Sad Day (well night) for my flashlight

[Dimis]

after many years of faithful service my favorite flashlight a descently modified mini maglite has given up the ghost

ive decided instead of trying to repair this light i would like to get a new flashlight for EDC and im looking at the Surefire E2DL Defender flashlight as a replacement

anyone have any thoughts good or bad about the E2D?

the newest model boasts 200 lumen output can anyone tell me if thats accurate or marketing fluff?

i carry my light everyday everywhere i go so it has to endure everything that i do so cold wet hot dry dirt and grime hard work and little pay its gotta go along for the ride lol

im also thinking of the Surefire E1B Backup as a secondary light just for SNGs

 

[Smokey Joe]

Let there be light...

Dimis--That Maglight looks like it has been through the mill!

I've had an E2D for a couple years. So far so good. The few times I've used it @ night (tracking deer after hours) its light output has been nothing short of amazing.

It is water, dirt, and everything-proof, so far. Has a covered button switch. You want to use it for emergency only, though--its battery is set up to "give its all" for a short time, as opposed to running low forever. I think the run time is only 90 min, and the batteries are NOT cheap. So it is a quick spotlight, not a work lantern.

However, when you really want a lot of light on the subject--Boyoboyoboy!

Oh, and the batteries have a long shelf life, so you buy extras and just keep them on hand. They won't pooh out in storage.

 

[OregonJohnny]

I can wholeheartedly recommend the Surefire E2DL (or any SF for that matter). I have the older 120 lumen model, and I can tell you from experience, and from comparing to other brands, Surefire does not overstate the lumen ratings of their lights. If Surefire says it's rated at 200 lumens, it's going to be at least 200 lumens OTF (out the front).

My E2DL has been with me for a couple of years now, and is still my most "impressive" light. I have other lights that are rated to be brighter, lights that are the size of my pinky that outshine a giant MagLight, lights that have 4 different output levels plus strobe and S.O.S., lights that look and feel more refined, etc. But none of them stack up to the durability, ruggedness, and overall performance of the Surefire E2DL.

I would not consider the E2DL an "EDC" light, at least for my purposes, because it's pretty big. For EDC, I prefer a single-cell light with the ability to run on common batteries like AAA or AA, that I can slip into a pocket.

If you're looking for a bullet-proof, tough-as-nails light with decent output and a flawless beam with great throw, you can't go wrong with the E2DL.

If, however, you're just looking for a great LED light to carry in your pocket everyday, you have hundreds of great choices, all for about half the price of the Surefire. Check out Nitecore, Eagle Tac, Streamlight, Jetbeam, and Fenix to get started.

 

[Dimis]

yea smokey joe that poor mini mag has been thru the mill the farm the trail the truck and a few unmentionable places as well and it held its end of the bargain up pretty good

i wouldnt need more than the 90 minute or so battery life as usualy the mag only saw quick "what was that" style use and minor "awe crap i dropped something" secondary uses nothing really work related like broke down on the side of the road type stuff i keep lights elsewhere for that
i just like having a light on me at all times for the quick checks and short dark spots that happen in my everyday life
also the new lights boast a 5 lumen secondary output which is good for some of the smaller jobs itll do
i know that 123s can get pricey but thats not a terrible issue for me i dont mind paying a little extra for better stuff now and again
also i always carry an extra set of batteries on me i even had a pouch made for them and can do the same for the 123s its only slightly bigger to me than the AAs i had in the maglite
the size isnt too much of an issue for me as its not overwhealmingly larger than the maglite only fatter and that wont bug me much
i use belt holsters more than pocket carry so if its a case about the size for a leatherman or maybe a little bigger ill be fine with it

oregonjohnny ill look into some of those other brands too but my hearts pretty set on the SF

thanks for all the help guys

 

[Stainz]

The SF's are under-rated in output. The 120L of the original often measures ~170L. Great light. Of course, the E1b Backup is my EDC - as it has been for the ~2.5 yr I've had it. It is an easy EDC clipped to my left front pocket. Two years ago, I added an E2DL - and it does get some EDC duties. Sadly, it's clip is more easily sprung - and, having more of it's longer length hanging out of the pocket to 'catch' on things, it has fallen out several times - hitting a concrete sidewalk it's first week of ownership, buggering the tailcap scallop. Both are great at night on low power - and last 1.5 days for the Backup and ~2-3 days for the Defender.

The CR123's are best if bought from SF - ~$21/12. That 11 yr shelf life - and cost - is hard to beat, in my mind, for a dependable power source. If I were getting only one, it'd be the E1b Backup - it's that useful. Plus - the eye's sensitivity to light is non-linear - the 2.5X brighter E2DL Defender does not look much brighter than the E1b Backup's 80L - which is 4-8X the brightness of a 2 C-cell MagLite. Enjoy your purchase!

Stainz

PS Last fall, I finally called SF re the buggered E2DL tailcap... and they sent me a replacement - gratis! I filed the edges even - and put the old one on the E1b Backup - it can now be used 'candlestick' style, it's worn edges and filed edges blending together. Great product!

 

[RyanM]

Surefire is one of the few companies that puts up accurate lumen measurements. Their lumen rating is usually the average that the light puts out, over the lifetime of the battery.

200 lumens may be a little excessive for some things. It'll probably be 240+ lumens when you first fire it up. If you're just trying to clip your toenails in the dark, you can expect to see blue spots all over for several minutes. But if you're trying to see very far away outdoors, it should be useful.

240+ lumens is probably the maximum that's practical in that size of a light. Balancing the lumens to the reflector size is pretty important when you get into the real powerful ones. There are some tiny Seoul P7-based pocket lights, and even the well-made ones are practically useless except as toys. The tiny little reflector means there's a ton of side-spill, which means the light reflecting off the ground near you will ruin your night vision. Especially during the winter, when there's snow all over.

You'll definitely want a weaker light to keep beside your bed. 240+ lumens is enough to make you go "ooowwwww, my eeeeyyyyyeeeeees!" if it's a new moon and you've been asleep for awhile. One time I woke up in the middle of the night during a power outage, and had to go to the bathroom. Only flashlight nearby was a Malkoff ~260 lumen. I absolutely could not use that thing to "aim," even pointing it up at the ceiling and looking straight down, the reflected light was too bright.

 

[308win]

Check out the 4Sevens. I have one of the Quark models. Well made, adjustable output, SMALL & LIGHT, not expensive compared to the Surefires. I have two Surefires and the Quark is the one I carry when I am carrying a light.

 

[Sir Aardvark]

To be frank, I got sick and tired of spending about $5.00 for 20 minutes of flashlight use (Surefire batteries cost $24.00 + S&H for 12 batteries, and my E2E would only last about 25 minutes on a set of batteries)

I replaced the bulb of my E2E with this bulb from lighthound, rated at 150 lumens:

http://www.lighthound.com/Lumens-Fa...p-Assembly-for-SureFire-E2-Series_p_1009.html

I also picked up 2 x RCR123A Rechargable batteries and a charger.

I now have a light that is almost twice as bright as before, and runs for about 40 minutes before needing to be recharged.

I don't know how many lumens my light now actually puts out, and I do realize that manufacturer rating are usually a bunch of baloney, but my light appears to be nearly twice as bright as before.

 

[Sir Aardvark]

Oh... by the way, I PM'd you...

 

[Dimis]

thanks guys suprisingly enough i had enough spare parts laying around to get the mini mag to live for the time being but im going ahead and ordering my E2D
if its anything like everything else ill tinker with it till its exactly what i want

i mean just look at the mini maglite it had more accessories than the light was worth lol

 

[Stainz]

S.A.,

Some clarification may be needed re your E2E's original rating as an incandescent light. Surefire rates it as 60L for 75 minute runtime off two CR123's. From Surefire's site, those cells are still $21/12, as they were before last Christmas, when I ordered five boxes from them (Gave boxes as gifts to son & f-i-l.). I don't recall the s/h - seems like it was $5 for 3-day delivery. Anyway - that 20 minutes you mentioned would then cost ~$$1.10 - a far cry from $5.

Of course, the rationale for going to a rechargeable battery is valid for ultimate economy, which doesn't take into account the probability of your batteries needing a charge when you need them the most. The disposable Lithium primary cells are handy, that's for sure. Getting an LED light - and especially one with a low mode, like the E1b or E2DL, is a must these days. Two clicks and my E1b or E2DL are at 5 Lumens - plenty to make it to the bathroom without stepping on a sleeping cat. At the low level of 5 Lumens, with a run-time of 36/76 hr, that makes the cost ~ two cents for 20 minutes.

The convenience factor gets me... I like Surefire's CR123's! Local sporting goods & gun stores have bins of them for $2.25/each, too - far cheaper than the discount store's and their Duracell, etc, blister packs.

Stainz