Surefire vs solarforce

[Sentryau2]

So i have decided to get a decent pocket carry flashlight that could also be mounted to the ar. I've picked out two brands that seem to have the best reviews, surefire and solarforce. The solar force LT2 820lumens for 45$ or the surefire 6px pro 15/320lumens for 79$. (if I picked up the surefire, i would also spend money on another solarforce led unit to increase the lumens)
Has anyone personally used the solarforce LT2 and how does it compare to the surefire 6px pro? What kind of customer service does surefire offer? Warranties available? The surefire is waterproof I'm assuming the solarforce is aswell. I'll be using an elzetta FSB mount a buddy is selling me.

 

[ugaarguy]

A few things to consider.

You can't just do a drop in LED upgrade on most (almost all) current Surefire LED lights. If you want a newly produced Surefire host for P60/D26 modules you'll need to buy a classic incandescent 6P or G2. The other problem with the 6PX/G2X/Fury Pro models is that they alternate between high and low with each button press.

The Solarforce L2P is an excellent host for P60/D26 LED modules. It's type 3 hard anodized, and has a larger battery tube internal diameter than Surefire lights do, so you can use 18mm diameter rechargeable lithium batteries.

I wouldn't buy a Solarforce drop in for any serious use, much less weapon mounted use. The Solarforce drop-ins just aren't assembled properly for hard use. If you're okay with Chinese components that are better assembled buy a drop in from Custom Lites. If you want the most rugged drop-in made get a Malkoff M60 or M61: You'll give up some output, but you'll gain run time and get extreme reliability. When you look at Malkoff's output numbers also keep in mind that he gives you the lumens as measured coming out of the light, while almost every other manufacturer gives you the lumens at the emitter which inflates their numbers.

You also need to look at the LED used. A Cree XP-G2 produces less lumens than a Cree XM-L2 because the G has a physically smaller emitter. However, in identical sized reflectors the G is more intense. That is, the light output of the G is tighter, so it will illuminate objects further away.

Other lights to look at:

Malkoff MD2 with M60 or M61 drop in of your choice. The high / low ring option works by fully tightening and slightly loosening the head so you can control what mode it's in. Also has 18mm battery tube.

Elzetta with M60 or M61 drop in of your choice. High/low capability is available through an optional full tight / slightly loosen tailcap switch assembly.

ArmyTek Predator Pro (XP-G2) or Viking Pro (XM-L2). These are max output with the head fully tightened, and user programmable lower output with the head slightly loosened. Battery tubes are 18mm compatible from the factory. The electronics driver is optimized for both 2xCR123 primary or 1x18650 rechargeable. The assembly and build are also very rugged. These are made in Canada from US and Japanese components. The engineering is done by the owner, a Russian expat. She also works the booth just like knife company owners at shows like Blade. I own an early version of the Predator and it's a GREAT light.

 

[rcmodel]

I'd say 820, or even 320 lumens inside a house would be too bright / too much light to be useful.

Just the beam bouncing off a light colored wall would dazzle you, if not the BG.

I have a 160 lumen Malkoff bulb in a very early Surefire 6P that is almost too much light inside a dark room.
Perfect for across the back yard at 50-75 feet though.

And the batteries last 3 months of use to scan the yard every time I step outside to smoke at night.

I'd set the house paint on fire with an 820, and be replacing batteries every time I turned it on!

rc

 

[ugaarguy]

The average 60 watt incandescent light bulb puts out 800 lumens. Most automobile headlights put out between 1000 and 2000 lumens, and you need a pair of them to drive at night. An 1000 watt incandescent light bulb is right in the middle with 1600 lumens. Of course LEDs are more intense because of their much smaller emitter sizes, but that can be mitigated with lenses, films, and reflectors that diffuse the light.

Also, RC, LEDs have gotten very efficient in the last few years. For example, the Cree XM-L2 is 3 volt nominal LED that has a max rated drive current of 3 Amps nominal. At its 10 watt max power rating it can put out almost 1050 lumens. Depending on the efficiency and regulation of the driver circuit, a pair of 3 volt CR123 lithium batteries (1.4 amp hours / 1400 MAH capacity on average) should give you about an hour of run time at or near full output with a about another hour of tapering brightness run time before the voltage drops to low to provide useful power. There are now 3.7 Volt nominal 18650 size rechargeable Lithium Cobalt batteries that have up to 3400 MAH capacity. Those batteries, because of their higher per cell voltage and ability to provide more current than primary lithium batteries, can extend run times even further.

 

[hso]

I can endorse the ArmyTek products as well.
I have Surefire, Streamlight, Solarforce, and ArmyTek lights. Of all of them I'd purchase the ArmyTeks again simply because of the value vs. quality vs. capability. All the others provide good return on 2 of those 3 factors whereas the ArmyTeks seem to hit all three well.

 

[herrwalther]

I have used a fair share of Surefire lights but could never justify the cost for what they were. My weapon lights are either made by Novatech or Viridian, depending on rifle vs pistol. My pocket light right now is a Streamlight Protac 2L which puts out a very useful 260 lumens. Bright enough to light up a dark room (or warehouse) or send a stray dog running across the yard.

 

[spazzymcgee]

I've had a Solarforce L2 on my AR for over a year now. Never had a problem. I can't speak for any aftermarket heads or anything, but after owning a surefire 6P and this Solarforce, I don't really get the point in spending more on a Surefire.

Edit: If I can give you one piece of advice, it would be to invest in 18650 batteries and a GOOD charger. Get an extra 18650 so you're not screwed when the one in the light dies, and get a good charger so that it doesn't blow your batteries up.