Should I ask santa for the Fenix LD20 or the 4sevens quark AA2 tactical?

I had decided to go with the LD20, but now that 4sevens has the aa2 tactical on sale for less I am considering it.

Link: http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?products_id=2687

I'm not 100% clear from the description if the Quark has as many settings as the LD20 as only two are mentioned in the bullet points. Does it have a medium/high setting at decent everyday brightnesses? The turbo and moonlight alone wouldn't suit my needs.

Also, have the preflash issues been fixed that I have read about?

Thanks for looking!

4sevens said:

Typical Output Levels and Runtimes

Moonlight: 0.3 lumens for 15 days
Low: 2.7 lumens for 3 days
Medium: 24 lumens for 20 hours
High: 115 lumens for 2.5 hours
Max: 280 lumens for 0.8 hours
Strobe: 280 lumens for 1.6 hours
SOS: 280 lumens for 3 hours
Beacon: 0-280 lumens pulse for 8 hours

Click to expand...

Quote from the link you posted.

I don't know if the pre-flash has been fixed.

I would get the tactical if it were me. Main reason is because it actually has a moonlight mode, which is very nice. The lowest on fenix ld20 is 10lumensish, which is still pretty bright and would hurt night vision if that was a major point for you. Personally, i like the look of the fenix ld20, but it doesn't have a moonlight which is the big hit for me. Tactitcal youcan program whatever brightness/mode you want for the loose head or tightened head configuration and it has momentary (which ld20 lacks!) OR get both. hehe

Both are nice. If you like the idea of having two mode selectable by head position (like I do), the Tactical would be the choice.

from what i can tell, the Fenix has a few pro's:
1. it's considerably slimmer which is instantly noticeable, also extremely light-weight (feels cheap, without cells)
2. it can tailstand OOTB.

The LD20 compares very well to the Quark Regular which can tailstand as well. Neglecting the tailstand and the size AND given the same price (40bucks), the Quark 'X' is no doubt superior.

let us know how you yourself think about the two products, will ya?? (ahh right. no time to write. you need to decide before the friday blitz sale is .. )
haha.

I like the Quark. It is much more customizable. You can get a 1xAA, 1x123, or 2x123 (17670) body for it. You can put a tailstanding tailcap on it. I though I would like the tactical version better than the standard, but I like to be able to quickly adjust the output. And it goes back to moonlight and max in a couple of seconds, so you don't have to cycle thru all the modes. I use the tactical, set to moonlight, for a nightstand light because of the momentary.

I dont have the quark aa^2 tactical to compare to the ld20 but from the looks of it I would prefer the quark. Out of all my lights (not many) the ld20 is the least used. Heres why:
Cons:
Cant use Lithiums (L91's)
No true low mode
Unstable tail standing
Poor clip placement
Poor holster (but most are)

And just cause, here is some pros:
Anti-roll without the need of a clip
Good balance of throw and spill (imo)
Mine came with the diffuser set. The Diffuser cone is great for camping or anytime you need a lantern
Good run times (eneloops ftw)

Right now 4Sevens has a couple of tints available. NW, and a High cri option in addition to cool white.    The HCRI doesn't come in AA2 but if Santa has money to burn you could get an AA2 tube for it along with a flat switch if you need tailstanding.  Something you might want to think about as it's always good to have options. Also if you are worried about lumens, they also have quark "X" models which are brighter but have lower runtime.

I have fenix Ld10 and a quark 123 HCri and the ld10 seems to be a little bit heftier and better build quality. I imagine the LD20 would be the same. However the tint and the moonlight mode are important for me so I would go 4Sevens.


In my particular quark purchased a few months ago, it does not pre flash if you turn it off while it's in moonlight. It does preflash if you turn it off on turbo and turn it back on in moonlight. I primarly use moonlight anyway so this isn't much of an issue for me but I can understand how it would be for others. I think I read somewhere that this was the way the circuitry was set up. It was either preflash or have parasitic drain and 4sevens choose to have preflash.

Good luck.

i like the quark tactical UI more.
i dont care for cycling through so many modes.
tactical also comes with a forward clicky.
4sevens has more tint, and LED options.
lego ability.
better pocket clip, and optional low-riding pocket clip.
better holster.
smoother beam.

for 2xAA lights, i like sunwayman's V20A most though.

I had the same dilemma last Christmas when I was choosing my first real flashlight. I ended up splurging and getting two Quarks (one reg and one tact.) and the LD20 with clip.
After a year of being a total flashaholic and putting everything through its paces, the Tactical interface wins it for me. I use my Regular Quark as a beacon on my backpack for motorcycling (easy to tap through modes even when it's mounted on my back). I gave away my LD20; it had a higher build quality and more sturdy clip than 4Sevens but the smooth reflector made the ugliest beam and I hated the direct drive mode spacing and lack of moonlight, also bad tints (I've owned two).
Overall, I think you won't know which one you like more until you've had both side by side.

I went with the quark!

Thanks for helping me make my decision, I can't wait for santa to bring it.

santa chow offers some xmas deals, see CPFMP!

One other question:

What are some of the "lego" options I would have with this light (the quark)? Can I use different batteries with an adapter? Affix a different head and use other battery options?

I sense an expensive pastime coming.

LivingDaylight said:

One other question:

What are some of the "lego" options I would have with this light (the quark)? Can I use different batteries with an adapter? Affix a different head and use other battery options?

I sense an expensive pastime coming.

Click to expand...

King of Quarks aka ti-force has published an extensive compilation of Quark compositions. There are no measurements (exact weights, lengths) given but it provides the best overview and collection of relevant Quark info (quark setups and potential issues) on the whole internet.

Well done ti-force, thanks a million!!!

not to bash 4sevens lights but id goin with the fenix. my quark is only reliable when the head is tightened all the way down on turbo mode, if i loosen the head to get to the other modes there is no telling what brightness i will get or what mode it will jump to. allways tightening the retaining ring or cleaning contects, mine is a 123 regular UI from when they first came out, and its the only 4sevens light i have bought to this day. that being said, i still use it all the time at work, but i just keep it on turbo mode.

tab665 said:

or what mode it will jump to

Click to expand...

hey, if you think that somethings wrong with your quark (regular UI), i would contact customer service and ask for a FREE replacement copy. They offer 10yrs warranty, especially for such cases.

If i do deliberate drop tests with 30 drops from 10.0 feet (NBA basketball basket) onto rocks (marble or tile ground), then we realize that this shouldnt be covered by the 10yrs warranty lol.

@OP
The 10yrs warranty is one reason more to buy some 4Sevens stuff. Fenix is high-quality and has long-term credits of robustness and non-failure but they dont offer such long period of warranty.

I've had two Quark Tacticals (XP-E and XP-G versions), and I do love them and they've never given me an issue. Recently I finally pulled the trigger on an LD20, and I love it.

The build quality is superb and despite the not so perfect beam it's my new EDC light. I don't use lithium primaries except for dire emergencies, so that's no issue for me. Apparently you can use them, it's just that the light will run DD until the voltage drops sufficiently to then run in regulation.

Jash, try to make up your mind why the LD20 does it for you rather than the Quarks. Personal thoughts, anything. thx

LivingDaylight said:

I had decided to go with the LD20, but now that 4sevens has the aa2 tactical on sale for less I am considering it.

Link: http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?products_id=2687

I'm not 100% clear from the description if the Quark has as many settings as the LD20 as only two are mentioned in the bullet points. Does it have a medium/high setting at decent everyday brightnesses? The turbo and moonlight alone wouldn't suit my needs.

Also, have the preflash issues been fixed that I have read about?

Thanks for looking!

Click to expand...

Both are great lights. But if ever, the Quark AA^2 Tac XML is a better buy over the LD20, simply for the fact that the emitter is already an XML. Be wary that this is a floody light hence the LD20 will have better throw performance. (if that is what you need)

kreisler said:

i wouldnt mind bashing 4sevens lights because i think that they are severely overrated (cpf is the birthplace and so the boardies are natural fanboyz) but trolling and bashing isnt tolerated on this forum so i accept that.
hey, if you think that somethings wrong with your quark (regular UI), i would contact customer service and ask for a FREE replacement copy. They offer 10yrs warranty, especially for such cases.

If i do deliberate drop tests with 30 drops from 10.0 feet (NBA basketball basket) onto rocks (marble or tile ground), then we realize that this shouldnt be covered by the 10yrs warranty lol.

@OP
The 10yrs warranty is one reason more to buy some 4Sevens stuff. Fenix is high-quality and has long-term credits of robustness and non-failure but they dont offer such long period of warranty.

Click to expand...

Well, there may be some bad eggs but these are rare at best. True there are better performing lights from other brands out there, but the packaging of these Quarks are without equal, makes every light looks like a collector's item.

10-year warranty is without equal. The nearest competitor offers lifetime service warranty, but everything else is shouldered by the owner.

Also, among all the owners of these flashlight companies, Dave is the most approchable. He will reply and advise you on any concerns you have with the light you purchased from him. ([email protected]) The closest i know of is the owner of Sunwayman who is also a flashlight enthusiast like us.

If i had to nitpick, it would be the lack of support of 18650 cells on the majority of the 4Sevens line of lights. They had a 18650 tube, but it was discontinued.

The best thing about a Quark is that you can Lego it with other parts to customize it to your personal preferences. I recently ordered an AA tube and run a 14500 off it with the AA^2 Tac Head i purchased long ago. It's like EDC'ing a new light!