What is = to a Surefire and a much better value for a small 200 to 500 tactical light

[MBentz]

Streamlight has a better customer service on their warranty. I had an issue once with Streamlight, and they sent me a new light with no questions asked. I had an issue with Surefire, and they had me send in the cracked bezel for proof on a 6P.

I'm not sure your sample size serves to answer which is "best."

If sending in a broken item to SureFire for proof keeps their no questions asked warranty around, I have no issues with it. As is it's fairly easy to go on eBay and see the schmucks taking advantage of the free replacement parts.

 

[Labrador72]

The only one that can even be mentioned in the same breath as SureFire is Armytek because of their 10 year warranty. Most of the other manufactures leave you hanging after 12-24 months.

That's true but some of those manufacturers will still provide limited warranty and do repair for free while charging for parts. Sometime they don't even charge for parts anyway even after the 12-30 months. Some of those manufacturers though will leave you hanging even if your light is still within full warranty!

 

[Viking]

As 880 arm says , surefire offers a very competitive "cheaper line" as well. I would go for that line if I was you. Their quality is among the very best , maybe even the best.

Although I personally prefer surefire for a lot of reasons , I wouldn't buy it for their customer service. It is way overrated in my opinion.
They sometimes ask a lot of questions , and make a lot of hassle when people have complaints according to quite a few reports here on cpf.

Sometimes they flat out lie to customers , and email they almost never answer.
Buy them for their outstanding quality and user interface , but not the customer service.
Their customer service is alright , but certainly not spectacular.

 

[Etsu]

I use a 4sevens Quark Tactical QT2A-X and a QT2A as my goto outdoor lights. While they're not as durable as a Surefire, they do have a 10 year warranty. Lumen output is about 370 lumens with the XML2 and about 290 with the XPG2 (based on my measurements), using 2 AA Eneloop batteries.

If I give one to my kids to play with (very seldom!), I usually put the rubber hand-strap on it. Not only is it a good hand grip, but it also adds protection to the head and tail of the light in case it's dropped. While I have dropped the lights several times without issue, the rubber grip does add a lot of cushioning against hard surfaces.

And for a lot less money than a Surefire, I can always replace it if I do something to it that the warranty might not cover.

I don't mind paying for quality, but I don't want to overpay for quality.

 

[TEEJ]

The SF Fury is a reasonable light with a good beam pattern.

I have to say that I agree with the Klarus XT11 recommendations already made too though, as me and the boys have had to send some expensive SF's back for repairs, multiple times for some, and, well, they come back still not working or stop working again soon, etc....but no Klarus issues.

So, I DO like SF and have many, they are no longer the paradigm they once were. Others caught up and/or passed them.

The other point I agree with is the "Life Time Warranty" on things that will be obsolete in a few years as far as performance. I have lights that are ~ 5 years old that I still use....but no 10 year old lights still in the rotation. The older ones are mostly HID though.

I also mod the SF's though to update them to modern specs once in a while...as the bones are strong. So a light that's obsolete performance-wise can find new life with a new LED/Driver, being bored, etc...but that's no longer under warranty, etc.

 

[reppans]

A Malkoff MDC TAC CR123 is 2/3rds the $ of say a SF E1B, but I think better built.

 

[Z-Tab]

Elzetta makes some terrific tactical lights, though their prices are pretty close to Surefire's.

 

[Roger Ranger]

The problem with Surefire lights is BATTERIES. BATTERIES BATTERIES BATTERIES. Surefire lights are CR123 only! Yes, you can use LFP rechargeables, but look at the difference in mWh between 2 LFP's and a 3400mAh 18650. Try to buy a spare battery pack for one of the Surefire rechargeable lights. Where? Surefire isn't selling them. I am so pissed at Surefire. I think that that they are stepping away from the civilian market because of product liability issues related to rechargeable lithiums. The Chinese manufacturers deal with this issue by having an industry wide umbrella insurance company. If you have a problem, start learning Mandarin.

 

[TEEJ]

The problem with Surefire lights is BATTERIES. BATTERIES BATTERIES BATTERIES. Surefire lights are CR123 only! Yes, you can use LFP rechargeables, but look at the difference in mWh between 2 LFP's and a 3400mAh 18650. Try to buy a spare battery pack for one of the Surefire rechargeable lights. Where? Surefire isn't selling them. I am so pissed at Surefire. I think that that they are stepping away from the civilian market because of product liability issues related to rechargeable lithiums. The Chinese manufacturers deal with this issue by having an industry wide umbrella insurance company. If you have a problem, start learning Mandarin.

Good point about the batteries.

And when an American company makes you angry, you might see red, but with Mandarin, you might only see orange?

 

[twl]

Malkoff and Elzetta.
Nothing from China.

 

[ven]

The problem with Surefire lights is BATTERIES. BATTERIES BATTERIES BATTERIES.

Thats exactly or more honestly 80% of the reason i dont have a surefire light.

I say 80% as i will get one at some point...........

