I remember when the cops quit carrying billy clubs, due to civil rights complaints. the 5 cell Mag Lite was their substitute... serious head-beating ability.
See, I'm not sure about this. Back when I was a kid we had a honking great Ever-Ready torch in the kitchen with a big square battery and it provided barely adequate light but the battery needed changing roughly once every decade. Now, I carry a Surefire torch with 200 lumens when I take the dog for a walk at night but the battery barely lasts half an hour. I've actually dismantled a couple of torches and replaced the CREE LEDs with regular LEDs to deliberately create torches with extended battery life at the expense of brightness. When it's pitch-black, any light is better than no light and 20 hours of light is DEFINITELY better than 20 minutes of light.
Great video! I remember hiking with POUNDS of batteries to produce just a few candle power of light as a kid. I have been a head lamp hiker for a long time now and my personal preference is a bit heavier than the ones you reviewed but the battery pack is on the rear so it's not too bothersome for me and balances well. It is the Petzl MYO RXP and it runs on three AAA batteries. My only quibble is the lack of a low-power red lamp for night time map reading. it has proven to be the most durable headlamp I've ever owned - it even broke the fall of a starter that came loose suddenly while working underneath a vehicle on a lift!!! I have actually bought two of them because I love them so much - the first one didn't break but someone apparently liked my flashlight enough to walk away with it - a sad day!!
Good torches are addictive! Love my OLight and my Zebralight headlamp. I made the shift several years ago to using 18650 rechargeable batteries and have not looked back. Love the nickname "The Sun"! :D
LED has been a real game changer for camping and caravanning. Not just the extra light and reliability but the great reduction in power use. I was always a fan of budget torches until we were given a Fenix E25UE to check out and review. I have never been so impressed with any torch before or since. They are pretty pricey for a small torch but they seem to be indestructible. I am very hard on gear and this poor little torch has been rather badly used and abused, including dropping it from head height a couple of times onto the step of the Coaster (which is checker plate). Much to my amazement, it still works perfectly. The light from it is terrific and I have reached a point where all the older torches I had been using (apart from head torches) have now been retired. The only complaint I have is that the switch isn't tactile enough and can be difficult to find in the dark.
Thank you very much for taking me down memory lane. From the early 60s through the mid-80s we have pretty much the same flashlights. The pen light, is what we called it here in America, was one of my favorite flashlights back in the day.
Leading edge custom light makers/enthusiasts such as can be found at *Candle Power Forums* have been "shoe horning" high power parts into Maglight casings for over a decade, initially 50w halogen and HID then more powerful emitters as they were released 👍
I bought a small torch from the post office in West Perth a few weeks ago for between $10 and $15. It's about 5" long and made from heavy gauge steel. The light on it goes from round spread to square pencil and if I shine the torch into my eyes I'm blinded immediately! So, probably no need to spend lots of dosh on bright torches when the likes of the one I've got are available (unfortunately it doesn't have any model details so I can't help if you wish to buy one). All the other torches and lamps that we use around the campsite are either charged via USB or Solar as I don't like buying batteries. We've also had a trusted Maglite for 20 years and we probably only use that for security (instead of a baseball bat).You don't need to spend much money these days on torches that are both reliable and bright.
I’ve just bought the same nitecore headlamp and it’s amazing. Seriously robust. Glad to see it’s endorsed here by you Andrew as your opinion is respected. Makes me keen to see what their other products are like
I’ve got the first generation tiny monster with the extended battery pack. Absolutely love that torch and it has been to hell and back with me. Nitecore really do make the best quality gear but for bang for buck I find olight to be really great. My go to torch at the moment is the Olight Javelot m2x-UT, it has a beam distance that has to be seen to be believed and you can buy a diffuser cap for it to turn it into a flood style camping light. Would highly recommend you have a look at one. Happy to show you mine and my other bigger olights some time as were both in Perth.
I was given (and still have) a maglite by a grateful student pilot. It had the red filter for use in night flying. I loved the ability to focus the beam.
When Mag eventually, reluctantly, introduced LEDs they didn't seem to re-engineer the head to disperse enough heat for higher-powered LEDs, which seems ironic given the big aluminium body. Surprised no mention of Surefire in terms of robustness - they were beating Mag long before LEDs came in. Another thing to consider is LED tint/colour temp. A warm white (or, better, high-CRI) LED can be far more comfortable and usable than a brighter cool-white light. Worth trying if you haven't already.
