Klarus XT12GT - Review

[cruzian3]

Just got mine.... Love it.

 

[druidmars]

Lucky you! I try not to think about it too much as the delivery is expected on the 31st of January only... especially since I lost my Eagletac G25C2! :sick2: :sigh:

Just got mine.... Love it.

 

[tatasal]

Whoooaaa...that's serious lumen and firepower you got there!

 

[harro]

Here's a beamshot of mine. Due to circumstances the photo was at late twilight, but the sign on the vacant block is 110M~ and the back fence of the same block is 170M~.

facing pretty much at the sign

aimed up a tad to show spill

 

[Mag317]

Nice pictures and review.

 

[C&C]

Does anyone know how much parasitic drain is going thru the e-switch of the paddle button?

A review of the Klarus XT11GT showed a rather large 300 micro-amp standby drain for the similar paddle switch on that light so I was just wondering...

300 micro-amps of parasitic drain is like having a <1 lumen 'moon mode' in a constant-on situation - a pretty big drain.

Who knows, maybe Klarus fixed this issue in the XT12GT.

Note: The really early dual switch Klarus models (XT11) with the oval rubber secondary button had a really low 1 micro-amp parasitic drain. These early dual switch models didn't have a separate inner metal tube either (like the XT12GT). Maybe they had the driver in the tailcap and didn't need the separate inner metal tube to 'communicate' with the driver in the head?

Likewise - I haven't been able to find any measurements for the drain, but thought I'd read somewhere it was a manual switch?
I've had the torch for a few weeks now and it doesn't seem to drain appreciably, but not being particularly expert and without any measurement tools, I'm not sure how much it does drain if at all.

Also, on a couple of other lights Olight S2 Baton and a Nitecore EC1 (which does drain the battery as the red led flashes), unscrewing the cap slightly to disable the light seems a good way of ensuring the battery is disconnected. If I do this on these lights, when the light is on, the light goes out, but on screwing the cap tight again, the light remains off and I need to re-activate the switch, so I assume this indicates an electronic switch (with some level of drain when off).

If I try the same on the XT12GT, on screwing the cap back on, the light comes back on. Is this an indication of a manual rather than electronic switch? And if so, is there any drain when switched off?

Reason I'd like to know is that if switching it off really does switch it off, then there's no need to unscrew the cap slightly.

I hope this makes sense?

Thanks.

 

[carl]

The main rubber switch is a mechanical clicky but the paddle switch, according to all reviewers who talk about it, is definitely an e-switch. Therefore, a parasitic drain is a part of this light.

Parasitic drain, in itself, is no big deal as long as its small. Small, meaning less then 100 microamps. However, this light seems to be up to 300 microamps - which will drain a standard single 3100mAh 18650 in a little over a year if my calculations are correct (?)


3100 milliAmp-hours = 3100,000 microAmp-hours.

3100,000 microAmp-hours / 300 microAmps = 10333 hours.

10333 hours / (24 hours/day) = 430 days = 1.2 years ?


1) Zebralights typically keep their parasitic drain below 20 microamps.

2) The Nitecore TM03 with a similar tailcap with dual switches (but no separate inner metal tube) is assumed to deplete its 3100 mAh 18650 battery in about 1 year also. However, this was a guess on the part of two reviewers who did not take actual measurements.

3) Fenix has a few dual-switch tailcap lights with a metal inner tube but no one has measured the parasitic drain on those yet.

4) Lumintop has their ED20-T with its dual tailcap switch but I don't know if anyone has measured the parasitic drain on that one either. This light has been on the market a long time. I think the ED20-T has the driver in the tail end and without a separate metal inner tube.

 

[CelticCross74]

good review. I personally do not believe this thing is cranking 1600 lumens not even close but I am sure its still bright as heck. I just dont trust Klarus. Having been a member here for some time now I have just read to many stories of their customer service being literally non existent. The Eagtac G25C2 MkIII drops this month from what I have read I will be saving my pennies for that XHP35 beast the G25C2 MkII has been one of the greatest high output "tactical" lights I have ever had so looking forward to it.

 

[RBWNY]

Whether you've noticed yet or not... low mode on the Klarus has PWM. I did NOT see it on the other modes.

Aside from that, which might be minor depending on your use, it IS a very good light!!

 

[Antykain]

I ordered the XT12GT from Goinggear.com this past Wednesday and am anxiously awaiting for it to arrive! I'll be primarily using this for work in place of my current daily MagLite 3-cell D LED (ML300L).. which I still really love. I was looking getting the Olight M23 Javelot, but decided on the XT12GT.. Still will probably get the M23 soon though.. lol

Anywho.. hoping the XT12GT comes soon. I ordered it from Goinggear.com on Wednesday and it said it was supposed to be delivered today (Feb 17th) via FedEx 2-Day shipping.. FedEx tracking says "Label Created" and "Shipment information sent to FedEx" on the order status. And has said that since Wednesday, 10:30am EST. No change as of this post. :shrug: Guess I'll be contacting FedEx to see what's going on.

But, that's another story..

 

[harro]

Whether you've noticed yet or not... low mode on the Klarus has PWM. I did NOT see it on the other modes.

Aside from that, which might be minor depending on your use, it IS a very good light!!

It actually has PWM control on the two lowest modes. High and turbo appear to be current controlled. This was determined by pointing the light at a rotating personal fan. Strobing effect on the two low modes apparent, and nothing on the two higher modes. It is a great light to use. Nice dimentions and easy to edc.

 

[Antykain]

Got my XT12GT delivered to me today.. after some small delays. Went outside with it tonight to play around with it and test it out. I must say, I am quite impressed with this little light! It was a bit foggy out here in SE Tennessee tonight, but it was pretty cool seeing the XT12GT cutting through it. Definitely no buyers remorse with this pickup. :thumbsup:

Now I just have to figure out what I am getting next.. lol

 

[Lawr3nce]

Thanks for the review, it looks interesting!

