These 2 alone could satisfy any reasonable (non-obsessed) person indefinitely. You’d need to learn about Li-Ion safety (see post #7) and then buy decent cells and a good charger, but it would be worth the investment.
I have the S2+ (& another on the way I like it so much) & mine are the 6*7135 versions as I thought it was a good balance between brightness & run time.
Can”t comment on how hot the 8*7135 gets but obviously you don”t have to use the highest setting all the time.
I also have a pair of C8”s but mine are the Thorfire C8s.
With an S2+ & C8 you will be pretty much covered for your needs I think.
Get a good charger & some good cells & you are good to go 
I tested my S2+ (4C) 7135*8, ambient temperature 73F:
- 1:00 noticeably warm
- 2:30 uncomfortably hot
- 3:25 painfully hot, terminated the test.
Picture showing hand position during impromptu test.
I recommended the 7135*8 because of the occasional need for turbo mode (a burst of brightness to illuminate the scene). For the most part, I would expect you to be using low and medium modes. Depending on the flashlight’s particular mode setup, medium on a 7135*8 will give somewhere between 350 to 500 lumens - which should be plenty bright enough to meet 95% of your needs!
Besides, as a newbie, you’re entitled to be infatuated by bright flashlights. You have yet to discover the thrill of your first 2K lumen flashlight or 250Kcd flashlight. You have yet to pick up a collection of 1000 lumen to 2000 lumen flashlights, only to discover that very few of them meet your needs. For now, brightness trumps practicality. I wouldn’t dream of recommending you a flashlight with a lower output … until you’ve had an opportunity to experience more. Or until such time as you can better define what it is that you are looking for.
So, I still recommend that you get the 7135*8, but if you must choose between the 7135*4 and the 7135*6 and you’re worried about overheating, choose the 7135*6. Provided you hold it in your hand (your hand is a much better heat dissipator than ambient air), the flashlight won’t overheat.
Regarding the D80 cutoff and protected cells:
Both LVP’s for flashlights and PCB’s for flashlights are failsafe devices. In practice, you should never get close to the cut-off voltages (2.5V to 2.7V). In most flashlights (especially high-powered flashlights like the D80), the flashlight will begin to noticeably dim at around 3.5V. By the time it hits 3.0V, it will be very dim. So, if you are half-way paying attention to it, you’ll have recharged it long before running the battery down. The only time that I could see you running the battery below 3.0V would be if you were to accidentally turn the flashlight on, say like in a duffel bag. And if that instance should ever occur, I think the biggest danger wouldn’t be from overdischarging the cell, it would be the damage caused by the overheated flashlight. (I’ve singed pockets with accidentally turned-on flashlights having much less power than the D80. I shudder to think how much damage the D80 would do if left on in a closed environment.)
Overdischarging cells will damage them. However, there is little danger posed by the overdischarged cell, sitting statically, by itself. The danger arises when the cell is recharged. So, even if you accidentally overdischarge a cell, you can handle the situation safely. Discard any cell lower than 2.5V. Exercise due diligence when recharging any battery. (See safety precautions mentioned earlier.)
So, yes, Low Voltage Protection and Protection Circuit Boards are “safer”, but the margin of safety that they provide is not as much as you imagine.
Nothing can take the place of awareness and due diligence when it comes to safely using li-ion batteries.
Personally, I run my BLF D80 on unprotected Samsung 30Q batteries. I hardly give them a second thought when I’m using the flashlight. Well before the flashlight shows any signs of dimming, I replace the battery.
And I am very careful as to how I handle recharging the 30Q’s.
[quote=1dash1]
Considering I have two children who will want to use Dad flashlights, I think I’ll have more peace of mind with protected battery 
By the way, do you have any suggestions about choosing a charger and some batteries for the S2+ and C8 ?
People recommend to buy a good charger and good batteries, but what is considered “good”?
I look for some protected 18650 batteries not too expensive, but not junk too.
I have seen models ranging from $4 to $30. What would be a good ratio “quality vs price”
someone can make me some suggestions ? (Gearbest , Banggood, DX)
And what capacity do you recommend ?
About the charger, a multi format can be interesting for the future.
I presume that the $ 5 models are not recomandables, but I wonder if bigger models with an LCD is really necessary ?
What do you think about these two models:
Nitecore D2 Intelligent Digi Charger
16$
I have a couple Xtar VC4plus chargers. I think they are great. My vote is for the VC2 or VC2plus.
Nitecore, Xtar and Liitokala are among the most popular brands. I’d suggest getting one with a digital display.
Personally, I’ve got a Nitecore D2 which has given me good service. I have a Liitokala Lii - 500 on order, because of three features: (1) it has four bays; (2) it can run battery capacity tests and (3) it can charge at 1 amp, as opposed to the D2’s maximum charge rate of 0.5A.
Note: the main reason I need the higher charge rate is because I’ve started to use a lot more 26650-powered flashlights. Charging the 26650’s @ 0.5A takes too much time. And I plan on keeping the D2, which has a low amp (0.3A) charging cycle designed specifically for charging smaller batteries, like 10440’s and 16340’s.