Thrunite are just as good and a lot cheaper IMO - my TN12 has been used to death for 5 years and never let me down. Convoy are pretty good too, and even cheaper.
I have a two cell Mini Mag like the one you have. I purchased it when I was in middle school (1985ish). I have since retrofitted an LED bulb to bring it up to date a bit. I'm sure this flashlight will outlive me!
Great episode Andrew! I too love flashlights. I have several Maglites, and a Streamlight Polystinger (yellow). The Maglite is, as you said magnificent to behold. It is a work of art. The Stinger is ridiculously bright, but, I agree with you that the battery life makes it virtually unusable. Lately I have been using LED flashlights from Nebo. They are relatively inexpensive, and nothing to write home about, but they are practical. I install Lithium batteries, and they can sit in a glovebox for years, and still work. Thanks for this episode. It makes me want to go dig out one of my Maglites, just to hold it, feel it, and behold it's fineness. LOL
I have one of the first Maglite minis, a dark blue one. It’s in a drawer somewhere... They were fantastic in their day. I remember it had a spare bulb in the end cap.
Dolphin torches were another great relic of the past. The head torch you said you cant warm to, i love mine and use the heck out of it. Also the Nitecore Tip are great little torches.
Yah, I have the Coast POLYSTEEL 600(710 lumen 4 AA) with lithium ion batteries(20 year shelf life and last longer when in the flashlight) and I like the flashlight, but I would have bought the POLYSTEEL 1000, but it takes 9 AA batteries instead of 8 AA batteries(batteries come in packages of 8; a even number) which dosen't make sense; only 290 more lumens = 41% more lumens, so 8 AA batteries would be 2X the batteries of the POLYSTEEL 600 and the flashlight would be cheaper to produce(smaller battery carrier, 1 less battery, slightly less material for a slightly shorter flashlight).
@@gen1c8rs88 That's a GREAT light. The 600 is the sweet spot in the range. The 600R is twice the price, so just run eneloops if you want rechargeable. The 250 and 400 are AAA, which I hate. Almost as big as AA, but only about 1/3 of the mah. Waterproof, focusing beam, composite so not ice cold to hold onto in winter, or hot in summer. You can find them for $25- sometimes, which is a steal !
I bought a 4 D cell maglight from the local gun shop in the late 80's after about two years I found a quartz halogen bulb on sale at a bike shop so I fitted that which I changed out last year for an LED replacement. Still use the torch today despit also having a new Mag Lite that the wife gave for Christmas which came as an LED model, but that is only a 3 D cell model so not as good for beating some one to death with if the need ever arrises. The lower luminosity of MAG lite LED's is due to them not overdriving the led which will make them last longer, run too high a current through an led and you get the black spot of death rather quickly when the die bond wires burn through.
Is no one going to ask about the elephant in the room? Or the back seat of the Zephyr? Or the brother with a long gun out the window of the back seat of the Zephyr?
@@craigice9635 A) I'm pretty sure it's not a toy. B) I don't object to the boy having the gun: I just want to hear the story. I know it's a different time / continent / culture / social environment, etc. Plenty of guns where I live. We just usually keep them inside the car while driving, lol!
Thanks for the interesting video,always seems like having a chat with an old Pal over a cuppa. Must say you really haven't changed much since your Broadstairs days
My mag lite is sitting in a box in my garage. I got it in 1999. My surefire used 123 batteries, I got it in Iraq. That bad boy would go through batteries every two nights in Fallujah. Now I've got a Energizer headlamp. It's about a year old now, it's actually pretty good. It's waterproof as well.
Andy, after lumen snobbism you should check out the tint snobbism, the lights you have seem to be all cold tinted, very harsh on your eyes, what you should be getting is high CRI lights (90+) and 4000K (best tint), 5000-6000 are too blue, 2700 is pretty much incandescent mimic, mid3000 are warm.
Even headlights in cars and the floodlight market. I remember having to drop to 60kmh during thunderstorms all the time because I could barely see the lines on full beam back in the day. Nowadays you could basically keep the foot down (weather permitting) and see any animals or flooded sections for miles. @Andrew you should do a video on floodlights in future.
I like Nitecore, Olight, Fenix, Surefire ($$ though), Klarus and Zebralight. Less of a fan of Led Lenser ($$ to value ratio a bit much for me) and Maglite (output not the best). I guess if I had to pick 1 I would go Fenix but thats probably only because it was one of my first and I adore my old Fenix TK20 (yellow grip). I also use Streamlight because its approved by the fire service I am in and they are reasonable.
