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| Cupboard Member Since: 21 Mar 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 2971   
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I've never been particularly taken with the LED Lenser stuff, it all seems over priced and over marketed for what it is.
I've got a Fenix LD10 (1*AA) which I've had for a while and that's been good, an Eagtac T200C2 (1*18650 or 2* CR123) for rather less time but is seriously bright and a Zebralight H52F. The Zebralight is the single most impressive light I've seen. It's bright, has good run times and is seriously well built. I carry it almost every day in my pocket and have done for the past year and it stull looks as fresh as it did out of the packet. Despite sharing a pocket with all manner of other stuff, being dropped, thrown against things, etc. etc., it still looks perfect and performs as new. The UI is very easy to use (I know some people don't like it, but it really works for me) and I really couldn't recommend it enough. As with all high powered torches they do work best on rechargeables. Eneloops are good, I got mine from http://www.ledfiretorches.co.uk/ and I have to say I can't fault them. I use a Nitecore Intellicharger i4 which will charge both niMH and Li Ion batteries, I have Eneloops, 14500 and 18650 Li-Ions. The Zebralight is cheapest direct from the manufacurer but you do have to wait a bit for them to arrive. IMO floody versions are best for working up close which is what I use my head torch for. I haven't tried it but apparently you can put tape over the lens of a throwy lights to make it act like the floodier ones. Because of the broad spread of the light, my Fenix actually looks "brighter" than the ZL because it's more focussed, despite actually putting out far fewer lumens. If you think about it and actually take in to account the spread of the ZL beam you can see where the lumens are going and it's a great light for working on things, but it's not an impressive "wow" light. So yes. Go here: http://www.zebralight.com/ . Buy one. Or two. Or all of them. And some decent rechargeable batteries  |
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15th Nov 2014 12:10am |
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| keith Member Since: 15 Aug 2012 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 2217 
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 that's some collection of torches mate .
So you dig tunnels or work in outer space . |
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15th Nov 2014 7:57am |
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| Cupboard Member Since: 21 Mar 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 2971
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It's only 3!
Plus some smaller ones 
There's my "working at night in the dark" torch, my "popping down the pub"/"I might need some light" torch and my "I need to see across this field" torch. When I'm working somewhere gloomy, it makes a huge difference to have a headtorch that you can rely on to just do its job and do it well. I chose the floody one because when you're working on things close up, the "traditional" throwy beam pattern of a central hotspot with a significantly dimmer spill is quite distracting and unhelpful. Being as it runs on a single AA battery instead of the more common three AAA batteries, it's smaller, lighter and cheaper to run. You get about the same amount of energy stored in three AAA batteries and a AAA costs about the same as a AA so per unit of energy stored you're paying close to three times the amount. Seriously though, I cannot recommend Zebralight highly enough. My boss baulks at the idea of spending £40 on "just a torch" but must have spent approaching that on a string of cheap ones that don't work as well and break. I'm not saying it's perfect in every way and will never go wrong, but things are going well so far. There's loads of information about torches around on the intertubes, the best known forum is CandlePowerForums which can get quite serious, BudgetLightForum is IMO a bit more down to earth and sensible. I'm not a member of them, but am a member of the MultiTool.org forum which also has a torch section
Edit: oh, and it's worth searching for forum discount codes from torch websites, a lot have CPF/BLF discounts. |
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15th Nov 2014 10:01am |
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| Rickydodah Member Since: 14 Jul 2014 Location: East Sussex Posts: 1091 |
I buy these, cheap as chips, never broken one but lost a few...when I say lost some of my colleagues tend to borrow them, but at 8 quid each.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UltraFire-1800LM...3a8a15f96a |
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15th Nov 2014 10:13am |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018 
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Some good alternatives there, I had not considered previously - so back of to do some more research
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16th Nov 2014 10:39am |
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| udderlyoffroad Member Since: 18 Jul 2011 Location: Bristol Posts: 124
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Just dropped £8 on one to keep in the Eurobox. Looks superficially similar to Avon and Somerset Constabulary standard issue, only probably 1/5th price! Hopefully not 1/5th the quality... Real trucks don't have spark plugs |
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16th Nov 2014 11:58am |
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| keith Member Since: 15 Aug 2012 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 2217
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ALL THOSE WITH LENSERS......
F1 or P1 ? I'm about to buy the F1 but all reviews rate the P1 just as good . The F1 relies on special battery that can't be recharged . Opinions please . Cheers  Click image to enlarge |
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18th Nov 2014 8:26pm |
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| Bows Member Since: 07 May 2012 Location: Wales Posts: 513  
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Lighthouse do a great range of cree led torches, I have 2, both great torches giving awesome light output.
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18th Nov 2014 10:05pm |
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| g-mack Member Since: 07 Jan 2014 Location: northumberland Posts: 1967
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i have a led lenser p7 which is a nice little torch, but not as good as my jetbeam pa 40!! great little torch! My 109 thread
my youtube channel |
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18th Nov 2014 11:25pm |
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| Venomator Member Since: 25 Aug 2014 Location: Peterborough Posts: 2087
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I have an LED Lenser P5 (Free (?) with my Leatherman...
 ) and do think they are a smart little torch especially with the slide to focus function...
But it in no way stands up to the sheer power of my Mag-Tac LED, which is awesome... 
Photo courtesy of maglite.com AND it's Green...  Rog...
The GREEN One... MY2016 Urban Truck Build Thread - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic40548....al[/color] |
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19th Nov 2014 8:36am |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018
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I think there's two ways to go with power. 1. Stick with AA - good trade off with power vs weight; and as most of my other stuff is AA only one battery type to carry. In emergencies, I can rob batteries for other equipment to power a torch and then swap back if necessary; or 2. Rechargeables - but only the type that don't need taking out of the torch and placing in a separate charger. Also, even better if they are micro/mini usb then I'm not having to carry a bespoke lead and can use the same one to charge phone, torch, data logger, etc from same cheap commonly available lead. Benefit also that it will fit directly into the usb on the audio head unit for charging. I favour the latter. |
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19th Nov 2014 9:35am |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018
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I've been checking their range out but find the lack of a plug in to recharge model disappointing. Do they also use the latest generation of LED? |
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19th Nov 2014 9:40am |
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| mick Member Since: 08 Feb 2010 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 2109  
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+1 for Coast not got one  but seen them in use |
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19th Nov 2014 8:46pm |
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558
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they use the cree leds not the little cheap dome ones . I know what you mean I really wanted one with a charging dock , but the led lenser just holds to charger by magnet not sure it would stay put when driving but the coast usb charging is ok for me as its the same plug as my phone, tablet etc and have bluesea usb sockets fitted and the fact you get spare batterys that can be recharged out of the torch or fitted in torch so you have a spare charged I like , you get 2 rechargeable packs and one that take standard batterys i have a led lenser and coast roughly the same size , but I would say coast is brighter and looks as good made really being its cheaper |
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19th Nov 2014 9:07pm |
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