IMA SOL MAN
Flashlight Enthusiast
When you carry the Fury, carry a back-up light, too. I've found I can't depend on the DFT 100%, as I have had the LED burn several times.
Does anyone like Surefire anymore?
- Thread starter DrafterDan
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
I used to buy SureFire lights because they're good solid flashlights. That whole lego thing to me was just an "awe aint that cute it can lego" thing. Since the EDCL-2T came out they've not had any models I'm interested in.
WarriorOfLight
Flashlight Enthusiast
I like Surefire. I am quite sure if the EDC1-DFT and EDC2-DFT are available that I buy one of each, maybe even a 2nd if the 2 other colors are nice.
In the last years ther was not that much cool new stuff released by Surefire. The last lights I bought were 4 Aviators and a E1B-MV.
In the last years ther was not that much cool new stuff released by Surefire. The last lights I bought were 4 Aviators and a E1B-MV.
Mr Bigglow
Enlightened
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2010
- Messages
- 406
Back in the day, meaning around the time I joined CPF, I used to be able to buy Surefires for about half price when they upgraded to a new brightness level and those are the flashlights I still use all the time and rely on. Reliability is key and the only issue I've had with them was when the rubber on the tail cap of an old E1B backup gave out. Not being resident in the USA, I had a little trouble with getting that replaced, the struggle was real, but Surefire came through eventually. Would I buy a new Surefire? Probably only something specialized like a weapon light.
@IMA SOL MAN Your what did a what with the what? The LED burned out? Several times?
IMA SOL MAN
Flashlight Enthusiast
Read my post #11.
There are also several videos on youtube that show this happening.
IMA SOL MAN
Flashlight Enthusiast
I bet it is due to the light on the smart phones. I heard Kim Komando say on a commercial that PC sales are down, and I bet that the smart phones are responsible for that, too. You see these Zombies all the time, walking, bent over looking at their smart phones, texting, playing video games, listening to music, talking with the phone function, they are on that thing all the time. If we ever have an EMP attack, or a coronal mass ejection, that wipes out electronics, people are going to panic--and they won't be able to function, because they have built up their world around technology, especially that pocket wonder, the smart phone.
Think about it this way;
When the home computer was a new thing everybody bought one. Once everybody had one sales fell. Upgrades took over. When those platued sales fell further. Then the laptop took over. PC's were being replaced by laptops. Now laptops by tablets. Tablets by smart phones.
The vcr was a huge hit. Sales were great. Once everybody had one they fell off. Upgrades replaced them. Then the dvd player hit. Then blu ray, now streaming. Neither of my son's own a tv. They do have big ole monitor's though.
Now to flashlights; the light bulb began being replaced with LED lights. When 300 lumens was the norm everybody had to have one. Then it was 500, then 700, by then most who wanted one had one. Companies like SureFire, Maglite, Elzetta et al make lights that last a decade. Repeat customers occur when upgrades occur. Aside from the Asian super-nova bright numbers flashlights have largely peaked. So now sales follow the same routine as PC's and VCR's.
Then some of SureFire's big contracts were not renewed. Same with Maglite. Both companies downsized around 2016 or so. Streamlight is likely the only "large" light maker who's sales are at least flat, not sloping like a ski slope. But that's because they constantly introduce new ideas.
And yes the celphone light has played a role but that's mainly folks who otherwise would likely not own a flashlight to start with.
For EMP I have light bulbs stashed and ready to go.
When the home computer was a new thing everybody bought one. Once everybody had one sales fell. Upgrades took over. When those platued sales fell further. Then the laptop took over. PC's were being replaced by laptops. Now laptops by tablets. Tablets by smart phones.
The vcr was a huge hit. Sales were great. Once everybody had one they fell off. Upgrades replaced them. Then the dvd player hit. Then blu ray, now streaming. Neither of my son's own a tv. They do have big ole monitor's though.
Now to flashlights; the light bulb began being replaced with LED lights. When 300 lumens was the norm everybody had to have one. Then it was 500, then 700, by then most who wanted one had one. Companies like SureFire, Maglite, Elzetta et al make lights that last a decade. Repeat customers occur when upgrades occur. Aside from the Asian super-nova bright numbers flashlights have largely peaked. So now sales follow the same routine as PC's and VCR's.
Then some of SureFire's big contracts were not renewed. Same with Maglite. Both companies downsized around 2016 or so. Streamlight is likely the only "large" light maker who's sales are at least flat, not sloping like a ski slope. But that's because they constantly introduce new ideas.
And yes the celphone light has played a role but that's mainly folks who otherwise would likely not own a flashlight to start with.
For EMP I have light bulbs stashed and ready to go.
