# Best Flood Flashlights (including flood to throw zooms)



## mccririck (Feb 21, 2013)

Thought I'd create a thread for my favourite type of flashlight. Here's the ones I rate:

Sipik sk68
LED Lenser T7


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## EscapeVelocity (Feb 22, 2013)

No particular order...

Energizer Tactical 1AA 
Brinkmann Legend LX
MagLite C&D Cell with Fusion 36 Showerhead


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## mikekoz (Feb 22, 2013)

The Coast HP550 by far! With the focus on it all the way back, this thing pounds out a 1000 lumen wall of light!! If all you need is a 500 lumen wall, the Feit Electric 3C will do the same thing.


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## Dplight21 (Feb 26, 2013)

My best Flashlight is "14 LED Waterproof Handheld Flashlight Torch Camp Black" 


*Description:*


*14 LED bulbs produce ultra strong and bright white light
*One Button control easy to use
*Extensive Lifetime of LED (100,000 hrs)
*Water-Resistant, can be use it in rainy day
*End Tail On/Off button
*Suitable for home maintenance, outdoor activities, hiking, map reading, night fishing, night flying, camping, sailing, caving, hunting etc.
*Color: Black
*Require 3 x AAA Batteries


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## mccririck (Feb 27, 2013)

mikekoz said:


> *The Coast HP550 by far!* With the focus on it all the way back, this thing pounds out a 1000 lumen wall of light!! If all you need is a 500 lumen wall, the Feit Electric 3C will do the same thing.




Not sure I could be bothered having to change 9AA batteries every time! Surely they should be using 18650s in there or bigger Li cells.


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## mikekoz (Mar 1, 2013)

mccririck said:


> Not sure I could be bothered having to change 9AA batteries every time! Surely they should be using 18650s in there or bigger Li cells.



True! It is a little bit of a "messy" setup, but you wanted flood, and dang nabbit, I gave you flood!! :laughing:


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## rmteo (Mar 14, 2013)

I like this one SKU: 173030 ($34 shipped, includes 26650 battery and charger).






*Product Color:*
Black
*Material:*
Aluminum alloy
*Emitter Brand:*
Cree
*LED Type:*
XM-L
*BIN:*
U2
*Color:*
Cool white
*Number of Emitters:*
1
*Voltage Input:*
3.6~4.6V
*Battery Configuration:*
1 x 18650 (not included) or 1 x 26650 (included)
*Circuitry:*
2400mA
*Brightness:*
900lm
*Runtime:*
2~3 hours
*Number of Modes:*
5
*Mode Arrangement:*
Hi > Mid > Lo > Fast Strobe > SOS
*Mode Memory:*
No
*Switch Type:*
Reverse clicky
*Switch Location:*
Tailcap
*Lens:*
Plastic
*Reflector:*
No
*Strap Included:*
Yes
*Clip Included:*
No
*Beam Range:*
100 meters
*Other Features:*
Zoom-to-throw
*Other Accessory::*
1 x Flashlight
1 x 2-Flat-Pin plug power adapter (100~240V)
1 x 26650 battery
1 x 18650 battery holder
1 x Strap


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## mccririck (Mar 15, 2013)

rmteo said:


> I like this one SKU: 173030 ($34 shipped, includes 26650 battery and charger).
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Where can you buy it?


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## rmteo (Mar 15, 2013)

Search dx.com for SKU: 173030.


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## mccririck (Mar 15, 2013)

Thanks. Is the focus a slider or a twist?


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## rmteo (Mar 15, 2013)

Slider.


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## mccririck (Mar 15, 2013)

Looks really good, will have to get one. Can you recommend a 26650 battery?


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## sol-leks (Mar 23, 2013)

It says it comes with a 26650 battery.

Why do so few zooming lights take cr123s?

I would love to see a flood to throw 2xcr123 light.


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## StorminMatt (Mar 24, 2013)

mccririck said:


> Not sure I could be bothered having to change 9AA batteries every time! Surely they should be using 18650s in there or bigger Li cells.




Well, the way I see things, there is nowhere near a shortage of lights that use Li-Ion batteries on the market. Lights that can actually use NiMH are MUCH more rare. And even if this light actually uses 9xAA, it's nice to have a decent NiMH light available for a reasonable price. On the other hand, C or D cells would be MUCH more convenient. It is worth.noting, however, that, due to the 3s3p battery arrangement in the HP550, it WILL run with three or six AA batteries, provided those batteries are NiMH (and NOT alkaline). Runtime will obviously be shorter, though.


