Customer Reviews

Surefire 6P LED Single Output LED Flashlight

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Surefire 6P is THE classic modern day cop light. It pretty much set the standard for law enforcement, military and emergency personnel flashlights. No longer was it necessary to carry around heavy C- and D-cell lights that started to go dim after the first 1/2 hour of use. The 5" long, 1" diameter Surefire put out more light than the Maglites and was much easier to carry to boot. The original did have a couple of shortcomings, mainly the short battery life and the somewhat fragile nature of the bulb module. The bulbs also burned out pretty often as well.

Enter the age of the LED. The 6P LED model is here and it's a dandy. With a claimed 80 lumens of output and an LED module that is virtually unbreakable and essentially never burns out. The 123A batteries also last longer as well.

The beam of the Surefire is a real delight. It doesn't throw a spotlight like a laser into the darkness like some lights. Instead, it has a very bright center spot with a very wide area surrounding the spot with even floodlight. It's a favorite for most emergency purposes because the beam pretty much fills a normal room with enough light to identify a threat with a quick blip of the momentary-on switch. It's bright enough to light a pretty large area outdoors as well.

But there are quite a few lights these days that compete with the Surefire--some with more power and many that cost considerably less. Why pay almost $90 for the 6P LED? Well, the warranty pretty much covers everything, the build of the light is the definition of over-engineering and the glossy hard anodized finish is immaculate. It's really the Rolls-Royce of flashlights. But it's a Rolls-Royce you can work hard, abuse and neglect and it will continue to function.

It's a great light. ALL the Surefire models are excellent with this being an update and improvement of the classic.

i've had this flashlight for just under a year and have had 2 different problems.the first problem had to be resolved at the factory-the light "strobed" for one reason or another. surefire fixed it no problem. the second problem seemed to be the tailcap-the light would flicker with any amount of movement; again sure fire came through at no charge as they sent me another tail cap.i do use this flashlight everyday/night and it is exposed to the elements (rain, snow, heat, cold) as i use it on duty as a police officer

bottom line: great flashlight aside from the 2 "blunders".surefire stands by their products. i wish it were made exculusively in the U.S.A. (surefire says "some" of the internal electrical parts are foreign)

Black glossy metal, brighter (80 lumens), longer run time, what more could you ask for? The new version of the 6P just got better.

Pros:

*New LED 80 lumens tactical level light. Blindingly bright, good "sidespill", decent "throw."

*Nice, solid feel thanks to the metal

*Lasts longer than incandescent models.

*Same compact size

*Can be used for self-defense either to blind opponent, or to strike individual if things get rough.

Cons:

*I also own a Surefire E1B, also 80 lumens. When I compared the E1B to the 6PLED, the E1B outperformed the 6P. It has a better throw. This was somewhat disappointing.

*The peripheral light ("sidespill") is a bit dim compared to other tactical lights I have.

*Although it is more energy efficient, it still runs on 123A's, which are expensive. Cannot use rechargeable cells because it might damage the circuits.

If these reviews pertained simply to build quality, reliability, and reputation this light would get five stars.

Sadly for Surefire, there are other criterion for reviewing flashlights. A few of those other categories would be output, value, versatility, and runtime.

Output:

This light puts out 80 lumens. The original incandescent lamp was rated at 60 lumens (as well as 120 for the high-powered lamp that drained full batteries in 15 minutes). You'll pay around $20-30 more for the LED version of this over what you'd pay if you got the incandescent version. Even so, 80 lumens sounds like a lot. It's a few more than a 3D Maglite (and though the Maglite has a much longer runtime, it's many times the size of the 6P). But you can get twice that amount of lumens these days for half the price using much cheaper batteries. Olight, Fenix, 4Sevens, etc. They all have lights that beat this one into the ground in terms of output.

Value:

Speaking of beating this light into the ground, let's talk about price. This light sports 80 lumens for $90 (at time of review). My Olight T20-M cost me $70 new last year and maxes out at 220 lumens. The Surefire costs $1.13 per lumen. My Olight cost $0.32 per lumen.

Versatility:

Surefire has historically positioned themselves as offering both tactical products and industrial products. While they do have newer, better tactical lights, this isn't one of them. Now, as far as industrial toughness is concerned, Surefire is hard to beat, although other manufacturers have recently closed the gap. There's no getting around it; these lights are built to be sturdy and last a lifetime. However, in the category of versatility, it falters. Again I'll compare it to my Olight, which has three different brightnesses and two extra modes: a 10 Hz strobe and SOS. If I don't need all the light can give me I don't have to take it. Most of the time I have it set on the lowest mode: 7 lumens. The 6P has but one mode: max. It's battery life reflects that.

Runtime:

Estimates of this light's runtimes fall around 2 hours. The Olight, at twice the brightness, will run for almost 6 hours. Surefire could definitely use a more efficient LED.

Now, that leads us back to those three magical area in which this light, as well as most other Surefires, shine (har har, see what I did there?).

Build quality and reliability: I'd venture to guess that if you purchased this light it will lat you a lifetime. I know there are many LEOs out there who still use their original Surefires.

Reputation: Surefire fans are almost fervent in their devotion and defense of the company. This isn't a bad thing, but overzealousness doesn't make up for a product's flaws.

Don't take this review the wrong way; this is a fantastically reliable and sturdy light that will last forever. But just realize that there are more cost efficient options that get you almost the same exact performance in every category broken down above.

