Can anyone recommend a decent torch?

Been thinking about getting a decent torch for ages - something that really puts out a seriously killer light over a decently wide space, but is also light and easy to carry.

Can anyone recommend a good one?
Cheers/thanks
Mich.

Torch or headlamp , LED is the way to go for power and battery life

If you want serious light then look into dive torches. The SL range is good the SL6 produces 204 lumens www.uwkinetics.com/product/29

or the C8 at 338 lumens www.uwkinetics.com/product/11

Dive torches!!! Brilliant idea. Thanks Optrex. Will check those out.

I'm with you on the LED thing, Organix - I've got a small pocket-sized one and love the 'white' light it gives out.

Appreciate your replies.
Cheers, Mich.

Eveready Dolphin. Mine is over 25 years old and still good.

Thanks Igor - yes, I agree with you that they're good (wow, 25 years!!! Great advertisement there...). We have a couple and they're really handy around the place, but like Tim the Tool Man Taylor, I want "More Power"
Cheers, Mich.

Have a look at this range for a good range of various outputs using a variety of batteries. IMHO, the way to go is one with a CREE led, not multiple tiny leds, but a single cree. Use them for rabbit / possum spotting. Small but powerful, and getting more so. Depending on brand, can be from tens of dollars to the skies the limit. If you have a Maglite, you can upgrade these too.
Here's a couple links to look at to get an idea:
ledbulbs.co.nz/index.php/cPath/24?osCsid...c453de210408656707a3
www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.901
www.fenixlight.co.nz/
or visit your local Hunting and Fishing to have a look at the Led Lenser range.
For all price will depend on build quality and power output.
Oh yeah, and size wise we're talking 4-6 inches by 1 inch dia in most case.
For what its worth.
Disclaimer, I have notcommercial interest in the above companies except having bought products myself from them.

Dive torches are NOT a good idea for use in the open air normally unless you get the LED models, they are generally high temperature bulbs, such being more efficient in lighting than lower temp filaments, and are designed to have water around them to cool them.

Using a dive torch in the air can cause the glass to crack and some have been known to melt bits of the lens/reflector assemblies.

If you ask me the only torch I will ever use again is my LED Lenser torch. They are expensive but you get what you paid for. Hunting and Fishing has currently the P7 for $99 which is $30 less than normal. They also have a headlamp from LED Lenser for $29.90 instead of $59.

Have a look at the manufacturer's webpage: www.zweibrueder.com/ENG/produkte/produkte_start.php?id=products

They actually advanced from using the little Led bulbs to chip technology. The pictures on their web page don't lie, they are really that bright.

You also get mounts for your rifle for them. I use them in my hand when possum shooting. They are small enough.
We bought one P7 for $129 and I was cringing at the price. [xx(] But guess what, when I saw that H&F had them for $99 we actually bought a second one (stops the fighting with my wife who is allowed to use it) plus a head lamp.

To me that is money well spend.

Cheers

Peter

A little memory bell is ringing re dive torches used out of water........ get too hot??? Look into it, I could be wrong.

How about a Xenon bulb, have seen it in action and WOW! great power for tiny torch. Have a read here

See I KNEW I could get some really helpful and useful advice here . Thanks very much for replying. Much appreciated. Off to check out those sites now... (Oh, and I like the bit about the H&F sale price []. There's one in Alicetown, I think. Not far away.)
Cheers, Mich.

Like YoMan, I also need to use decent torches for general gettin' around, and spotting varmints.
There are three torches I favour, all using the same battery and charger. All with single Cree LEDs

The first is for general all purpose flood lighting for getting around (replacing the dolphin type torches which seem to have less and less light, and 6V heavy batteries). Runtime on one battery is about 20 hours
www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20334 = $14 NZ
The next has a bit more spotlight to it, but still some flood to get a bigger further picture. Runtime on a single battery is about 10 hours
www.dealextreme.com/shoppingcart.dx#sku.24201 = $20 NZ
This is my favourite - a very intense spotlight caused by a unique reverse LED on a little bar (known as a Recoil Thrower). It cuts out most of the flood leaving a tight little spot great for finding those wayward animals. Runtime over 5 hours
www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.22934 = $35 NZ

Then the charger and batteries
Charger www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6105 = $11 NZ
Two Batteries www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19624 = $11 NZ

So you could get one of each torch, a charger and 4 batteries for around $100 NZ.
Or you can get some other expensive torch, without batteries, for around the same price.
I have a friend who compared the P7 to my reverse thrower - he promptly sold the P7 and bought the thrower. Then he made a bet with another bloke about which was brighter. His thrower earned him $10, and the bloke also wants a thrower.

So how come no one mentioned Maglite?
I have 2, a medium size and a minimag. Toughest torch I know of, and they come with a spare bulb as standard. Made in the USA. Will probably be extinct or 'off shored' soon.

The Dolphin is a great torch and mine must be close to 20 years old, it would still work if I could cough up the million dollars they want for the replacement battery

I have and still use maglites, and were a great torch in their day. But the new cree led based torches just blast them out of existance for light output, and for a smaller size. If you look at my other post above there is a link to a guy who supplies cree led upgrades for maglites. Transforms them. I've done two far.

Thanks Yo Man,
Had a look and seems good. The Maglite is such a tough well made torch, and now I can see it improved even further.

Had a friend visit on Saturday, he said there was a maglite on my driveway. Must have fallen out of my pocket last week so I have probably run over it at least once in the ute, and probably 3 or 4 times on the quad. Found it in a puddle squashed into the gravel- good eyes that mate of mine! Dug it out with my fingers, wiped the mud off and hey presto it works just fine- now that is a tough torch!