First, let me again thank all you guys for the valuable information you provide to the unknowlegeable like myself. So many people, like myself, visit this forum before laying down their hard earned money on a flashlight. We want the best for our buck and you help us tremendously in that regard. Mostly, we don't know voltage from amp hours…we just want a quality light that will fit our needs and our budget.
Second, everything that follows is just my honest observation and opinion, for whatever that's worth. What prompted me to write this was my just receiving a new KL4 head for my L4 LumaMax. The original LED seemed to be not as bright as it used to be after 8+ years of use, so I sent it in to Surefire's repair center. Within a week, I had a new head for my L4. This head is the new "B" series KL4.
Lastly, I am only evaluating my "old" L4 with its "new" head. This is NOT a review of a brand new off the shelf L4 that can be purchased today, so please bear that in mind as you read on. To put that in perspective, my L4 was about $125 back in the day. Today, it retails for about $175.00. My Quark Turbo, on the hand was purchased new directly from 4Sevens.
So, here we go.
Aesthetics:
The L4 was my first "modern" flashlight, and I have had it for over eight years. I liked the looks of it then, and I still like it today. It's OD green color makes it stand out from most other lights. I like the look of the Turbo also. Nothing not to like about it, except it's black and, therefore, more common in that respect. They both feel good to hold.
I do like the slightly crenellated bezel on the L4 and would have liked the same on the Turbo.
Fit and finish:
In my opinion, my Surefire wins in this category, but not by very much. Subjectively, the way the components screw together on the Surefire just seems like better quality machining. The Turbo is fine such as it is. My opinion only stems from having both lights and thus having the ability to compare the "feel" of both when screwing on the head/tailcap.
I also prefer the knurling of the L4. The cuts appear to be more defined and spaced further apart which, overall, gives the surface a slightly more aggressive feel to it. I prefer it as compared to the Turbo's knurllng.
The tailcap switch on the L4 just feels more substantial and solid to me, when compared to the Turbo. The diameter of the rubber cap is slightly bigger on the L4; further, it has a bit more initial "cushioning" before settling in to a solid "click" when completely depressed. (Hope that makes sense to everyone.)
I did notice the reflector on the new KL4 had a slight defect. There is a very small "pin drop" of whatever was used to coat the reflector. Now, in fairness to Surefire, this KL4 was a "freebie" as an exchange for the original head. In that regard, maybe they use "factory seconds" in these exchange situations. My point is I have no way of knowing if Surefire's QC has declined over the years as this head was not purchased in the marketplace. The KL4 came from Surfire's repair facility. So, this observation should be taken in the context of how I received the new KL4.
The Turbo, purchased new, appeared defect free when I received it.
Again, a caveat: I am only describing my L4. I don't know if the feel of the knurling and tailcap operation on a new, "out of the box" L4 is the same now as it is on mine which was purchased years ago.
Usability:
I like the increased functionality of the different brightness modes, etc, of the Turbo. This makes it infinitely more useful for me. The L4 is what it is…a single stage light, nothing more or less. The L4 lights up the dark.
The Beam:
In my opinion, the Quark Turbo wins hands down. The new KL4 has a much less defined hotspot. To me, it is very much a spill light. That's fine in and of itself. The Turbo, on the other hand, has both. It has a brighter "center" without sacrificing spill. So, to me, the Turbo is more functional for my purposes and wins in this regard.
What really disappointed me is how purple the tint is coming from the KL4's LED. I'm not a tint freak, but I just don't care for it, at least not when compared to the Turbo's LED.
The Turbo's tint is a nice white, at least to my eyes.
Neither light exhibited any rings that I could see.
Conclusion:
At the end of the day, the primary purpose of a flashlight (in my mind) is to light up the dark. How any given light accomplishes that at any given price point, gives rise to all the choices we have today when shopping for a light. And, of course, aesthetics is a key factor when making a decision about which light to buy.
So I asked myself, assuming my LumaMax is exactly what I would get if I purchased a new one today, would I buy it? Would I spend about 175 bucks for a new L4, or is there a light of overall comparative quality for less money? No, I wouldn't buy a new L4 today. For me, the Quark Turbo is more than just "good enough", and it performs every function in a quality manner that I expect it to, all at a fair price.
