What new flashlight did you get that you didn't need... just for fun?

Everything after the first, if I’m being honest with myself.

The first really good flashlight I bought was a JETBeam JET-U. I’d had a pretty decent 9x5mm LED light and a Sipik SK-68 before, but they had both died. I was amazed by how bright and how dim the JET-U could be. I remember going to meet some friends at a bonfire one night and they couldn’t believe the light they saw coming towards them was from the tiny AAA JET-U.

Pretty much every one of them but two or three...probably just two.

I just bought an Olight and I feel a little dirty. Little 16340 Baton model, taking advantage of sale prices and coupons plus two free gift lights...really I just wanted to buy a couple of their accessories but apparently could not order just those because of a vague hidden dollar minimum. First light I've bought without looking up reviews and such, and after placing the order I read in the manual that the battery is not supposed to be removed from the light (?) and is inserted in the opposite direction/polarity from normal (tailcap mag charging). If I'm not thrilled with it, it will make a nice holiday gift for someone (probably the same with the freebies).

First I bought horrible sub-junk. I suffered through it for decades of my life. Then I discovered reasonable quality flashlights. I bought reasonable quality, hot rod flashlights that I wanted, but that I didn't need. Finally I got around to getting a flashlight that I needed, S2 Baton. Then I continued with more flashlights that I wanted, but didn't need. Then I continued with new offerings of Baton size lights that offered more hot rodness. Then I continued again with more huge power throwers and huge dedicated throwers that I don't need. My current light that I need is the Emisar D4V2 Vn 4 x W2.

The most recent new flashlight that I got that I wanted that I didn't need is the Lumintop FW21a Pro Vn triple SBT90.2.

The next light that I am going to get that I don't need is the Acebeam X50.

I like small, medium, big and huge flooders, throwers and power throwers, in vast middle price range. I have not yet gotten into jewelry class lights.

Lights that other people like: I have nothing against them. Nor the people.

The variety of lights that I like: There are lots of people who don't like them.

That has been my mini-EDC light of choice. I don’t like the cool tint beam, but it’s a nice intensity, 3 useful modes, and it just looks so damned cool with the body design and very dark brown anodizing. Picked up a few at $12 a pop from AliExpress 2 years ago. Now? They’re averaging $20. For good reason, IMHO.

Pretty much every light except my headlamp

Basically….every light apart from 2x Convoy S2+ and 2x C8, and a Skilhunt E3A.

The rest are just wants, not needs.

Most of ’em.

I ordered it last week, WildTrail WT90. The most I’ve spent on a single light.

I probably could have stopped after my first 20:

ThorFire C8s
ThorFire TG06S
ThorFire VG15S
BLF Q8
Astrolux A01 Purple
Lumintop MiniGT NW
Convoy C8 Clear CW
Astrolux C8 Black CW
Convoy S2+ CW
Blitzwolf BW-ET1
Imalent RT70
BLF A6 CW
BLF A6 Clear NW
Astrolux S41 219c
Emisar D4S XP-L NW
Fireflies ROT66 219b
Convoy C8+ Sand NW
Zanflare T1
Sofirn Q8
ThorFire S70S

I just don’t need that range. My dog does not run away usually, but if he does, the Olight R50 (and sometimes a Sofirn C8F) is all it takes. For fun, I have a 16340 Zoomie with white flat (love that one) and, at the other extreme, a XHP35 thrower.

I plan to sell a large number of lights, but from all lights I do not use, the KR1 and the Emisar D4V2 will stay.

Yes. Hank Wang itself does product maintenance. If I’m not mistaken, there is or will be a SFT40 KR1 with an appropriate driver. The latter is glued, but I think it’s possible to obtain it from him and replace it.

Got this small Lumintop lantern during the Father’s Day Sale on Neals Gadgets.

I already have the bigger Sofirn lantern, the Orange one. And I have planned to buy the new version Sofirn lantern, the popular Green.

So the Lumintop is mostly just for admiration. It is cute. But for practical purposes, the bigger Sofirn lantern is much brighter and more useful.

Only the cheaper lights get heavy use and wear and a real purpose to buy. :wink:
70 % of my lights have been modded, and 90% are just toys for fun. :beer:
I am just about maxed out on lights because of modding upgrade options are almost exhausted.
There is a Convoy 4x18 on the operating table now, but after that ? I’m out of ideas.
.

Bort is not typically one for shameless self promotion but i do have two lights for sale, one with two heads that begs for modding and another that can probably be modded if you are ambitious :smiley:

That’s a tough question for me. To be practical (obviously not why most of us are here) I really only need one light so most of mine were bought for fun. More specifically, these little guys; 10180 Peak Eigers in brass and SS.

Peak Solutions lights are quite underpowered compared to many offerings today, but they’re so seriously solid… can last a lifetime. And really, for close range task illumination, the Eiger does the job.

Agree. They are very well built. Probably the best I have ever seen. These little guys will light up a dark room but not very useful for most applications. Just got them because they’re cute. Probably won’t use them much.
Here is the potting in a Sofirn and Peak.

I got a Lux-RC engine from a friend. Thinking that it would be impolite to put it inside a cheap convoy host, I purchased a used Surefire E2E for the host.

Now I barely use the flashlight because it’s hard to get good 16650 battery.

I didn’t have the heart to buy the 6D Coleman.
So I told my wife to gift it to me.
4 or 5 hundreds flashlights later, I think I own the longest
flashlight ever. And I have 8 6D Maglites. And 2 7Ds.
None of ’em is longer. LOL.

It’s a matter of priorities. I could drink the money.
Or worse. But that wouldn’t last long. That’s my excuse.
What is yours?.

Cheers.

FWAA Cu landed today

Just the BLF GT.

I convinced myself I needed every other purchase.

I used to buy those giant throwers at hardware stores and I thought, eh, this is 4x as much, of uselessness, so if I buy the GT, I will stop buying junk.