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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I am a former law enforcement officer very familiar with these types of flashlights. I have used Surefire and Maglites for years. This light is better than any Maglite I ever used and better than most Surefire's. Given it's price point in comparison to competition, it is a strong buy.
Product packaging is similiar to opening an Ipad or IPhone. Very classy and well presented in what I consider a presentation box (in other words, it's not blister packed). I was so impressed I was going to post an unboxing video, but someone beat me to it. It comes with a lanyard, durable pouch with dual belt loop, and batteries (4 AAA). The flashlight build is very impressive with a perfectly machined (no burs or tool marks) aluminum casing with inlaid knurled patterns making it non slip. The light is compact and ergonomic and easily used as a close quarter hand-held weapon if needed. It has a solid weight and feel, even balanced very well. The light is very bright with two settings (low and high). The focusing mechanism is unusual, but innovative, using a push pull method with a lock(a turn) providing spot (with a ring; also called a bulls eye pattern) or flood light. Both patterns were very accurate with the flood light providing enough light to illuminate a large room evenly. Though another reviewer reported a problem locking the focus, I did not have such a problem. The focus action is smooth, but I imagine sand or debris could potentially interfere with the action of the mechanism (when compared to the traditional twist mthods). A recessed, rubber button at the end of the light activates the power between high and low with each push. Manufacturer specs indicate the flashlight produces 251 lumens of light at the high-power setting giving you up to 5 hours 45 minutes or usage alkaline batteries. At the low-power setting the flashlight produces 58 lumens which will give you about 10 hours of usage. I can confirm the brightness. However, I cannot confirm battery duration yet (I have not had it long enough).
As I previously mentioned, the power button is recessed at the rear of the light and is sealed by a heavy duty rubber cover. This makes the light usable "tactically" for those of you who are shooters. The battery compartment is sealed with a silicone ring of substantial quality making the product highly water resistant. The entire compartment, as the rest of the light, seems to be machined to exacting precision standards with equivocation. I was very impressed. In my opinion, quality control exceeds Maglite by a long-shot and is equal to or just better than Surefire.
I highly recommend this light. I can see how a few of these, spread throughout a house, could serve as emergency lighting during power interruptions. I like the light so much, I just ordered two more to keep around for emergencies.
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05/25/12 EDIT: I just had a chance to use the light in "real world" conditions last night and tested it outside in a street and then a wooded environment. I am even more impressed with the power of the beam and flood as well as usability. The flood will light up a huge area, even at low power, in an even manner. If you hand the light from a tree, you will find awesome results. After handling the flashlight, everyone I was with said they were going to buy this light.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program The Coast HP7 is the best flashlight I've ever owned, its LED light is phenomenal with the option to quickly switch between a high and a low output, using the same hand holding it. Powering the Coast HP7 is as simple as pushing a rubber button at the top of the handle. By the way, this power switch might be useful to send international Morse code, in case of an emergency. The switch is very sensitive, so if one presses it briefly, it allows the intermittency needed for the code. Most of the time, we will only need a firm push to light it up. Along with this review, I'm posting a picture of the Coast HP7.It also comes with a clip-on case and a tie-in in handle.
One issue that I noticed, and I think is worthy of sharing, is the fact that the design of the Coast HP7 has a flaw which eventually make the batteries loose inside the cylinder and later hot when the flashlight is on. I discovered this when I tipped the flashlight over my desk by accident, it was off, and when I put it back on, it worked fine, but after a few minutes it started to get extra hot too fast.
I could feel the heat in the handle. I turned it off, opened it to check out that the batteries (which, by the way, were still new). Then I noticed that a couple of batteries were still making contact with the electric connections, but not all the way in, I removed all the batteries, placed them back in, being sure they were set right, and put the flashlight back on. It didn't overheated again.
So, if you ever drop it, or carry it around for a while, simply check that the batteries are in the right place before turning it on, and if you forget, and it start to get warm, turn it off immediately and check the batteries out.
Other than that, this flashlight is excellent; I like its size, and portability. It comes in a really nice box that would make a nice gift for anybody, since this is the type of tool one always need handy. I'm keeping it on my nightstand in case of an outrage in the middle of the night; it also helps to light under the kitchen sink or in dark corners in closets.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I like Coast's penlights. I own this model and the HP3 model. These lights feel and look very similar, but there are a few noted differences. First, unlike the HP3 model, the HP4 does not come with an adjustable flood-to-spotlight neck on the front. It's also a half a half an inch shorter and weights about 40% less than the HP3 (though the HP3 doesn't weight very much itself). The trade off for losing the ability to adjust your light setting is that this light is 18.75% brighter (95 lumens versus 80), but with the naked eye in the dark, I didn't notice very much of a real difference, as the HP3 is already bright enough on its own. If you really care about the additional 15 lumens, then this light might be better for you, but I think the ability to adjust the setting on the light and concentrate the stream is a lot more valuable and a better value for your money.The HP4 also has a difference style clip. Whereas the HP3 had a clip that could easily hold to a belt or clip on a thin ledge or 2-3mm edge of a cabinet or door, the HP4 has a clip that seems only useful for clipping on one's shirt. It is missing a groove and would fall easily off of one's belt. Also, unlike the HP3, the HP4 has a different type of on/off button. With the HP3, you could moderately tap the rubber switch and the light would quickly flicker on and off, something useful for signalling purposes. With the HP4, the switch is a bit more firm and the light turns on with more a hard set, making this flickering feature next to impossible.
