Which do you prefer, power or craftsmanship?

LED Flashlights – General Info
21

I prefer raw power.

Sure there are finely crafted lights around. HDS lights supposedly will still work fine even after you drop them on concrete repeatedly from 10 meters up…. but at 170 lumens, they just don’t put out enough power for me.

The ideal light would be both finely crafted AND have raw power. But if I had to choose between power or craftsmanship I’d probably choose power.

Of course this assume craftsmanship meets a sufficient minimum standard. Awful craftsmanship, like in my YEZL light just isn’t acceptable regardless of power.

22

This thread shows that BLF had matured…

23

Yes, it seems that way.

BLF seems to be the premier English-speaking torch/flashlight forum, regardless of how “budget”-minded the members might (or might not) be. People here are enthusiastic, friendly, and generous with both information and products. It’s a good culture, relaxed and open, and a great place to explore a curiously-addictive hobby. One might even find a few friends in the process.

The other big English forum seems to have acquired a somewhat negative reputation. There are multiple possible reasons for this, but it seems to drive away a lot of people despite having some fantastic reviewers and useful content.

24

Cheap stuff is cheap for lots of reasons. Inexpensive components combined with shoddy materials and poor craftsmanship add up to pure crap. On the other hand, expensive components and quality materials and poor craftsmanship are also crap. Ideally, one would want great parts AND great craftsmanship. Those always cost more. Truly skilled labor is expensive - there’s no getting around it.

It’s ALL about the quality of the workmanship. Almost nothing else matters.

25

I don’t care what kind of craftsmanship this has. Even when it came out it was woefully inadequate in terms of power compared to the XP-G and XM-L were already out at the time. And this comes out of the blue with just an XR-E and a Q5 no less?

http://dx.com/p/ferei-m501-cree-q5-3-mode-155-lumen-white-led-flashlight-w-strap-1-x-aa-82711#.Uw7rM4XviSo

26

I forgot to mention earlier, but craftsmanship isn’t the same as design, and I’d prioritize design first. (disclaimer: this is not intended as a flame or to start a war, it’s just my personal perception of value)

SureFire has excellent craftsmanship, but I don’t really like any of their designs… and if I did, similar designs are available at a fraction of the cost without sacrificing much (if anything) in terms of craftsmanship. So, it’s rather expensive within its own class.

I suspect the “budget” in BLF is often more about relative price rather than absolute price. Thus we tend to favor SolarForce items over SureFire. Very similar products, very different prices.

Another example, for me, is tech brands. I don’t buy Apple products, even though they have excellent craftsmanship and are popular in my field. It’s mostly because I don’t like the designs, but they also tend to cost significantly more than other products with similar specs… and they generally offer fewer features/options (buttons, ports, software choices, mod-compatibility, …). It doesn’t appeal to me.

So, I have items by Zebralight, JETBeam, L3, Olight, XinTD, Convoy, DQG… and items from Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer, Asus, Motorola… but nothing from SureFire or Apple. I’m willing to pay more for better products, but to me those feel like paying more for less.

27

easy to add power to a well made unit.why spend a bunch of time and parts on a biodegradable crap unit?aka polishing a turd.

28

I like a balance of the two. If I had to choose, I’d lean toward craftsmanship. Even a moderately powerful LED flashlight will serve my needs (though I always crave more power). A well crafted flashlight is always a treat to hold and use.

29

My criterias:
————————
High quality build and materials (craftsmanship)

High lumen output and good CRI

3 mode output L-M-H (and secret modes are good) - like the Preon P1

Long run times

Single AAA or AA

Can safely run Alkalines, NiMH, 10440 (AAA) both protected and unprotected, or if AA 14500

Has optional add-ons like tailcap clicky and finely knurled twist head.

Has other inexpensive add-ons e.g. a longer body to add an extra battery for 2 cell operation, changeable heads with differing driver boards and LEDs, changeable reflectors, etc.

Has deep carry clip - strong yet easy to slide on pocket, plus “S” shaped to clip on cap brim, like the one Streamlight Microstream C4 utilizes.

Overall light weight - you don’t even know it’s in your pocket.

Water resistant

Not made to look “tacky” tactical, like something Batman would use.

Extremely low price

Is all this asking too much? You would think some company would come up with a custom website where you have a checkbox list of parts and order a custom built flashlight for under $35.
Of course, batteries not included… LoL!

30

I can add power!

I cannot turn or thread AL or brass on my cheap-o wood lathe!

31

Cannot add power. Don’t know how.
Have lived most of my life in places where people wear shades at night.
Boat has more lights than a county fair. Plus the divers.
Got me 2 blue lights. When they don’t bite, they don’t.
Never really Need a light. Collecting a bunch of shelf queens.
POWER. POWER and MORE POWER!!!.
Even if I hafta go out to the river to light ’em up.
Just for the fun of it. light it up once or twice. Next light.

32

In the words of Jeremy Clarkson “POWER!!!”

33

I’ve seen any number of eggshell thin, AA and AAA cheapo lights and that was what I expected to see when I bought my first 502B but was pleasantly surprised by the substantial feel of it. Very similar to the solar force purchased at the same time. I’m sure the SF has a better switch but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the 501 or 502 as a host for inexpensive (I.e. budget) mods. For higher power, virtually all p60 hosts need help with heat sinking anyway so for me there’s a minimum mechanical standard along with how easy or enticing it is to mod. Also, I’m much more inclined to chop up a $10 host than a $40 one. For example, I’ve had no desire to mod my BLF A8 but can’t wait to put a SF or 502 under the knife and already have an M1 mod under way. Mag lights are a bit of a contradiction. There are certainly better, cheaper hosts to start with and they don’t make an 18650 ready model but they are so common and identifiable that the mods seem to strike a chord for me. I’m not set up for this kind of testing but I would be very interested in seeing a comparison of mass vs surface area for lights with similar decent heat paths. How much fin surface area does it take to make a measurable difference in maintaining output or is pill mass the overriding factor?