Great video Andrew! Here in America the general consensus is that surefire or Streamlight flashlights are considered to be the most robust and durable.
Love your videos whilst I am not a 4WD'r as such my work takes me in my ranger PXII to some very remote and dark places & I use the Details about Arlec 360lm LED Spot / Flood Watchmen Torch its awesome it turns night into day. I also use a variety of head gear . Keep up the great work, love your work keep up the openness & honesty & speaking your mind and calling it as you see it.
I really quite like Zebralights. Nitecore was slow behind them. The Zebralight interface takes time to get used to but it is the just about best interface of any flashlight brand. The next interface I like, is an exterior ring that turns between low, medium, and high.
I used to have those silver tube torches. They were useless. I moved on to maglite then ledlenser and now use nitecore. The ledlenser rechargeable is still in use in the land rover, the mag lights are all consigned to the junk drawer.
The maglite xl200 is worth a look. But as an astronomer the led lenser p7 qc is my go to torch. It has the 4 colour led and 2 power levels. I have a maglite xl200 a led lenser m7 as well. The m7 is my best power torch. The maglite is the dirty work torch and the qc for astronomy. Excellent "video" if you have a spare camp light, would love one. Thank you.
I had a SureFire which was the brightest thing I had for a long, long time. Used two CR123 batteries and there was a warning not to put it face down on something combustible as it would light it on fire....
Hi Andrew. A really interesting video. I, like you, have an angled torch. I was searching for a considerable time and found the Rofis R3. Compact, waterproof, multi angled head and charged with USB, using a magnetic connection on the torch end. I have had it for over a year now and have found it to be totally reliable. I would be interested to hear what you think of it?
A good review on some impressive torches...me I like camping Lanterns..I use now several Luci 2.0 solar inflatable LED lanterns, very impresive performance and light output, great weight and power saving...infact 3 of these have replaced my 12v LED light set up I once had...
I still have an older 5D Maglite and I put some new batteries in it to try and it is just disappointing now. I keep looking back at it and thinking about upgrading, but due to the age I't isn't as easy to upgrade as some of the later versions. It would be a good patrol light though, if I did upgrade it. I can remember taking the big light on a school excursion about
i could not agree more... i remember old maglites... heavy torches with more power in heat than in light... we are spoiled nowdays... back in the days youd need a generator to power such a bright yet nowdays handheld torch...
I reckon big mag lites are perfect. I hate being blinded at night by a ridiculously bright light because when you turn it off, your night vision is completely gone. Every single time there’s always one person with a handheld sun that shines it in everyone’s eyes because it’s funny (happens accidentally as well). And whenever someone turns on a stupid bright light on in the middle of the night, I want to beat their head in with my mag lite. Also in the middle of the night I can get up and easily find my huge torch and not wake up the whole camp when I turn it on.During the day when your looking in an engine bay or something then the handheld sun is very useful.
Hello Andrew : enjoy being one of your subscribers to your very informative UA-cam videos on the subject of headlights I've got a ripper not very large in size and I can swipe my hand past the lens to turn off and on . cheers Keep them coming 👍
I too have one of those very large black long Trojan type torches. they were issued to the Northern Territory Police Force (Aust) back in the seventys... which I found ~backseat~ of the patrolcar hahaha 😂
I reckon you missed some of the best rechargeable torches around. Try testing some of the Olight torches Andrew. Rugged, reliable and high quality for a reasonable price. The ones I have surpase anything else i've used and they have a really good range and a lot have magnetic usb charges that require no battery removal. I'd put them well ahead of Nitecore in many respects.
Great video Andrew. Did you ever have the Eveready Dolphin torch with the big square battery? They were *the* torch to have when I was little. (And they are still around...and still useless!) :)
When I first went overlanding in Botswana we made the mistake of having huge head torches and leaving them on in our tents, cus my bro is scared of the dark, so when we woke up we were just covered in huge bugs and insects
we use the Streamlite in the ambulances they are pretty good, I personally carry a 1000 lumen led lenser and charge it via USB, small enough to carry in my pocked and bright enough to blind someone that runs at me
You should really check out Olight. In my experience they are the best flashlight on the market now. They are also more robust and reliable than any other brand i have tried so far (including nitecore and fenix).
