Customer Reviews

Streamlight 88103 TL-3 3-Lithium Xenon Tactical Flashlight, Black

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For those interested in performance flashlights, this is about the best deal around. At just over fifty dollars here at Amazon, you can't go wrong. I have many flashlights at home and none are even close to as bright as this, other than my 3,000,000 candlepower spotlight.

This light is fairly small and very portable. Great for camping, hunting, and hiking. Battery life may be a bit short, at only 1 hour. But that's pretty standard for battery powered lights. Rechargeable lights are either not as bright (Stinger and Strion) or are much larger (Ultrastinger, 12"). For this type of performance (200 lumens) in this type of package (6" long), lithium battery is really the only option.

Check out flashlightreviews.com for more information and to see just how this light stacks up against the lights out there. The only light that is brighter is the Surefire 10X Dominator. It's also around 10x the cost of the TL-3, though.

The PrincetonTec Surge is really the only light that competes with TL-3 on value. Has the same specs on flashlightreviews.com, but only costs twenty dollars and takes less expensive AA batteries (instead of the lithium 123). I haven't received my Surge, though, so I can't compare the two right now.

EDIT on 17 Jan 05. Flashlight continues to work great. A furnace repairman was at my house a few weeks ago and his flashlight was dead. I let him use my TL-3 and he was totally blown away by the performance -- wrote down the brand and style so he could go get his own.

I have my Princeton Tech Surge flashlight now, too. It's just as bright as the TL-3. The 8 AA batteries makes the Surge a little heavy (heavier than the TL-3) and it's not as sleek of a design. The switch is poorly designed on the Surge. Otherwise, it's really nice and I'd give the Surge 5 stars, too. The surge is completely waterproof (it's rated for diving, though I can't imagine trying to activate the power switch with diving gloves).

Because both the light and batteries are so cheap, I'll probably get a few Surges for the house and car. The TL-3 will be my personal light for camping and hunting. My recommendation is to get both.

I'm looking at getting the UltraStinger and Strion rechargeable lights next.

I admire Streamlight for bringing a quality, well designed, lithium powered, high output flashlight to the marketplace and not charging an arm and a leg such as Surefire does. This flashlight is a bargain at this price, and its comes complete wirh a back-up xenon bulb in the lamp endcap, as well. If you want an exceptionally bright, very compact light, that weighs very little compared to all those 3C and 2D monsters - this is the flashlight for you!

I've looked at a lot of "tactical" flashlights and this is the best one I've seen anywhere near this price. If you're looking for this type of light (takes 3 CR123s), don't ignore this one.

Pros:
- Relatively small and light weight.
- Very bright...seems brighter than comparable surefire (9P with P91 lamp...~200 lumens). Surefire 9P with comparable lamp costs twice as much or more.
- Large bezel (much larger than 9P surefire) which is probably why it seems brighter.
- Beam can be FOCUSED. Surefire and most other lights like this cannot be focused. If you are using this light for "tactical" purposes, this is very important. All the light in the world doesn't do you any good if the light isn't focused where you want it.
- Seems to be good quality. MUCH better than some of the tactical lights I've seen. Made in the USA.

Cons:
- Body of flashlight is too small for standard one inch weaver rings. If you are mounting this light on a rail, you'll need rings that are smaller. Or, simply wrap some tape or something around the light and use standard rings. I did the latter and it works great.
- Doesn't look as "cool" as some other lights.
- Couldn't find a cable switch to replace the tailcap switch that comes with the light. Someone told me that streamlight is coming out with a cable switch for this light. There may be an aftermarket cable switch that will work.


I bought this light to mount on an airsoft rifle. It is just what I was looking for. I also like Wolf-Eyes flashlights but, like most others, the beams don't focus. If you don't like this light, check out wolf-eyes. They are chinese-made lights sold out of Canada at tactical-flashlights-store dot com. Great selection of flashlight models and options for reasonable prices.

90% of a Surefire M4 at 10 % of the price. (200 lumens vs 225 with the LOLA) Nice to have a spare bulb built in (Surefires don't) Finish and anodizing aren't nearly as nice as Surefire but after you drop it a few times you won't notice.

This isn't very pocketable but packs a massive punch. The Scorpion is nice if you want to have something small.

Run it on Li-Ions - but use two 14500 (AA Size) or two 17500 batteries. (similar in size to Pila 150s, basically 1.5X length of a standard CR123A. The 17500 is preferred due to longer runtime.

This is actually brighter than using 3 CR123A batteries (Due to voltage sag of primary batteries) and cheaper in the long run. Plenty of places to buy the batteries and charger if you google "14500 17500 lithium ion"

I've owned Maglites for more than two decades but I've always found them to be heavy and clumsy in use. That didn't matter because they were powerful and very durable. But now I've found a replacement that is more powerful, not heavy and not clumsy to use. The Streamlight TL-3 punches out a beam that can reach far and deep. Another poster said it's almost too powerful for some tasks and that is correct. The TL-3 is in its element when you need a lot of light on a subject in the distance. I keep a less powerful light available along with the TL-3.