In any case, the HP550 certainly is a nice, floody light. I don't feel like it puts 1000 lumens out the front (maybe 600). But it's still nice and bright. And it seems to be FAR floodier than other, reflector-based lights.


The Fusion 36 in a Mag also produces a REALLY nice floody beam. However, even though brightness is good for the money, it DOES fall short. I get about 300-350 lumens on five cells, which is not as good as your average XM-L. But it's still quite good, especially considering the beam quality.


Somewhat less floody is a Malkoff XM-L Mag using a Kaidomain MOP reflector. But it's still pretty good. It's also a rugged light that will give hours of runtime.


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## slipe (Mar 25, 2013)

FastTech has a 3 mode Ultrafire XM-L T6 flood to throw for $9.45 and free shipping. It looks like a slightly scaled up Sipik and uses an 18650. It has an odd memory - If you switch to strobe before turning it off it will start in high the next time you use it. If you turn it off in high or low it starts in strobe. Irritating, but nowhere near as irritating as a 5 mode with no memory would be.

If you are accustomed to the Sipic zoom-to-throw you will find that an XM-L zoomed will give you an image of the die about four times the area of an XR-E or XP-E because the die on the XM-L is considerably larger. It makes up for that by being much brighter and giving you a larger flood. The large bright smooth flood is really something. SKU 1174500

My favorite light has become the Sky Ray King 2500 lumen (they say) light with three XM-L U2 emitters. It takes four 18650s but is really compact and fits nicely in your hand. The electronic switch goes hi -low-off. To get the strobe you hold the switch for a couple of seconds, so you never have to scroll through the strobe unless you want it. Great combination of flood and throw but it doesn't zoom. Definitely not an EDC, but that thing really lights up your part of the world. FastTech has it for $37.90. SKU 1228800


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## Chicken Drumstick (Mar 25, 2013)

mccririck said:


> Not sure I could be bothered having to change 9AA batteries every time! Surely they should be using 18650s in there or bigger Li cells.



I think the aim here is mass market. Most average buyers will not be interested in li-ion batteries, DMM's and fancy chargers. AA's are cheap and plentiful and NiMh offers the runtime and voltages and can handle the amp draw.


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## Chicken Drumstick (Mar 25, 2013)

I just got hold of a Aleto, it's a scaled up SK68, looks identical but runs on 1x26650 and has an XM-L in it.

Evidently it's more bulky than an AA light, but it will fit in a jeans pocket just fine. Lovely artefact free flood beam and pretty good fully zoomed in too. The UI seems to work well too.

Not the brightest, but more than enough to be useful. Only $12.99 delivered too. Quite amazing you can get so much light for such little outlay.


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## mccririck (Mar 30, 2013)

Have a look for the Keygos M12 on ebay, supposed to be really good as well.


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## Ragnar66 (Mar 30, 2013)

I'm waiting for my flooder....... the Olight X6 marauder


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## mccririck (Mar 30, 2013)

jvc55349 said:


> I'm waiting for my flooder....... the Olight X6 marauder



What will you use it for?


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## Ragnar66 (Mar 30, 2013)

mccririck said:


> What will you use it for?



It will be sit in my police car with the Deft-x I'm waiting for. So collisions at night/Search and Rescue/Marine duty etc.


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## jorn (Mar 30, 2013)

Some small, but floody ones.




zebra h51fc, ti p0, univex aaa, lense light micro.
Edit: dident notice i was in the budget section. None of the above is considered a budget light.


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## sol-leks (Apr 3, 2013)

I spent a little time hunting around the web for the kind of light I want and three lights caught my eye:

Smiling Shark SS-12
Small Sun ZY-T15
UniqueFire F12-B

I am leaning towards the Uniquefire at the moment because it's the only one I could find reviews for and the reviews I found were very positive. Also it has a U2 emitter. My concern though is it might not be that bright and that it doesn't take 18650's (although I prefer cr123's so not that big a deal).

The small sun looks nice and is cheap but doesn't specifically say it can take cr123's, although the input voltage looks right.

The smiling shark looks nice, has a good price and can take multiple battery configurations, but does not have a u2 and has no reviews. It also looks like it may be able to charge batteries which is interesting. I like the side switch as well.

Any thoughts?


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