It’s been almost a year since I bought my last flashlight. Each summer, for an annual family camping trip, I grab a new light. It’s a tradition at this stage. It started with a single AAA mag lite, and has become more and more ridiculous with each passing year. Last year’s entrant was the 3x XML King.
This year, I’d like to spend around $100, but I’m flexible. This is not a practical purchase! My life won’t be depending on this light - we’ve got lots of light already. I’m purely looking for excitement, and a light to look at and ooooh and awww at, while reflecting upon how far the technology has come I’ve read some reviews of the 12x and 15x XML lights, and they look neat. It seems like the consensus is that they’re under-driven, and benefit greatly from some driver mods. I may not have time to get into anything like that before the trip, so I’m wondering if those are still good lumen-per-dollar options un-modded?
What are some good lumen-per-dollar options, out-of-the-box, at around the $100 price point?
Here is my flood collection. The brightest, by FAR is the ginormous TrustFire AK-90. I have a Darth on the way, and I have a feeling that one will be my most used flooder.
I also have Tmart credit, and will probably get the Tangsfire AK-47 too.
SkyRay Kung - Ultrafire UF-T70 - SkyRayK107 - TrustFire J18 - TrustFire X6 (not a flooder) - TrustFire AK-90 - SkyRay Kung (ebay)
My AK90 isnt modded, and its insanely bright. There is a thread on the forums about modding it already. Honeslty, comparing it to the Skyray Kung… or even the J18, its extremely bright!
I would say that you could probably find a really impressive flooder for considerably less than $100. It seems that the really powerful throwers tend to cost quite a bit more. But pretty much any well driven multi XM-L emitter flashlight in the $30 to $50 range will flood the living daylights nightlights out of you. Any preferences on size and style? Long and narrow with batteries in series or short and fat with parallel cells?
I actually prefer short and fat. However, I’m trying to one-up the SkyRay King that I took last year, and that was a short and fat form factor. I’m not sure where to go in that form factor that would be a substantial upgrade, while still staying under $100.
The Ultrafire UF-T70 has the fatty form factor and it beats my king and kungs. Its brighter, and a little bit more of a thrower than my King and Kungs. THe difference isnt going to wow you though. I would say that my J18 is a solid “one up” over the king, and the AK90 is a “two up”
This is a little more than your $100.00 budget. I’m waiting on a review from JohnnyMac. http://www.fasttech.com/products/1601/10005078/1398604-trustfire-tr-s700-7cree-xm-l-t6-1-mode-3800-lumen-
It’s a fat, (not so little) sucka. I definitely like the handle.
I go camping a lot also, and I bring my BlackShadow Terminator.
The handle on the light helps to keep the heat away from your hands when you’re running the light on hi for extended lengths.
Stock my 15x puts out the most lumens of any light I have owned. However, for best bang for a hundred bucks and if you are not worried about it being practical at all why not the BTU Shocker? That light stock has more wow factor than any light I can think of, throw and flood walk all over the SRK. More practical and a great light with a boatload of lumens is the Terminator. More runtime with the 4 18650’s. But for simply one huge wall of light it has to be the 15X.
Although I haven’t tried it yet If I would also seriously consider the new J-20.
I would, but truthfully, I probably need to make the decision this evening if I want anything to arrive from China in time. I have exactly two weeks, so it’s cutting things a bit tight already. I’ve lost track of time.
Thanks for the reminder. I would use 18650s with an adapter. I’ve got a lot of good 18650s, and I don’t want to take a new sized battery with me (or have to buy a bunch of 26650s). That will impact current, but I know that going in.
Has anyone reviewed the NiteFire 7x? I couldn’t find a review, but it looks like a good compromise form factor, and it takes 6x 18650s. I’m sketched out by the momentary / electronic buttons, rather than the physical / traditional on / off.
(I think you should buy my Terminator) That will get to you quick. :bigsmile:
Actually I would probably go for the BTU shocker if you are not looking for something practical. He ships fairly fast and it is really a WOW light if you have ever seen one. Thowy and floody.
A lot of these lights do not put out a whole lot more than a good SRK as far as total lumens do. The 9x and 15x are noticeably brighter as is the Terminator and BTU. That 7x and the SP03 which I also have are not lumen monsters.
maka you should check out TrustFire TR-S700 7 x CREE XM-L T6 LED 3800 Lumens Diving Flashlight too if you like this light, $76 there! I remember on some thread JohnnyMac said it was 3578 OTF lumens, probably not competitive with the 15x, but better than any of the others mentioned.
I’ve read some reviews of the 12x and 15x XML lights, and they look neat. It seems like the consensus is that they’re under-driven, and benefit greatly from some driver mods. I may not have time to get into anything like that before the trip, so I’m wondering if those are still good lumen-per-dollar options un-modded?
Any preferences on size and style? Long and narrow with batteries in series or short and fat with parallel cells?