This flashlight is awsome! I am in Iraq at the moment and the base I am on is poorley lit, So this little flashlight helps alot. It packs alot of punch to be so small. I carry it with me everywhere. The only thing I would change or want is a belt clip. But it sure does send out all 80 of those lumens. It doesnt really get that hot, and the battery life is excellent for high performance. I highly recomend this product to anyone!

This is a great flashlight but you can get an even better value by going with the Surefire G2 LED model. It has the same brightness and performance yet has slightly longer run time and is lighter (hard plastic casing rather than metal). I actually prefer the G2 because it's easier on your clothes if you like to keep the light in your pocket (the knurled grip on the metal 6P model can tear at your clothing).

Furthermore, the G2 is a lot less expensive so you get more bang for your buck with it. That said, if you require a metal flashlight, The 6P LED is tops in both runtime and brightness for the size.

I bought this light over two years ago for constant carry on my person at work as a security officer.

I have not been disappointed in its performance and durability in all that time.

It is so bright that it really is not a good idea to shine it directly at someone you do not intend to disorient, as it is downright painful.

The light itself is small enough that it fits easily in the palm of the hand, with a somewhat fatter barrel than that on a Mini Maglight, but shorter than the Mini Mag.

The construction is stout aircraft aluminum, solid enough that it could possibly be wielded as a club in a dire circumstance of self defense.

The tailcap is an integrated switch mechanism, with a rubber covered pushbutton for momentary on, requiring that the entire tailcap be rotated clockwise to positive stop to keep the light constantly on.

Light dispersion is very uniform, with no hot spots or ringing common in conventional flashlights.

Being that this is an LED light that uses lithium batteries, this light has unparalleled run time of over three hours before it falls from 80 lumens to 50, plus it operates over a considerably wider temperature range than conventional incandescent/alkaline flashlights.

About the batteries, users really need to know that the common CR123A batteries intended for cameras (labeled "photo" on the packaging) are not recommended for use in Surefire flashlights, including this one; and they can damage the LED assembly.

Also, rechargeable 123A batteries can and DO damage the LED.

Believe me, I know about the rechargeables, as I did exactly that when I used them with mine without having educated myself beforehand, and they made the LED so dim that I called Surefire about it.

The very nice customer service rep informed me of my error, but he pointed out that the lifetime warranty this light carries would cover this.

Naturally, I sent it back, and it came back in one week with a new blazingly bright LED assembly, plus a new set of batteries, thus evening out the price of shipping it back to them.

Great service from Surefire there.

The safest bet for batteries with the Surefire is to buy Surefire brand batteries, either online (Amazon has several vendors that have them), or I happen to know that Lowe's sells them for a fair price.

Are the CR123A batteries expensive?

Of course, but keep in mind that CR123A lithium batteries last an incredibly long time in this flashlight, and you would run through several pairs of alkaline AA batteries in a Mini Maglight over the same length of time, probably giving a slight cost advantage to the lithiums over the AAs, plus this flashlight far and away outclasses the Mini Maglight in terms of brightness.

This flashlight is so well made and dependable that I can and do entrust my life to it daily.

My only complaint is that the stock tailcap does not have a click on position, meaning that you can only get the light to stay on by screwing it in all the way, requiring two hand use.

Surefire sells a separate replacement tailcap that has a click to stay on that allows one hand use far more to my liking, and you can buy it here: Sure-Fire Z59 Click-On Lock-Out Tailcap for C2 / C3 / D2 / D3 / G3 / M2 / M3 / M3T / M4 Flashlights

Many people will carry this light in their pocket, purse, or glovebox, but for those who intend to carry this in the most practical way possible, Surefire also sells this outstanding glass reinforced polymer holster: Surefire V70 Speed Holster Black

I have had this for two years, and it is still in perfect condition, a testament to its durability.

It also has a sliding belt retainer that prevents it from falling off the belt during bathroom breaks or when doffing your pants at the end of the work day.

I also can say that it is so comfortable to carry this flashlight in this holster that I honestly forget I even have it riding on my belt, until I need it, then it draws effortlessly from the holster.

I love this flashlight, and I highly recommend it to about anyone, and I will definitely keep mine for backup and home use, but I have decided to move up to the "Defender" version of this flashlight, which is identical to this, but with the click on pushbutton tailcap already on it, plus a crennelated "Strike Bezel" that can be used to REALLY discourage an attacker.

See this light here: Surefire 6P LED Defender 80 Lumens LED Flashlight Crenullated Strike Bezel

This new flashlight will likely save a life someday, and I am confident it is up to the task.

It's almost misleading to call this a "flashlight" because it's really in a class of its own above and beyond most flashlights, even MagLites. This is a well-engineered and solidly constructed tactical light. It's expensive, yes, but the quality and power of this flashlight are worth the cost. The beam it produces is far more intense than anything else I have ever used and is bested only by 500,000+ candlepower handheld spotlights. It is visible in broad daylight and can illuminate objects at night from 100 meters away. As far as the build quality goes, the whole light is made out of thick, anodized aluminum. Drop it or handle it roughly and it will still last you ten years.

It is a nice flashlight, however, a later bought a Streamlight, that is brighter and half the price.

This is absolutely the best flashlight you will ever use. It is used by policemen. I use it every night to walk my dog. You will be amazed the distance you can see when it is turned on!! You will not be disappointed by purchasing it.