Hi Andrew, about to get the Nu 32 and just want to know the distance i can expect from just the red light on within the light, also on high setting? 1,5,7m? Thanks
Once Olight brought out flashlights that could be charged through USB with rechargeable Lithium batteries I gave away ALL my other flashlights and haven't looked back. They last for hours/days on the lowest settings, the batteries hold a charge for what seems like forever, they throw hundreds to even thousands of lumens, I have 5 in various sizes that combined are smaller than my original D cell maglight and with USB charging I can charge them ANYWHERE! I even have a tiny one that weighs almost nothing the Olight I1R , fits on a keychain, charges through micro usb and puts out like 130 lumens and it's smaller than a AA battery. Oh and my Olights all have aluminum bodies and i'll be damned if I can wreck them. Although I do have to agree that I can't use a single one of them like a club like I could with the old D cell maglight but the dazzler features on the new lights are damned impressive.
I use a whole 18650 battery system when I camp. I have a headlamp and a hand held light that run on the 18650's. But then I also have a case that holds 4 18650 batteries that is actually a rechargeable battery bank that I can also use to charge whatever I want via usb Or just take a 18650 and pop it into a flashlight. I think I use a Fenix Headlamp, and a Eastshine RT25. The battery banks cases can be found on amazon. Oh, I almost forgot my new favorite light. It's called a Luminoodle, Its a led waterproof light rope with magnets and hangers, It's usb powered. If you wanna try anything try that, as you can hang it from a tree or anywhere on a truck or anything metal.
Im surprised you don't have links to nitecore stuff in description... Maybe get viewers a discount and nitecore throw some love your way. Your essentially a salesman for them and I mean that in a good way.
I have a mag light that I have been using for years I go right to the factory and talk to the folks there they strive to make a quality product the problems I have seen with mine is I used substandard batteries or have left the batteries in excess heat that caused them to be Leakey I have used other leading brands n my industrial work place but none hold up like my old mag lights they are reliable
I gave up using coin cell lights on my bike. They get activated when I put them away, so found recycling batteries a nuisance. The new USB lights work in extreme conditions and give long life. I've rekindled my like for flasklights after seeing my own history flash before me in this video.
The better ones ,are Surefire and Elzetta...but of course Surefire costs a lot ,it is not the lumen in itself ,that is why the military and special operation forces use them. Surefire invented the laser sights and so on...
I remember when the cops quit carrying billy clubs, due to civil rights complaints. the 5 cell Mag Lite was their substitute... serious head-beating ability.
See, I'm not sure about this.
Back when I was a kid we had a honking great Ever-Ready torch in the kitchen with a big square battery and it provided barely adequate light but the battery needed changing roughly once every decade.
Now, I carry a Surefire torch with 200 lumens when I take the dog for a walk at night but the battery barely lasts half an hour.
I've actually dismantled a couple of torches and replaced the CREE LEDs with regular LEDs to deliberately create torches with extended battery life at the expense of brightness.
When it's pitch-black, any light is better than no light and 20 hours of light is DEFINITELY better than 20 minutes of light.
Great video! I remember hiking with POUNDS of batteries to produce just a few candle power of light as a kid. I have been a head lamp hiker for a long time now and my personal preference is a bit heavier than the ones you reviewed but the battery pack is on the rear so it's not too bothersome for me and balances well. It is the Petzl MYO RXP and it runs on three AAA batteries. My only quibble is the lack of a low-power red lamp for night time map reading. it has proven to be the most durable headlamp I've ever owned - it even broke the fall of a starter that came loose suddenly while working underneath a vehicle on a lift!!! I have actually bought two of them because I love them so much - the first one didn't break but someone apparently liked my flashlight enough to walk away with it - a sad day!!
Good torches are addictive! Love my OLight and my Zebralight headlamp. I made the shift several years ago to using 18650 rechargeable batteries and have not looked back. Love the nickname "The Sun"! :D
LED has been a real game changer for camping and caravanning. Not just the extra light and reliability but the great reduction in power use. I was always a fan of budget torches until we were given a Fenix E25UE to check out and review. I have never been so impressed with any torch before or since. They are pretty pricey for a small torch but they seem to be indestructible. I am very hard on gear and this poor little torch has been rather badly used and abused, including dropping it from head height a couple of times onto the step of the Coaster (which is checker plate). Much to my amazement, it still works perfectly. The light from it is terrific and I have reached a point where all the older torches I had been using (apart from head torches) have now been retired. The only complaint I have is that the switch isn't tactile enough and can be difficult to find in the dark.
