Techlite - Lumen Master 200 (Costco)

bruintennis · Jan 25, 2012

Hi. I just got back from Costco (Enfield, CT) and noticed they had a new version of the Techlite LED flashlight. It's 200 lumens on high, 120 on low, and has a strobe function. The 3-pack is $19.99 plus tax. The previous version was 150 lumens on high. I bought a 3-pack to see if there is that much difference in output. Cheers!

islw2863 · Jan 25, 2012

Well, it's nice and dark outside now , so. . . .where's the review?

bruintennis · Jan 26, 2012

I have mixed feelings about it. The light on the 200 lumen version is a bit whiter than the 150 lumen version (slightly more yellowish). The low setting seems less bright than the 150 lumen version, but the high is definitely brighter, but not that much (maybe 10%, maybe 20% at most). The hotspot on the 150 lumen is smaller, so it's more focused. The 200 lumen version's hotspot is larger and looks more like a large circle from about 20 feet onto a white wall. The flood on both is about the same. If you want to spotlight something, then get the 150 lumen version, but if you want to light up a larger area, then get the 200 lumen verison. The runtime is equal on both - 1 hour on high, 4 hours on low. The 150 lumen version uses a CREE XP-E LED and the 200 lumen version uses a CREE XP-G LED. Also, the 200 lumen version does not have clean lines for both the hotspot and fill. There isn't distinct circles of brighter and brighter light as you get to the hotspot (like my Fexix LD20). It's uneven, so if that annoys you, then don't get the 200 lumen version.

What else do you want to know? I've never done a review of a flashlight before (first time).

pinetree89 · Jan 26, 2012

I was given one of these out of a 3 pack. Here's my take:

Looks like they stuck an XP-G in this one. The SMO reflector provides for quite a ringy beam. It uses a soft switch on the tailcap. The modes are advertised as 200lumens - 120 lumens - Strobe. Because it's a soft switch it does have parasitic drain on the batteries. I measured this at around 28uA.

Runtime has got to be pretty poor running on 3 AAA's, although I have not tested. The light is quite heavy weighing in at 139g / 4.91oz. It appears to have a polycarbonate lens. The bezel one piece with the head, and is crenulated.

Not sure what I'll do with this light that was given to me. Probably, use it as a give away/throw away too. For $6.50US per light there isn't much invested in them.

I suspect this thread will be moved to Budget lights forum soon.

HIDblue · Jan 26, 2012

bruintennis said:
Hi. I just got back from Costco (Enfield, CT) and noticed they had a new version of the Techlite LED flashlight. It's 200 lumens on high, 120 on low, and has a strobe function. The 3-pack is $19.99 plus tax. The previous version was 150 lumens on high. I bought a 3-pack to see if there is that much difference in output. Cheers!

Make sure you keep the receipt. There are several old threads about the previous Techlite versions. I bought the previous version and 2 out of 3 lights ended up failing...one, the plastic battery carrier just fell apart in the light, and the second, just stopped working. Neither light even lasted past the first set of batteries. Thank goodness Costco has a very liberal return policy.

bruintennis · Jan 27, 2012

HIDblue said:
Make sure you keep the receipt. There are several old threads about the previous Techlite versions. I bought the previous version and 2 out of 3 lights ended up failing...one, the plastic battery carrier just fell apart in the light, and the second, just stopped working. Neither light even lasted past the first set of batteries. Thank goodness Costco has a very liberal return policy.

Thanks for the insight. I'll definitely keep the receipt. I gave one to my gf and one to my nephew, so I'll them if they have any problems to give the flashlight back to me.

jondotcom · Jan 27, 2012

They have really improved these over the first versions. The first batch had poor output and parasitic drain, but these have a decent cree emitter and seem to be getting much stronger reviews. They are clearly superior to most other flashlights now, particularly the Surefire brand. Ok so I'm just kidding about the last part

.

Full disclosure: I don't own these, and don't wish to own anything sold in a 3-pack, except for food or alcohol

flashlight chronic · Jan 28, 2012

jondotcom said:
They have really improved these over the first versions. The first batch had poor output and parasitic drain, but these have a decent cree emitter and seem to be getting much stronger reviews. They are clearly superior to most other flashlights now, particularly the Surefire brand. Ok so I'm just kidding about the last part .

Full disclosure: I don't own these, and don't wish to own anything sold in a 3-pack, except for food or alcohol [/QUOTE/] You got me going bro! That reference to Surefire made me spill my coffee!

PhotonWrangler · May 18, 2012

These are turning up all over the Dayton Hamvention so I picked one up. Tint is cool to neutral with a very slight ringiness in the beam, but not objectional to me. Seems good enough for a glove box light.

geepondy · May 18, 2012

I purchased these too. I think very decent for the money but I don't believe they are regulated at all. Can anybody confirm?

PhotonWrangler · May 18, 2012

I haven't been able to get mine apart yet to confirm, and I'm not picking up any PWM noise from it with an AM radio nearby, however the fact that it has a softswitch and multiple modes suggests regulation.

cyber5 · Jun 27, 2012

Just for fun: Here's a video of a girl using the crenulations to bash a coconut open: http://youtu.be/pNDEKiGdUIw

Up All Night · Jun 27, 2012

I think I've purchased every version of these lights and I can honestly say not one has failed. People that I have given them to are still using them, though I can't attest to how often that use is. The 160 lumen XP-E version has been in my leg pocket for about 2 years, running on "Duraloops". It's been dropped, kicked & tossed numerous times with no problems. It even spent a night in a snowplough compressed ice/snow bank beside my car which required digging out with a spade shovel. I was trying to get my car out and didn't have a clue the light was there, press the button and voila!

Oh, it beats my E1b in throw, and not just!! The new 200 lumen versions are brighter but nowhere near as "throwy"(XP-E vs. XP-G)
So, when you get these for $15 or $16 for three I don't think there's much to complain about. Just check for centred emitters and ones that don't sit too far below the reflector.

Mine certainly owe me nothing!

CarpentryHero · Jun 27, 2012

I love these for Halloween, I've got 6 from two years ago and I put one in every room and ceiling bounced the strobe. I was known as the lightening house

Grmnracing · Jun 27, 2012

I have these lights and they are ok. I'm waiting to see a mod to get better runtime out of them. For example. Will a 14500 work?

I'm guessing it runs on 3.6 or 4.5v?

http://www.zbattery.com/PX19-4-5V-Alkaline-Battery-531

Up All Night · Jun 27, 2012

Grmnracing said:
I have these lights and they are ok. I'm waiting to see a mod to get better runtime out of them. For example. Will a 14500 work?

I'm guessing it runs on 3.6 or 4.5v?

http://www.zbattery.com/PX19-4-5V-Alkaline-Battery-531

That's one battery I've never seen before!

How about an 18500 in a sleeve? anyone?:thinking:

CarpentryHero · Jun 27, 2012

Grmnracing said:
I have these lights and they are ok. I'm waiting to see a mod to get better runtime out of them. For example. Will a 14500 work?

I'm guessing it runs on 3.6 or 4.5v?

http://www.zbattery.com/PX19-4-5V-Alkaline-Battery-531

These lights runo on 3 AAA batteries. Unless you found a battery carrier so you could use the single 14500.
The 10440 is the size aaa equivalent and three of those would make the light go Fzorch. Unless you swapped drivers

Up All Night · Jun 27, 2012

CarpentryHero said:
These lights runo on 3 AAA batteries. Unless you found a battery carrier so you could use the single 14500.
The 10440 is the size aaa equivalent and three of those would make the light go Fzorch. Unless you swapped drivers

+1 on the Fzorch! Ha!:laughing:

gadget_lover · Jul 30, 2012

I'm not impressed with the quality. I picked some up when visiting my mom, thinking the soft touch of the tailcap switch might be easier on her arthritic hands.

Of the three in the pack, two have defects.

1) I put the batteries in the holder while sitting in the back seat of my mom's new car. I thought I saw a spider web float by. The light did not work, but was getting seriously hot. I quickly removed the tailcap and thought I saw another spiderweb. It was a wisp of smoke from inside the light. I pulled the batteries out of the carrier. One burned my finger. Investigation shows that one of the spring contacts was not in the correct position and was shorting out one cell. I'll eventually get around to fixing it.

2) I don't like the strobe before turning off. I took apart the tailcap on light #2 to see if I could disable the strobe. I found a nice little circuit board. One of the surface mount resistors is about 35 degrees out of position. It's barely making contact to the pad that it is supposed to be soldered to. I don't know what it will do if dropped or if it heats after running for a while.

I do like the output, and the beam is usable for a utility light. At less than $10 each, it's not that bad.

Daniel

Raptor Factor · Aug 1, 2012

This upsets me. A flashlight for under $7 boasts anodized (obviously not type III) aerospace aluminum and a Cree XP-G emitter. Surefire's and other high end brands use the same emitters even though they are way higher quality and expensive. I do understand that they would be binned lower but still, aren't there better emitters to be had for a $200 flashlight than the same thing thats in a $7 light?

Techlite - Lumen Master 200 (Costco)

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