As it turns out, the front of the flashlight can be used as a last-ditch self defense measure. Just stab and twist.

(Not even kidding. That's by design)

I have a Smith and Wesson LED flashlight and I use the red LED option for when I'm flying so I don't lose my night vision. This flashlight is extremely durable, and can be dropped from 5(+) ft onto concrete and only get a scratch. Buy it... You won't regret it's capability...


PS- with moderate use I have never changed the batteries in 2 years.

At around this price range, I highly recommend the Fenix LD20 instead of this one. It has 4 light levels (and 2 strobe levels), brighter than this at its maximum, uses 2 AA battery, regulated output, rugged and waterproof. The only thing it lacks is a red LED. You can get a red filter for it, but it's not as convenient as having it built in.

conhopper wrote:As it turns out, the front of the flashlight can be used as a last-ditch self defense measure. Just stab and twist.

(Not even kidding. That's by design)

As it turns out, 150 lumens can be used to freaking blind someone so you can get the hell away!

theimmc wrote:At around this price range, I highly recommend the Fenix LD20 instead of this one. It has 4 light levels (and 2 strobe levels), brighter than this at its maximum, uses 2 AA battery, regulated output, rugged and waterproof. The only thing it lacks is a red LED. You can get a red filter for it, but it's not as convenient as having it built in.

The LD20 is a much better choice than this second rate flashlight. Anything that uses 3 AAA instead of a AA is sacrificing quality for cost.

This is a "licensed" product. That means that a company licenses the name "Smith & Wesson" and manufactures the product in their own, not the Smith & Wesson, factory.

We've seen a lot of licensing of famous names in the gun industry this way. To interpret the value of these products, you should completely ignore the brand. Some of them are good values, some not.

I am having a hard time believing that this is a real bargain as a $50 flashlight, especially given some of the previous flashlight sales on Woot.

At first glance, I thought they finally made a working lightsaber.

I was disappointed when I realized this was a flashlight.

Does anyone know how this compares to a Surefire flashlight that takes those short 123 camera batteries?

150 lumens is, by today's standards, pretty tame. If you're buying this light for sheer power, then there are much more powerful flashlights (or torches, as geeks call them) that have newer LED modules. This one uses the CREE XRE-Q5, which is good but I think the new kid on the block is the XML-T6, which is insanely bright. Also, this torch takes 3 AAA batteries, which is nice because you can pick them up anywhere. Many other torches uses CR123A or 18650 rechargeable lithiums, which put out a LOT of power and can be (duh) recharged!

This is a nice looking torch and the red LED is a good feature, but it's a bit overpriced for the lumen output, IMO. But flashlights are like computers---wait six months and the tech jumps forward quite a bit, and prices can drop a bit too.

I'm worried I may be too casual for a tactical flashlight. Do I need a gun to unlock this flashlights full potential?

FenStar wrote:The LD20 is a much better choice than this second rate flashlight. Anything that uses 3 AAA instead of a AA is sacrificing quality for cost.

Why even bother with AAs? Lithium 123As or 18650s are easy to find (Internet) and recharge. Not too expensive, especially since you can cycle them MANY times. And most really good torches use them anyway. In fact, your average laptop battery is often made of an array of 18650s.

Ya 150 sucks... unless u r planning on dropping your light on rocks or concrete every week from 30 feet up, better value to get the cheapos from meritline at 300-600 lumens and can get 2-3 at this price shipped. I have a couple of them for over a year now, never dropped on anything really hard, but they work fine with regular AA and AAA's. The brighter ones use the lithiums. I also got a Fenix 300 lumens for about $50, not worth the $$$ at all... not much brighter than my cheapos for 3 times the price.

So again, u wanna drop and try to break them, buy the $50 underlit ones... if u take care of your stuff, use the straps around your wrist and rather have 3 brighter ones, u know what to do... and no I dont like Chinese cheapos, I just like the best VALUE and hate overpriced crap that only costs several dollars more to make than the Chinese crap in reality.

Depends on what you are looking for, but I don't think this is that great of a deal. I recently purchased an EagleTac D25LC2 for only about $7 more (got free shipping as Prime member). Much more capable flashlight. Takes CR123A batteries (which may be a minus for some of you), WAY brighter (with multiple brightness modes), and several strobe and beacon modes. This S&W is just way over-priced, imho (edit: for the lumens, as Roostalee mentioned). Heck, you can pick up an EagleTac D25C for $40.

Granted, the red LED is a really nice feature (the EagleTacs I linked don't have it), and it may be worth more to some of you (pilots, hunters, etc.) than it is to me. Considering what this flashlight is selling for elsewhere, this is a good price. But if you don't care about the red LED, there are better deals everywhere.