Richard (Mountain Electronics) is a reputable source state-side.
Illumn.com had the best prices on the Nitecore chargers (also state-side).
Otherwise, these products are generally available at the normal vendors (Banggood, Fasttech, Gearbest, HK, Aliexpress, etc.).
EDIT: BTW, if you’re interested in comprehensive reviews of these chargers, see: Batteries and chargers
Regarding your three chargers:
- Nitecore D2 Intelligent Digi Charger
- XTAR VC2 Charger With LCD Screen
- NITECORE Intellicharger I2
I wouldn’t recommend the I2 because it lacks the digital display. (The information it displays regarding voltage and charge rates is invaluable. This info may not be important to you now, but it may be some day.)
The VC2 only charges Li-ion. If you can live with that, then it’s an acceptable choice. And on the plus-side, it can run capacity tests.
The D2 charges Li-ions, LiFePO4, and NiMH batteries. List price is cheaper at Illumn.com, but I don’t know about shipping costs: http://www.illumn.com/nitecore-d2-digicharger.html
After reading the controversial post Banggood selling fake Nitecore charger? confirmed by Nitecore’s website, if it’s working , I asked BangGood and GearBest if their Nitecore D2 is a original or a copy.
Answer:
Gearbest: The products is not original.It is a Chinese brand.
BangGood: Yes,of course this is a 100% original nitecore charger with validation code.
It is still doubtful to not specify if it’s a fake or copy, especially if they know it’s a fake…
I would order in US, but shipping to Canada (and tax and customs) cost a lot of money, sometimes it doubles the cost!
It does not bother me to wait a few weeks but I want to make sure that I buy…
Anyone can recommend some protected 18650 batteries for my future C8 and S2+ ?
I found these two items:
4PCS MECO 3.7v 4000mAh Protected 18650
13$
4PCS NCR 18650B 3.7V 3400mAh Protected 18650
Panasonic Cells
25$
Since I know nothing about batteries, I wonder if it’s worth it to pay twice the price
Do you have other (better) suggestions ?
The highest capacity known 18650 is 3600mAh by Panasonic/Sanyo, which is quite rare to get, and the next most available highest capacity is 3500mAh, i.e. Sanyo NCR18650GA, LG MJ1 and Samsung (can’t remember the model name).
I’ve no idea where Meco get the 4000mAh capacity, which I suspect is not the true capacity, so I’ll stick to the tried and tested 3400mAh NCR18650B.
(QUOTE) Considering I have two children who will want to use Dad flashlights, I think I’ll have more peace of mind with protected battery Wink
Nobody recommends relying on battery protection circuits on a regular basis especially for a newbie.
Give your children a AA flashlight to abuse
O:-)
This is my go to protected 18650, might be considered a bit pricey but worth every bit. Great run times, good high amp uses and a trusted Panasonic core with protection circuit features a high quality Seiko IC also made in Japan with AO MOSFETs. I use and sell a lot of them none have ever failed yet. Sanyo/Panasonic NCR18650GA Protected 3500mAh
For your cheap light I still thing you should look at Thorfire or Shadow VG10. 4 modes;moonlight,low,medium and high, also can use a pair of CR123A’s. It weights 4.66 ounces it’s not going to get hot quickly drawing 2.8 amps on high. That’s just a few grams more than a Solarforce with better heat sinking.
I’ve got a VG10. It’s a well-manufactured, solidly built flashlight. It has a “tactical” style, looks like it would be right at home with military gear. Like a good knife, it has a nicely balanced heft to it that is very reassuring. The VG10 is highly functional, with four evenly spaced modes providing light. You can dunk it. You can drop it. You can get dust/dirt all over it and it will keep on shining. Very reliable.
What doesn’t it have?
It doesn’t have the great beam of the S2+. The VG10’s beam profile isn’t particularly smooth (ironically, this is mainly because of its “smooth” reflector). Worst of all, the shiny steel bezel not only cuts off the spread of the beam field, it also creates rings around the beam. The beam comes in a plain (highly efficient) cool white. Not unpleasant, but not very appealing either.
And while the VG10’s tail button is as good as they come for a rubber-covered button, it can’t compare with the smooth stroke of the S2’s metal tail button. The S2 is such a pleasure to simply turn on and off!
The VG10 is great for what it does. I’m happy to own one.
The S2+ is great, too. But it leaves me wanting for more. That’s why I own 3 of them, all configured differently, plus one host that I haven’t put together yet. And I have dreams of owning more. O:-)
xintd c8, convoy c8, or convoy s2 —- mtn electronics or simon’s convoy store… if you must have an AA light, fenix store but those will be over $30 usually… cant go wrong with the convoys—-build or buy ready to run
mtn has batteries and chargers too and located in the US so it will be fast
+1 Those are the ones I use too. Great batts.
J&H
Are these genuine?
Ok thanks!
Those are noticeably cheaper than the last NCR´s I bought…
I tried to order today, but too late, It’s sold out :-((
Any ideas ?