Recommendations please for a light under $100.00

Budget is less than 100.00
Material = Aluminum
Lumens = 1000 or more on high, (I mean high output for sustained light, not very short time such as turbo mode)
Build Quality = Something that will last a longtime with careful use
Beam = Nice balance of flood/throw
Battery= Rechargeable

So far the brands I have used are Maglite, Coast, Energizer, Nitecore, and Thrunite. I have been happy with durability and functionality with all except Thrunite and Energizer (both are super inexpensive models).

Thanks very much for any ideas.

That’s not hard to do but you’ll want to look for a light that has more lumens…or perhaps something with a boost driver to help maintain steady output. Are you already invested in lithium-ion cells and a charger? If not then that’s some added cost (and maybe a learning curve on proper care and feeding), or you may be stuck with proprietary batteries that are expensive to replace when they die or if you want spares, or variations of limitations like that. It would help to know what kind of range you want to shed light on and maybe what size-ish of the light you want, if you prefer side switches vs tail switches, etc.

Offhand I’d maybe suggest the Convoy M3C which you can get for around $35 to $40 in a couple emitter choices. It uses 26650 cells (somewhere between C and D in size). It may be a tad bulky for some but it’s a great powerhouse of a reasonably compact light and is still able to fit in most jacket pockets (not so great for pants pockets though). It can sustain a bit over 1000 real lumens for a long time and it doesn’t heat up much.

The Emisar and Noctigon brands from Hank (International Outdoors) are also worth a look as he has several to choose from with a lot of options and a nice boost driver available for most. Probably plan on spending in the $70 range with the optional boost driver, $50 ish for others without.

The crux here is sustaining high lumens like you’re after…that’s difficult to do in many typical flashlight body sizes simply due to heat dissipation. Many many many lights advertise max lumens at that level and much higher but they can’t do them for very long at all (typically only a minute or three before they drop way down).

Of the brands you mentioned Thrunite might be the only one to consider although Nitecore makes good lights. I don’t know what either have in terms of higher sustainable output but usually for the prices that those two and other good mainstream brands charge, you can get the same or better performance and features from many of our “budget” brands.

If your budget is $100, you have literally 100s of options.

Just like no one can decide what car you should buy or what house you should buy, no one can really tell you what flashlight you should buy.

The decision is highly personal.

I would suggest spend a week or two to read the BLF posts. There are people on this forum that design flashlights and you can stand to learn a lot from them to make an intelligent decision.

If you want to rush to make a purchase. We’ll you kbow what they say, “Haste Makes Waste.”

Best of luck to you.

Thanks very much. I haven’t decided yet how far the throw needs to be but probably not more than a quarter of a football field.
I’m looking for about 30 minutes runtime without overr heating I will be walking after dark so I want to see if there are any of the following up ahead of me: Black Bear, Fox, Skunk, Possum, or Racoon. I am walking a small dog on a short leash. Bright is best since I want to discourage anything or anyone coming too close. Of course, ideally, I want to retreat from any wildlife.

Yeah, for a single cell light the convoy m3-c can’t be beat. It can be ordered with 26800 cell also.

Eh, I owned it (with 26800 tube and FC40 4000-4500K) and the output itself was decent, but I could never find the button in the dark. I ended up pressing on the rubber USB-C cover most of the time, which is minimally effective. It’s something I don’t even think about with most lights, because they get it right.

I personally like the D4SV2 more, for a single 26800 light. The ergonomics and UI are excellent, and the thermal limit is user configurable. The 519A is a fairly balanced beam with the stock lens. Maybe a little on the floody side.

If you’re open to a larger light (like the 3D Maglites of old) you can get the Convoy L6 FC40 or Convoy L7 SBT90.2 for under $100, and they can run on 2 X 26650 or 2 X 26800 if you get the extension rings. Great output and battery life, and some serious bonk factor if you need a blunt weapon.

FYI, this is approx 245 BigMacs

The Streamlight protac 90X is nice for dog walking as the right angle head/angled switch make it easier to use while holding a leash.

If you want something a little bigger with more throw, the 3 cell Maglite ML50LX running a 21700 in an adapter or a rechargeable ML150 are pretty nice too.

My EDC is the Convoy S16 with SFT40, so that's what I recommend.

If you care about the same things that I do, it's an excellent flashlight.

Otherwise, you'll want something else.

https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/70067

What battery size are you planning to use?

Sofirn Q8 Pro. Like they say, “go big or go home”. :partying_face:

My usual recommendation is the Convoy M21B GT-FC40 4000-4500k.

Lumintop FW21 Pro

Can get a copper Lumintop FW21 Pro with battery during this BFCM Sale for less than US$100.

Got this during the past 11/11 Sale. Now it is my EDC favourite. :smiley: