Why are LED torches so expensive?

[Jedadiah]

Jedadiah

I can't fault what you say. I usually use the Petzl, Maglite/LED conversion for the more "serious" stuff - or at the very least have them with me, and keep the cheapies for around the house at night, loo breaks, fetching firewood, short dog walks etc.

Dave

I know what you mean Dave but i can't have cheapies in the house. The main reason for that is, i've spent so much money on torches, i've got to justify the expense by using them as much as i can! That's why i use my Surefire M2 with Malkoff LED drop in (230 lumens) for dogwalking, my Surefire E2e with KX2 LED head for an emergency car torch and my Nitecore Extreme for EDC and pulling spare change out from underneath the settee cushions!

Admittedly, i used the Surefires extensively for various activities whilst in the Military (27 days to go, no-one has THAT long left) but, now i'm training to be a social worker, there is'nt much call for interrogation techniques to be used! By the way, has Jungle RE told you the Gestapo joke?

Sorry, wandering a bit there.

 

[calibanzwei]

The CR123 was very good

Isn't that a type/size of battery?

 

[Karl5]

Isn't that a type/size of battery?

Yup, it is.

 

[rik_uk3]

Isn't that a type/size of battery?

My mistake, I'll find the torch link and post it

 

[bigbear]

I have a six quid divers torch from Lidl, just the job for most things. OK, I wouldn't use it when I need a hands free head torch, but that is not often the case.
Incidentally, there are some cave divers who use these Lidl dive torches- if it is OK for them......

 

[traderran]

In the land of LED Lights you get what you pay for.
Just got a new Surefire A2 to keep in my plane.
A little over 200.00 US but worth every Pennie
this is a hi tec incandescent and LED

A good place to check on led lights is candlepowerforums.

 

[ZDP-189]

If it should be easy, make a small run of 50 top quality torches for under twenty quid and we'll all buy one. You'll find it difficult to make anything but a low powered unit.

Lots of good LED torches are below GBP20. The technology on these 3W emitters is fully amortised and they are generic.

If you want something special like a SSC P7D, the emitter pill alone will cost more than that at factory wholesale prices. Hard anodising can cost a tenner for a single torch. Then you have to add a DC voltage stabiliser and a control circuit, a decent reflector and lens, a reliable switch and CNC machine a body.

 

[Dougster]

Last February my father and I were walking in the Cairngorms, he had a cheap torch, I had a Petzl.

It was cold, it went dark fast and we were a mile from the Bothy over boulder fields. There was ice in between all the boulders and I was a little anxious as we had five days kit on our backs and Dad had already gone down hard on his hip.

He dug in the top of the bergan to find his had pegged it.

I lent him mine and struggled with a handtorch.

Quality pays

 

[bigmul]

What you want will ultimately decide on how much it costs. I have the Tesco AA 3w cree light and it;s a fab bit of kit, but it doesn't do multiple levels and takes 2 batteries. If I wanted those features with only 1 AA cell and a higher output to boot then I can have it, but it'll cost me more. It would also be more robust too.

I suppose this is very similar to people asking why someone would pay over £100 for a ventile smock - it's just cotton right?

 

[Minotaur]

I have a tikka XP... When I want a head torch I want one that's as bright as can be, waterproof and one with construction beyond any kind of doubt in terms of quality because it's going to be the only one I have on me.

Basically, while loads of cheaper ones are very good and probably offer better value for money I give more priority to factors other than cost.

I have three Aldi head torches, not had a problem with any of them. The problem is at the price of the expensive ones, if they break, for whatever reason, you would not have a back up. At Aldi's I do not care that I have not seen one of mine for a while.

My plan was to Led my maglite, and go down to three torches. My solitire, my aa mag(inc headband), and my Aldi head torch. i prefer the sol for edc, just need to get a pouch for it, and my huntsman. It fits in my Leatherman pouch perfectly.

The big thing against LED's for you is you have to have a spare of some kind, because if it does not work, you cannot just replace the bulb. If you want to carry one torch, I think you have to stay bulbed so you can replace the one moving part, as it were.

 

[rik_uk3]

I'm with you minotaur in that I've never had a cheap LED fail yet. I always have more than one light source with me anyway.

That said when I'm camping I don't need much more than a light source to read or cook by maybe to find somewhere to use as a toilet, or indeed the toilet block.

We all spend on what we fancy I guess, I would not spend more than £50 on a Ventile anorak, but I'd spend £250 on a Gortex one, just depends on a persons point of view.

 

[spamel]

I have one of the tesco torches in AA, I also have a CMG Infinity which is a single led torch that runs off of one AA. I had the drop in LED for a maglight, but it has since fell apart as the twisting motion of adjusting the beam ripped the LED from the base board mount. The tail cap clicky stopped working even sooner, so I advise against that if people go for it as an option. So, I opted for this torch from Deal Extreme for 10 USD:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1993

Good throw, not as bright as the Tesco, but again on AA batteries and ample brightness to negotiate a dark wood and be able to see a good twenty metres ahead. I hear the Alpkit head torch runs on AA batteries too, I'd rather have one type of bettery in all of my appliances than a mish mash of CR123, AAA, AA, etc!

 

[rik_uk3]

That cree torch is a little cracker Spamel, I've also got one, (had one, my lad nicked it).

 

[jimford]

As I've mentioned on another thread, the torches sold by 7dayshop at £1.99 for 2 are amazing value. I guarantee you won't be disapointed!

Jim

 

[FGYT]

sall right my dive torch (18w HID) used to retail at £1000 i got it second hand for £500 (not to happy as i blew the bulb last season and they are £120 )
the back up one is £125 . I had the £6 Lidles ones they where fine but broke completely after one season after a time of not turning on after a certain depth Not something you want from a back up torch on a serious dive but oks for a bimble round a pier they did however have one usful feature not found on most dive torches (though adds compexity that could increase faliure ) in that you had to screw the front off to get it on so you had less chance of turning it the wrong way under pressure and the top coming of in your hand ( ie un screwing )
I would have another but not for diving

i generally just use a Tikka head torch again Had a down the Market one looks similer but £2.50 never worked from the start

and have a SureFire built into a guns stock for lamping with the remote switch

ATB

Duncan