Thank you very much for taking me down memory lane. From the early 60s through the mid-80s we have pretty much the same flashlights. The pen light, is what we called it here in America, was one of my favorite flashlights back in the day.
Leading edge custom light makers/enthusiasts such as can be found at *Candle Power Forums* have been "shoe horning" high power parts into Maglight casings for over a decade, initially 50w halogen and HID then more powerful emitters as they were released 👍
I bought a small torch from the post office in West Perth a few weeks ago for between $10 and $15. It's about 5" long and made from heavy gauge steel. The light on it goes from round spread to square pencil and if I shine the torch into my eyes I'm blinded immediately! So, probably no need to spend lots of dosh on bright torches when the likes of the one I've got are available (unfortunately it doesn't have any model details so I can't help if you wish to buy one). All the other torches and lamps that we use around the campsite are either charged via USB or Solar as I don't like buying batteries. We've also had a trusted Maglite for 20 years and we probably only use that for security (instead of a baseball bat).You don't need to spend much money these days on torches that are both reliable and bright.
I’ve just bought the same nitecore headlamp and it’s amazing. Seriously robust. Glad to see it’s endorsed here by you Andrew as your opinion is respected.
Makes me keen to see what their other products are like
I’ve got the first generation tiny monster with the extended battery pack. Absolutely love that torch and it has been to hell and back with me. Nitecore really do make the best quality gear but for bang for buck I find olight to be really great. My go to torch at the moment is the Olight Javelot m2x-UT, it has a beam distance that has to be seen to be believed and you can buy a diffuser cap for it to turn it into a flood style camping light. Would highly recommend you have a look at one. Happy to show you mine and my other bigger olights some time as were both in Perth.
I was given (and still have) a maglite by a grateful student pilot. It had the red filter for use in night flying. I loved the ability to focus the beam.
I bought a Wolf Eyes Sniper II Pro torch a few months ago and it's been great. Intense light, great battery life and top notch quality.
That is a lot of hype words - I prefer the 'Spider fang howler tactical pro 2' personally :)
Can you review the new Fleshlight? Cheers
When Mag eventually, reluctantly, introduced LEDs they didn't seem to re-engineer the head to disperse enough heat for higher-powered LEDs, which seems ironic given the big aluminium body. Surprised no mention of Surefire in terms of robustness - they were beating Mag long before LEDs came in.
Another thing to consider is LED tint/colour temp. A warm white (or, better, high-CRI) LED can be far more comfortable and usable than a brighter cool-white light. Worth trying if you haven't already.
Thrunite are just as good and a lot cheaper IMO - my TN12 has been used to death for 5 years and never let me down. Convoy are pretty good too, and even cheaper.
I use the LED Lenser P7R and love it. Mostly because of the floodlight feature. Casts a nice even light perfect for braaing.
I have a two cell Mini Mag like the one you have. I purchased it when I was in middle school (1985ish). I have since retrofitted an LED bulb to bring it up to date a bit. I'm sure this flashlight will outlive me!
Must try Olight Andrew, I love my lights and damn, there been good the last few years...
Agree 100%.
Great episode Andrew! I too love flashlights. I have several Maglites, and a Streamlight Polystinger (yellow). The Maglite is, as you said magnificent to behold. It is a work of art. The Stinger is ridiculously bright, but, I agree with you that the battery life makes it virtually unusable. Lately I have been using LED flashlights from Nebo. They are relatively inexpensive, and nothing to write home about, but they are practical. I install Lithium batteries, and they can sit in a glovebox for years, and still work.
Thanks for this episode. It makes me want to go dig out one of my Maglites, just to hold it, feel it, and behold it's fineness. LOL
I have one of the first Maglite minis, a dark blue one. It’s in a drawer somewhere... They were fantastic in their day. I remember it had a spare bulb in the end cap.
Dolphin torches were another great relic of the past. The head torch you said you cant warm to, i love mine and use the heck out of it. Also the Nitecore Tip are great little torches.
Very useful, I saw this and just bought some Nitecore torches. Tired of the cheap crap I have been putting up with for years.
From the US and here Coast-portland is pretty popular. My dad who is a machinist introduced me and they are pretty good.
Yah, I have the Coast POLYSTEEL 600(710 lumen 4 AA) with lithium ion batteries(20 year shelf life and last longer when in the flashlight) and I like the flashlight, but I would have bought the POLYSTEEL 1000, but it takes 9 AA batteries instead of 8 AA batteries(batteries come in packages of 8; a even number) which dosen't make sense; only 290 more lumens = 41% more lumens, so 8 AA batteries would be 2X the batteries of the POLYSTEEL 600 and the flashlight would be cheaper to produce(smaller battery carrier, 1 less battery, slightly less material for a slightly shorter flashlight).
