I'm Tirec, and I'm a Flashaholic.
Here's my story.
I've always loved flashlights. My dad had a little chrome, 2C light from the early 50's that went with us on every trip. My grandparents lived on a farm, and that was DARK, but he had a similar chrome flashlight, and a 6V! My other grandparents had flashlights for going into their dungenous basement.
He who had a flashlight, controlled the night! The gene had been triggered.
For Christmas of First Grade, I received an Eveready 1 AA chrome light. I'd conquered the night (at least in my bedroom)!
Mid grade school, I got an chrome, Eveready Commander. It was much brighter than the 1AA model, and it was shiney, and MINE!
In the late 70's, I got a rlack rubber coated push button 2D light that looked too much like a lightsaber, so someone stole it.
I got a Sanyo Cadnica light for high school graduation. Dual light with a red side. Put some red gel over the red hole and your night vision is golden. Worked great, until the batteries died years later. I got them replaced once by Batteries+, but they wouldn't touch it a few years later.
One summer in college, I was in USMC OCS and was issued an Eveready Cordahide 2D piece of garbage. It was loose inside and needed to keep banging it on my leg as I marched to keep it on. The trauma of that added the requirement of reliability in lights.
I also picked up a Rayovac AA chromed penlight in college. Not bad for the size and being incandescent with the lens on the bulb, and it's still working today, though not for every day use.
Late in college, I picked up a Fulton 2D military (straight & later, angled). Now, these were cool, lenses, hooks, clips, MILITARY!!! better and more durable than the average lights of the early 80's.
In 1986, I was introduced to the Minimag ... I thought I'd reached the zenith of flashlightdom! But when a bulb died at an inopportune time during a flight in a small plane, that soured it a bit. My brother was a cop, and THEY had the big baton sized Maglight 3D lights...got one. A smaller one for the home, 2D, got one.
Vickers had a frequent filler card where you could get a gift after x number of fillups...got an incandescent Maglight solitaire. Better than a match, and smaller for carrying in the pocket or keychain than the Minimag, but anemic.
Multiple kids, cars, backpacks, life, job, hunting, camping, they all needed a light in the bag, so I got into the cheapo lights, with mixed results, usually disappointing.
The came the Xenon lights on CSI and related cop shows, so I splurged and got one that required 2 CR123 batteries on the fairly new eBay. It was brighter than the incandescent Maglight! The first bulb died, so I got a few more. Those CR123 batteries were expensive, so didn't use it for general use, but fell back on the Minimag.
Kinda lost track while off the wagon there as cheap LED lights came out. 1, 2, 3 AAA models, 1 AA, for 99¢+. Some work, several died after a few months or a year.
Seems all kinds of gimmicks & gadgets were added to the LED cheapness, some lasted, others didn't, but they were cheap and seemed to just show up. Mag LED kits, cheap multi-LED with colored bulbs, I had to try them to see if they were substantially better. But, alas, they weren't significantly better.
I now periodically work security for my church and needed something reliable, simple to operate, practical, bright, small, etc. Those "tactical" lights, wow! Talk about features, and many have needless gimmicks, especially the low-priced ones. Those that were more simple, but also also be expensive. I couldn't justify the Streamlight or SureFire price range.
This summer, I visited my son, who showed me the Fenix PD35 (2014 model). I'D FOUND IT! An online store had a closeout of the older model for $31 with S&H.
Why I like it:
- 5 brightness modes: 14 lumens/150hrs, 50 lumens/38hrs, 180 lumens/10hrs, 460 lumens/3.25hrs, 960 lumens, 70mins (The original, incandescent, AA Mini Maglite is rated at 14 lumens/5.25hrs, the 3D Incandescent Maglight at 45 lumens/10hrs, and the 3D LED Maglight is 168 lumens/80hrs)
- Stays on the same mode after turning off & on.
- Separate button from the power switch to change brightness levels
- Tail cap on/off
- Push and hold the brightness button to engage strobe mode (if you're into such things)
- Minimag filters and filter holder works with it. I keep a red gel in body and leave the Minimag filter holder on
- Uses 18650 rechargeable batteries (last a long time at low output) or two CR123A batteries.
- Overall size is very comparable to the AA MiniMag in length and head size, with the body being a little wider for the larger batteries
- Works with the NiteIzeelastic head strap for MiniMag
- No accidental adjustments while in the pocket, or pulling from the pocket (i.e. zooming)
- Easy, one-handed operation
Two things I don't like, but can definitely live with:
- The tail isn't flat due to the thumb switch, so you can't stand it on the tail, but you can put the Minimag lens holder on the bottom and it works
- Doesn't use AA batteries (but brighter)
- Can't use the heater hose bite guard like on the Minimag (but the Minimag lens holder...)
As Fenix rolls out the PD35 v2, look for vendors to offer clearance prices on the 2014 version. (Like anyone here wants, or needs, another flashlight)
My son mentioned that when he and some other guys were night hog hunting (following applicable regulations), they were using 3 similarly marketed lights from multiple companies. The Fenix was as bright/or brighter than the others, and didn't get as hot as the other models.
I'm keeping my good ones out, putting the rest in a box in the basement, for emergencies, or barter during the Zombie/EMP/CME/New Madrid/Yellowstone Caldera Apocalypse, or for my estate to distribute to grandkids or Goodwill.
If my wife knew I have 70-80 lights....
Oh well, it's cheaper than guns, cameras, knives & radios... (most of which are called for during security duties)
While I love the PD35, I sure can't afford the full line of competitors for a test, but it works for me. YMMV.