I purchased a Smith and Wesson branded flashlight here on woot! some time ago for considerably less money. It has been a solid performer . . . but I wouldn't buy this woot! at this price under any circumstance. Cabella's had this SAME light under a different house brand name and I played with it for some time in the store a few weekends ago, it was disappointing and they wanted $14.99 for theirs - the guy told me he could drop it to $10 bucks with a coupon for me and I still passed. Same specs, same everything - I bet the same supplier on Alibaba made them both. IMHO, this is a $10 torch compared to other offerings in the marketplace. Heck, Newegg has a VERY nice Rosewill brand torch in their current 24 hour sale for $20 delivered that is built better, is about twice as bright and a heck of a better deal. This isn't at all a woot! like most of us have come to know and expect. A lot of the time since Amazon took over this place I just scratch my head in wonder.

This doesn't seem like a great deal to me. For about the same or even less money, you can get a 4Sevens Preon 2 or a Fenix PD20, which are smaller, lighter, brighter and have more functionality. I own both of those lights, and they're both excellent. The PD20 is my carry light with shorts and khakis and the Preon 2 is my light when I wear jeans.

CREE LED diode. (Department of Redundancy Department)

BrucePerens wrote:I am having a hard time believing that this is a real bargain as a $50 flashlight, especially given some of the previous flashlight sales on Woot.

Though they aren't really high tech, I really love those Energizer Hard Case flashlights they used to have. My kids love em too, and they tend to lose em, which is why I am looking for more lol.

taurine wrote:Does anyone know how this compares to a Surefire flashlight that takes those short 123 camera batteries?

Well the Smith and Wesson Specs say it has less lumens (150) and the Surefire 6px specs says it has 200 lumens but lasts only 2 hours compared to the smith and wessons 20 hours. I'd say the smith and wesson is the better choice besides being much cheaper on woot.

Sport.Woot has quickly become flashlight.woot

I don't think this is a great deal but anyone saying that 150 lumens is not that bright is mad.

Certainly there ARE much brighter flashlights out there, but for me at least, an avid outdoorsman and boater, the tradeoff between battery life/glare and intensity peaks somewhat lower than 150 lumens.

The flashlight I have now has 60 and 120 lumen settings, and usually I use the 60, out of choice!

The red mode would be handy though ... this light would be tempting at half the price.

yumyumtum wrote:Well the Smith and Wesson Specs say it has less lumens (150) and the Surefire 6px specs says it has 200 lumens but lasts only 2 hours compared to the smith and wessons 20 hours. I'd say the smith and wesson is the better choice besides being much cheaper on woot.

Just to be clear, the 150 lumens is peak output, and will only output at this intensity for 15 minutes or so, before it gradually declines. The 20hr thing on Amazon must surely be incorrect or running the flashlight to death. All flashlights are like this to some degree, although lithium ion batteries a less noticeable.

This is a niche flashlight. Buy this if you:
Read by the light of your gun barrel at night.
Fend off stealthy intruders with your firearm,
Have a tendency to squeeze off rounds inaccurately and need to resort to a melee weapon.

Like others have said before, there are better flashlights out there to do particular things, for the same price or less.

Get a cheap around home/workbench flashlight to loseImean store in your drawers if that’s what you’ll use it for.
Past Woot

Get a headlamp with a dual red/white LED configuration for oudoor trekking.
Pretzel Headlamp

Get a beefier tactical lamp if you’re worried about having to defend yourself or a gun mount specific light if you want to, well, mount a light to your firearm.
[I don’t know much about these, but I would be willing to buy a more expensive, more specialized light for these applications]

PS. I have always opted for Zebralight headlamps for compact, outstanding outputs that can be submerged (tested in a river before). Great product, no red LED, but it makes up for that with varied light output levels.

Really new Sport Woot! We wait 24 hours for a fantastic item, and all we get is a tiny mini flashlight? COuldn't we get some more golf clubs, or something we can really wrap our hands around?

theimmc wrote:At around this price range, I highly recommend the Fenix LD20 instead of this one. It has 4 light levels (and 2 strobe levels), brighter than this at its maximum, uses 2 AA battery, regulated output, rugged and waterproof. The only thing it lacks is a red LED. You can get a red filter for it, but it's not as convenient as having it built in.

I hear ya. I checked out the Flashlight you mentioned and it's on Amazon for$54.99 and comes with rechargeable batteries and a charger too! 180 Lumens looks like its max.

http://www.amazon.com/Fenix-LD20-Flashlight-Batteries-Charger/dp/B00797OIU0/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1343916365&sr=8-7&keywords=Fenix+LD20

conhopper wrote:As it turns out, the front of the flashlight can be used as a last-ditch self defense measure. Just stab and twist.

