Hi all. I have a question I hope you can all offer some advice on

Part of my on duty EDC is my Sure-fire E2e flashlight. It has served me well except once a few weeks ago when it failed at the most inopportune time(the bulb burned out) Fortunately I always have my pelican M1 as a backup. All my other lights for hunting, emergency use etc are LED with the exception of my sure-fire M3 combat light which is part of my home defence equation and is not required in LED as the xenon bulbs are way brighter. I bought the E2e when it first came out and there weren't many good LED options out there at the time for a reasonable price.

The curent army issue EDC flashlight is the mini-mag (which I hate in the worst way) so I just dropped money on something better.

I know the sure-fire is an excellent light and s**t happens so I am not upset that a bulb burned out(even though it was at a very bad time) however, I want to upgrade my on duty EDC flashlight to LED capability. For my use I need a higher lumen output than most people would need, longer battery life and the ability to add a red filter or even a red LED option for tactical use. Although I always have my pelican as a backup(also with a red lens) I don’t ever want to be caught with my pants down again. The pelican is very reliable, but doesn't put out very much light so it is not much use to me as a primary light at work. Especially for room clearances,vehicle searches etc

I was looking at buying the kl4 LED conversion head for my E2e, http://www.opticsplanet.net but for 130 bucks I can probably get a whole new flashlight that meets my requirements for a lot less. I need at least 65 lumen output but 100 would be better. It needs to be tough enough for military use and must fit in a nite-ize holder. I also need the removable red filter capability. The E2e with the KL4 meets these requirements, but…. My questions are:

Anyone have a KL-4? Is it worth the money?

I don’t mind spending money on good gear, especially a good light but I despise wasting money so I figured there would be no harm in hearing what others have to say first. If it is worth the money great, but there are some good LED lights out there now and the prices are lower than they were when I first bought the E2e. Since I already paid a few bucks for it I figured an upgrade would be the best way to go.

Thanks folks

Surefire is now marketing a few 100 lumen tacticals

Surfire L4 Lumamax

There's also their L2, L5, Ultra, and G3 LED variants (the G3 is only 80 lumens but the batts will last a bit longer).

Innova also has a decent tactical at 100 lumens.

I've seen one or two out there pushing the output up to 120 lumens. I've not had a problem myself overdriving LEDs a bit, but at 4 watts output, I would start to worry more about the heat dissipation.

Those Surefire LED lights are not going to fail you.

Dorcy 120 lumen 6 watter

Here's one of the 120s. For $40 that ain't bad, but it ain't no Surefire. Those three AAs will suck down quick at 6 watts.

I have the 3 Watt Dorcy and I'm pretty happy with it. You can't get more LED Lumens for the money with the Dorcy and Garrity lights...they're too cheap not to have some kicking around the house. Might not be reliable enough for tactical use though.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/index.php?

i would suggest looking around that forum plenty of info there.

P60 led dropins maybe worth looking at i have them in all my surefire 6p's. i like the p60 modules as they allow you to upgrade your lights cheaply. when out and about i carry a spare P60 in an old 35 mm film canister. dropins have a wide price range and quality range $10 to $100+.

http://www.opticshq.com/Merchant2/mercha...y_Code=Surefire

Cree Q5 LED conversion head for SureFire E2 series, HA3 natural finish. Output: 220 lumens Runtime: average 2+ hours Voltage: 3-8.4V (optimal, slight difference will have no detrimental effect) Price:$79.99

http://www.opticshq.com/Merchant2/mercha...y_Code=Surefire

Cree Q5 LED conversion head w/impact bezel for E2 series, Black finish with aggressive crenelations Output: 220 lumens Runtime: average 2+ hours Voltage: 3-8.4V (optimal, slight difference will have no detrimental effect) $79.99

turned up those in a quick forum search but for that price you can buy a good whole light.

spos i better stick in a disclaimer i have nothing to do with any of the companies above yadda yadda yadda

The KL4 is 5 watt for 65 lumens. I would like more but 65 lumens is still very bright and I guess I will get more battery life.(the high output 20 min battery life is not good for me) I dont need the light for combat ops like police would need but rather for prolonged searches in dark cellars, lofts, vehicle searches etc. If I need a combat light I have a M3 which I have the upgraded 225 lumen lamps for. I still dont know id 130 bucks is worth the upgrade though.

I also use my light in potential explosive enviroments as well so I need a light in which the bezel doesent get too hot. This was one concern I had with the xenon bulbs. They get real hot. I have a browning black ice head lamp which I use as well, but once again the light output is too low for certain jobs.

getting some good ideas. Thanks guys

I've seen where those new Cree LEDs are capable of over 500 lumens unregulated. I wonder how the Lithiums batteries will do with a semiconductor shorted across them.

Hi Taurus,

Sounds like you need something like the Fenix T1.

https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_85&products_id=386

Fenix T1 is a good light but i find the clip abit annoying hope the TK10 i ordered comes soon. my preffered carry light is the derelight CL1H V3 i have all 3 models plus assorted derelight dropins.

Though not for the E2, only (6P, 6Z, C2, M2, G2) Malkoff dropins are about the best you can get. The only problem is availability, they go fast.

http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop2/

tell me about it they keep becoming avaliable while i am at work by the time i get home they are gone