HID flashlight recommendation

Hi; First time posting here, I posted this on another forum but haven’t had any luck with responses. I am in the market for an HID flashlight, and honestly I don’t know where to start. I have looked at several brands, and two that are stuck in my mind are the Oracle, and the AE Powerlight. The AE seems just slightly pricey to me, and even though the Oracle is more in my range, I can’t find much info on replacement parts and batteries. I hate to spend this amount of money only to discover that I cant find bulbs and batteries when I need them. I heat my house with an outside wood furnace, so this light is something that will see heavy use in the winter, so it needs to be something that will hold up well. I am fully open to brands other than the two I’ve mentioned as well. I just want something that is well built, and that will be serviceable when I need parts. There’s good info out there on battery run times, and light output, but I haven’t found much info on how well the various brands hold up to being dropped and beat around, or how well they endure constant recharges, or where I can get extra batteries or bulbs when needed, and for which makes can I buy just the bulb which ones require the expensive ballast/bulb modules? Just looking for brands and models that will stand up to my kind of use and abuse. Thanks in advance!
Rob

This is the most awesome HID of all time: http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.0.80.c614b3&id=16045194859&

Failing that, the L35 is pretty decent: http://www.batteryjunction.com/titanium-l35.html. I have the china OEM version of it, and it’s generally well designed but not built to be abused.

If you like a flashlight style, the chinese HID’s on ebay are pretty good: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?\_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&\_nkw=55w+hid+flashlight&\_sacat=0&\_from=R40. Body is aluminum so at least feels studier.

For abusive environments, I would think that solid state led lights are better. Nothing to break/burn out. Many affordable premium brands <$200, fenix / jetbeam / olight, etc.

Bigger reflector = more throw and less spill.
I can’t speak for the bigger spotlight/searchlights, but for the generic chinese eBay/Aliexpress HIDs (the ones shaped like a big flashlight) new bulbs (which are attached to the ballast) are large in supply for about $35 each. You can easily change the tint of your bulb by just ordering a new one and replacing the old one. No soldering required, just a few screws.

Fire Foxes 3 is the way to go in HID’s. They aren’t cheap, but the guys that have them over at CPF swear by them. They have a post over there showing just how bad this light really is. I know I was impressed. For it’s size, it will out throw lights a lot bigger in size and watts.

Here you go.

Fire Foxes FF3 -- I Am Blown Away!! **NEW BEAMSHOTS ADDED** | Candle Power Flashlight Forum**

Copy and paste all of that link above to your browser to view it.

A retailer that a lot of folks here use, cnqualitygoods, also carries a more upscale HID:

http://www.cnqualitygoods.com/goods.php?id=1354

supposed similar to the fire fox.

This is the more generic 50w version:
http://www.cnqualitygoods.com/goods.php?id=1015

Frankly I think buying the generic stuff is better value since you can get two for the price of one, and the parts are more or less interchangeable and all over ebay.

Or have personal experience with?

What do you guys think of this? Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

I have the OEM L35 and had a ebay hid. Personally I liked the l35 better due to better ergonomics which is why I still have it (short/handle, and I like the plastic house since alum piece that big is unwieldy). I still almost never use it because XML throwers are just more convenient. I don’t have eagle eyesight to see much beyond a couple hundred M at night anyway.

How well do the e-bay generics hold up? Are batteries and bulbs interchangeable between the more expensive brands and the Chinese generics, or are they model and brand specific? Also, if I am understanding the terminology correctly, some spill would be a good thing for what I’ll be using the light for. Are the Oracle 24X9 worth spending the extra money for? I’ve also saw AGPTek and Probuilt brands listed at reasonable prices. Any input on these brands? I know I’m probably over analyzing my choices big time, but while it’s no life altering event to throw away a $25 spotlight every few years, I hate to spend $100+ for a light just to discover that I must toss it out in 3 years time because nobody makes the battery or bulb anymore.

You should try out a <50 xml thrower to see if it meets your need before plunking down $$ on hids. You really can’t go wrong here.

Yes the parts are large interchangeable mostly because the brands all come from the same factory anyway or they copy each other. Next best thing to “official” standard or paid manufacturer support, but you never know if a couple years down the road they move onto different models. The bulbs are largely standard, though.

Thanks for all of the info, and please keep it coming! What are the LED lights like now? I had a led light from a few years back, and the light output was so blue that I couldn’t stand to use it! I also had a Stanley HID spotlight, and even though the light from it was still blue, I was happy with it. I dropped it and it hasn’t worked since, and that is actually why I am looking at better and heavier lights. I guess the biggest reason that I had brought up the HID light first is because I had a good experience with the HID, and not so good with an LED.

Just got my 85w HID today, makes my TR-J12 & Trustfire X6 look like toys.

dam really. makes me wonderin if i should buy one too now.
so how long does it take to equal the x6 in brightess. like after turning on the hid light, do you have to wait longer than 5 seconds to have it as bright as the x6?

cus the start up time was the biggest factor why i never went with the hid route

Yea, expect 13-18 seconds to fully warm up. I’m guessing it take anywhere from 3-6 seconds to hit X6 brightness. Around 10 seconds it’s like 90% of it’s brightness already. So a good estimate is Around 5.5 seconds it’s as bright as the X6. Can’t wait to mod my TR-J12 to see if it can match the 4000 OTF lumens with the beast driver.

Honestly after you turn on a 4300k 85 watt HID. Those XM-L gonna look like blue cold vapor trails in the night compared to this mini sunlight.

The X6 (single sst90) is really the only light that’ll compare. The multi-xml’s are WAY more floody.

Then you really need to get a set of XM-L. LEDs have come soo far from the blue lights ten years ago. And there's no bulb to replace.

You have preference on battery type? Li-ions is quite the best deal on energy density/weight/size/price, but needs some good care and know-hows.

any links for the 85w …beast?

You can find them anywhere. On ebay, on aliexpress like mine. Here’s mine. You have to ask for the 4300k bulb. Since alot of BLF & CPF recommended it, saying it’s better to see and more like daylight then the 6000k ones.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-rechargeable-45-65-85W-8500Lumen-HID-Xenon-8700mAh-Torch-Flashlight-Camping-Hiking-Wholesale-Retail/562029181.html

some members bought off this ebay seller:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Super-Bright-85W-4300K-8500Lumen-8700mAh-HID-Xenon-Torch-Flashlight-/320928922482?pt=AU_Sport_Camping_Hiking_Lamps_Torches&hash=item4ab8dabb72

In retrospect these cheap ebay HID flashlights are the SAME design as the ones in the selfbuilt HID comparsion video called the ORACLE. Except they are 85/65/55 watts now instead of the 35w variety.

link: http://www.automotivelightstore.com/oracle35x-14xenonflashlight-black.aspx

vs.