Surefire Question?

[prime77]

I've been thinking about getting a SureFire. I would like to hear some of your guys thoughts on them.  Are they really as good as people say? Are they worth the money or overpriced? The ones I have been looking at are the E1L, E2L or the L4.

[Hoghead]

Yes, they are as good as people say.

Whether they are worth the price or not is up to you. They are worth it to me, but I much prefer "best" quality lights.

If you get a E1L or a E2L, I recommend you get the newest version with the Cree LED. I don't remember the runtime on the E1L, but the E2L runs for 9 hours before it starts to dim. I have the older versions of these lights, but I don't have the newest versions. The new versions have longer runtimes due to a more efficent LED.

I do have the newest version of the Surefire L1 with the Cree LED and I like it better than the older versions. There have been a few people that have had issues with the new L1 flickering and the lights have to be returned to Surefire for repair or replacement. I think there have been 4 or 5 people that I know of that have had problems, but I don't know what percentage of lights this represents. This seems to be teething problems with a new model.

Here's a link to runtimes and beam shots of the E2L and the L1 on CandlePowerForums.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=169212

The L4 is about the same size as the E2L. The L4 is more of a flood light than the E2L and the L4 is often refered to as a wall of light. The L4 runs for about 1 hour before it begins to dim. I have 2 L4's.

I also recommend the Surefire A2 and the Surefire L2 and of course the Surefire M6. These are my favorite models, but the new L1 might become a favorite in time. I'm still testing the new L1, but so far I'm very well impressed with it.

If you want a light with a very long runtime the new E2L might be the way to go.

[665ae]

Surefires, in my opinion, are good lights.  Whether they're worth the money or are overpriced is something you have to decide.  Hoghead says yes, they're worth the money to him... but, in my opinion, I think they're a bit overpriced... 

[prime77]

Thanks for the info Hoghead and welcome to Multitool.org. Right now I am carrying a Fenix P2D and am very impressed with it's small size and good output. I read that the new Surefire Crees were coming out and thought that I would wait and see about them.  From the link you posted I like the output and size of the new L1. I also like that it has a low setting, something I use on my P2D allot and something  the L4 doesn't have. I'll have to consider the L1 know as well.

[prime77]

in my opinion, I think they're a bit overpriced...

That's the thing....I really like my P2D and can't justify spending so much on flashlight when I have one that performs so well for me. But flashlights are becoming like multitools for me. I don't need a new one I want a new one.

[SoDak]

I think surefires are overpriced for what they are. Let me explain my brother who is much more into flashlights than I am got an E2E which has performed very poorly for a $100 light. The problems were bad switches, prematurely draining batteries(they hadn't seen an hour of use), the bulb going out long before it should have, and not so gret customer service from surefire. I have a 6p mounted on a gun and it does a fine job but if knew what I know about flashlights now I wouldn't have got one. The reason is that another bulb costs $16 and the 6p does have shock protection like a weapon light should. My brother showed me a streamlight model that costs as much as a 6p but has shock protection and bulbs are only $5 apiece.
On a final note I have an even lesser onpinion of surefire lights after I got to see my brothers Lumapower D Mini in action. I think it can outhrow my 6p yet it is smaller and only uses one 123 battery yet it has a base cost of only $53 with the accesory pack that contains differnt types of switches and a different reflector for only $12 more . The only thing I have against it is that it is made in china. I would definately chech this light out if you want a bright light with a cree.

[eodtech]

Nothing is better than a Surefire, I tried them all over 25 years as a LEO and you won't get close to a Surefire.

ALSO the Surefire ( with a lifetime warranty is a metal tubed light .

Second place after Surefire flashlights ( my opinion ) goes to Pentagon Lights for quality and functionality.

Pentagon Light Products link

[Grant Lamontagne]

Surefire is a nice light indeed, but I think from now on I'm going to stick to some of the nice inexpensive LED lights out there.

Def

[Spoonrobot]

Second place after Surefire flashlights ( my opinion ) goes to Pentagon Lights for quality and functionality.

Pentagon Light Products link

Pentagonlight is still relatively unknown outside of the LEO/Military market even though they have been around for a couple of years. I like their products and recently wrote a few words on them for someone looking for some info on their lights.

Don't know much about the MS series but I'll weigh in a little. I have carried a Pentagonlight in my pocket for almost 2 years now so it may seem a little too obvious how much I enjoy them.

I hopped on the Pentagonlight bandwagon when they were first released because their X2 provided me with a weapon-light for 55$. Over the next few years I purchased quite a few of their lights and have had a couple of problems but no complaints with their products.