Last edited:
rwolfenstein
Enlightened
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2017
- Messages
- 562
I remember when I got my first Surefire light, it was around 2003/2004 when I was an LE Explorer for a local PD. Originally I had a rechargeable maglite cause they had the chargers in all of the patrol cars. One of my explorer advisors told me that I should get a Surefire light as they were useful little lights. So I go down to the local GI Joes and picked up my first, it was a G2 Nitrolin light that put out a whopping 65 lumens. Cost me 35 bucks, which is cheap by now and days.
Whelp, I carried it through my first job and I ended up getting water in it and the batteries heated up and expanded. It burned out the bulb and ruined the light. I contacted Surefire and they were super nice folks. They had me send it back along with my cheap nylon holster. They sent be a brand new G2 with a new holster along with some batteries. I was hooked ever since. I still have that light to this day, granted it has a b90 battery in it and it has a P60 LED drop in. That is what sold me on the brand. Maybe a bit of nostalgia (shrugs).
Whelp, I carried it through my first job and I ended up getting water in it and the batteries heated up and expanded. It burned out the bulb and ruined the light. I contacted Surefire and they were super nice folks. They had me send it back along with my cheap nylon holster. They sent be a brand new G2 with a new holster along with some batteries. I was hooked ever since. I still have that light to this day, granted it has a b90 battery in it and it has a P60 LED drop in. That is what sold me on the brand. Maybe a bit of nostalgia (shrugs).
IMA SOL MAN
Flashlight Enthusiast
I see you have your own minion. Sweeet! 👍
IMA SOL MAN
Flashlight Enthusiast
What holster do you use for your FURY DFT? I'm using a NITE-IZE POCK-ITS for mine.
importculture
Newly Enlightened
I'm not too fond of the new designs as well. I loved having PK work at surefire as well as stopping by the forums. I still collect vital gear lights and accessories when they pop up. The pk collab 4sevens lights are still some of my favorites. I also have a powertac PK warriors sitting on a desk. I still love surefire but they haven't made anything that stands out in quite a while. I still buy a few G2X maxvisions for my muggle friends and family. Not too long ago i bought a few ED-CL1t's for a few of my dirty minded friends. Dirty jokes abound at night when we've had a few.
letschat7
Flashlight Enthusiast
Impressive collection Bogie.
Kestrel
Flashaholic
For all the love of PK designs, I continue to be at a loss to explain the very odd regulated behavior (ie. the dramatic stepped decline) of the Icon series, compared to the relatively flat regulation of the earlier LED lights that were under his purview at SF. The CPF discussions at the time did not settle upon any engineering explanation (thermal regulation was considered and eliminated as a candidate), and even PK declined to go into specific details as to why their regulation was so unusual, compared to earlier SF lights.
I will certainly credit the adequate thermal limiting of SF's P60LED dropin discussed earlier in this thread; the circuitry effectively adapted to all-nitrolon G2's just as well as all-aluminum 6P's, for example. The basic handicap of that particular dropin was the heatsink patent that Gene M had on the Malkoff series of P60 dropins, from what I understand.
But the bottom line was that the Malkoff M60L or LL just /buried/ the SF P60LED for outputs and runtimes, at only a modest additional cost. Plus their considerably-superior reliability; there certainly were a number of CPF discussions about failed / burned out P60LED's. No such discussions about failed M60L's or M60LL's, IIRC.
I will certainly credit the adequate thermal limiting of SF's P60LED dropin discussed earlier in this thread; the circuitry effectively adapted to all-nitrolon G2's just as well as all-aluminum 6P's, for example. The basic handicap of that particular dropin was the heatsink patent that Gene M had on the Malkoff series of P60 dropins, from what I understand.
But the bottom line was that the Malkoff M60L or LL just /buried/ the SF P60LED for outputs and runtimes, at only a modest additional cost. Plus their considerably-superior reliability; there certainly were a number of CPF discussions about failed / burned out P60LED's. No such discussions about failed M60L's or M60LL's, IIRC.
Last edited:
Currently an Uncle Mikes snap closed nylon unit designed for the 6P. PN #88181
I have tried a few brands the Velcro doesn't hold up for me. I'm rather disappointed SF does not make a good one for the Fury. Next might be a custom Kydex one for me.
rwolfenstein
Enlightened
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2017
- Messages
- 562
used to be they would make those Kydex spring loaded holsters, I wanna call the model number V70. They also made a bigger version for the M3 and such, then you could find something that would fit.
V70:
V71: for surefire M3
letschat7
Flashlight Enthusiast
Back in the day they had a holster that held CR123s. What ever happened to that?
