Meliodas65
Newly Enlightened
I purchased the PD25R for an all-around pocket light as soon as it was released. I have had it several months to give it a fair chance and review. Overall, this is still my go to pocket light. Since the untimely death of my Sunwayman V11R, I have been looking for a good pocket light to take its place. Some of the lights I purchased to take its place are the Jetbeam Raptor RRT01, Acebeam TK16 along with a few others. None really hits all the marks, but this one is closer than most.
A little about how I use this light. I work on patrol on Swing Shift and need an all around light for small tasks, but still be capable enough to use as a tactical light when needed, and as a backup light if my main light gives out.
The first thing that makes this a great light is the deep reflector that provides this light with a tight beam, but with enough spillage to be used as an everyday light to light up a room. Secondly, the UI is exactly the same as my PD35, PD36R, and many other Fenix lights that I own. The ability to use a USB-C charger instead of a dedicated charger makes this an ideal everyday carry light.
Now for the negatives. The clip that Fenix uses is too soft for an everyday carry light. I usually carry the light in my right pocket and when I drive, it is fine. However, when I am the passenger in a vehicle, especially when in a hurry to get out, the darn clip always catches the seatbelt and gets bent to heck. The clip finally broke with all the bending which leads me to another issue. Fenix Customer Support has gone downhill in the past few years. It took several weeks and non-returned phone calls to even get a hold of someone to purchase a replacement clip. The warranty does not cover the clip necessitating that I purchase the replacement part. One issue was that they wanted $12 shipping for a $9 part that would easily fit in a padded envelope and could be mailed first class for very little. For free shipping, a minimum order was needed, but there was no mechanism to allow you to combine parts with other items without an act of Congress. I finally had them invoice me for the part I needed as well as the new PD36Pro which I will do a review for later. In the meantime, I have replaced the pocket clip with the one from the Acebeam which is a lot thicker and will not catch on the seatbelt. It does lack the reverse clip however, but for me, that is a positive.
My second negative is the same with all new Fenix lights, at least for me. I normally use the light in turbo or high since I am using the lights for patrol and need them to get drivers attention while directing traffic. My issue is that when you charge the flashlight, it automatically reverts to the lowest setting. This has been an issue in the past when you get out and the light is in moonlight instead of bright. It's not a big deal, but it's something I need to deal with every time I charge the flashlight.
Overall, this is a great light which I do recommend as an everyday light. If Fenix comes out with a PD25Pro, I will probably pick that one up too as the level switch on the side if hard to find sometimes, especially in the dark and when wearing gloves.
A little about how I use this light. I work on patrol on Swing Shift and need an all around light for small tasks, but still be capable enough to use as a tactical light when needed, and as a backup light if my main light gives out.
The first thing that makes this a great light is the deep reflector that provides this light with a tight beam, but with enough spillage to be used as an everyday light to light up a room. Secondly, the UI is exactly the same as my PD35, PD36R, and many other Fenix lights that I own. The ability to use a USB-C charger instead of a dedicated charger makes this an ideal everyday carry light.
Now for the negatives. The clip that Fenix uses is too soft for an everyday carry light. I usually carry the light in my right pocket and when I drive, it is fine. However, when I am the passenger in a vehicle, especially when in a hurry to get out, the darn clip always catches the seatbelt and gets bent to heck. The clip finally broke with all the bending which leads me to another issue. Fenix Customer Support has gone downhill in the past few years. It took several weeks and non-returned phone calls to even get a hold of someone to purchase a replacement clip. The warranty does not cover the clip necessitating that I purchase the replacement part. One issue was that they wanted $12 shipping for a $9 part that would easily fit in a padded envelope and could be mailed first class for very little. For free shipping, a minimum order was needed, but there was no mechanism to allow you to combine parts with other items without an act of Congress. I finally had them invoice me for the part I needed as well as the new PD36Pro which I will do a review for later. In the meantime, I have replaced the pocket clip with the one from the Acebeam which is a lot thicker and will not catch on the seatbelt. It does lack the reverse clip however, but for me, that is a positive.
My second negative is the same with all new Fenix lights, at least for me. I normally use the light in turbo or high since I am using the lights for patrol and need them to get drivers attention while directing traffic. My issue is that when you charge the flashlight, it automatically reverts to the lowest setting. This has been an issue in the past when you get out and the light is in moonlight instead of bright. It's not a big deal, but it's something I need to deal with every time I charge the flashlight.
Overall, this is a great light which I do recommend as an everyday light. If Fenix comes out with a PD25Pro, I will probably pick that one up too as the level switch on the side if hard to find sometimes, especially in the dark and when wearing gloves.
