Harbor Freight Streamlight clone (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 6/12/2025 8:21:04 PM EDT
Just curious if anybody here have experience with one of these? The HF website says they are $50 50 Dollar Harbor Freight Streamlight clone |
Another initial thoughts video. Hopefully it won't be long before more testing is done with these lights. Harbor Freight’s TLR-1 HL Clone: Budget Win or Total Fail? |
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Originally Posted By -Ascent-: Sold out at my local HF. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/163367/IMG_3587_jpeg-3562794.JPG Not surprised. My local store is sold out too. The nearest store which has them is 45 minutes away (according to their site.) |
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Got mine in the mail today. Attached File Initial impressions. Build quality does not feel any worse than the tlr-1’s I own. Rail key system appears the same. And just eyeballing the keys from the HF light to the tlr 1 they seem to be cross compatible. The tightening screw is a little different and just feels a little more finicky than the TLR 1, I feel like I have to get a screwdriver or coin to get it tight enough for my comfort. Switches feel of similar quality to a real one. As to the quality of light output. The beam temperature is cooler than my TLR-1 HL’s. And the hot spot seems a little tighter. Overall flood seems similar to the actual streamlight. The HF seems a little brighter than my TLR-1 but I’m not sure if that is an illusion of the color temp/tighter hot spot. Fits and locks the gun in place on my Blackhawk omnivore holster. After just initially mounting it on a gun and doing some draws and manipulation, overall I am pleased. We’ll have to wait and see about battery longevity and overall ruggedness I’ve spent 50 on worse shit in my life. |
Sun's up, Guns up!
"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary"
-Vince Lombardi
"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary"
-Vince Lombardi
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Originally Posted By Ameshawki: Stopped by the local HF this noon. Out of stock. Word seems to be getting out on these. I’ve yet to see any in stores as of yet. Last week you could order them on the website so I got mine that way. Showing sold in stores only now on the website. |
Sun's up, Guns up!
"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary"
-Vince Lombardi
"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary"
-Vince Lombardi
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Originally Posted By AndBen: Meh...would rather pay for the real thing. I got used tlr-1 ‘s for $50 when the 7 and 8’s came out, so yea same thing |
have gun will travel
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Well you seen much combat? ......... I've seen a little on TV.
We are jolly green giants, walking the Earth with guns.
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now GOA and ASA member!!!!!
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Originally Posted By Ameshawki: Stopped by the local HF this noon. Out of stock. Word seems to be getting out on these. Since I learned of this I've been watching availability status at the stores near me. At first stores close to me were out of stock, but they were in stock at a store 45 minutes from me. I checked again over the weekend and now the closest store in stock is 3 hours away. |
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Originally Posted By Moondog: Since I learned of this I've been watching availability status at the stores near me. At first stores close to me were out of stock, but they were in stock at a store 45 minutes from me. I checked again over the weekend and now the closest store in stock is 3 hours away. Originally Posted By Moondog: Originally Posted By Ameshawki: Stopped by the local HF this noon. Out of stock. Word seems to be getting out on these. Since I learned of this I've been watching availability status at the stores near me. At first stores close to me were out of stock, but they were in stock at a store 45 minutes from me. I checked again over the weekend and now the closest store in stock is 3 hours away. Same here. There’s 2 HB within 20 min of me. They both sold out over the weekend. Now the closest one is hours away. |
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Call ahead, they will hold it for you, I have found 3 so far for me and a buddy. They work great, I want tp rig up a couple of my handguns and probably a spare for any carbine or short rig. I have several HF stores with 30 miles here and I can easily hit them anytime. The best deal was the "Braun Light Sale" where I got them for 30% off. Keep looking, you will score. |
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I haven't been to a HF recently or asked/called them, but their website does not show a single store in the entire state that has any in-stock. They dissappeared a few days after showing up on the website and haven't been seen since. I thought HF got sued by Streamlight and pulled them off the shelf. |
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Originally Posted By dogtired: I tried them out last night TLR vs HFr. Not scientific. https://i.postimg.cc/t4mcKDQd/IMG_3907.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/zfbQ8W8s/IMG_3908.jpg Initial view seems similar. The gats: https://i.postimg.cc/Dz9MZZz8/IMG_3905.jpg That CZ (shadow?) has to be one of the best looking handguns of all time.... it's on my bucket list. 
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I got 2 of them. Employee was hanging the only 2 they got in that days shipment when I went down the flashlight isle so I snagged them both. I like them. They go on easy and are very bright. I put one on a G19 clone and the other on a G17 clone. At night, one or the other is on the nightstand. |
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Originally Posted By Ameshawki: Was by the local HF at lunch today. Stopped in. Nothing. Same as the prior twelve times I happened to be in the store. Two hooks complete with price tags. Never anything on the hooks. This is worse than the 22 panic. Pretty much, yeah. |
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| I bought two of them today at my local HF. They had a ton of them hanging up. I'm pretty impressed with it. Locks up nice and tight on the rail on my PSA 5.7 Rock. It's bright, the lever is actually a little easier to use then the Streamlight. All in all I think it's well worth 50 bucks. I bought the second one to put on my daughter's pistol when she comes home for the holidays. |
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| Local HF has been showing them in stock for two weeks now, I've stopped by twice and nothing. The assistant manager said they haven't gotten any and she has no idea why they're showing in stock. I've watched a couple of videos on them and they seem to hold up well enough to keep an extra light or two around (batteries in a bag) for spare guns. |
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Picked up 2 at my local HF. Mainly to have one as a long term tester and the other as a beater to torture test it. One question I see come up often online and have not seen answers. “does the remote switch for the TLR-1 fit it?” Yes it does and works. 
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Stopped by yesterday looking for something else and they had one hanging on the peg so I grabbed it. Just messing around with it last night it seems to perform well, so I stuck it on my MAC 1014.  If the bathroom sinks hadn't decided to stop working last night I'd have been hunting today and tomorrow and gotten a chance to try it out.  |
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Originally Posted By RacingOrange: Any fitment issues with using them in a TLR-1 specific holster? Picked up a light yesterday. HF finally restocked! Seems well made, very bright. I have a Kydex holster for my Gen 3 G19. It does not have an adjustment for tightness, but with my original TLR-1 mounted, my gun fits perfectly. With the HF light mounted on my gun it is harder to lock in the holster and quite a bit harder to draw. The new light must be slightly larger in some dimension. It does fit but it’s extra snug. |
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Originally Posted By mini14jac: Picked up a light yesterday. HF finally restocked! Seems well made, very bright. I have a Kydex holster for my Gen 3 G19. It does not have an adjustment for tightness, but with my original TLR-1 mounted, my gun fits perfectly. With the HF light mounted on my gun it is harder to lock in the holster and quite a bit harder to draw. The new light must be slightly larger in some dimension. It does fit but it's extra snug. |