@@gen1c8rs88 That's a GREAT light. The 600 is the sweet spot in the range. The 600R is twice the price, so just run eneloops if you want rechargeable. The 250 and 400 are AAA, which I hate. Almost as big as AA, but only about 1/3 of the mah. Waterproof, focusing beam, composite so not ice cold to hold onto in winter, or hot in summer. You can find them for $25- sometimes, which is a steal !
Fenix is the way to go for me. I've had several nitecore lights fail that weren't very old. There are other great brands but I like to stick with one.
My mechanics at work use the HC60. Very robust lights. Ended up getting one myself.
I bought a 4 D cell maglight from the local gun shop in the late 80's after about two years I found a quartz halogen bulb on sale at a bike shop so I fitted that which I changed out last year for an LED replacement. Still use the torch today despit also having a new Mag Lite that the wife gave for Christmas which came as an LED model, but that is only a 3 D cell model so not as good for beating some one to death with if the need ever arrises. The lower luminosity of MAG lite LED's is due to them not overdriving the led which will make them last longer, run too high a current through an led and you get the black spot of death rather quickly when the die bond wires burn through.
just got a 4d maglite with 1002 lumen and 500 meter throw... love it so far
Is no one going to ask about the elephant in the room? Or the back seat of the Zephyr? Or the brother with a long gun out the window of the back seat of the Zephyr?
It is Africa. I saw nothing unusual
Just about every boy had a toy gun. Use to be normal kids toys, until some "political correct" aholes, took away the fun.
No
Craig Ice , I totally agree. The scared generation. Poor little cottonwools.
@@craigice9635 A) I'm pretty sure it's not a toy. B) I don't object to the boy having the gun: I just want to hear the story. I know it's a different time / continent / culture / social environment, etc. Plenty of guns where I live. We just usually keep them inside the car while driving, lol!
I’m with you...Flashlights and headlamps are my drug of choice. Every cool new one I see I have to buy and try out.
Thanks for the interesting video,always seems like having a chat with an old Pal over a cuppa. Must say you really haven't changed much since your Broadstairs days
My mag lite is sitting in a box in my garage. I got it in 1999. My surefire used 123 batteries, I got it in Iraq. That bad boy would go through batteries every two nights in Fallujah. Now I've got a Energizer headlamp. It's about a year old now, it's actually pretty good. It's waterproof as well.
Andy, after lumen snobbism you should check out the tint snobbism, the lights you have seem to be all cold tinted, very harsh on your eyes, what you should be getting is high CRI lights (90+) and 4000K (best tint), 5000-6000 are too blue, 2700 is pretty much incandescent mimic, mid3000 are warm.
Even headlights in cars and the floodlight market. I remember having to drop to 60kmh during thunderstorms all the time because I could barely see the lines on full beam back in the day. Nowadays you could basically keep the foot down (weather permitting) and see any animals or flooded sections for miles.
@Andrew you should do a video on floodlights in future.
Thanks Andrew, I though I had a problem but it isn't, it is a collection!
I like Nitecore, Olight, Fenix, Surefire ($$ though), Klarus and Zebralight. Less of a fan of Led Lenser ($$ to value ratio a bit much for me) and Maglite (output not the best). I guess if I had to pick 1 I would go Fenix but thats probably only because it was one of my first and I adore my old Fenix TK20 (yellow grip). I also use Streamlight because its approved by the fire service I am in and they are reasonable.
Great video Andrew! Here in America the general consensus is that surefire or Streamlight flashlights are considered to be the most robust and durable.
Love your videos whilst I am not a 4WD'r as such my work takes me in my ranger PXII to some very remote and dark places & I use the Details about Arlec 360lm LED Spot / Flood Watchmen Torch its awesome it turns night into day.
I also use a variety of head gear .
Keep up the great work, love your work keep up the openness & honesty & speaking your mind and calling it as you see it.
I really quite like Zebralights. Nitecore was slow behind them. The Zebralight interface takes time to get used to but it is the just about best interface of any flashlight brand. The next interface I like, is an exterior ring that turns between low, medium, and high.
I used to have those silver tube torches. They were useless. I moved on to maglite then ledlenser and now use nitecore. The ledlenser rechargeable is still in use in the land rover, the mag lights are all consigned to the junk drawer.