 

[cland72]

The problem with Surefire lights is BATTERIES. BATTERIES BATTERIES BATTERIES. Surefire lights are CR123 only! Yes, you can use LFP rechargeables, but look at the difference in mWh between 2 LFP's and a 3400mAh 18650. Try to buy a spare battery pack for one of the Surefire rechargeable lights. Where? Surefire isn't selling them. I am so pissed at Surefire. I think that that they are stepping away from the civilian market because of product liability issues related to rechargeable lithiums. The Chinese manufacturers deal with this issue by having an industry wide umbrella insurance company. If you have a problem, start learning Mandarin.

This pisses off approximately 2% of the flashlight using public. It just so happens that CPF is 98% of that 2%.

 

[iluvmycam]

The problem with Surefire lights is BATTERIES. BATTERIES BATTERIES BATTERIES. Surefire lights are CR123 only! Yes, you can use LFP rechargeables, but look at the difference in mWh between 2 LFP's and a 3400mAh 18650. Try to buy a spare battery pack for one of the Surefire rechargeable lights. Where? Surefire isn't selling them. I am so pissed at Surefire. I think that that they are stepping away from the civilian market because of product liability issues related to rechargeable lithiums. The Chinese manufacturers deal with this issue by having an industry wide umbrella insurance company. If you have a problem, start learning Mandarin.

I felt the same as you. I only wanted AA powered lights. But after I got a taste of Surefire I was hooked. Cameras all have dedicated lithium batterys. Why is it a problem with Surefire or a 3rd party selling them?

 

[MBentz]

If only there were 16650, 17670 or 17650 batteries that could fit in stock SureFire bodies! Oh, wait... Yes, SureFire wants you to buy their CR123s, but there are ways around it.

Not sure what the hoopla about them "stepping away" from the civilian market is about. The civilian market has never been more than a tertiary concern for them.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

Hmm, solar force host with surefire z41 twisty tailcap with Malkoff drop-in?

This

Many of the lights mentioned above, as nice as they may be, use click-type switches and not the momentary switch mentioned in the OP.

As of now SureFire has the G2X-C (320 lumens), 6PX-C (320 lumen) and P2X-A Fury (500 lumen) which all fit the specifications in the original post with their output and momentary tactical switches. With their retail prices ranging from $50 to $108 I can't think of any comparable products at half the price.

And this

Even a Solarforce with a malkoff is more money than a G2X?

The problem with Surefire lights is BATTERIES. BATTERIES BATTERIES BATTERIES. Surefire lights are CR123 only! Yes, you can use LFP rechargeables, but look at the difference in mWh between 2 LFP's and a 3400mAh 18650. Try to buy a spare battery pack for one of the Surefire rechargeable lights. Where? Surefire isn't selling them. I am so pissed at Surefire. I think that that they are stepping away from the civilian market because of product liability issues related to rechargeable lithiums. The Chinese manufacturers deal with this issue by having an industry wide umbrella insurance company. If you have a problem, start learning Mandarin.

This is where a bored 6P or a Solorforce comes in.... Will a Surefire take 2 RCR123's or do you need LFP's??

 

[leon2245]

The problem with Surefire lights is BATTERIES. BATTERIES BATTERIES BATTERIES. Surefire lights are CR123 only! Yes, you can use LFP rechargeables, but look at the difference in mWh between 2 LFP's and a 3400mAh 18650. Try to buy a spare battery pack for one of the Surefire rechargeable lights. Where? Surefire isn't selling them. I am so pissed at Surefire. I think that that they are stepping away from the civilian market because of product liability issues related to rechargeable lithiums. The Chinese manufacturers deal with this issue by having an industry wide umbrella insurance company. If you have a problem, start learning Mandarin.

What is that difference btw, & what about two lfp's vs. a 2600mAh 18650?

 

[Roger Ranger]

let's see, the ad on the Surefire web site shows that a LFP RCR123 has 1.92Wh. Times two equals 3.84Wh.
A 2600 has 3.7X2600= 9.6Wh. 9.6/3.8=2.5
So, you have 2.5 times the watt hours in a 2600mAh 18650.

 

[leon2245]

Wow that is significant. Thank you R.R.

 

[880arm]

let's see, the ad on the Surefire web site shows that a LFP RCR123 has 1.92 kWh. Times two equals 3.84kWh.
a 2600 has 3.7X2600= 9.6kWh. 9.6/3.8=2.5
So, you have 2.5 times the watt hours in a 2600mAh 18650.

Those are some mighty powerful batteries right there! I think watt-hours would be the appropriate unit for those calculations.

Back to the OP's original question, it sounds like the SolarForce host + drop-in of your choice would be the closest bet. Although it may be a lesser quality than the SureFire lights, it is available with the momentary tactical switch and you could buy a nice drop-in from various locations. It also has the benefit of its modular design meaning it would be simple to upgrade or change components to better suit your later needs.

However, at the end of the day, the price would be the same or even higher than the SureFire G2X.

 

[rickypanecatyl]

Army tech is pretty lame quality. Just got a new tail cap after waiting 2 months and twisting arms to get it. It didn't last as long as the original.
Eagle tac is lower down the food chain. Fenix even more so.
A lot of guys will insist those lights are reliable for them and I don't doubt them. I'm sure they are more careful/delicate with their lights and can probably save money.