Best sub £30 small torch - anything beat the LED Lenser P7.2?

Hello

I’ve been a lurker for sometime so thought it was wise to sign up and ask a question :slight_smile:

I’m looking for a small torch with a good throw and zoom for around £30.

I’ve bought an Ultra Fire 1405 which is modded and is pretty damn bright however it’s too bulky to carry.

I live in the country and usually walk to a from the local pub on unlit roads. I need something which I can fit into a pocket / girlfriends handbag for the walks home.

I’ve ordered the LED Lenser P7.2 from Amazon, currently £26. Looks pretty cool and the reviews, on Amazon at least, seem positive. What’s available for sub £30 which can compete. Perhaps the ThorFire C8?

Thanks for any help!
James

The Thorfire C8s is excellent but uses an 18650 battery. You must get quality LiIon cells and charger. Wickes is selling some torches at good prices, 2xAA, 2xAAA and 4xC. Freeme does some top deals. At least 100 lumens is safer on unlit roads.

Hey

Thanks for the info.

Should have said, I have some spare Panasonic 18650 batteries which I can use. Is it worth opting for the C8 over the P7?

I have an LED Lenser P7.2 and a P14.2 - both excellent zoomie torches. I find the 14.2 lasts a full day of heavy use, the 7.2 is less bulky but I always need to charge it at the end of the day unless I havent been using it much.

The C8s doesnt look like a zoomie, so it will have a different beam pattern. Personally for indoor use zoomies are the way to go imo.

The C8 will be much brighter. An 18650 has roughly the power of 4xAA cells.

DQG Tiny 18650 V4 is a very nice light.

It is the smallest 18650 light (~9cm long), takes most 18650 cells, has cool white and neutral white options, has a very good UI (instant access to moon, medium, high and turbo from off), and does not have noticeable PWM (I am very sensitive but did not even notice any. Does it actually have PWM?)

You can ask M4D M4X for a discount code. $27

I’ve pulled the trigger and ordered the P7 and C8 from Amazon, I’ll have a play once they arrive.

Am I right in thinking that the P7 cannot take any rechargeable batteries? 18650 type?

I do like the look of the DQG however I would never order from Gearbest again, plus I need it rather quickly and I have free next day delivery on Amazon :slight_smile:

Thanks!

Hi mate - the DQG is actually from Banggood. Code is EAAE9B - takes it to £19.27

That light looks good, but up to 20 business days just for dispatch? Thats 4 weeks!

Come one Banggood, get some into physical stock...

I had and liked the P7 but it is not really that bright, bearing in mind it will not run in turbo mode unless you hold the button. Also 4 x AAA don’t hold much power.

I know you have ordered a couple of lights but the light I bought after my P7 was the Klarus P2A. 2 x AA, runs longer, brighter and better built. A bit dated with the XPG but still one of the best built lights around.

For what its worth its still probably brighter than the new P7.2.

Again that isn’t a zoomer so it is not really a comparable light.

Hi
Thorfire C8, Thorfire VG-10 or the eagle eye x6 from ali express all cheap and good quality,
much brighter than the led lenser stuff, sk98 also good all rounder.

Neither is the C8. Also I’m not sure he needs a zoomer for ‘walks home from the pub’

My klarus was such a step up from the P7.

I’d suggest the BLF developed…
Astrolux

I’m unsure if you specifically require a zoomie, but IMO this is better, zoomie’s suck usually.

The C8 will out throw if that is your requirement but the Astrolux is a great balance and really puts out the lumens with one of the best UIs around.

The Thorfire c8 would do the job but i hate to say this i think it may be a little to much for just walking along a road to pub and back i use mine to search for my husky puppy when he decides to go for a explore . Then again what am i talking about you need more power more power is good get the C8 its amazing you can use it to scare away darkness.

If it is a zoomie the OP wants then nobody has yet mentioned this WARNING: Cometa – read/fix BEFORE inserting battery the joint CPFI/BLF Cometa.
This should give the performance of a modded light straight out of the box & on the face of it looks to be extremely good for £28.

You want some low self discharge NiMh batteries for the Lenser. Ideally Sanyo Eneloops. They are the best batteries to run in it.

In terms of performance. The internet always has a lot of hate for Lensers. But to be honest it’s usually unfounded or for very poor reasoning.

In terms of a “zooming” torch they do perform well. Total output isn’t the highest, and the tint is decidedly on the cooler side (like most premium lights still are) and it doesn’t use regulation. But the flood beam is wider and arguably better than any other zoomy. And on throw mode it has a very usable beam. Other zoomy lights use a different type of lens and simply don’t light things up as well at range, offering an angular shaped beam and smaller lit area.

The C8 should offer a lot more light and it’ll give some flood and some throw at the same time. But I’m willing to bet it won’t really out perform the Lenser if you compare just flood or throw individually.

That said there are lots of great lights out there. The C8 is a bit chunky for jeans pockets. There are high output tube lights. But they won’t be able to throw all that well if you want some distance. And being smaller means you might not be able to run them on high for extended runtimes, due to it getting too hot to hold.

For general walking I actually like the p60 format. Check out the Solarforce L2M. You’ll need a drop in for it (Int’l Outdoors does good ones). They are a lot smaller than a C8. But more throw than a tube light. And comfortable to carry in the hand.

This is going to fly in the face of the above post, but I’ve found my Lenser lights do not like Eneloops (T7 and H7.2). Both will run with them but output wise - and purely subjective, not tested - they don’t seem as bright as with Duracell alkalines. But I don’t use them much these days anyway, the T7 was replaced by the EA11 and the H7.2 by an HC30.

Neither of those Nitecores are sub £30. They are each £50.

They can be had for significantly less than £50, I won’t say how much I paid with discount sorted by forum members but it would be unlikely to concern the OP’s bank manager.

But that’s neither here nor there - my post was to share my experience of using eneloops in Lensers and only in passing mention their replacements.