Hello BLFers,
it has been a long time since my last purchase of a flashlight: my collection is now around 20 lights (Blf q8, astrolux mf01s and emisars d4v2 being the most loved/used) but I have 0 headlights, and now I need one.
The problem is… I don’t know where to start!
So the question is simple really: right now what are the best sellers or the best recommendations for a headlamp?
Thank you in advance!
Budget: ranging from 20$ to 50$ if it is worth it!
Nice to haves:
Efficient drivers
4000-5000K temp is ideal. I love the 519a but not opposed to other emitters
It is a weird one, so I didn’t disclose it… Sorry!
Basically is… Working in a vineyard after dark: it could mean manual work, so I’ll have to see 1 meter in front of me with a low mode, or tractor work (tractor from the 80s, so the the 2 lights are closer to a candle…) so a good 35/50 meters flood light would be perfect
My favorite headlight is the Sofirn HS20 with the SFT40 emitter.
It has two emitters–one for flood and one for throw, and I like to use both at the same time.
I don’t know how far it throws, but if you’re looking for throw, the SFT40 emitter is the most practical throwy emitter.
If you want even more range ( ; 239m ), more power and the added runtime of a 21700-cell, the “Wurkkos HD50” might be the best option. It is on the heavier side, but it features tons of power ( ; 4000lm ), an additional red light and can be magnetically attached to your tractor for example.
If you want an efficient buck-driver [ Correction: it’s a direct fet-driver not a buck-driver ], consider the “Wurkkos HD20”, which has two channels aswell and still throws quite good, with a combined 2000lm. It’s also magnetic, has a powerbank-feature and makes for a more ergonomic handheld flashlight.
All of them come with an elastic ring-type headband which isn’t very stable but the light won’t fall out, and all have the “Samsung LH351D”-Emitter with 5000K as the floodlight-LED, of which the high-CRI-light is maybe helpful when evaluating the condition of grapes.
Wow, thank you guys, lots of different suggestions: now it will be hard to decide on only one!
I already have some Sofirn lights, so I will look into those suggested (and on the “ultra budget light” field I also found the H25LR/D25L model) but I didn’t know Wurkkos… super interesting stuff!
Now I have only a last kind of curiosity: I see that a lot of these new models have the red light 660nm… is it really useful, or can I do without it? I never saw this kind of light 4-5 years ago!
thank you again… you re-ignited a old/new addiction!
I just won a HS42 and am actually loving it (no inappropriate touching, though), and am using it as a flashlight most of the time because it’s just so suave.
The flood mode is reeeeeeeeeeeeally nice. Spot throws hella nicely, too. Red is useful if you don’t want to attract every single bug in Hell’s Creation right to you The UI is simple and intuitive. I’m really having a hard time trying to find anything wrong with it.
If you work at a vineyard, you can probably spare out the red light. It’s main purpose is to preserve night vision by only affecting the red photoreceptor-cells in you eyes, but it also doesn’t attract insects, which is especially helpful on a headlamp to avoid constantly eating moths and mosquitos unintentionally.
I use my “Sofirn D25LR” primarily just as a makeshift-bicycle-rearlight, but for your needs, it probably lacks power and throw.
Red light is awesome for camping because it does not attract insects… For working at night, not so much. Offering the light in 2 options (one cold white/warm white and one neutral white/red) would be great.
Look Im picky everyone knows around , but HS42 with buck driver on 3 channels real throw and flood, red , stroong magnet , charging and 3000Mah battery for 25$… im just just give up
I already had to withdraw my fathers custody about missusing his CRI98-light as a portable hand-heater and for being rac!st against it’s white micro-arc-oxidation.
Thank you guys, this has become the perfect “real hot Rod [flashlight] enthusiast topic”!!
(me too… I like to… Ehm… Touch my D4V2 in the winter months to keep me warm!)
In the end I made an impulse choice, I had some coupon/discount code expiring… I bought a Wurkkos HD50 because I was curious about the Red Light and because I am sucker for some big lumens figure! Coming on Friday… Super curious to use it! ( But… In the future… I will look at those sofirn with some curiosity!)
Thank you guys, this has become the perfect “real hot Rod [flashlight] enthusiast topic”!!