Flashlight Shootout Part 1

[hausdok]

By Rick Bunzel CRI , and Greg Wayman CRI (Original published in the NAHI Forum December 2006 and used by permission of the authors.)

As home inspectors who perform visual inspections, we use flashlights at every inspection. Our ability to see into the darkest nooks and crannies is critical to inspecting a home. It’s no wonder that many inspectors feel very passionate about their choice of flashlights.

I have had the same light for several years and wanted to look at the newest crop of lights on the market. I had bought some of the LED flashlights on Ebay but hadn't been impressed. I also bought one of the million candlepower spotlights; but found out the hard way that it dies after about 15 minutes.

Looking at flashlights can be confusing because one cannot depend on the advertised power of the flashlight. Each manufacturer measures the power of their flashlights differently. Some use lux; others use lumens, and some candlepower. During my research, I learned that how the light or power is measured also affects its rating. Changes in distance from device, measuring peak vs. average, etc., will cause the rating to be higher or lower.

Rather than make this a Consumer Reports (i.e. scientific) type test, I chose to do a field test of the flashlights and asked Greg Wayman to participate. We used the lights over a number of inspections and compared results.

I own one of the standards in the industry, the Maglite rechargeable with the halogen bulb. I have had it for several years now and have come to depend on it. I decided that we would test lights with similar specifications: 40,000 candlepower, rechargeable, and in the less than $120.00 retail price range.

I was hoping to incorporate LED based lights into the tests but after looking at what was available, it was clear that LED’s were not ready to compete in the same arena. However, this is rapidly developing technology and LED lights with low heat and power consumption are very attractive. Once manufacturers figure out how to focus the LEDs to throw more light we will see a new crop of contenders; but for now, incandescent bulbs still rule.

MAGLITE 3Cell (with 3 D batteries), Cost: $20id="size4">

The cost of constantly buying batteries adds up fast. This light has good aluminum construction with diamond grip texture and a glass lens with a two-pin bulb. You can change the focus from flood to spotlight by twisting the bezel. It has a push button on/off switch and comes with an extra bulb in the base cap. It's water resistant, really tough (don't use the head as an impact object, though; it has a glass lens!), good bulb life, it's very bright, and it's easy to get parts for.

Greg: Extremely durable. I’ve dropped it many times and it just doesn’t break - that includes the bulb. I have one rule of thumb for dogs; if they bare their teeth at me, I don’t want them around during the inspection. With this flashlight, I always have the option of using it as a club if I must. During the busy season, I find myself replacing the batteries once every week or so! There were a few inconvenient moments at inspections where I didn’t have replacement batteries and had to break away to go buy some. As a messy side note: During really cold weather, the batteries exploded inside the light leaving a nice acidic mess to clean up. In comparison to the rechargeable Maglight, Stinger, and SureFire G2, the brightness is not as strong, but it still gets the job done.

The beam of light is good overall; you can pan in to have one strong concentrated beam. However, once you pan out, the beam of light weakens fast. This flashlight is good for noticing items in basements, crawlspaces, or attics that you can focus the light on in concentrated small areas. However, I still find myself pulling out the 3,000,000 candlepower monster I carry in the back of my truck to tackle those wide angle views, such as looking at all the rafters at once for alignment or sagging.

Maglite 3 Cell Rechargeable with Halogen Bulb, Cost: $120id="size4">

This light has the same frame as the battery Maglite, good aluminum construction with diamond grip texture, and a glass lens with a two-pin bulb. You can change the focus from flood to spotlight by twisting the bezel. It has a push button switch and also comes with an extra bulb in the base cap. It's water resistant, really tough, has good bulb life, and has good battery life for a rechargeable. It throws a very bright beam and it's easy to get parts for.

Greg: This battery outlasted the UltraStinger and Surefire G2 when they were fully charged. The Maglite lasted approximately 2 hours, which was twice as long as the Stinger (This was Rick’s Maglite and it was 4 years old; the UltraStinger was brand new.). When you concentrated the beam of light, the area that was lit up was about half a foot larger in diameter than the Stinger’s and just as bright. The wide-angle view was still just as bright as the Stinger and got the job done. Like the original battery Maglite, this flashlight doubles as a club. The beam is full of "rings and holes" when it's unfocused. A quicker charger system would have been better.

Rick: Compared to the other lights in the test, this flashlight was very heavy. I wouldn’t want to drop it on a tile floor because the floor would crack for sure; however, the light would survive just fine. If you carry it in a holster in the small of your back like I do, you have to be careful that you don’t turn too quickly, or you might find yourself replacing a window or vase.

