Mag light now has a 220 lumen led mini which is super bright and small enough to fit in your mouth when removing panels.
Only $22 at Home Depot.
Just bought it and lost it over the weekend darn it.
Takes 2 AA
I have two of those Ray for backups. The flood feature is wonderful for photos. Keep looking around because they are even cheaper with different sellers.
I’m thinking about getting a 6000 or 9000 lumen torch just for kicks and to shine at my neighbors 1/2 mile away.
I purchased a Fenix PD32UE this year and love it. Small but extremely bright. It has a more natural LED that does not reduce color. I use the rechargeables in it. Below is where I purchased mine from…couldn’t beat the price.
I just purchased the Klarus XT11 and am waiting for it to arrive. Reviews compare it favorably in quality to Surefire. Do not get too hung up on high lumens as most are too bright given that a lot of what we do as home inspectors is fairly close and not hundreds of yards away. I think the 600 lumen range is more than adequate and I have been getting along just fine with a 220 lumen LED Lenser, but it is time for a new tool. I think a light with a good spill (e.g. floodlight-like) is better for our uses as compared to a light with a good throw (spot light-like for distance). Lights that have a polished reflector tend to throw a tighter beam further while lights with a dimpled or orange peel reflector tend to more evenly and widely distribute the light with less of a hot spot making it easier to light up an attic or have less glare on something close up. Led Lenser and Coast lights try to do both with a focusing lens system. You can also soften a “throwing” type light by adding a diffuser (if your light accepts one) to soften the beam and disperse it without degrading the light too much. For those who like Streamlights, Streamlight now has the LED Stinger HL which has more spill than the traditional Stinger. I just ordered one of those too for a comparison to the Klarus.
Streamlight Stinger LED HL/DS is my newest. 640 Lumens, rechargeable, and has dual switch on top and rear. I was using Ultra-stingers for years before LED reared its head, and also have an older Streamlight LED Stinger as a backup. Love Streamlight!
I totally understand what you are saying about saving time on research. I have a simple flashlight that helps, it is LED and requires 4 aaa batteries. I use to have a solar flashlight and it was good for emergencies, but not for needing super bright light.
The mag lites are powerful, but they do get costly. A simple flashlight is what anyone really needs for emergencies, but for those super dark spots when you rummage through boxes and drawers, you need something more powerful.
