flashlight recommendations?

[old lady new shooter]

Since the rules for this section say "discussion of such things as how to make a home more secure and how to avoid being chosen as a crime victim are welcome" I think my below question is in the right place, but if not, feel free to move it.

I want a flashlight strong enough to sweep the front of my house from inside my car on the street, so if I see someone or something Not Good I can keep going and call 911. Obviously this is not going to be found at the 99¢ store. How many lumens do I need to see 50 feet clearly and does anyone have any particular brand/model they would recommend for my purpose?

 

[Jeff White]

Are you going to keep this in your car or carry it on your person? There are good options in either size.

What is your budget for this light?

 

[DHJenkins]

Check out the Thrunite TN12. The advertised output is 1050 lumens and I think the actual output is 1020. It's got 6 modes and fits easily in a pocket. The light is very clean, too. There's plenty of youtube comparisons & reviews online.

I did tons of research about a year ago and this, coupled with an Efest 18650 rechargeable battery and an intellicharger i2 charger ran about $70 total using amazon & ebay and was (according to specs) the best combo under $100.

 

[1stmarine]

I have a few models including surefire and coast for budget.
But a few years back read a review on the rayoback where they run them over with a car and rated like the best. so one day at the local hardware I bought a few of them to keep around the house. These are LEDs with the rubber ends and if you run out of batteries can use them as a hammer.
They have one large and another one that takes 2 AA batteries that to me is a plus. I keep a large supply of litium AA for shtf but also reloadable ones that is the most popular type these days for small electronics.

This is the one with the AA batteries. They have other types..
Lithium ones will run for a long time and it give around 100+ lumens. good out to 80-100 yards.

So popular batteries, understandable, affordable. buy a few.
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[old lady new shooter]

Are you going to keep this in your car or carry it on your person? There are good options in either size.

What is your budget for this light?

This one is for the car, for when I come home after dark.

I hadn't thought about one to keep on my person, but if there was something small enough to be on my keychain but powerful enough to be worthwhile that would be a good thing to have also.

Have not set a budget per se, I looked around a little on the web and mostly got confused but based on what I saw I don't guess anything serious enough will be under ~$30.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Check out the Thrunite TN12. The advertised output is 1050 lumens and I think the actual output is 1020. It's got 6 modes and fits easily in a pocket. The light is very clean, too. There's plenty of youtube comparisons & reviews online.

I did tons of research about a year ago and this, coupled with an Efest 18650 rechargeable battery and an intellicharger i2 charger ran about $70 total using amazon & ebay and was (according to specs) the best combo under $100.

Is http://www.amazon.com/ThruNite®-TN12-EDC-LED-Flashlight/dp/B00XMP3POS the combination you mean?

 

[BLB68]

A little while back, I picked up a 1000 lumen light (larger) and a three pack of 300 lumen Duracell LED lights from Costco. Either option cost $15. They're branded as Duracell Durabeam Ultras.

They have aluminum bodies and both are very bright. I keep one of the smaller ones (300 lumens) in the car center console. It'd be worth looking at as a budget option. The 1000 lumen model throws a very wide, even beam (that can be focused to smaller size with a sliding focus ring on the front) and also has a strobe mode. Both types are rear button activated. (Need to watch how you store one in the car -- I drained mine b/c it got jostled on.)

 

[CZ9shooter]

Maglite xl50, or 100 or 200 models, may fit the bill. Not quite pocketable, but comfortable to handle and built pretty well. Takes common batteries and throws good beam of light IMO. Can be found at bigger hardware stores for about 50 bucks.

 

[Frank Ettin]

First, I have to admit that I have a flashlight fetish. I desperately need a 12 step program for that before I acquire any more.

But I recently bought a Nitecore P12, and found it to be an excellent, very bright flashlight.

I also bought a Nitecore MT06 which is a pen style flash light and very good of its type.

 

[Lord Teapot]

Since the rules for this section say "discussion of such things as how to make a home more secure and how to avoid being chosen as a crime victim are welcome" I think my below question is in the right place, but if not, feel free to move it.

I want a flashlight strong enough to sweep the front of my house from inside my car on the street, so if I see someone or something Not Good I can keep going and call 911. Obviously this is not going to be found at the 99¢ store. How many lumens do I need to see 50 feet clearly and does anyone have any particular brand/model they would recommend for my purpose?