Occasionally, I will forget to grab my Maglite going out to an inspection and have to fall back to a standard Eveready 3 cell flashlight. Although I don’t have the specifications, I would estimate that this Maglite produces about 2.5 times the light that the Eveready produces. When the light was new, I could go two days or about 4 inspections without having to worry about recharging. After 4 years, the charge doesn’t last as long, but on a daily basis is holding up just fine. I haven’t seen the need to buy a new battery pack. Compared to a standard battery powered Maglite, my cost of ownership has been pretty low.

Surefire G2 with rechargeable kit, Cost: $130id="size4">

The Surefire G2 is a very lightweight, compact and versatile flashlight; it would make a good companion for anyone who needs a durable, bright light. Fit and finish are very good. The G2 has a bulletproof casing made of Nitrolon (a type of plastic) that makes it exceptionally durable and resistant to dings, scratches, dents, etc.

The flashlight is turned on temporarily by pushing a button on the end cap and then locked on by twisting the end cap ring. The G2 is actually pretty inexpensive in its 2-cell non-rechargeable format. However, it does require Lithium 123a batteries; these batteries are hard to find and are very expensive if purchased retail. However, they can be purchased online for about $15 per box of twelve. The Surefire batteries are supposed to be specially formulated for the high-drain lights.

Greg: After being fully charged, the flashlight died after only 30 minutes. This summer I inspected a 1900’s church with a 2,000 s.f. crawlspace. I would have been extremely upset if I had to bellycrawl out in the dark! It's a great compact light to fit in your back pocket and the beam packs a punch! However, this light is not practical for home inspections, simply due to its short battery life.

Rick: This flashlight packs a lot of power into a small package. However, for some reason I didn't like it - perhaps because I was accustomed to my 3 cell Maglite. Being aware of the short battery life, I didn't feel comfortable with it in crawlspaces. I also found the power switch to be inconvenient, because I like to be able to click it on or off. The smaller format threw out a lot of light for its small size, but it was not in the same league as the rechargeable Maglite or the UltraStinger. The charger is also inconvenient compared to the Maglite and Streamlight systems. I really don’t want to have to disassemble the light each time to recharge the battery. That inconvenience alone makes this light a non-contender in my book.

Streamlight UltraStinger, Cost: $120id="size4">

The first thing one notices when picking up the UltraStinger is that it feels extremely solid but lightweight; almost as if it's machined out of a single piece of metal with no moving parts.

Everything about it says quality. The anodized aluminum body is textured for grip; as is the bezel focus ring. The light comes with 2 chargers (120V and 12V), and there's a spare bulb in the base of the light in case of failure. The switch is on the side of the head and is a simple click switch protected by a rubber cover. One depresses the switch partially for momentary on and presses until it clicks to keep it on.

Greg: This flashlight is light and packs a punch! The first thing I noticed was the strong beam of light coming from such a small light. You can shine it around easily while maneuvering it with only 2 fingers and don’t have to grasp it with your entire hand like the Maglite.

For those of us with bad backs, carrying a heavy flashlight throughout the day on our tool belt means going home with a sore back. With the Stinger, you barely notice its presence.

This light has a clean powerful beam and enough wide-angle light to see surrounding areas at the same time. However, the battery life didn’t compare to the Maglite, and it only lasted about 45 minutes to an hour each time I fully charged it. I’m still deciding if I can live with this - Shorter battery life vs. lighter weight.

Rick: I really like this light. It's a quality piece of work with a very bright beam. Streamlight claim’s the UltraStinger produces 75K candlepower, which I thought was overkill for most inspection needs. However, comparing it side by side to the rechargeable Maglite, the Ultra Stinger output is very similar. The charger is not as well designed as the Maglite’s - it's easy to put the UltraStinger into the charger and the contacts won't engage. I found that I had to wiggle the light around to get it to seat properly.

OVERALL CONCLUSION:id="size4">

Greg: I’ve been a “batteryâ€

[homnspector]

You forgot the Cadillac http://www.aelight.com/

[Terence McCann]

Love my UltraStinger. When a customer asks to use it I suffer from separation anxiety.

[Tim Maxwell]

I love the Ultra Stinger too. I also carry a Poly Stinger for looking under cabinets and in closets.

I always take two of each to compensate for the shorter battery charge. Works great for me. I have never been left in the dark, or at least since I started carrying the two pair.

[carle3]

I love the Ultra Stinger. I have two and rotate them between inspections. Now if I could figure out how to stop my camera from running out of battery when I am at the back end of a crawlspace.

[member deleted]

I have two of the Streamlight STRION Rechargeable Flashlights. They are by far the best I have used. Both sit right on my belt during the inspection.

http://www.lapolicegear.com/ststrefl74.html

I also have an ultra stinger, but only use it in crawlspaces.

Kevin