# budget lights are more fun



## distrbd (Oct 31, 2010)

I don't know about you guys but since I'm new to the world of flashlights only now am beginning to appreciate quality over price, but I still find life without budget lights less fun.:thumbsdow
I love to spend all my weekend looking for the cheapest of the cheapest flashlights and still make an offer lower than the asking price
This weekend I bought one *Ultrafire A1* (Q5,5 mode230Lumen) ,,one *Romisen RC-A5* (3M CREE Q5) and 2 protected UF16340 and 2 CR123A all just under $50.the whole process of searching ,pricing contacting the sellers etc was just as much fun as ordering and paying for them.
Last week I managed to buy a couple of AAA flashlights the most expensive one was ITP eos 3 .
Don't get me wrong I do have a Fenix LD10 ,TK11 .E20 ,E01 as my half decent lights and love them like the rest but where else do I get to have so much fun for under $50?
So my question to those of you who can afford the $150 -$250 dollar lights is ,is it more fun knowing you're getting a top of the line ,expensive flashlight?is it worth saving my money and not buying these cheap lights in order to get the better ,more decent lights? or is this a case of whatever your heart desires and life is too short,enjoy it while you can.
The bottom line I am just glad that there is a country , China that exists and produces affordable whatever from tools to appliances ,etc, etc. and of course affordable flashlights so some of us could have access to clones or copies of the real thing.:thumbsup:
What do you think?


----------



## RepProdigious (Nov 1, 2010)

Imho budget lights are great to find out what it is exactly you're looking for in a flashlight in terms of beam profile, brightness, function, size, type of batteries used etc. But in the end dozens of flashlights won't do all that much for you, you will end up only using/carrying a couple so once you know what it is exactly you want you might as well get or build two or three decent high quality lights that are strong, reliable and meet your requirements 100%. For some people this means spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on customs, for others one or two DX lights do the trick... It all depends on personal preference really.


----------



## march.brown (Nov 1, 2010)

A flashlight is only a bulb , a battery and a switch all wrapped up in a body.

It's the body that is the expensive bit and some of the bulbs.

My EDC torches are ITP A1 , A2's and A3's and they are perfect for my needs ... The titanium and the stainless are gorgeous too.

My assortment of Solarforces are superb , particularly with the three mode dropins ... The sand colour is beautiful.

My Maglite 2C and 2D with showerheads are unbelievably bright for such a small amount of money and really are built to last forever ... Brilliant.

My $1 (or thereabouts) selection of single modes in AAA's , AA's and CR123's , some with clickies and some with twisties , are simply amazing value for money.

The good thing is that absolutely all of my torches work faultlessly ... I have given lots away to friends and family and other than batteries needing to be changed , nothing has gone wrong with them either.

Yes , budget lights are more fun and are (certainly in my case) totally 100% reliable ... Some of the tints are slightly bluish , but for a dollar or so I can't complain.
.


----------



## mcnair55 (Nov 1, 2010)

Had some great buys recently,brand new Itp A2 for half the selling price but the herbert stitched me up on postage but I did bear that in mind and in the middle of a battle with that at the mo.Latest snag brand new Fenix LD10R for £25 less than UK dealer price but also this herbert over charged his postage but letting that one go as at least he sent it recorded delivery.

I scour all the trade outlets and close out stores when I have time and have picked up at least a dozen bargains in October,best one so far is the Lidl supermarket light for a £tenner,silky smooth one handed switch,tail stands,clip and bright.

And tomorrow with luck should have a pocket sample that the company I work for is doing an Led light as a November special for £16.99 instead of £80,have no idea what it is as yet as no pics to see so far or any details.


----------



## carrot (Nov 1, 2010)

As this is the budget light forum I will keep my preaching brief.

I get satisfaction from owning and carrying high-end tools. They may not be any brighter but they have a better tactile feel and a sense of precision that you do not get with low-end stuff. Reliability is also a factor but the truth is the lower-end is getting better and better. It is really the same reason you might buy a Mercedes over a Kia: both perform adequately as transportation but one offers more amenities and a more luxurious feel.


----------



## nksmfamjp (Mar 10, 2011)

Almost every budget I have sits at home in a drawer knowing, sometimes they don't work. I do have a $20 5 mode budget twisty light that I use at work. At $20, it is questionably not a budget light. The problem is, most aren't reliable enough for me to say.. . .this is my EDC and in a big earthquake, I'm good for hours of light. My Nightcore EX10 does that for me. I think that my Fenix TK35 will be that light at home, car, scoooter.


----------



## LMF5000 (Mar 11, 2011)

In my (very humble) opinion, the justifications for buying an expensive light are similar to those people use when they buy a mac instead of a PC. 

Most flashlights (and most computers) are made of essentially the same components. You have the batteries, switch, driver, emitter and host. My logic is that if you buy the same CREE XM-L LED, driven at the same current, one in a $30 flashlight from China, and one in a $100 or more flashlight made by a large American brand, you're still going to get practically the same light output since it's essentially the same thing. This is the same reason why I use an Acer and not a Mac - the CPU, GPU, RAM, hard disk etc. are the same, but the Mac costs twice the price. I understand that some people fall in love with an expensive flashlight (or a mac) and buy it, or maybe they appreciate the higher quality of fit & finish on the more expensive flashlight (or the mac), but I'm not one of those people. As an engineer-in-the-making I look at things from a functional perspective ("how much light will this give me" or "how fast is this CPU") and relegate the cosmetic and alleged quality aspects to second place.

