I’m getting my first light. I am not clearing houses for a living. We are a retired couple with two small houses, two dogs, living in a low crime area. I want something light in weight.
This Steamlight Protac 1L is 350 lumens, has a strobe, weighs 2.5 oz., it is cheap. Has anyone ever used it, opinions???
Perfect.
Great little lights for the money. Run one on two of my carbines and carry the 1L-1AA daily.
That’s been my EDC light for the last year. It has proven reliable so far. I have given three as gifts, and no recipients have reported any issues.
I have had one for about a year and I really like it. Nice large flood to it with a bright central beam which is…hmmm…maybe 5ft diameter at 25ft? It’s built well, with an aluminum body, and has the programmable switch which is a nice feature. Price is very reasonable.
I say it is an excellent value and I am happy with my purchase.
Yes, good to go but I would roll with the ProTac 1L-1AA duel fuel to have more battery options.
Edit - never mind, I see you linked to the duel fuel model.
It’s what I use when I carry a light off duty. I did a cost comparison with the Surefire edcl1t and just couldn’t justify $100 for a few more lumens.
The only thing I can add is that Streamlight claims the light will run for 14 hours on low (40 lumens) with a lithium AA battery. I really like the idea of a usable level of light through the entire night.
Lithium AAs are much cheaper than CR123As while still offering a 10 year shelf life and better performance in the cold than alkaline batteries. They also won’t leak inside your light like an alkaline can.
The light is much brighter with a CR123A, of course (350 lumens vs 150).
Plus it comes with a pocket clip and a belt sheath.
I have one because they are not too expensive and seem to have good things said about them on the web.
Andy
P.S. Wasn’t really trying to write an ad.
I’ve had one in my pocket nearly every day for over a year and have been happy with it. My experience has been the same as everyone above - no issues with the light at all and the dual fuel option is really nice to have. The beam works for my use, and overall the light seems hard to beat at it’s price point.
I like it enough that I’ve bought several more and, like SS, have started giving some as gifts.
I’ve also carried this light for multiple years, including on many Search and Rescue callouts, and it has been very durable with zero issues. I did a bit of research before buying one and couldn’t find anything that beats it in terms of quality for the price. I run the CR123 version. Awesome light
If you don’t care about the AA option then the 2L is just a smidgen longer than the 1L-1AA with double the runtime. Output is the same.
Oops. Just realized this thread is about the stand alone flashlight and not about the weapon light that uses the Surefire Scout mounting feet.
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I’ve been carrying the 1L-1AA everyday for about 6 months and I really like it. Small, lightweight, and very bright. The clip is nice too, and well thought out. You can hook it from either direction. I use mine a lot too, as I work in electrical maintenance in a 5 million square foot facility. It works very well as a head lamp or a hand held light. It also includes a serviceable nylon/velcro belt loop pouch. For the price it has been an excellent value.
Just picked up a 2L-X…$50…the high beam 500 lumen is impressive and, as others have said, the clip design is well thought out. This will be my EDC light…I’m upgrading from $5 Cree Ultrafires…cheap, yes. But I had one for over two years that never failed. Quality has declined, but at $5/pop I’d buy half a dozen at a time. Finally decided I wanted something brighter and more quality. Surefire make some nice stuff, unfortunately not made in USA.
Been using them as forearm lights for 2 or 3 years now and like them a lot.
tI have used the 2Ls for several years as EDC lights. They work well for that application, but they will get a bit hot after a two or three minutes at high output. Strobe or low output will not heat up. I just picked up a 1L-1AA because the Dual Fuel idea seemed like a good idea. I like it better than the 2Ls, but the heat with longer use at high ourput is still present.
Heat is going to show up eventually with almost any aluminum body LED lights, but the Streamlights seem to get hot faster than my Surefires, or a Surefire with a Malkoff conversion head. Still, for occasional use, the Streamlights are excellent little lights.
I’ve carried the 123 version for several years every day. Never a problem but it does heat up after a few minutes. We have the 2AA versions in our vehicles and have had no problems with them either.
I have been running a 1L-1AA daily carried for about 6 months now. No complaints, great light, great to shoot with at night, light enough and small enough to have it with you for daily carry.
Clips anywhere, and can clip to the bill of a cap or edge of jacket for hands-free. Very impressed with it.
I ran various surefires for years, still have a g2x on my carbine, but so far I have not noticed any quality difference, in any way, between surefire and streamlight.
I only have an example of one, of course, at this time, but so far it’s just as good as any p6, g2, e2d, etc. I’ve ever run.
My PT-1L has been a great light durability-wise. Mine fell out of my pocket at work once and took a 25 - 30 foot plunge onto the gravel beneath me. There were a couple of dings on the finish, but it still works perfectly to this day. After taking a low light pistol class, I decided I wanted something brighter and bought a FourSevens Quark Smart QS2L-X that I carry most days. It’s been a very reliable light as well.