My problems were due to their incorrectly implemented circuitry when they first released their L2 3 Watt LED light. The issue was resolved quickly with both my lights and future production runs. In total I dealt with their customer service 3 times and each time was treated with respect and my issues were addressed as important. They are aware of CPF but as far as I know have no presence here.

Their product line is somewhat small and they seem to have scrapped their 12-volt turbohead monster (r.i.p. the X4 ) but is reasonably varied (5mm cluster lights, mini-turbo head 9-volt lights) and they released a very non-mainstream design in the Molle LED light that seems to have been recieved very well. I am unsure of their position on CREE LEDs but they seem to be continually improving their line so CREE may not be far off.

When they were first released the threads were fairly rough and the lenses were plastic but within 6 months the lenses were replaced with mineral glass and the overall fit/finish were improved. They also seemed to have improved their reflector finish, making it much smoother, to aid in throw. Interestingly enough the current HA X2/X3 seems to be sporting a pocket clip now.

Overall their lights are slightly larger than comparitive lights of equal voltage, usually a little longer and heavier but not significantly so. Their lamp assemblies are well designed and lean heavily towards throw (except the 5 watt L3) and are typically on par with the Pelican M6 (a real thrower). Each light they produce is individually serial numbered. They also operate with the batteries positive end towards tailcap and will crush the batteries is they are inserted backwards and the cap tightened all the way. The barrels of their lights will not take 18500/18650 cells without modification.

Runtime for their lights seems on par with their estimates for their Xenon models and slightly overstated for their LED models (a custom maker did a test on the L2, search should find it). Output seems on par also, Xenon is spot-on and LED is overstated. Shock-isolation is excellent, I have shot several different firearms with my lights mounted at varies runtimes and have had no problems. Numerous drops have also been encountered with no damage to the lamp.

The gold plating has been maligned as a featureless feature (some have said it wears off quickly) but I have found that none of my models have shown wear in this area and the contacts seem to stay cleaner than the usual system seen on other lights.

They also have their own brand of batteries but I have mixed feelings about them. I ordered 48 batteries and blew through about half of them in about 4 months, then I bought a ZTS tester and decided to test the cells. I found that every unused, new cell registered 0% and gave significantly reduced brightness and runtime in Xenon lights and significantly shorter runtime in regulated LED lights. I hadn't noticed because I was using an L3 at the time and assumed my use was heavier than normal but I was a little miffed when I realized most of the batteries I bought were dead. I chose not to notify Pentagonlight mainly because I used a fair amount of the batteries before noticed and I am spectacularly lazy during the fall and don't have time to deal with my hobbies. I will say that this was about a year and half about when I bought the cells and have not tried any of their cells since. If you purchase them I recommend testing them before use.

The integral mount lights seem to have a strong following with the AR15 crowd and have been spotted mounted on rifles used by both police and military personnel. I don't have any of the mounted lights because they cost significantly more than their handheld lights and I already own duct tape; but from what I have read and heard they perform well.

I don't know anything about their filters, holsters, tape switches or laser lights. They do have a snazzy glow in the dark t-shirt though. Also, their catalog is very nice but is not free (they may send you one if you ask nicely though :thumbsup:)
(Image removed from quote.)

Here are some shots of the X3 and the L3

I think Surefire lights start out okay at the lower-end in regards to price-point and brightness. A little expensive but still worth it. However, as soon as you start climbing their ladder in terms of brightness and price-points you begin to see why Surefire kicks everything else to the curb.

Other companies may own the low-level (<125 lumens) light arena but for Turboheads, 125+ lumen incandescents, and weaponlights no one comes close to Surefire in terms of options, build quality and overall brightness.

So, Surefire, not for everyone but very good at areas most other companies don't and will not ever have products in. And a little expensive.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I really enjoy losing and breaking things, so while I like the performance of Streamlights, I think I prefer some of the nicer low end lights available these days.  Of course if you need light thrown any distance, the Surefire beats everything else I have.

Def

[prime77]

While I got my first SureFire. I went with the new L1 with the Cree LED. I'm really happy with it. It's build quality is great. Just the bezzle that houses the LED is amazing. It throws a perfect beam with no spots or rings at all. Thanks guys for all your opinions.

[665ae]

Very cool!  Now we need beamshots!

[prime77]

I tried my hand at some outdoor beamshots. I think I may need to fiddle with the camera settings some more. This the shed in my backyard. Taken from about 20 feet away. The light has a little more flood that didn't show up when taking the picture. The first is Low and the second is High.