When is enough, enough?

[Tesla]

I'm still open to new things if they meet my criteria, but I find I already own those that do. For me, I'm more concerned now with features & ergonomics that fit me than I am with additional output. I'm not a fan of rechargeables (which seem to be the trend) which helps with my flashlight triage. When I see most of the new offerings I get a case of the yawns.

 

[PolarLi]

The reason I stopped buying high performance LED lights many years ago, is the fact that nothing great and revolutionary has come on the market for what, 5 years?
They still have the same heat issues, low runtimes, and the throwers just keep getting bigger. it's the same old all the time.
The manufactures need to start thinking outside the box, or in this case, outside the tube! With no revolution on the LED or battery horizon any time soon(?) they need to start looking at new materials and new form factors to get my attention.

 

[staticx57]

I go through cycles of not buying anything for a while, and then buying quite a few new lights and selling some old ones.

The LED technology isn't changing as fast as it was in 2005-2010. Now I'm usually looking for a better interface rather than chasing the brightest emitter.

Have you looked at some of the high CRI offerings? That is something that has advanced greatly in the past few years.

 

[bykfixer]

I kept purchasing lights thinking it would become my new favorite. Something else would soon come along and my brain would think "oh look, a new favorite." I ended up with a whole bunch of favorites collecting dust. One day I just decided to turn off the incoming stream and rotate my selection(s) for a while and so far have chosen not to turn it back on.

 

[Timothybil]

There is no such thing as enough, enough. It goes from not enough to too many. The problem comes in when the too many becomes not enough, and the cycle continues. 'Just' one more is a popular phrase too.

 

[pageyjim]

I seem to be at the stage where I buy a light or two every year maybe. Plus I am living in a different area where I don't get to use the bigger lights as often. My attention also sways between my other interests which are knives and pellet guns.

 

[LeanBurn]

Personally, if I get to a point where I dont use all the lights I have...there is no need to acquire more. For example, all the lights I have are in my signature. Of those lights, some I use infrequently...which tells me I have more than I need so I dont need any more. The lights I have have never failed me and I have a primary and a backup light for every job I perform. Not sure what I would even do with more backups.

The last light I purchased was the Sofirn C01, which despite being the least expensive light I own at under $6, is my favorite.

If I were to ever have a light fail I would get a replacement, probably the highest CRI version of that light and definitely only neutral tinted or warmer.

 

[Chauncey Gardener]

When is enough, enough?

"Well, you know, if it's enough already and I just want to get some sleep."
- Cosmo Kramer

Joking aside; Enough is enough when you come to the realization that purchasing another light, knife, watch, etc etc won't result in lasting contentment or happiness.

 

[ZMZ67]

Comes and goes for me.I gave up on finding THE light, that is just a never ending quest anyway.I do enjoy having a variety of lights too choose from though and if something comes along that catches my eye I may get it.Don't mind relegating unused lights to my collection since I am both a collector and flashoholic. The collector in me is always on the look out for older and discontinued lights but I try and stay in a reasonable price range.

I do derive some satisfaction from my rather large collection but CG is right that a purchase will not result in long lasting satisfaction and happiness. If your mindset is "I just need to get X or Y light then I am good" you will probably end up in a never ending purchase cycle looking for the next thing when the initial happiness of that purchase wears off. It is an easy trap to fall into but doesn't end up leaving you satisfied in the long run.

 

[wicky998]

i, like most people have "duties" or "purposes" of all my lights

outside(dog walking), working, edc, bedside, tactical

but with me i have several for each category say roughly 3-5

each time i need a light for that task i have options to choose from

say size, weight, output, activation etc

i experiment with each light individually and then decide where it should be placed if i dont order it for a specific task to begin with

each specifc category of lights say tactical for instance are all near the same, high output single mode lights but of different sizes, tints etc

i may want a bigger brighter light for a coat in the winter than that of a summer night to the show with my wife.

i give each category time to build and experiment to what i like and use the most , if one particular light isnt being used in a said category it gets put in a collection case(pelican)

to eventually sell or trade possibly lego if its possible

so right now im my life of flashlights there is never "enough"

i constantly look for something new or exciting to work and fittle with. i enjoy trying new things and experimenting

its helps me sink into the hobby more ig, stay envolved more ,

rather than jjust looking to get one perfect light as if thats ever going to happen

im sure one day my groups of lights will be perfect but until then ill continue to dish out hard earned cash for illumination devies :D


Wicky

edit: this is a really nice thread BF :twothumbs

 

[Chauncey Gardener]

Conversely -

What good is a collection if it doesn't grow?
- Raymond Reddington

 

[AMD64Blondie]

+

Just remembered something::
Ordered up a bunch of 5Ah Samsung 21700 batteries on sale from illum, yet I don't have any 21700 lights :caution:

A Zebralight SC700 is calling your name....


