So I have the fenix and have been using the brinkman however I find that I am still hunting for imperfections and from the posts I have read with the sun gun there isn't any hunting. For those that do have the fenix and sun gun do you mind posting up pictures? or just provide your opinion? dsms I'm not sure if you have a sungun but if you do can y ou compare it to your fenix? Cheers, Nick
I'd be interested to hear anyone's findings as well. I just purchased some cheap LED flashlights from Ace and they had no problem finding swirls but I'm wondering if there really is a difference.
I picked up an LED light at Home Depot, it sucks..lol..I guess that is what I get for $20. I am looking at the one Phil sells at DD, I may go get that. I am interested in hearing how the Fenix stacks up as well.
I bought a Coleman LED flashlight at Target, and it's junk. Next time I use it, I'll probably use it as a hammer.
I have the FENIX, the CMD (i forgot the name, the corded light), sun gun, and brinkman. Personally I dont think it would hurt to own all 3. The FENIX is a good tool but sometimes too bright for its own good. But it def brings out the swirls. The Sungun/CMD is nice because its generates.... well a "SUN" colored light and projection which IMO is more accurate representation of the real thing. But I like them all which is why I have them all
Also for the money, the 3Watt LED maglite does a great job. The only thing I do not like about it is that you have to twist the head to turn it on, but I think you can get a button replacement for the battery cover. 3Watt LED's are really bright, it will blind the shit out of you, and the color output it has is more of the 6100K - 7000K tempreture..so bluish.. so all n all not bad for 22 dollars..
I have the Fenix and it's a great torch. The only thing is that you have to run it on low if you want to spot imperfections. The high setting is just too bright. IIRC the candle power on high is that of 5 large maglights.
Wow thanks for everyones feedback. I purchased the 3M Sun Gun today and will use it on another detail tomorrow and if I have enough time i'll post up a comparison. Btw has anyone tried to retro fit a 3M Sun Gun so it's corded? Thanks again !
The Fenix can be too bright for its own good on silver cars as an example, I usually switch is back to the 60lumen mode and it still works fine, shining it at different angles helps and using it far away from the paint will make all the difference... sometimes I just turn the lights off in my garage too. I see a lot of people using the small LED lights from a hardware store and although they work well at spotting defects you will not get the same effect as using a high powered single LED bulb Fenix. Usually the hardware store LED torches have 5 tiny LED bulbs. I went through 2 brinkmanns in a short amount of time because both batteries faded within minutes. I now use the Infratech and the Fenix and find TOGETHER its a very tough combo to beat. I really dont think using 1 spectrum of light will satisfy your every need in inspecting paint. You need different light for different paints, and IMO when a finish looks perfect under 2 or 3 different spectrums of light then, and only then, is it 100% perfect. I have had paints looks 100% under my standing halos and the infratech yet under the fenix at 225lumens some very fine holos or micro marring was still present. The reason the Fenix is so valuable to me is because it can spot holograms too, which is very tough to do with standing halogens or an infratech. Simply walk back and fourth with the TK10 to pick up holos, if they are extremely faint then simply look for a refraction of light, that will tell you the paint is not 100% leveled. Heres what I mean, this is on a silver Porsche after 1 step of correction at 60lumens with the fenix, holograms were left over because the light is going in all directions, this tells me the paint is NOT leveled. I cant do this with a brinkmann or infratech, however I have never used the sungun so I cant comment on its performance compared to the TK10 but im sure It can spot holos on certain paints. I would have bought an SG actually but Bob (AutoConcierge) showed me this Fenix back in November and I bought that instead. I have no desire for an SG now and my wallet didnt take a huge hit either. The porsche I was talking about, pic is slightly out of focus
hey dsms do you use a rechargeable for the fenix? i'm thinking of getting a second and leaving one in my car in case any impromptu estimates happen. The battery for the fenix in my area is $10 each. So it's $20 per hour of usage of the fenix in turbo mode which hurts lol. Cheers, Nick
I dont use rechargeable batteries. I bought the CRA123 batteries in a 12 pack from Amazon. They weren't very expensive but if they have rechargeable ones then go for it.
I have the Fenix TK11 which uses rechargeable Li-ion batteries. You need to purchase a separate charger but in the long run it will definitely save you some money. I hope this helps anyone who's about to buy one.
Hmm, interesting stuff. I'll have to do some more additional research (including buying a TK11, haha).
Unless someone can invent a Metal Hallide (portable) light lol, the high intensity led is the best that I have found. As Dave said it will pick up imperfections that before using the light most people do not know were there. I use my Fenix on estimates as most people garages are dark caves, and I do not want to under estimate the time quoted and thus lose big profits due to underbiding the correction hours needed to complete the job. I use all the sources of light possible as F-Minus stated, I had a sun gun but the poor use time and bang for the buck factor was just not there so I bought an Infratech from Phil as I want to KNOW I have acheived correction before going outside, as I hate moving the car in and out in and out to check for defects and holograms. So the arsenal is T5 light ballasts in the shop, halogens, Infratech, Fenix and then natural sunlight at the end of the job.