The maglite xl200 is worth a look. But as an astronomer the led lenser p7 qc is my go to torch. It has the 4 colour led and 2 power levels. I have a maglite xl200 a led lenser m7 as well. The m7 is my best power torch. The maglite is the dirty work torch and the qc for astronomy. Excellent "video" if you have a spare camp light, would love one. Thank you.
That was great! Thanks Andrew!
Surefire are pretty much bombproof, they are today what Maglite was 20 years ago.
Surefire pieces of shit
Omg I have never seen someone looking as much as his child self as You Mr. White!
I had a SureFire which was the brightest thing I had for a long, long time. Used two CR123 batteries and there was a warning not to put it face down on something combustible as it would light it on fire....
Hi Andrew. A really interesting video. I, like you, have an angled torch. I was searching for a considerable time and found the Rofis R3. Compact, waterproof, multi angled head and charged with USB, using a magnetic connection on the torch end. I have had it for over a year now and have found it to be totally reliable. I would be interested to hear what you think of it?
A good review on some impressive torches...me I like camping Lanterns..I use now several Luci 2.0 solar inflatable LED lanterns, very impresive performance and light output, great weight and power saving...infact 3 of these have replaced my 12v LED light set up I once had...
I still have an older 5D Maglite and I put some new batteries in it to try and it is just disappointing now.
I keep looking back at it and thinking about upgrading, but due to the age I't isn't as easy to upgrade as some of the later versions. It would be a good patrol light though, if I did upgrade it. I can remember taking the big light on a school excursion about
I still have a couple of old AA penlights that still work pretty good.
great story telling discovered you by accident while researching torches i have gone with a led lenser MT18 a new subscriber
Who knew torches could be so interesting? A head torch comparison test would also be useful.
i could not agree more... i remember old maglites... heavy torches with more power in heat than in light... we are spoiled nowdays... back in the days youd need a generator to power such a bright yet nowdays handheld torch...
I bought nitecore because you, realy good products, realy good advice, thank you!!
I went from Maglite to Streamlight to Fenix and now I''m an Olight Addict
I reckon big mag lites are perfect. I hate being blinded at night by a ridiculously bright light because when you turn it off, your night vision is completely gone. Every single time there’s always one person with a handheld sun that shines it in everyone’s eyes because it’s funny (happens accidentally as well). And whenever someone turns on a stupid bright light on in the middle of the night, I want to beat their head in with my mag lite. Also in the middle of the night I can get up and easily find my huge torch and not wake up the whole camp when I turn it on.During the day when your looking in an engine bay or something then the handheld sun is very useful.
Hello Andrew : enjoy being one of your subscribers to your very informative UA-cam videos on the subject of headlights I've got a ripper not very large in size and I can swipe my hand past the lens to turn off and on . cheers
Keep them coming 👍
I too have one of those very large black long Trojan type torches. they were issued to the Northern Territory Police Force (Aust) back in the seventys... which I found ~backseat~ of the patrolcar hahaha 😂
I reckon you missed some of the best rechargeable torches around. Try testing some of the Olight torches Andrew. Rugged, reliable and high quality for a reasonable price. The ones I have surpase anything else i've used and they have a really good range and a lot have magnetic usb charges that require no battery removal. I'd put them well ahead of Nitecore in many respects.
I'm assuming you don't have access to Surefire? They are regarded as the best for hard use lights in North America, damn near bulletproof.
Surefire torches aren't worth throwing at someone these days
I assume you can't get Petzl or princeton headlamps, or Surefire flashlights? What do you think of the Cr-123 batteries for torches?
Great video Andrew. Did you ever have the Eveready Dolphin torch with the big square battery? They were *the* torch to have when I was little. (And they are still around...and still useless!) :)
On your recommendation I've just gone on Amazon and bought a Nitrcore LR10
LR10 is my camp light now. It replaced a lantern about 20 times its size. Great product in a tiny package.
When I first went overlanding in Botswana we made the mistake of having huge head torches and leaving them on in our tents, cus my bro is scared of the dark, so when we woke up we were just covered in huge bugs and insects
we use the Streamlite in the ambulances they are pretty good, I personally carry a 1000 lumen led lenser and charge it via USB, small enough to carry in my pocked and bright enough to blind someone that runs at me
Fenix is the best bang for your buck, the ld20 is great torch that fits in my workpants
I love the streamlight stylus pro usb, and the streamlight headlamps.
i have just checked and you can get Nitecore in SA !!! the one you call ' the sun ' is only R 6000. maybe my Old Mag light will do for now?
