SUREFIRE L2 LumaMax

Of the several dozen flashlights I own, the SUREFIRE L2 LumaMax is one of the most useful. There's hardly a day that goes by that I don't put this light to use around the house.

Its most outstanding characteristic is the brilliant, white LED as the illumination source. You really can't appreciate the purity of the light until you shine it side by side to a conventional incandescent bulb. The incandescent light just looks pale and yellow in comparison.

The other noticeable characteristic of this light is the widely dispersed beam. Though over long distances this makes it a less than ideal defense light, it's absolutely awesome for working around the house. When you need a very intense, bright light with an even illumination, the L2 really (warning: bad pun approaching) shines! For example, when working in a very tight space while wiring our new HD TV, I could shine the light right at the wall and the reflected light was intense enough to read the small lettering on the connections.

Though the diffused nature of the light from the L2 doesn't illuminate objects as well at a distance, its still pretty impressive for an LED. Inside of my home, it easily lights up even the largest rooms with enough light to prevent anyone from hiding in the shadows. And being on the receiving side of that light can leave a bad guy temporarily blinded, giving you the tactical advantage!

The L2 puts out an impressive 100 lumens of light for one hour on high power. But at a more modest 15 lumens on low power, it will stay on continuously for 14 hours. (For comparison, most of the other SUREFIRE line of lights put out 60 lumens).

My only real complaint with the light is the heat that it generates. After 15 minutes of continuous use, my light heated up to a measured 145 degrees. Though this isn't hot enough to cause serious burns on initial contact, it can sure take you by surprise if your not expecting it! But when you have a light that burns this bright, there's going to be a substantial amount of associated heat to dissipate.

Like most SUREFIRE lights, this one has a bit of sticker shock. The current retail price on this light is $175 on the SUREFIRE website. But given the fact that this is one of the most rugged, dependable, and bright lights you can own, it may money well spent!