Str8stroke
Flashlight Enthusiast
The SureFire Titan AAA
Mini Review
Dual Output 15/125 Lumen
Mini Review
Dual Output 15/125 Lumen
Well after a long wait time, almost 36 years, SureFire finally decided to delve into the AAA flashlight market segment. Interestingly they decided to carry the Titan name over to a completely redesigned light. So punch play on the Alanis Morissette cassette, cause it is a bit ironic. Obviously the name Titan on the smallest yet light shows that someone at Surefire has at least one funny bone. This is also one of their first lights utilizing what they call "MaxVision Beam".
So with a market flooded with high quality AAA lights to choose from, I guess, the main question is: Does the all new redesigned 2015 Titan stand out in a crowd? That last part kinda sounded like a commercial for the Nissan Titan?
The answer to that question will be in your head. We all like and don't like different things. You can go forward from here and read some of my thoughts, view some of my very amateur photos and draw your own conclusions. I will be nice enough to include some of the SureFire specs for reference, but if you want more sales lingo, go to their website.
Legal disclaimer: I am an amateur reviewer. No payola involved here. I am reviewing the light I have. Your light and future lights may vary. Most importantly, opinions may vary. So like any review, take this one with a grain of salt, as it consists of mostly my opinion.
On a final note, I ordered my light from a vendor on Ebay. I paid $59 with free shipping.
All photos were taken with a Nikon D90 or iPhone 6 Plus. Most all photos were edited in order to help show the features. For Example: I increased the contrast in several photos so you can see the machining in better detail. The beam shots are straight out of the camera. I know this review is lacking in beam shots. I will post more in the near future.
Others who read this review feel free to add their own experiences, comments and more photos.
Ok, enough of that mess, now on to the goods:
Modes: TWO: Low 15 High 125 lumen. Low comes on first.
UI: Twist operation. Tighten clockwise turns on low mode, a quick twist off and back on activates High mode. So it is pretty simple. The threads on my light are smooth as room temperature butter.
Battery: AAA. Surefire is nice enough to include a nifty 750mAH, 1.2 volt MADE IN CHINA rechargeable NiMH AAA battery. They don't include a charger. Naturally, the light will work fine on Alkaline as well as Lithium. So basically you have 3 different type of cells you can use. The battery is installed with the positive side positioned towards the head.
The battery goes in nice and tight. There is not a hint of rattle or movement. So its as snug as a bug in a rug.
Runtime: The manufactures listed run times are 8.30 hours on Low and 1 hour on High
Throw: 43 meters
Packaging: It comes pretty well sealed in its package. The only way to get the light out without destroying the package is by using a sharp knife or razor blade. Gently slice the top open if you wish to keep the packaging. If you are really good, you could use a prison shank.
MSRP: $59.99
Street price: currently around $44 to $149. Yes, you read that correctly. I found a vendor on Ebay listing them for $149!
Thick & Solid keyring hole/lanyard hole
Flexible battery choices
Buttery smooth threads
Came with rechargeable battery
SureFire "Guarantee for life"
Solid construction with no rattles
Good fit and finish
Clean straight forward owners manual
CONS:
No SureFire Knurling (this would be nice on the head for one handed operation)
Slick surface feel. With dry hands it can slip out of your hands
Doesn't support 10440 cells, no shocker here, I wasn't brave enough to try them
No ultra low. I would like to have a 5 lumen low option.
No supplied charger for provided battery. Not everyone has a charger.
No Clip option. I know its designed for a keyring, but I love clips.
No quick release option.
No Tail Stand
Additional thoughts:
It is a great start and holds up the SureFire name. They put a lot of effort into the design of this light and it shows. It also shows that it is lacking in a few areas. I am surprised it doesn't come with one of SureFires mini clips. That would have been a nice addition for this model so you can take it off your key ring quickly.
I would also like to have deep knurling. I am assuming this is so it won't chew up your keychain neighbors or your pockets. One handed operation for me is hard and I don't have big ole meat puppets. Once it is mounted on your keys, it is easier to one hand.
The smoothness of the threads is very nice and quite noticeable. You will also have a hard time wearing out the keyring mount. It seems very thick. Especially compared to other lights in this segment.
RUNTIME UPDATE: Member run4jc was gracious enough to do some RUNTIME tests on the light using the factory supplied rechargeable cell. Following is a lightly edited summary of his findings.
Turn on - 123 lumen (122.85, but who's counting....:laughing:) Battery voltage at 1.51V
15 minutes - holding steady same reading
30 minutes - ditto - head temp at 85 degrees
45 minutes - somewhere between 30 and 45 it dropped out of regulation - 30 lumen - 82 degrees
50 minutes - 11 lumen - 77 degrees
55 minutes - 7 lumen - 73 degrees
60 minutes - 3 lumen - 71 degrees
Final battery voltage at 60 minutes was .99V
run4jc says the Titan stayed completely in regulation for EXACTLY (I kid you not) for 8 hours and 30 minutes - then at 8 hours 31 minutes it dropped to around 9 lumen - dropped out of regulation. I can't make this up. Rated for 8 hours 30 minutes at 15 lumen and my sample ran 8 hours 30 minutes at 13.3 OTF. I am duly impressed
9 hours - 1 lumen
I called it at 9 hours 31 minutes - the Titan was still producing 0.4 lumen (useable as many forum members agree) and had .98V left in the battery. I decided not to push the battery. Maybe would have run an alkaline until it died, but this is fine for this supplied rechargeable.
Thank you run4jc
Bottom line:
I would recommend this light to friends and family. IMHO it is worth the investment and it is likely to shine on for years. It makes a very affordable and usable gift backed by one of the best warranties in the industry. So hopefully you have read and seen enough to decide if this light is for you.
I am trying to assemble all the information on the AAA 125 Titan in one easy to read post. If anyone does or has any information they would like to add, please PM me and I will see about getting it included. I figure this will help consolidate all the findings. I am trying to keep it where someone doesn't have to read every single post or search all the threads to find what they are looking for. Any help is appreciated.
Str8stroke
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very tempted .....