Incidentally, I only have _one_ CPF-worthy flashlight (and four in total if you count the "toy" flashlights). I basically chose the cheapestXM-L host with an orange-peel reflector, and which can tailstand, that I could find. Cost me €30 or so, and I've never looked back, though at times I wish it drove the LED a little harder


----------



## jacktheclipper (Mar 12, 2011)

I like budget lights because when I lose one it's no big deal , and it gives me a chance to try out another cheap light .
I don't use my lights really hard so supreme durability isn't that important , and thanks to the budget forum I can get a tried and tested light with known specifications .

Thanks , all of you budget flashaholics !


----------



## csc (Mar 12, 2011)

jacktheclipper said:


> I like budget lights because when I lose one it's no big deal, and it gives me a chance to try out another cheap light .


 
Having just lost my prized Neutral White Quark Mini AA, and being none to happy about it, I am indeed consoled by the fact that it was not more expensive. I'm sure I'd be even more upset if it had been made of titanium.... 

Memo to self: Don't buy lights that you can't afford to lose !


----------



## soytnly (Mar 12, 2011)

To me, this is just a hobby, something to do for fun. My job doesn't require me to carry a light at all. I have what is probably common needs for a light, such as camping. I get a thrill out of finding a cheap bargain...it's like there's a challenge there. No challenge in dumping a ton of money into a very expensive light...nothing wrong with that, but I don't get a thrill out of it. We're all different, this is just my preference.


----------



## trigger_y2000 (Mar 13, 2011)

I agree with you.Its been fun looking and choosing a light or 2.


----------



## Ishango (Mar 14, 2011)

When I started collecting flashlights I was looking at budget lights a lot. Also when I started my interest for flashlights about 15 years ago, I had a lot of budget lights. I later (last year when I got into it as hobby) saw them as a great start for my collection. Still budget lights are fun, but I now see the difference between budget lights and the more expensive lights. In my opinion tint, output, durability, quality and battery life are really different. Of course there are exceptions, which is even better about collecting budget lights. 

So I'm looking for quality lights more nowadays, but can't let a good deal pass as well.


----------



## randomlugia (Mar 14, 2011)

For my EDC, I prefer a more expensive light, but for basically anything else I love my budgets! When I need a thrower or high output light my budget P7's or XM-L's are there for me, and I really couldn't ask for anything sturdier because I take good care of my lights.

The only reason I say I would use an expensive EDC is because of modes and UI, which are a bit limited in budget lights.


----------



## qwertyydude (Mar 14, 2011)

I love my budget lights. I've lost a couple and it's never any sweat off my back. And I'm not exactly rich. It's comforting to know that my EDC Trustfire TR-801 is only about $13. I also give them as gifts to flashlight newbs. Of course only after I personally take them apart check the soldering, clean the contacts and glue the head, this way I know it's 100% reliable.


----------



## jacktheclipper (Mar 15, 2011)

qwertyydude said:


> I love my budget lights. I've lost a couple and it's never any sweat off my back. And I'm not exactly rich. It's comforting to know that my EDC Trustfire TR-801 is only about $13. I also give them as gifts to flashlight newbs. Of course only after I personally take them apart check the soldering, clean the contacts* and glue* *the head*, this way I know it's 100% reliable.



Why do you glue the head?


----------



## RepProdigious (Mar 15, 2011)

jacktheclipper said:


> Why do you glue the head?


 
So the unenlightened dont accidentally open it when trying to replace cells? For heat sinking? Waterproofing? Just because he can? Any of the above? Plenty reasons


----------



## espnazi (Mar 15, 2011)

I started of with fairly cheap lights and then moved to Solarfoce and the like, but a couple a weeks ago I bought a Surefire E2L and just from holding it feels way better quality. I liked it so much and since the price was better than what they sell for online i wanted two more. The guy offered me all the lights he had for a good price since he said no one locally appreciates good lights so I bought them all. Now I have a whole bunch of Surefires but I'm broke.


----------



## qwertyydude (Mar 17, 2011)

When I gift these lights I thoroughly go through them to ensure 100% reliability and safety. I solder any loose connections, often times the driver isn't properly soldered to the pills. I also check tailcap connections clean any contacts, lube o-rings, solder contact pistons to springs, and put it all together. Any parts that can possibly come loose like the switch assembly and flashlight head I "glue" together with thread lock. This prevents any grounds from loosening and prevents flickering due to loosening parts it also waterproofs that particular joint. This basically is usually done at the factory for high end lights to ensure reliability. Why give a crappy gift? Just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean it has to be cheap, especially when just a little effort on your part makes it good. Then you get the satisfaction of giving a gift you know will not fail.


----------



## jacktheclipper (Mar 17, 2011)

qwertyydude said:


> When I gift these lights I thoroughly go through them to ensure 100% reliability and safety. I solder any loose connections, often times the driver isn't properly soldered to the pills. I also check tailcap connections clean any contacts, lube o-rings, solder contact pistons to springs, and put it all together. Any parts that can possibly come loose like the switch assembly and flashlight head I "glue" together with thread lock. This prevents any grounds from loosening and prevents flickering due to loosening parts it also waterproofs that particular joint. This basically is usually done at the factory for high end lights to ensure reliability. Why give a crappy gift? Just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean it has to be cheap, especially when just a little effort on your part makes it good. Then you get the satisfaction of giving a gift you know will not fail.



Ah , got it . Thanks


----------

