These lights are mentioned every so often. I'm not sure if I'm repeating commonly available information, so if it is then a mod can remove this thread. I feel that, if this isn't common knowledge, then I can share my experiences with these lights, and state why I feel they cost too much for what you get. I don't even know the names of the specific lights, because they're too damn confusing and nonsensical. Therefore, I'll describe them by how many LEDs they have, and what batteries they use. Consider this a review of some LED-Lenser lights against alternatives along with my experiences.
Before I start, here's a little disclaimer about what I look for in a light:
I don't perform search and rescue in the Rocky Mountains, walk through burning buildings, or need to smash-in the eye sockets of a suspect with a D-cell light. My requirements are compact, reliable, bright lights for a wide range of general uses. Price is also a factor, whereby I want the best performance and quality for the lowest price. "Made in America," means absolutely nothing to me: (nowadays) I'll buy the light that best suits my task for the price regardless of where it comes from. I'm partial to LEDs (my last Incan was a Pelican 2xAAA Super Mitylite, which isn't so super or mity.)
I know that most Flashaholics will buy any type of battery they need, but I'm trying to standardize my lights on AA and AAA because of the higher energy capacity, greater convenience, and lower cost than small, specialized cells. I don't want to have to buy 100 button cells on the internet just to get a decent price per cell after shipping costs. Lithiums aren't worth the investment and risk of damage because my lights are for a wide variety of uses, and a small group of NiMHs along with the occasional alkaline is all I need, and all I want to buy.
Now that that's out of the way, here's my incredibly long review of why I don't like Coast/LED-Lenser lights:
1. I have a mini torch 1x white 5mm LED: $10, uses 3x button cells.
It has a flaky switch, and the rubber cap ripped off. However, the tailcap contains a stiffer, more durable replacement. It's solidly built, except for the switch. Not waterproof and not really even humidity proof.
No real reflector to speak of, and there's no protection to the LED. Almost no throw. The beam is ok, but a pale white spill with a blue center isn't exactly ideal. No-regulation.
Now:
I have a 1xAAA clone (of the ARC) which beats the Coast light for brightness, rivals it for compactness, and beats it on battery type and only cost $5. It puts out more light, has a better hotspot, and is almost pure white. I'll excuse the ringy beam because it costs half of what the Coast equivalent does, and eats cheaper batteries thanks to its boost circuit.
2. I also had a Triplex (3x white 5mm LEDs): $25, uses 3x N-cells (see my battery rant above.)
The switch broke, forcing me to disassemble the light, disassemble the switch, and re-seat the contacts. This wasn't a difficult task for me, but when I actually use a light, having to bust out a pair of tweezers to re-seat tiny gold contacts on a piece of plastic is a waste of time. The fact that rubber cap came off and I had to use the replacement stored in the tailcap was the least of my problems.
The rest of the body is bombproof, but again, the switch is the weak point. The body looks waterproof but the switch and the inclusion of "token" O-rings on each LED pretty much the O-rings on the rest of the body joints.
No real reflector to speak of, and there's no protection to the LEDs. Almost no throw. Again, a slightly blue beam that's been degrading as I've used it more. No regulation to speak of.
Now:
I have a Nuwai 1xAAA 0.5 Watt TM-310H on the way, which should beat it for brightness, battery convenience, compactness, and durability. $10.50 with shipping. I have a funny feeling that the Nuwai's circuit will help it remain brighter, for longer than the Triplex did.
3. Finally, the 5x white LEDs with 1x red 5mm LED light: $35, uses 3xAAA.
This one is actually reasonably bright…indoors. Don't expect it to work outside very well. Again, it's a 5 white LED array, with no optics to speak of. Tons of light is spilled out the sides, which makes for an impressive display in your white-walled, walk-in-closet, but is absolutely useless outside, or in any sort of large, open room.
This one actually uses 3xAAA in a battery carrier. I don't care so much about the carrier, as I do the horrible threads for the head. I had to clean the metal shavings from the threads using a Q-tip and some isopropyl alcohol every so often. Any lubrication I try to use on it just breaks down and mixes with the metal shavings, and O-ring dust into a black, abrasive goop.
No regulation.
