Looking to buy a new head torch and wondering what people prefer, pros and cons!!
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Looking to buy a new head torch and wondering what people prefer, pros and cons!!
0-light if you want something great but not cheap
Glo Worm
Made in NZ
Zebralight.
Or talk to Jacob, Percing the darkness, he has a few options, including Nitecore.
https://www.piercingthedarkness.co.nz/headlamps
If yiu haven't already, get into some good 18650 batteries.
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I’d steer away from anything with external wiring from the battery pack to the light module as in my experience this is a weakness and likely to get damaged.
Haven’t had a good run with led lenser, too delicate for hunting I think. Currently have a Fenix HM65R which seems good but quite expensive. Have also had a good run with a Maxtoch but pretty sure they’re not made any more.
+1 for piercing the darkness and agree, the wiring seems to be a weak link. Had 3 ledlenser all die due to wiring issues
LED Lenser SE07r is awesome, small, bright and comes with a rechargeable battery or you can use 3x aaa
I guess I'm the lucky one with led lenser as my one has been going strong coming up six years but the Mrs one had the switch die a short while ago. Have maxtoch to which get a lot of use for everyday stuff and are solid.
I would definitely look at something with 18650 battery.
I have LED Lenser and Black Diamond. I prefer ones that take AA batteries, as that is what my GPS takes, so I can carry 8 spare rechargeable batteries in my pack and it covers them all.
The LED Lenser with two light levels and focusable beam is my favourite.
2 led lensers over ten years one a couple
Live off grid and in the early days ran 12 volt only, with headlamps for general illumination till I developed proper power for the house. The Led lensers were a continual weak point. Went through 3 or 4 under warrentee till humping and fisting said no more warentee claims, you are too hard on them. I said I never use it hunting, it sits on my bedside table and is used only for illumination around our off grid house. Never buy one again. Expensive and too delicate as others have said.
My Maxtoch is still going strong after 5 years, both hunting, around the home or working on the trucks etc etc. But bugger, they don't make them any more.
May have to get a stand by unit from Fennix or Nitecore. Have to have red led for me.
Pretty sure from memory my Fenix doesn’t have red led’s, but the Maxtoch does.
I would suggest looking at all the gear you carry that requires batteries and try to buy stuff that uses the one battery type - cuts down on the number of spare batteries you need to carry. At one stage I was carrying 3 different types of spares, but tried to move to gear that only used 18650’s as these have a good power to weight ratio, are not too expensive, and are rechargeable.
Been a bit of drift recently though as I bought my son a Ravin crossbow with an Olight and a Garmin X1i crossbow sight which of course have different battery types.
I’ve also had a couple Led Lenser SEO7r headlamps via Flybuys but the rechargeable batteries are crap so you need to carry spare AAA’s.
Fenix 16R
I’ve been using the Chinese aliexpress ones for rabbit shooting at night. Switches between red and normal light.
A bit like this one https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000236220973.html
Probably not the best but it is cheap and the last one I bought lasted 5 years before it started to fail.
I’ve been using a Led Lenser SEO7r for the last few years and have been happy with it until the plastic latch on the top snapped off the other day, I’m going to get a Cyansky off Jacob to try.
Mine did the same ,still works but might have issues in wet weatherQuote:
Originally Posted by outdoorlad
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I’ll keep it for around camp or a spareQuote:
Originally Posted by NRT
Found these pretty good.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3282...27424c4dH7uFQj
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...5a222e0e1OqyKD
magnetic base so can use it under the car for servicing etc uses 18650 batteries as a bonus
i use a hc60 nitecore has been awesome, the had 4x led lenser shit the bed for no reason all treated like royalty 2x head torch's and 2x torch's
couldn't pay me to use led lenser anymore they were the only reason i took a spare lights
I have a Maxtoch (H01R I think). It's very good. Runs on a 1850 battery. Bright. Good burn times and a couple of pathetic red LED if I feel like it. Just did a quick search and seems to be out of production?
yeah Maxtoch haven't been making them for a while MB.
Their early stuff was pretty bloody good and a reasonable price, until they used the kiwi light gurus to tweak their line up and develop the market here, then cut them out of the system. Bastards, but it was good while it lasted.
Nice info team! Looking at a fenixhm65R, anyone had one? Looks pretty decent for value
Have used a black diamond storm for years now,the SAR guys used to use them and mine has been through a couple of wash cycles in the washing machine and it still keeps going,only good for walking not a hunting light though..think it was around $100 on sale.
I've got an HM65R-T. It's the single strap version of the R and uses the SST40 chip instead of the Cree.Quote:
Originally Posted by Maxie boy
I had an old Macpac zoomie before that that just refused to die.
No issues with the operation or build quailty of the 65, but if I was buying again I'd probably end up with a Cyansky HS6R due to the tighter spot (and better irl range) and red light function (none on the HM65R-T) As a bonus it's $40 cheaper.
+1 for dealing with Jacob at Piercing the Darkness, definitely worth a look.
I have two of these , i use one every night in my job working as a truck driver, it must be 7 or 8 years old now and no problems . few years back got another one for hunting when i seen them on sale at Bivouac for $70 normally $100, they are a good general purpose headlamp and i think the latest ones are 450 lumens up from 400.Quote:
Originally Posted by The bomb
I've had several LED Lensers and never had an issue with any of them...
Only downside is some models try to pack too many gimmicks in.
Just seen that Sarvo is going to be stocking Olight torches and head torches.
I have found the lesser handheld to be bulletproof but after 3-4 headlamps crapping out I gave up on them.
The best walker headlamp I have come across was the Maxtoch HO1R - very reliable but no longer made.
You can spend heaps on name product lamps with fancy steps/stages/operations you do not need, but I'd suggest you have a look at this brand - Boruit on aliexpress. They are cheap, ok buiild, can work rather well, and they make a variety of lamps for different uses. Value for your coin and usually reliable:
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale...oruit+headlamp
My Maxtoch has been great, but one of the kids screwed off the non battery end, and the switch wires are broken.
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Funny this thread. My ledlenser dropped its bundle the other night when out for hunt in some new bush. I thought “fu$k me” this could be a night in the bush here! Had shot a deer with about 1/2 hour light left. Went like a cut cat on a marked track. Fell off it after a while as couldn’t see. Then remembered my phone. On with the phone torch (which was shit but better than nothing). No moon so black as inside of a cow. Grovelled to road end cut and scratched up then mate who said he would pick me up at 9pm was not about. Started walking and walking. Stopped. Looked at a few WhatsApp clips of dubious quality. Kept walking and he turned up at 10pm as phone was about out of battery. Fun times!
Have the MH10 Lenser. Excellent thrower and flood and not too heavy.
I have this one and definately like it. Good selection of brightness, battery indicator, small enough. Would have liked a red light but not the be all and end all for me. I was probably swayed by my discount with SAR though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Maxie boy
Thanks heaps! Went with cyanskyhs65r, seems like real good value!
If you are sensitive to Tint Shift then it may be worth looking for opinions on how troublesome this aspect is for the LED in the particular torch you are considering.
The reason I carry 3 torches and 2 knives..Quote:
Originally Posted by Ginga
if your budget can stretch it, get a Nitecore HC65V2 - it comes with a 5 year warranty and will outshine most of what's currently available on the market.