One reviewer complained of the tailcap switch. The switch is fairly common these days for "tactical" lights. Law enforcement and military personnel who need to use lights to locate threats use the tailcap switch for momentary-on purposes by just lightly pressing the switch for a quick blip. The TL-3 can also be used in constant-on status by pressing the switch until it clicks. The tailcap rotates to prevent accidental switching on while being carried. It's really a simple and straightforward switch but it might be a little confusing to those unfamiliar with its purpose. Some lights, are switched to constant-on by twisting the tailcap clockwise. My particular TL-3 clicks on and off with the tailcap button.

The TL-3 is a great replacement for a big Maglite. Buy the batteries at a savings online--I use Battery Junction but there are others who advertise good prices as well. If you buy at the local Home Depot, Lowe's or drugstore, the price of 123A lithium cells will be prohibitive.

This flashlight is so bright that it is almost too bright for some applications, if that is really possible. The beam is literally blinding for a few seconds if you shine it in a person's eyes. Its a little heavy but considering the 200 lumen brightness its a more than fair trade off. I have owned this flashlight for 2 plus years. Its in a class of its own. Compare its 200 lumens to any other flashlight and it reigns supreme.

Updated Jan 18, 2012
When I first wrote this review I was describing a TL-3 that I'd had for well over a year. What prompted me to write the review was that I liked the light so well, I was out here on Amazon ordering a second one. It arrived today, and they've improved the design.

Unlike the original model where you had to twist the base to get the flashlight to stay on, on the new model you can press the button on the base part way for momentary on, or press it further and it will 'click' into place with the light locked on. Pressing again turns the light off.

Oh, and if you don't like the fact that this TL-3 eats expensive batteries, and you're willing to settle for less light, check out the Streamlight 52102 Task Light 6-3/4-Inch Flashlight, Gun Metal Gray. It uses an LED, standard AA batteries, has a nice push button, and two output levels (pressing the button once = high, pressing again = low, pressing again = off). It doesn't have a focus feature, but it's amazingly well built for a very inexpensive little light.

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Original Review
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Okay, I'm going to say this and take the heat: Over the years, I've been very disappointed in my Maglight flashlights. It's not the quality of the Maglight itself; on the contrary, they are rock solid. It's just that every time I've _needed_ a flashlight and grabbed one, it seems like the batteries have deteriorated to the point where I'd be just as well off lighting a match. So my goal was to get a bright, no nonsense flashlight that I _knew_ was going to light up my backyard no matter when those darn dogs of mine decided to go skunk hunting again.

The other reviewers have pretty much said it all relative to this light's quality: extremely well made, the brightest light I've every seen in a C-cell sized package, and utterly reliable. Yes, it sucks batteries rather than sips them; yes, the batteries aren't cheap compared to conventional alkaline batteries; and yes, an on/off button rather than the base push button and twist-to-lock-on switch would be nice. But since the batteries have a 10-year shelf life, this puppy lights up the night every time I need it.

The one downside that no one seems to have mentioned isn't a fault of the flashlight, but rather is a characteristic of the battery technology. Lithium ion batteries have a sharp "knee" - which means as they get to the end of their charge, rather than the voltage dying off gradually, it drops sharply. The end result is that rather than the flashlight dimming over time, it goes from full brightness to nonfunctional in seconds. This isn't a flashlight where you want to be thinking, "When I notice it starting to get dimmer, I'll go get another set of batteries." You'll want to keep those spares on hand.

So if you can live with the few drawbacks I've mentioned, you absolutely cannot do better than this light.

This is a great value and very bright light. However the batteries only last for about an hour. I am looking in to buying rechargeable batteries otherwise the cost to operate this flashlight will be too high.

this little flashlight is indeed as powerful as other reviewers have indicated. my three D-cell maglite is no competition, and my 2 million candlepower floodlight just barely equals it in overall penetrating beam power and light projection. a rubber grip around the patterned aluminum housing would have been nice, but i can find nothing to complain about as far as performance is concerned. it is blindingly--almost dangerously--bright!

I love this flashlight. Since buying this flashlight, I've bought 6 other Streamlight flashlights to give as gifts (from an Ultra Stinger to the Keychain light). This is one bright flashlight. We had raccoons on our front porch several nights ago. I shined the light on one to scare them away and the light is so bright it confused the poor thing and it didn't know where to go. The battery life is surprisingly good--this isn't the kind of flashlight that you want to use to go for a long latenight hike in the woods. It is the kind of flashlight you want to have when something goes bump in the night. Would buy again.