my most expensive was my coast… what is it? the 1000 lumen coast zoomy, with like 9xAA ?? hp550? THAT sucker… for me it was expensive… had to be in the 60 to 70 dollar range.
spent about that on a reflectored light, before i learned to buy from china. but it was cool… 2x18650 pack included, recharges from the light, usb charging port, and, its a powerbank too… machining and anodizing SEEM really nice to me? but, i am no expert on the matter.
to get me to spend THAT much on a light again? the prospective light better eat an apple and sh!t a fruit salad, i mean, this is budget lights after all, lol…
My most expensive is a Supfire M6 (stock model because i wanted to mod it myself, but never have yet). When i can ever afford to my most expensive will be the Lumintop SD75.
Spent close to $300 on an HID light, seven or eight years ago.
More recently, the most expensive flashlight that I bought was the Nitecore TM16GT (price not disclosed because of MAP).
However, the individual purchases quickly add up. From August, when I re-started this hobby, until now; flashlight purchases have run $1600 - about half of which I’ve recouped by selling or trading them. Flashlight related items (batteries, chargers, holsters, hosts, drivers, filters, lenses, LED’s, reflectors, springs, soldering tools, supplies and accessories) have run an additional $800.
About as much as I used to spend on golf.
Much less than I used to spend on collecting watches or antiquarian books. }
The Unique fire 1401 cost me $49,99 but did arrive DOA, Gearbest send me a new one (not in :() for $20 so $69,99 for a working and a host is most expensive.
For me $50 is my reasonable limit for the light. It gives good output and quality, while it does not ruin the home budget.
I spent in the past something like $60 on two lights, but now I would rather not do that. Unless it’s really extraordinary…but noing above $60 for sure.
I have a Surefire (BLF what?) 6p led that I bored out meself for 18650, then bought a EDC+ X60L3 Nichia 219 triple P60 drop in when they were available. Then a McClicky switch and brass retaining ring. Grand total around $160ish. Kind of cool but so outclassed by other less expensive lights.
If I knew then what I know now kind of a thing I suppose. Idk if this should count here anyway because it’s made up of different parts, but the Surefire alone is more than I’ve ever spent on an individual light IIRC.
Sometimes the original purchase price is only part of it, start adding tritium vials and listen to the bling bling add up… I even bought an exotic piece of leather to make a carry holster for the Mokume light, should be here today…
I tried to buy a 3 x C POP lite 73 for $63, but it was out of stock.
A Maratac CR123A.
A POP lite 632, for $43 shipped, with Qlite parts on one side of a BLF 16 x 7135 board and an XP-L.
A Warsun zoomy 3 x AA that I converted to 3 x 14500. The host was around $15, and I used a buck driver and an XHP 50. The biggest cost was the drivers that didn’t work or that I didn’t like.
An other candidate is the Tekna Microlith that I bought maybe in the 1980s for backpacking. It was around $20, but depending on what inflation factor one uses, it might have been the most expensive.