$600AU, I'll just have the moon thanks.
You should really check out Olight. In my experience they are the best flashlight on the market now. They are also more robust and reliable than any other brand i have tried so far (including nitecore and fenix).
Thank you again Andrew. Very informative.
Another great episode, need to get my hands on some nitecore products.
A really great story ........
Hi Andrew, about to get the Nu 32 and just want to know the distance i can expect from just the red light on within the light, also on high setting? 1,5,7m? Thanks
Once Olight brought out flashlights that could be charged through USB with rechargeable Lithium batteries I gave away ALL my other flashlights and haven't looked back. They last for hours/days on the lowest settings, the batteries hold a charge for what seems like forever, they throw hundreds to even thousands of lumens, I have 5 in various sizes that combined are smaller than my original D cell maglight and with USB charging I can charge them ANYWHERE! I even have a tiny one that weighs almost nothing the Olight I1R , fits on a keychain, charges through micro usb and puts out like 130 lumens and it's smaller than a AA battery. Oh and my Olights all have aluminum bodies and i'll be damned if I can wreck them. Although I do have to agree that I can't use a single one of them like a club like I could with the old D cell maglight but the dazzler features on the new lights are damned impressive.
I use a whole 18650 battery system when I camp. I have a headlamp and a hand held light that run on the 18650's. But then I also have a case that holds 4 18650 batteries that is actually a rechargeable battery bank that I can also use to charge whatever I want via usb Or just take a 18650 and pop it into a flashlight. I think I use a Fenix Headlamp, and a Eastshine RT25. The battery banks cases can be found on amazon. Oh, I almost forgot my new favorite light. It's called a Luminoodle, Its a led waterproof light rope with magnets and hangers, It's usb powered. If you wanna try anything try that, as you can hang it from a tree or anywhere on a truck or anything metal.
Hey great video, keep up the good work! - Have you tried Rofis R4 - It is similar to NiteCore MT21C - Love a see a head to head video on them.
I still have a mini-mag and 3 D-Cell maglite, both incandescent. But my tiny UlraFire LED units I got off eBay for $5 are so much better.
Have you tried Olight torches ????
is isuzu Dmax worth buying ?
1:56 I reckon my mum had a similar torch in her bedside table.
No you want magnetic charging,also you should look for (imalent ms18)
Im surprised you don't have links to nitecore stuff in description... Maybe get viewers a discount and nitecore throw some love your way. Your essentially a salesman for them and I mean that in a good way.
I have a mag light that I have been using for years I go right to the factory and talk to the folks there they strive to make a quality product the problems I have seen with mine is I used substandard batteries or have left the batteries in excess heat that caused them to be Leakey I have used other leading brands n my industrial work place but none hold up like my old mag lights they are reliable
Hi Andrew, can you upload or link that 2007 tv show of yours?
Nightcall? Wow, never heard of them. I am still a big fan of Ledlenser. It will take a definitive better product to change my loyalty.
good topic Im doing same brutter
Great Vid, very informative. Thanks heaps !
I kill a couple of those because of water, and battery fails. Maglite's are quite good flashligths
Led lenser wins ;)
My favorite light is LEd lenser P5.2r way better then maglite
Olight is my go to brand
hi there, yes I have enjoyed it. cheers from hay valley. s.a.
I agree with you I have similar experience
I'm a Flashaholic and really enjoyed the video. I have a few NiteCore products as well and the quality is very good.
THANK YOU OTHER DETAIL VIDEO
Special place Broadstairs. .
It's a beautiful place to live
I got a Jetbeam torch. It’s the best l have had
Great video thanks for sharing 👍
i lovemy flash lites but nitecore i find to be top end price range
on my OLD Maglite with 5 D battery I just replace the old bulb with a LED. Greater power and infinite less battery drain.
I gave up using coin cell lights on my bike. They get activated when I put them away, so found recycling batteries a nuisance. The new USB lights work in extreme conditions and give long life.
I've rekindled my like for flasklights after seeing my own history flash before me in this video.
Color photography was available when you were a child?
The better ones ,are Surefire and Elzetta...but of course Surefire costs a lot ,it is not the lumen in itself ,that is why the military and special operation forces use them. Surefire invented the laser sights and so on...
I think Fenix is the most reliable after Maglite and Streamlite