I think I am gonna go with the XT11GT which has a smaller head and the USB port built right in - the magnetic charger seems to me more like a bug that has been promoted to a feature

 

[Chad Varnadore]

Thanks for the review, it looks interesting!

I think I am gonna go with the XT11GT which has a smaller head and the USB port built right in - the magnetic charger seems to me more like a bug that has been promoted to a feature

I'm a little curious how well the magnetic charger will hold up too, especially should someone try charging it after coming in from the rain or something, without letting it dry well enough first. However, I think I'd trust it a lot more than a micro usb port. I really hate that micro usb seems to have become the new standard. I have to put my reading glasses on just to make sure I'm not inserting the things upside down on my phone or tablet and it's not really so much smaller than a mini usb to justify the added aggravation. Not to mention micro-usb ports seem much more prone to failure, according to all the reports I've read from ports going bad on phones and tablets. But, maybe most of those are from people who need reading glasses too. Regardless, in addition to being easier to hook up, the magnetic charger at least seems to be potentially more reliable. Time will tell...

I did find it curious that I couldn't charge my phone off the micro usb cable included with the Klarus. I've never run into a compatibility issue with micro usb cables themselves before. Sometimes the usb-ac adapter might have firmware installed specifically for the device it was intended to be used with, but the cables being made different too is just getting ridiculous.


That said, I'm actually tempted to think I might like the XT11GT better too. I love the 12, but the extra lumens seem more like the "gimmick" here to me, as the light heats up so fast it can't sustain the extra output for any practical length of time. It's really more like an 800 lumen light with 1600 lumen bonus mode. Which is awesome in and of itself. However the reflector being designed for the added throw makes for a narrower beam. It's not a huge distinction, but it's definitely worth considering. And the added reach of the 12 seems to be moving beyond what's needed for human eyesight. At my age, I need reading glasses, but I still have perfect visibility at a distance. Comparing this with a 1000 lumen rated Lumintop TD16 in a wide open field, it was clear the Klarus could reach farther, but I felt like I needed a scope to really appreciate the extra reach. Where the Lumintop lit up more of my immediate surroundings, about just as brightly, and could sustain it for closer to 5 minutes. I can usually get where I'm going or do what I need with a flashlight in five minutes, not so much in only one minute. But, again, if it can sustain 800 lumens for a lot longer as tests show, assuming the heat subsides or doesn't make it too fragile when dropped, I'm good with that. I would have preferred lights high mode have been at least 600 lumens though, if not 800. I'd just assume go straight to 800 lumens rather than be potentially distracted by the light heating up in my hand while I'm holding a gun with the other.

My main criticism with this light though, is with what Klarus dubs a "tactical ring". It's not very large. Even with thin leather gloves, it's a little difficult to find the ring quickly between your fingers. With much thicker Kevlar lined gloves, it's even harder to feel. Furthermore, for a tactical hold using the ring, the tail clicky MUST protrude beyond the butt of the light, as it's activated by the palm of your hand, not your thumb like you'd use holding in an arm-bar position. So the "tactical ring" is effectively, just an anti-roll ring. There's little "tactical" about it. The thought that Klarus apparently doesn't know the difference makes me lose confidence in other aspects of their design. But I didn't intend it for duty use, so I'm happy for what I bought it for.

 

[bobavarbock]

New Here... Just got one of these great lights, I am curious - what is that ring for towards the tail of the light - it rotates freely?
Thanks...

 

[Chad Varnadore]

New Here... Just got one of these great lights, I am curious - what is that ring for towards the tail of the light - it rotates freely?
Thanks...

It's a tactical ring. At least Klarus still calls it that. Though in this lights design, it's really nothing more than an anti-roll ring. With a tactical handgun hold, you use two fingers to hook the ring and press the but of the light against your palm in your weak hand, while still stabilizing the firearm to some degree. But as the ring on the Klarus is low profile, rotates freely, and since the tail switch is recessed where you can't activate the light with your palm, it can't be used with a tactical hold. In the case of this Klarus, tactical is more about fashion than function, so it's really just something to keep the light from rolling off the table.

 

[Chad Varnadore]

Lately my XT12GT has been flickering right when I turn it on. A mild smack on the side always straightens it out so far. And it won't happen again for the entire time I use it, even if I turn it off momentarily. But if it sits for an hour or so, when I go to turn it on again the flicker has returned. The battery has a full charge at present and no more than I've used it, it's only been charged about half a dozen times. It's never been dropped, nor has it been submerged. Anybody seen similar flicker with the Klarus or similar LEDs who might know what's going on? Right now it hasn't been a problem, but if it's likely to develop into something more serious, I want to get it checked out inside the warranty period.

 

[Chad Varnadore]

Just to update, the flickering hasn't gotten any worse, in fact it may have improved, or I've just stopped looking for it. But now the mode switch has started acting up: The light sticks in turbo every time it's turned on after just a short period of inactivity. Turning it off and back on again seems to fix it, but it'll still stick occasionally even after being on for a short while. It's never been dropped or even gotten wet, so I have no idea what's going on. Happens both when the battery is low and when it's fully charged.

 

[soulzaeb]

I just got my XT12gt today! And boy it didn't disappoint. However, how come it doesn't have the small magnetic led on it's charger anymore? Does anyone know? All I got is the magnetic charger itself without the warm light led thingy (

 

[recDNA]

I just got my XT12gt today! And boy it didn't disappoint. However, how come it doesn't have the small magnetic led on it's charger anymore? Does anyone know? All I got is the magnetic charger itself without the warm light led thingy (

That's very disappointing.