Thanks again, and Happy Holidays to all....
Second, everything that follows is just my honest observation and opinion, for whatever that's worth. What prompted me to write this was my just receiving a new KL4 head for my L4 LumaMax. The original LED seemed to be not as bright as it used to be after 8+ years of use, so I sent it in to Surefire's repair center. Within a week, I had a new head for my L4. This head is the new "B" series KL4.
Lastly, I am only evaluating my "old" L4 with its "new" head. This is NOT a review of a brand new off the shelf L4 that can be purchased today, so please bear that in mind as you read on. To put that in perspective, my L4 was about $125 back in the day. Today, it retails for about $175.00. My Quark Turbo, on the hand was purchased new directly from 4Sevens.
So, here we go.
Aesthetics:
The L4 was my first "modern" flashlight, and I have had it for over eight years. I liked the looks of it then, and I still like it today. It's OD green color makes it stand out from most other lights. I like the look of the Turbo also. Nothing not to like about it, except it's black and, therefore, more common in that respect. They both feel good to hold.
I do like the slightly crenellated bezel on the L4 and would have liked the same on the Turbo.
Fit and finish:
In my opinion, my Surefire wins in this category, but not by very much. Subjectively, the way the components screw together on the Surefire just seems like better quality machining. The Turbo is fine such as it is. My opinion only stems from having both lights and thus having the ability to compare the "feel" of both when screwing on the head/tailcap.
I also prefer the knurling of the L4. The cuts appear to be more defined and spaced further apart which, overall, gives the surface a slightly more aggressive feel to it. I prefer it as compared to the Turbo's knurllng.
The tailcap switch on the L4 just feels more substantial and solid to me, when compared to the Turbo. The diameter of the rubber cap is slightly bigger on the L4; further, it has a bit more initial "cushioning" before settling in to a solid "click" when completely depressed. (Hope that makes sense to everyone.)
I did notice the reflector on the new KL4 had a slight defect. There is a very small "pin drop" of whatever was used to coat the reflector. Now, in fairness to Surefire, this KL4 was a "freebie" as an exchange for the original head. In that regard, maybe they use "factory seconds" in these exchange situations. My point is I have no way of knowing if Surefire's QC has declined over the years as this head was not purchased in the marketplace. The KL4 came from Surfire's repair facility. So, this observation should be taken in the context of how I received the new KL4.
The Turbo, purchased new, appeared defect free when I received it.
Again, a caveat: I am only describing my L4. I don't know if the feel of the knurling and tailcap operation on a new, "out of the box" L4 is the same now as it is on mine which was purchased years ago.
Usability:
I like the increased functionality of the different brightness modes, etc, of the Turbo. This makes it infinitely more useful for me. The L4 is what it is…a single stage light, nothing more or less. The L4 lights up the dark.
The Beam:
In my opinion, the Quark Turbo wins hands down. The new KL4 has a much less defined hotspot. To me, it is very much a spill light. That's fine in and of itself. The Turbo, on the other hand, has both. It has a brighter "center" without sacrificing spill. So, to me, the Turbo is more functional for my purposes and wins in this regard.
What really disappointed me is how purple the tint is coming from the KL4's LED. I'm not a tint freak, but I just don't care for it, at least not when compared to the Turbo's LED.
The Turbo's tint is a nice white, at least to my eyes.
Neither light exhibited any rings that I could see.
Conclusion:
At the end of the day, the primary purpose of a flashlight (in my mind) is to light up the dark. How any given light accomplishes that at any given price point, gives rise to all the choices we have today when shopping for a light. And, of course, aesthetics is a key factor when making a decision about which light to buy.
So I asked myself, assuming my LumaMax is exactly what I would get if I purchased a new one today, would I buy it? Would I spend about 175 bucks for a new L4, or is there a light of overall comparative quality for less money? No, I wouldn't buy a new L4 today. For me, the Quark Turbo is more than just "good enough", and it performs every function in a quality manner that I expect it to, all at a fair price.
Thanks again, and Happy Holidays to all....
