LED Torch recommendations

[Zico]

Evening all.

Looking for some recommendations for a decent LED torch. I've got an LED Lenser L7 at the moment (uses 3x AAA batteries - eneloop's) which is good but looking for something a bit more powerful and something with better battery power (preferably rechargeable).

@Stoney871 would be interested to hear what you use on the job. There is a Police equipment site (that is physically local to where I live) which I've been viewing online: https://www.copshopuk.com/

[SeanW]

I have a rechargeable Lenser - with the 18650 battery.

battery life is pretty good considering how bright it is.

[Stoney871]

I have an Underwater Kinetics torch issued which is small and good for continuous general use, a inexpensive Cree Q5 torch for high illumination for short periods and also issued with a Dragon T12 for area work.

Sent from my SM-G965F (S9+)

[Zico]

Well I think the Dragon T12 is off the list. At around £200 it's going to be overkill for the kind of intended usage for a home user.

The problems with the good old generic Chinese Cree LED torch are that there are about a million to choose from and it will likely take a month to arrive before you know if it's any good or not.

I can't remember how much I paid for the Lenser L7 (think it was less than £40) but at least I received it inside of a few days and knew I could return it if it was no good.

[SeanW]

The rechargeable one is considerably more...but LED Lenser are sensible and provide over-charge protection as standard on their batteries.

The cheapo £2 amazon or eBay specials are alright usually.  Perfect if you're likely to lose it anywhere.  Think a pack of batteries costs more these days 

[bashbarnard]

I don't want to sound like a typical mechanic here. But I have a snap on light that has a normal torch function and a really thin bit so you can poke it in places. Was a pretty penny. I barely buy snap on. But my lights kept ***** up got it on deal for 100. It's he best light I've ever had. Had it two years in the trade, dropped it 10 times a day and it just continues to live.

[Simon_K]

I like Olight. Their “R” series lights have magnetic charging and the magnet lets you attach the light to steel parts for hands free. They also have magnetic usb chargers for batteries. Well made stuff. 

[Jonro2009]

I have a few Olight torches, they are pretty good. Well made and a good light output. 

I have found that with my small baton torch it will only shine at full brightness for 10mins and then it cuts off - I assume it’s a safety feature as it does get pretty hot

[Simon_K]

Yeah they have a limited time on “turbo” then drop to a lower brightness.