Nitecore EAX Hammer. i bought one on amazon last year, and i love it.

http://www.amazon.com/Nitecore-EAX-Hammer-Brightest-Flashlight/dp/B00JXLFKS4

i swear it's like a floodlight, i'm a security guard so i need lots of light fast, and this is what i carry on duty screw maglite! only problem is you have to spend the money on some rechargeable batteries, or it'll burn through your stuff quick.

 

[Lord Teapot]

First, I have to admit that I have a flashlight fetish. I desperately need a 12 step program for that before I acquire any more.

But I recently bought a Nitecore P12, and found it to be an excellent, very bright flashlight.

I also bought a Nitecore MT06 which is a pen style flash light and very good of its type.

is the tm06 worth it? i was looking at one...

 

[Sheepdog1968]

I am a fan of Surefire products. They are quality products and run at premium prices. I like their g2 line. About $100 gives you 300 lumens which is more than adequate for your needs.

http://www.surefire.com/illumination/flashlights/g2x-fire-rescue.html

 

[besafe2]

I am a fan of Surefire products. They are quality products and run at premium prices. I like their g2 line. About $100 gives you 300 lumens which is more than adequate for your needs.

http://www.surefire.com/illumination/flashlights/g2x-fire-rescue.html

I agree on Surefire.

 

[DP03]

There was another thread on flashlights recently. I too am addicted to flashlights, and I have many. I really like the Fenix brand, and I have several of those. They use the latest lithium rechargeable batteries and Cree bulbs.

The lumen output of event the tiniest of lights these days is amazing. And many of the brands you'll see in this thread are very good quality. Even some of the brands that you may not have heard of as much.

Here are a couple that I have that are bullet proof, lifetime lights:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ONMOO8U/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AVQZ6Z4LCAKI5. This model has a magnetic tail cap that is extremely useful.

http://www.amazon.com/Fenix-Flashli...id=1432771712&sr=1-5&keywords=fenix+pd35+2015

http://www.amazon.com/Fenix-TK35-Pe...TF8&qid=1432771794&sr=1-4&keywords=fenix+tk35

http://www.amazon.com/Foursevens-QB...F8&qid=1432771874&sr=1-2&keywords=quark+turbo

http://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-8...771960&sr=1-2&keywords=streamlight+flashlight

Most of the lights above are fairly high output. There are plenty of people that use their lights mostly inside, in which case lower output, less expensive lights are more than adequate.

I'm sure you'll see many other fine choices in this thread. Everyone may have a favorite brand, but the fact is that you have many great choices.

 

[Derry 1946]

Like Frank, I'm attached to flashlights beyond reason, but so far (unlike Frank) have just had a succession of cheap ones. So I just ordered the streamlight Microstream, which gets excellent reviews in its class and can clip onto your hat brim and the like. But that seems smaller and weaker that what the OP is looking for. I also just ordered the streamlight Survivor (90545), but haven't received it yet. Firefighters swear by it, if the internet is to be believed. It might suit your surveillance needs.

 

[Armor Snail]

$30 Maglite XL50 here.

Good for the money. It does eat those 3 AAA's quickly though.
More than bright enough with good batteries.

 

[beatcop]

cheap car light? Defiant 3 D cell LED flashlight

Was around 25 or so at Home depot.

 

[JVaughn]

I've got several Streamlight products, very happy with all. For your purposes the rechargeable stinger would be good I think. You can also get the car charger for it.

 

[DHJenkins]

Is http://www.amazon.com/ThruNite®.../dp/B00XMP3POS the combination you mean?

Right flashlight, wrong extras. I didn't buy mine as a combo, tho. I got the flashlight (by itself) for $50 on amazon, and I got the charger & battery on ebay for $12 & $8 respectively (including shipping).

The Efest battery had (at the time) the best power curve (longest output at 3.7v before voltage dropped). The Intellicharger was very highly rated by all the main battery/flashlight forums & test sites.