If you just want a portable flashlight that's lightweight and can be carried easily, the HP4 is perfectly acceptable, but if you want more for your money, go with the HP3, if it's available. From a cursory glance, these lights seem almost identical, but when compared side-by-side, there is a world of a difference and quality put into the HP3 that is not in the HP4.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This flashlight is very similar to the LED Lenser P7. It is slightly brighter than the P7, has a locking mechanism for the focusing beam (more on that below), and an anti-roll lanyard clip point. Otherwise the products are virtually identical.For those of you planning on getting this as a gift I should start by describing the packaging as being top notch. The black cardboard box is very slick and folds open like a jewelry box. The flashlight sits in a foam holder. 4 AAA alkaline batteries are included. The build itself is all metal, no plastic except the lens which looks like it also would take a lot of abuse.
The waterproofing checks out. I turned it on, dropped it in a sink full of water, and rolled it around under water for a couple minutes. The light continued to work fine, and after retrieving it and opening it up the inside was still dry.
A brief explanation on brightness and battery life. This isn't a voltage regulated flashlight. In a voltage regulated flashlight you get constant brightness until the batteries die and the brightness goes to zero. Instead this is a direct drive flashlight, the batteries go through a resistor straight into the LED. In a direct drive flashlight the brightness slowly fades as the batteries slowly fade. So at minute 0 the brightness is indeed the claimed lumens on burst. However, the brightness slowly falls off.
The focusing system switching from spot to fill is easy to operate with the holding hand pushing in or out. However, the locking mechanism is not very good, you can still force it to slide in and out with the lock engaged. Frankly the locking mechanism isn't necessary as the flashlight stays where you put it for normal activities like walking or jogging without a lock.
In summary this is a good flashlight, though the lack of voltage regulation means if you use it for extended periods of time you won't get the full brightness out of it. If you need the full brightness I'd recommend looking at the Fenix E21 or Fenix LD20 which use 2AA batteries and are voltage regulated in this price range. If you don't mind the slow decline in brightness during extended use this flashlight is a perfectly good choice too.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I am a professional flashlight user. I have been a boiler inspector for nearly 30 years and have tried out (and destroyed) just about every kind of flashlight there is out there and I'm always on the outlook for a better, more indestructible light. Though there are many harder to destroy big flashlights out there, finding a good pocket-size flashlight is not as easy.Though my primary light is a "big flashlight" I've always had a pocket-sized flashlight to look into those hard to access areas or for when the battery in my Streamlight Stinger runs out...and I need to find my way out :>O
This Coast HP3 is an almost perfect pocket flashlight. It appears to be well constructed and is extremely bright. I like the pushbutton end switch rather than having to turn the bezel, like on a Mini Maglite. I also like the momentary contact feature of the switch. The light is extremely bright. The flood beam covers a wide area but is still sufficiently bright and the diffused beam is nearly perfect for inspection work. An unbreakable LED? Sounds like a challenge. :>) For me, the blue-white light of an LED takes some getting used to, as I prefer the more yellow-white light of an incandescent bulb.
The flashlight feels nicely balanced and the clip holds the light firmly in your pocket. The only gripe I have is that the knurling on the barrel is not very deep and really doesn't help the grip at all. In fact, it makes the light feel very slippery. This could be an issue if you hands are wet or greasy.
I like that the flashlight uses easily obtainable AAA batteries. The two-hour runtime is a little light (no pun intended), but that's the trade-off you make for such a bright light. Since this is an auxiliary flashlight, and not my primary flashlight, it's not that big an issue for me.
Nowhere on the package, the literature, the manufacturer's website, or the light itself does it say where it's manufactured. I would guess it's not the USA, as I would guess if it were, the company would use that as a selling point. My guess would be China, like just about everything else nowadays. While I am not totally adverse to Chinese made products, I would prefer an American-made one.
Bottom line: This light is a keeper. While the price is a bit stiff for the size of the light, you get what you pay for. For me, my flashlight is a tool, and old-timer once told me, "Son, ya can't afford cheap tools." I plan on reporting back after I've used it for a while, but my professional opinion is that this is a good light.
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