Despite the fact that this light has hard-plunger switches (one for white, one for red) I still had problems. The white LEDs would flicker. To remedy this, I ripped apart the head, and discovered two tiny-gauge gold springs connecting the switches to the circuit board. I then bent the contacts of the switches to directly contact the circuit board and the light is now brighter, which makes me wonder if the LEDs are now being overdriven. I think I'd take overdriven than flickering though...
Again, this is the second LED-Lenser light I've had to rip apart for it to work properly. The repair itself isn't a problem for someone who's mechanically or electrically inclined, but for the price, I expected higher quality.
The body has an O-ring, but that's totally negated by the head which doesn't have a protective cover or O-rings on the LEDs: this light would probably fail in a puddle.
Now:
My Fenix L2P blows it out of the water for brightness, throw, battery life, beam quality, and ridiculously flat regulation. It'll chug along at full brightness for 4.25 hours on a pair of 2500mAh NiMH AAs. It's even waterproof to a point (not a dive light.) Not bad for $35, eh?
=======================
Overall:
The LED-Lenser lights I own have too much blue tint, and the output of the LEDs just isn't what it used to be: I believe the LEDs are degrading as they are used, because I have done every sort of cleaning and care I can to eliminate resistances within the circuitry. The side-clickies with momentary-on have on more than one occasion left me with dead cells. Locking out the switch via the tailcap isn't an option…the batteries have to come out all the way. These lights all actually have OK battery life, but then again, their LEDs weren't that bright to begin with, and have been degrading as time goes on.
However, all of my criticisms are of the previous generation, so maybe my words are a waste of time. The newer LED-Lenser models (2005 and newer) have switches with hard plungers and higher quality LEDs (Nichias and Luxeons!) Some of them even have real optics, with physical protection for the LED(s) and real-life, honest-to-goodness reflectors! I even heard that maybe a couple of the more powerful models have circuitry in them that involves components other than resistors! After playing with some of the eddie-bauer ones in stores, they appear to have whiter beams too.
So is it possible that some of my complaints have been addressed? Am I just stuck two years in the past and have turned a blind and biased eye to the newer models? I haven't bought any of the newer models, but I still wouldn't recommend them, even with these changes.
Why?
Because IMO the current generation is better, but still hasn't caught up to the alternatives, especially when I can get an L2P for $35-40, a Nuwai TM-310H for $10-15, and a 1xAAA clone for $5. The alternatives above have superior features, performance, are more reliable, are better priced, and look just as good (if looks matter to you.)
So there's my two million cents.
Before I start, here's a little disclaimer about what I look for in a light:
I don't perform search and rescue in the Rocky Mountains, walk through burning buildings, or need to smash-in the eye sockets of a suspect with a D-cell light. My requirements are compact, reliable, bright lights for a wide range of general uses. Price is also a factor, whereby I want the best performance and quality for the lowest price. "Made in America," means absolutely nothing to me: (nowadays) I'll buy the light that best suits my task for the price regardless of where it comes from. I'm partial to LEDs (my last Incan was a Pelican 2xAAA Super Mitylite, which isn't so super or mity.)
I know that most Flashaholics will buy any type of battery they need, but I'm trying to standardize my lights on AA and AAA because of the higher energy capacity, greater convenience, and lower cost than small, specialized cells. I don't want to have to buy 100 button cells on the internet just to get a decent price per cell after shipping costs. Lithiums aren't worth the investment and risk of damage because my lights are for a wide variety of uses, and a small group of NiMHs along with the occasional alkaline is all I need, and all I want to buy.
Now that that's out of the way, here's my incredibly long review of why I don't like Coast/LED-Lenser lights:
1. I have a mini torch 1x white 5mm LED: $10, uses 3x button cells.
It has a flaky switch, and the rubber cap ripped off. However, the tailcap contains a stiffer, more durable replacement. It's solidly built, except for the switch. Not waterproof and not really even humidity proof.
No real reflector to speak of, and there's no protection to the LED. Almost no throw. The beam is ok, but a pale white spill with a blue center isn't exactly ideal. No-regulation.
Now:
I have a 1xAAA clone (of the ARC) which beats the Coast light for brightness, rivals it for compactness, and beats it on battery type and only cost $5. It puts out more light, has a better hotspot, and is almost pure white. I'll excuse the ringy beam because it costs half of what the Coast equivalent does, and eats cheaper batteries thanks to its boost circuit.