(Not even kidding. That's by design)

not so "last ditch," to be honest. these are great defensive weapons and good for also shining into someone's face to momentarily blind them as well

I own 1 surefire that takes 123 batteries and I have stopped using it because the batteries dont last long and are expensive. Cheap 123s are $1 each. At my local shop they are at least $1.50 per battery when you buy 24 of them in a pack. I also own another tactical flashlight that I cant remember the name of right now but it takes AA batteries and is really nice. That is a $70 flashlight. However my favorite flashlight is a CHEAP one from meritline.com and takes 1 AA battery. it is something like this one here http://www.meritline.com/high-power-black-aluminum-led-flashlight---p-55386.aspx
You dont have to spend a fortune on a nice light, all my "expensive" lights where gifts.

CowboyDann wrote:I'm worried I may be too casual for a tactical flashlight. Do I need a gun to unlock this flashlights full potential?

I have 2 "tactical" flashlights and dont have either of them attached to a gun. These type of flashlights are truly awesome. I would have never bought an "expensive" flashlight but after I was given a surefire and a different $70 flashlight I cant go back. My personal choice is a LED bulb. The white light is just as powerfull as most surefires without the yellow tinge.

Really?!? $50 for 150 lumen? I paid $9.95 for a 180 lumen 1AA delivered. Bought them around this time last year and handed them out for Christmas---4 light modes, 4 inches long and a focusing beam---this is a ripoff relying on the S&W name for "value". Look elsewhere, like Fenix.

I'm really looking for a tactical flashlight with higher lumens than 150. I want one that could temporarily blind an attacker. Heard about this technique from a Seal??

I'm thinking a lot of people might be missing the point of this light. It's not meant to be the brightest, it's tactical. The feature that is toughest to find on cheaper flashlights, and that I didn't see in any of the lights recommended here, is the momentary switch. I have a 220 lumen light and unless you're trying to spot something 100 yards away, frankly I find it to be too bright for most tasks.

fellowgeek wrote:At first glance, I thought they finally made a working lightsaber.

I was disappointed when I realized this was a flashlight.

Yeah, I'm waiting for a lightsaber to come out. It'll save me so much time when I'm trimming my bushes.

Roostalee wrote: .....then there are much more powerful flashlights (or torches, as geeks call them)

Not just geeks, 'flashlights' have always been 'torches' in British english. ;-)

I bought three of the Icon flashlights here on woot about a week ago. they were way cheaper, and work very well, but of course no red LED. I also have a couple that use a 18650 Lithium battery (I think thats the number) I got from the chinese site Deal Extreme. Slow delivery, but as advertised. Pretty well built! No fennix, but was way cheaper

Aavail wrote:I own 1 surefire that takes 123 batteries and I have stopped using it because the batteries dont last long and are expensive. Cheap 123s are $1 each. At my local shop they are at least $1.50 per battery when you buy 24 of them in a pack.

How much do you use your lights, man? I've had my Fenix PD20 (one CR123) on me almost every day this summer and have put it through considerable use, and I still have yet to replace my first battery with it. I make a point to always carry a couple of spares with me in my bag, but I have yet to need them.

It's been established you can do way better for the money. I tend to think you should go to fenix or 4sevens, or shiningbeam, and pick up a AA light that is cheaper and brighter without the red led gimmick and will be of better quality, smaller that three AAA's side by side and have the same or better run-time.

If you really wanna see how far down the rabbit hole goes, you can get into rechargeable lithium ion and camera batteries that can put you up a notch on what AA's and AAA's are capable of, but the technology is so good right now its not needed at all.

I can get the red light to turn on and off. I cant get the white light to work. Does anyone have a solution?

gpstewart72 wrote:I can get the red light to turn on and off. I cant get the white light to work. Does anyone have a solution?

I am having the same problem. The red light activates but the tail cap doesn't seem to activate the white LED. (or the bulb is defective)

I have an e-mail to the manufacture for replacement under warranty - let's see what they say.

dotheinternet wrote:I am having the same problem. The red light activates but the tail cap doesn't seem to activate the white LED. (or the bulb is defective)

I have an e-mail to the manufacture for replacement under warranty - let's see what they say.

I called their customer service number and spoke to Debbie who is very sweet.

She suggested fresh batteries and make sure the button on the battery cartridge faces the head of the flashlight. Otherwise send it in and they will take a look at it.

They have had few of these calls.

dotheinternet wrote:I called their customer service number and spoke to Debbie who is very sweet.

She suggested fresh batteries and make sure the button on the battery cartridge faces the head of the flashlight. Otherwise send it in and they will take a look at it.

They have had few of these calls.

Thanks, I will try this.