The Nitecore P12, Thrunite TN12 and Fenix PD35 all use the same LED/light chip. All have nearly 1,000 lumen ouput. Here's a video comparing the light output of all 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB6MI4L1JAE

I thought 1000 lumens might be too much but now I just want more. It's hard to believe so much light comes out of such a small package.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Here's another thought. About four years ago, I took the old D cell mag lights I had bought in the early 1990s and found a conversion kit online to upgrade it to a 200 plus lumen LED. With it being run off of D cells, it had some insane run time. Also, I already owned it, it felt kind of like reusing a tried and true friend and was also a bit of recycling in the process. I don't recall what the conversion kit cost. Wasn't cheap per se but if you have an old D cell mag light and already like it, it's one way to go.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

We could form a pretty big support group with all the flashlight junkies here! Lots of great suggestions made, but I'll add one to the mix: the JETBeam BC25SE. It's extremely powerful and very well made. I've had the original BC25 for years now and this one is almost identical but brighter. I have no idea if it makes the rated 950 lumens but it's very bright. Another great thing about it is that, unlike most Surefire lights, it has springs on both ends of the batteries making it a good choice as a WML.

 

[Tirod]

Better to consider the specs than any Brand first.

If sweeping the front of the house before turning into the drive, it's going to take over 300 lumens, and shouldn't be too bulky to do it. At the 500 lumen rating it's approaching low beam on headlights. That usually takes a minimum of two batteries.

What those batteries are goes into long term costs - if they are hard to source locally it doesn't help. So, the lower price flashlight junkies, like me, avoid CR123 tactical lights - which are using the 3VDC rating as an aid to powering the light. I focus on AAA, AA, or C Cells, which are now available in lithiums. Those aren't any cheaper, but I can store a light in the car and not worry about them running down or leaking nearly as much as alkalines. On a personal light I use rechargeables.

You can get 100 lumen AA lights for under $30 easily, they are common items in stores.
And the Defiant series at Home Depot is good for a car light. The bigger ones are over 500 lumens, take three C cells, and will definitely reach out 100 feet.

Which goes to an analysis of why the front of the house needs to be swept? If so, then there is a lack of illumination at the doorways, and the vegetation is a hazard if it can conceal an intruder. Fix that, and you still have the rear of the house, and no way to know if someone was already there waiting - unless there is an effective alarm system.

It's not about one flashlight fixing the issues, if they exist.

 

[jbj]

The best thing about having legions of flashlight junkies is that they upgrade their equipment all the time. Same goes with guys changing out the flashlights on their shotguns, and AR's. That means I can pick up sure fire G2s for 40 or 50 bucks. Best flashlight made? No. But they are good at what they do, durable, reliable, and crazily upgradable.
I will second the Streamlight micro as a pocket EDC. It's there when you need light, not when you need to burn someone's retinas out.
For the OP, you might think about a flashlight with a charger that is dedicated for the car. again, Streamlight makes a model where the charger mounts to the transmission tunnel, or center console, and I'm quite sure there are others. Hell, I even look at one of those spotlights that plug into the cigarette lighter.

Here's a completely different thought though; what about security lights on the front of your house with a remote? I'm sure there is a commercial solution, and if you have any DIY skills, the guts of an old garage door opener will do for the electronics nicely. Three Mount has decent range, are replaceable, and you might even be able to get the timer to work so that you don't have to worry about turning it back off.

 

[X-Rap]

Take a look at the Surefire Defender style lights, they have a crenelated bezel that can be used for defensive strikes or compliance.
I bought my daughter and ex the executive size, they aren't cheap but will make an adequate weapon, especially in a non permissive area.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Nitecore EAX Hammer. i bought one on amazon last year, and i love it.

http://www.amazon.com/Nitecore-EAX-Hammer-Brightest-Flashlight/dp/B00JXLFKS4

i swear it's like a floodlight, i'm a security guard so i need lots of light fast, and this is what i carry on duty screw maglite! only problem is you have to spend the money on some rechargeable batteries, or it'll burn through your stuff quick.

Well... a pack of 8 rechargeable batteries for it is $22.77, then you still need a charger. A pack of 4 batteries with a 4-position charger is $16.99. So it seems to me two of the 4-packs would be the way to go. The whole package would be kinda pricey, I have to think about whether I really need something that can go 535 yards. It would be good to have something I could use in my backyard also, which is pretty deep for suburbia, but nowhere NEAR 535 yards.