2. I also had a Triplex (3x white 5mm LEDs): $25, uses 3x N-cells (see my battery rant above.)
The switch broke, forcing me to disassemble the light, disassemble the switch, and re-seat the contacts. This wasn't a difficult task for me, but when I actually use a light, having to bust out a pair of tweezers to re-seat tiny gold contacts on a piece of plastic is a waste of time. The fact that rubber cap came off and I had to use the replacement stored in the tailcap was the least of my problems.
The rest of the body is bombproof, but again, the switch is the weak point. The body looks waterproof but the switch and the inclusion of "token" O-rings on each LED pretty much the O-rings on the rest of the body joints.
No real reflector to speak of, and there's no protection to the LEDs. Almost no throw. Again, a slightly blue beam that's been degrading as I've used it more. No regulation to speak of.
Now:
I have a Nuwai 1xAAA 0.5 Watt TM-310H on the way, which should beat it for brightness, battery convenience, compactness, and durability. $10.50 with shipping. I have a funny feeling that the Nuwai's circuit will help it remain brighter, for longer than the Triplex did.
3. Finally, the 5x white LEDs with 1x red 5mm LED light: $35, uses 3xAAA.
This one is actually reasonably bright…indoors. Don't expect it to work outside very well. Again, it's a 5 white LED array, with no optics to speak of. Tons of light is spilled out the sides, which makes for an impressive display in your white-walled, walk-in-closet, but is absolutely useless outside, or in any sort of large, open room.
This one actually uses 3xAAA in a battery carrier. I don't care so much about the carrier, as I do the horrible threads for the head. I had to clean the metal shavings from the threads using a Q-tip and some isopropyl alcohol every so often. Any lubrication I try to use on it just breaks down and mixes with the metal shavings, and O-ring dust into a black, abrasive goop.
No regulation.
Despite the fact that this light has hard-plunger switches (one for white, one for red) I still had problems. The white LEDs would flicker. To remedy this, I ripped apart the head, and discovered two tiny-gauge gold springs connecting the switches to the circuit board. I then bent the contacts of the switches to directly contact the circuit board and the light is now brighter, which makes me wonder if the LEDs are now being overdriven. I think I'd take overdriven than flickering though...
Again, this is the second LED-Lenser light I've had to rip apart for it to work properly. The repair itself isn't a problem for someone who's mechanically or electrically inclined, but for the price, I expected higher quality.
The body has an O-ring, but that's totally negated by the head which doesn't have a protective cover or O-rings on the LEDs: this light would probably fail in a puddle.
Now:
My Fenix L2P blows it out of the water for brightness, throw, battery life, beam quality, and ridiculously flat regulation. It'll chug along at full brightness for 4.25 hours on a pair of 2500mAh NiMH AAs. It's even waterproof to a point (not a dive light.) Not bad for $35, eh?
=======================
Overall:
The LED-Lenser lights I own have too much blue tint, and the output of the LEDs just isn't what it used to be: I believe the LEDs are degrading as they are used, because I have done every sort of cleaning and care I can to eliminate resistances within the circuitry. The side-clickies with momentary-on have on more than one occasion left me with dead cells. Locking out the switch via the tailcap isn't an option…the batteries have to come out all the way. These lights all actually have OK battery life, but then again, their LEDs weren't that bright to begin with, and have been degrading as time goes on.
However, all of my criticisms are of the previous generation, so maybe my words are a waste of time. The newer LED-Lenser models (2005 and newer) have switches with hard plungers and higher quality LEDs (Nichias and Luxeons!) Some of them even have real optics, with physical protection for the LED(s) and real-life, honest-to-goodness reflectors! I even heard that maybe a couple of the more powerful models have circuitry in them that involves components other than resistors! After playing with some of the eddie-bauer ones in stores, they appear to have whiter beams too.
So is it possible that some of my complaints have been addressed? Am I just stuck two years in the past and have turned a blind and biased eye to the newer models? I haven't bought any of the newer models, but I still wouldn't recommend them, even with these changes.
Why?
Because IMO the current generation is better, but still hasn't caught up to the alternatives, especially when I can get an L2P for $35-40, a Nuwai TM-310H for $10-15, and a 1xAAA clone for $5. The alternatives above have superior features, performance, are more reliable, are better priced, and look just as good (if looks matter to you.)
So there's my two million cents.
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