Safe to say, I'v conceded the idea that I may have to get a couple 21700 lights lol
Soooo, right back to the original question

 

[jayflash]

I just don't know what happened recently. For the past ten years, or so, I was down to zero or one new light per year. In the past two months I caught up and got six, including one headlight. They were smaller, twice (or more) as bright, and do more tricks than what I had for EDCs. Maybe I had to catch up with with technology.

 

[CHNeal]

Well I took that hard look... sold every light except an HDS, sold every knife except a small Sebenza and every gun except my G43x that I carry everyday and I’m done. If Henry ever builds a AA version of the worlds best light I’ll buy it but in till then I’m out!
Thank CPF and goodbye.

 

[Chauncey Gardener]

Well I took that hard look... sold every light except an HDS, sold every knife except a small Sebenza and every gun except my G43x that I carry everyday and I’m done. If Henry ever builds a AA version of the worlds best light I’ll buy it but in till then I’m out!
Thank CPF and goodbye.

:wave: Bye. Thanks for leaving us only being able to wonder if the great sell-off made you happy. :confused:

 

[bignc]

Agree to some extent with CHNeal. But also with Chauncey- ARE YOU HAPPY? (ETA, and safe!)

For me, enough guns and lights and knives and tools (actual plus camping equipment, etc) came when I had enough for me and a backup- AND the same for my wife and children. Some things I have spare parts for and some I have duplicates.... where I got in trouble is buying TONE of wear parts for my guns but not enough ammo to wear them out- and not enough space to store that much ammo. SO, I usually buy the weapon or tool and the top 3-5 items that break on it or wear out (springs, MIM parts for glocks for example and O-rings and lenses for flashlights but for chargers, duplicates.... So 3-4 single cell Xtar and 3 multi cell chargers as well as 3-4 that do Nimh also....) And then lots of batteries and bullets.

If space or finances dictated, I could go down 2-3 of everything for each of the family and myself. 2-3 guns, 2-3 knives and 2-3 lights for example. I have a good tent for me, one for the daughter and each son and a back-up. But lots of alternate shelter options. Same line of thinking for cooking and backpacks and power and hand tools....

As much as this probably sounds like a lot, I pare down whenever possible and OFTEN upgrade and replace. At some point, you hit diminishing marginal returns- how much more accurate does a handgun need to be than my Glock 17 or Sig 226? Do I need a $500 EDC knife or flashlight because it's pretty? But would I spend that if I got exponentially better performance....


Its difficult to answer this straight. I have friends that only have some of these things for themselves and will let the kids decide when they grow up. I don't disagree with that logic- but I do want to have options for them!

 

[richbuff]

... ... ...
... ...Thank CPF and goodbye.

I saw by searching your posts that 'life played its cards' and 'life forced you to...', so I am guessing that you were required to respond to some untoward exigency in life. I can tell by your posts that you really love classic lights. May God bless you and keep you well!

 

[archimedes]

.... Thank CPF and goodbye.

:wave: Bye. Thanks for leaving us only being able to wonder if the great sell-off made you happy. :confused:

I saw by searching your posts that 'life played its cards' and 'life forced you to...', so I am guessing that you were required to respond to some untoward exigency in life. I can tell by your posts that you really love classic lights. May God bless you and keep you well!

Yes, we often joke around here on CPF, but it can sometimes be difficult to sense tone from plain text.

I too hope that you are well, and that your current lights continue to fulfill your needs for illumination :candle:

Hopefully, your absence will be brief .... CPF will be ready to welcome you back anytime[emoji106]

 

[Bimmerboy]

CHNeal - Congratulations on losing that 100th pound. That's a big achievement right there.

I, too, hope your absence will be brief and that you'll still get some enjoyment just reading about lights.

 

[bykfixer]

Eh, he'll be back. Remember one is none. Even if it's an HDS.