can take me, the build quality and design of the higher priced torches really get me excited. UI, build, and smart design are what I'm after, and budget lights don't often meet all the above criteria.
I also love modding but its some effort to mod torches, and thats also the reason why I buy more expensive torches to mod. Like my V10R Titanium, or the HDS rotary. These are torches I feel are worth spending more money on for that perfect neutral tint, or adding tritium. Theres also satisfaction in being one of the few to have modded a rotary to date.
As it is for everyone, budgets are limited, and my collection is certainly not huge by the standards of many, but we all have different goals, and I appreciate that, but this is just why I do what I do.
I think one thing that happens with most anyone is that at first you don’t know that’s available and what you want so just going out and buying an expensive light isn’t necessarily going to work out for you unless you’re lucky.
After you figure out what you want (by trying out several budget lights) you may buy a more expensive one or you may find a budget one but it now has to do exactly what you want it to.
If it’s a 1AAA keychain light I don’t have to spend a lot of money to find exactly what I want. For some other lights it might just be a matter of finding a drop-in without strobes (which may or may not cost more).
If you can solder (I can’t) you may be able to get the kind od UI or at least driver levels that you want inexpensively.
At a certain level money just brings more choices in many cases. Much of the Chinese knock-off’s seem to all be of the same designs. For instance I don’t see knock-off’s of the DBS Aspheric or any “turbo heads” and it’s harder to find nice looking bodies if that matters to you (unless you think crenelated bezels and multiple fins are nice looking).
i thought i was the only one! actually, i have no problem with these "budget" lights but if you have to spend more money on one to get it right than you'd spend on one that has more quality build, how is that a bargain? i understand the need to tinker. it's probably why most of us are here. i love to play around in my shop as do most guys i know. i love even more to be able to tell people that i "built" my own light. but, made the mistake of buying junk for my first two starter led lights. both of them failed after a month of use and aren't worth it to me to rebuild. i'd still have two cloned, clones with threads like look like the threads were cut with a handheld pipe threader and fit and finish to match. but i'll be first in line to tell you that the solarforce lights are worthy of tinkering and i probably spent more money on those that i would have by buying an olight or such. i remember reading somewhere that the poor man pays twice. there seems to be a lot of logic in that statement.
jmho,
monty
It’s true that you probably pay more with budget lights but regardless of the activity when you first get into it you don’t know what you want. Buying something expensive initially doesn’t usually pay off either.
It’s the same with scuba equipment. Everyone buys loads of equipment and in hindsight you could have just purchased the more expensive items that you purchased last. However, when you are new you don’t know what your eventual preferences will be.
Just because something is expensive doesn’t guarantee that it will be appropriate for you either. Some of my best lights (and dive equipment) is moderate in price.
Cheap lights for modding.
More expensive lights for using.
I have a couple surefires and an HDS custom but I buy solar force and fenix (not really a budget brand but cheaper than surefire) with the intention of modding.
Started out with Fenix, and ended-up with FandyFire.
At least they both begin with "F".
79 bucks for the TK15.
For 80 bucks, I've got two hands filled with budget lights.
Cheap works for me.
my first real light was an inova x03.143l, single mode, twisty/momentary switch. thought it was the best. was wrong.
since bought a lot of energizers and a duracell daylight cr123a. gave the duracell to my mom, it was the brightest i had at the time but it was an ugly ass beam. now i have a tf-r2 and a 502b w/xml. the last two needed some clean up and lube, but now feel like 3x the torch when i first got them.
i dont regret any purchase so far. the inova will live on in my center console as always. but now i swap between the 502b and tf-r2 also in the car for spotting deer and other wild life on my way home from work. the energizers still go with me to the shed and around the yard at night (have a SMALL yard, getting bigger next week). energizers and inova do have very good warranties. but i cant easily get them apart to upgrade, not that i have done so yet to any. but will...
but now my favorate is the tf-r2 with an xml in it, by far.
ok /PointlessRamble
ps: most used is my coast freebie oddly enough
I do hope that this forum does not transform in to CPF; if that happens it would be very ironic.