Here's my story.
I've always loved flashlights. My dad had a little chrome, 2C light from the early 50's that went with us on every trip. My grandparents lived on a farm, and that was DARK, but he had a similar chrome flashlight, and a 6V! My other grandparents had flashlights for going into their dungenous basement.
He who had a flashlight, controlled the night! The gene had been triggered.
For Christmas of First Grade, I received an Eveready 1 AA chrome light. I'd conquered the night (at least in my bedroom)!
Mid grade school, I got an chrome, Eveready Commander. It was much brighter than the 1AA model, and it was shiney, and MINE!
In the late 70's, I got a rlack rubber coated push button 2D light that looked too much like a lightsaber, so someone stole it.
I got a Sanyo Cadnica light for high school graduation. Dual light with a red side. Put some red gel over the red hole and your night vision is golden. Worked great, until the batteries died years later. I got them replaced once by Batteries+, but they wouldn't touch it a few years later.
One summer in college, I was in USMC OCS and was issued an Eveready Cordahide 2D piece of garbage. It was loose inside and needed to keep banging it on my leg as I marched to keep it on. The trauma of that added the requirement of reliability in lights.
I also picked up a Rayovac AA chromed penlight in college. Not bad for the size and being incandescent with the lens on the bulb, and it's still working today, though not for every day use.
Late in college, I picked up a Fulton 2D military (straight & later, angled). Now, these were cool, lenses, hooks, clips, MILITARY!!! better and more durable than the average lights of the early 80's.
In 1986, I was introduced to the Minimag ... I thought I'd reached the zenith of flashlightdom! But when a bulb died at an inopportune time during a flight in a small plane, that soured it a bit. My brother was a cop, and THEY had the big baton sized Maglight 3D lights...got one. A smaller one for the home, 2D, got one.
Vickers had a frequent filler card where you could get a gift after x number of fillups...got an incandescent Maglight solitaire. Better than a match, and smaller for carrying in the pocket or keychain than the Minimag, but anemic.
Multiple kids, cars, backpacks, life, job, hunting, camping, they all needed a light in the bag, so I got into the cheapo lights, with mixed results, usually disappointing.
The came the Xenon lights on CSI and related cop shows, so I splurged and got one that required 2 CR123 batteries on the fairly new eBay. It was brighter than the incandescent Maglight! The first bulb died, so I got a few more. Those CR123 batteries were expensive, so didn't use it for general use, but fell back on the Minimag.
Kinda lost track while off the wagon there as cheap LED lights came out. 1, 2, 3 AAA models, 1 AA, for 99¢+. Some work, several died after a few months or a year.
Seems all kinds of gimmicks & gadgets were added to the LED cheapness, some lasted, others didn't, but they were cheap and seemed to just show up. Mag LED kits, cheap multi-LED with colored bulbs, I had to try them to see if they were substantially better. But, alas, they weren't significantly better.
I now periodically work security for my church and needed something reliable, simple to operate, practical, bright, small, etc. Those "tactical" lights, wow! Talk about features, and many have needless gimmicks, especially the low-priced ones. Those that were more simple, but also also be expensive. I couldn't justify the Streamlight or SureFire price range.
This summer, I visited my son, who showed me the Fenix PD35 (2014 model). I'D FOUND IT! An online store had a closeout of the older model for $31 with S&H.
Why I like it:
- 5 brightness modes: 14 lumens/150hrs, 50 lumens/38hrs, 180 lumens/10hrs, 460 lumens/3.25hrs, 960 lumens, 70mins (The original, incandescent, AA Mini Maglite is rated at 14 lumens/5.25hrs, the 3D Incandescent Maglight at 45 lumens/10hrs, and the 3D LED Maglight is 168 lumens/80hrs)
- Stays on the same mode after turning off & on.
- Separate button from the power switch to change brightness levels
- Tail cap on/off
- Push and hold the brightness button to engage strobe mode (if you're into such things)
- Minimag filters and filter holder works with it. I keep a red gel in body and leave the Minimag filter holder on
- Uses 18650 rechargeable batteries (last a long time at low output) or two CR123A batteries.
- Overall size is very comparable to the AA MiniMag in length and head size, with the body being a little wider for the larger batteries
- Works with the NiteIzeelastic head strap for MiniMag
- No accidental adjustments while in the pocket, or pulling from the pocket (i.e. zooming)
- Easy, one-handed operation
Two things I don't like, but can definitely live with:
- The tail isn't flat due to the thumb switch, so you can't stand it on the tail, but you can put the Minimag lens holder on the bottom and it works
- Doesn't use AA batteries (but brighter)
- Can't use the heater hose bite guard like on the Minimag (but the Minimag lens holder...)
As Fenix rolls out the PD35 v2, look for vendors to offer clearance prices on the 2014 version. (Like anyone here wants, or needs, another flashlight)
My son mentioned that when he and some other guys were night hog hunting (following applicable regulations), they were using 3 similarly marketed lights from multiple companies. The Fenix was as bright/or brighter than the others, and didn't get as hot as the other models.
I'm keeping my good ones out, putting the rest in a box in the basement, for emergencies, or barter during the Zombie/EMP/CME/New Madrid/Yellowstone Caldera Apocalypse, or for my estate to distribute to grandkids or Goodwill.
If my wife knew I have 70-80 lights....
Oh well, it's cheaper than guns, cameras, knives & radios... (most of which are called for during security duties)
While I love the PD35, I sure can't afford the full line of competitors for a test, but it works for me. YMMV.
