What torch would you recommend?

[Fleckers]

we are off to France next week and all the driving will be done at night

in emergency I will need to be able to see under bonnett, change wheels etc

I looked at this

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

but was not sure

years back I had a large Maglight but killed it by not removing batteries

I think I need a sealed unit whihc is rechargeable

thanks

Stuart

[jcborden]

I'd forget that, the battery life will be terrible (measured in minutes) and it will be so bright you will be blinded trying to use it for anything.

I'd go for an LED Lenser T7. Very small, 200 lumens and uses standard AAA batteries. Very bright for a small torch but will last 10's of hours on the lower brightness settings. Very well made too,

[anonymous-user]

^^
What he said above

---

my experience of that type of light is that they tend to be a bit rubbish - slow charge, short battery life and bulky for the light given out.

I would recommend looking at a decent small led torch from someone like lenser or fenix plus a cheap led headtorch (also good for walking around camp in the dark).

Cheap headtorch - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Cyba-Lite-Sprint-Led-...

Lenser - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lenser-7439TP-Tactical-Lig...

[Steffan]

jcborden said:

I'd forget that, the battery life will be terrible (measured in minutes) and it will be so bright you will be blinded trying to use it for anything.

I'd go for an LED Lenser T7. Very small, 200 lumens and uses standard AAA batteries. Very bright for a small torch but will last 10's of hours on the lower brightness settings. Very well made too,

Good advice. In a security business we tried high power rechargeable torches which were advertised as lasting two hours in use.

Twenty minutes if you were lucky.

LED's do seem to be more or less unbreakable, certainly robust, and last hours and hours. The absolute light output is less, but also less blinding and usable.

[Snails]

I was going to recommend a Fenix L2D. An absolutely brilliant torch, it's small and compact, plenty bright enough with a normal and turbo mode. And an additional rapid strobe mode should you need to signal a helicopter in the French countryside.

[Mars]

Fenix everytime. You can pretty much guarantee they will have implemented the very latest LED emitter in whatever model you buy.

[JohnnyJones]

Cree.

Rechargeable with 2 batteries so you can carry a spare.

Really good.

[The_Doc]

Snails said:

I was going to recommend a Fenix L2D. An absolutely brilliant torch, it's small and compact, plenty bright enough with a normal and turbo mode. And an additional rapid strobe mode should you need to signal a helicopter in the French countryside.

+1

incredible amount of light from a small unit. Solidly made too.

unbeatable.

[Vespula]

Whatever you do, do not buy a torch in a bricks and mortar shop, they all suck.

On-line torches are much better from places like

http://www.flashaholics.co.uk

or

http://www.thetorchsite.co.uk/

As mentioned, Fenix are a good buy.

Edited by Vespula on Sunday 7th August 11:08

[Silvs]

jcborden said:

I'd go for an LED Lenser T7.

I've had mine for a year or so and use it all the time in work, it's taken a battering and still works perfectly.
Not too badly priced either, well recommended.

[Digger]

4 Sevens lights are well regarded, free delivery and a 10 yr warranty! Bit late for the OP however.

www.4sevens.com

[JFReturns]

Silvs said:

jcborden said:

I'd go for an LED Lenser T7.

I've had mine for a year or so and use it all the time in work, it's taken a battering and still works perfectly.
Not too badly priced either, well recommended.

Just had mine delivered on this recommendation, and it is stunning. The light is so intense, even in a brightly lit office! Feels like a quality bit of kit too.

[lotusmad2001]

Maglites are good

[Vespula]

LED Lenser are good torches (I have one).

However anyone reading this thread and interested in torches should know that 200 lumens is pretty low powered compared to cutting edge LED torches these days.

I have one that puts out 1000 lumens.

Have a look at Candlepowerforums for more info but don't click the link if you can't resist buying gadgets.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forum.php?s=26...

[Mars]

That bloody forum was the ruin of me. I ended up buying a load of bespoke components to turn my 6D maglite into an overhead-projector-bulbed, milled-alloy reflectored, crystal lensed, 6-NiMH'd-powered, firelighter. Yes, it can actually set light to paper from about 10 inches. Or people's eyes from about 30 miles away.

I now need a new switch because the standard Mag switch is crap and has basically melted away. There's a guy on there who does soft-start/PWM switches which I want but that'd be another ~£80 on top of the [mumble in case my wife ever reads this] I've already spent.

[JFReturns]

[Digger]

Mars said:

That bloody forum was the ruin of me. I ended up buying a load of bespoke components to turn my 6D maglite into an overhead-projector-bulbed, milled-alloy reflectored, crystal lensed, 6-NiMH'd-powered, firelighter. Yes, it can actually set light to paper from about 10 inches. Or people's eyes from about 30 miles away.

I now need a new switch because the standard Mag switch is crap and has basically melted away. There's a guy on there who does soft-start/PWM switches which I want but that'd be another ~£80 on top of the [mumble in case my wife ever reads this] I've already spent.

Interesting. How many candle powers is that that refurbed Mag putting out? What standard torches have you to go with it.

Must fire up my old CPF login.

[annodomini2]

Stick, rag, petrol, lighter!

[Vespula]

I bought one of these bad boys from Jayrob. Uses an XM-L T6 LED, powered by 2X Li-ion 3.7 volt rechargeable batteries. 1000 lumens (torch folk tend to talk in lumens rather than candlepower).

It will run for 3 hours on high mode or all night on medium or low. And modern, regulated torches do not get dimmer as the batteries drain.

Edited by Vespula on Tuesday 9th August 15:04

[malman]

Vespula said:

I bought one of these bad boys from Jayrob. Uses an XM-L T6 LED, powered by 2X Li-ion 3.7 volt rechargeable batteries. 1000 lumens (torch folk tend to talk in lumens rather than candlepower).

It will run for 3 hours on high mode or all night on medium or low. And modern, regulated torches do not get dimmer as the batteries drain.

Edited by Vespula on Tuesday 9th August 15:04

Is that light on the body to tell you its turned on - as you'd never be able to tell otherwise