I can appreciate quality products, but I always consider the principle of diminishing returns. I will continue buying the inexpensive lights that i have done the research on and weeded out the total failures. This is why i come here, to learn what fails and what can be fixed. Often times these cheapie lights just need a little finessing to get them working right. I enjoy being able to get something to work, but I do want to weed out the total garbage from my sights. I am allergic to paying 'too much'. But what is 'too much' has a lot of variables.
I'm committed to buying more quality lights, but I don't want to pay more. Sometimes that means giving up lumens but sometimes it doesn't.
For example, my Mx-power ML-310 for $13 from deal extreme has been more reliable than my ultrafire U-20 that cost $21 at Manafont. (Both are 3-mode cr123 lights.)
Also, I really like my iTP A3 that I only paid $20 for. It won't be mistaken for an HID spotlight, but it has 3 usable modes, it is waterproof, and it is still brighter than some $30-$40 lights at the local hardware store.
I guess that is why I read this forum. I could buy cheap crap online by myself, but I want to learn what is cheap AND quality.
I don't think this forum is in any danger of becoming another CPF, just because some folks want to add more expensive lights to their collection. It's a totally different environment there, based on personalities, not budgets.
Quark X AA2 Tactical versus Solarforce L2r
I have mainly Solarforce lights (L2T, L2P, L2X, L2i, L2r), a few Chinese knock-offs (Trustfire and Ultrafire C8's with XM-L and P7), a Surefire C2 HA III, a few Fenix, and a Thrunite Ti. I just recently purchased a Quark X AA2 Tactical. I am very happy with the purchase, and the UI is very nice, and the quality and workmanship of the light is impeccable. I also have a Solarforce L2r, that basically does the same thing, just without the FANCY UI. I realize that the Quark is HA III and is very nicely machined and well engineered, but just feels a little "dainty" to me. But in comparing the 2 lights mentioned, it made me feel better about my L2r. Both use 2 AA batteries. The Quark has the XM-L with 5 modes and 3 flash modes, and my L2r has an XP-G R5 with 3 modes (H-M-L). The L2r feels a little more beefy to me, and a little more "heavy duty." The aluminum on the L2r host seems a little thicker, with more aggressive knurls, and a little heavier. I am very happy with both lights. The Quark does have a very nice UI with many nice options. But you PAY for the fancy extras. The more expensive lights have fancier UI's, and seem to have better quality control, packaging and machining. I would not hesitate to purchase another Quark, and I am glad I purchased it. I am also very satisfied with all of my Solarforce hosts. My favorites are the L2T and L2P. With that said, overall, I will just continue to research any light purchase, and be an educated, smarter consumer. Thanks to the members on this site who offer their personal experiences and expertise on various issues. Also the excellent reviews done by our fellow members. 
The question isn't the amouint of money spent or the quality of the light .....it's the attitude of the individual about his or her purchase . Anyone can play the fool about a peice of aluminum and glass that they bought ...doesn't make you a man .
Bragging about something purchased is stupid .Even the highest end lights are within a childs buying range .he could buy an x-box or a mcgizmo titainium . that childish game might work with cars ,homes or trophy wives but at this level we are all budget buyers.
Or compared to the everyday "joe" on the street we are extravagantly overspending on a flashlight that should cost .99 at the dollar store .
As far as who's a better person because of enlightened flashlight buying ?? I guess we all know it's ME ..:P
shut up ...and buy older nitecores ...
But these better lights I now have come to the way of thinking that you get what you pay for and for and in my opinion they are worth the extra money vs buying the cheap route. The threads are not only cut better but so is the overall machining of the whole flashlight and the fit and finish are just extremely nicer. Anybody else feel the same way?
I simply tried to use the 2 lights as a comparison, or an analogy, to answer your original thread question. Just as you made mention of a few lights. Not trying feel like a MAN as you put it.