help with decision Fenix TK11 vs. Olight M20 Warrior Premium

[gh_83]

Hi,
I need a new flashlight and cannot really decide between the Fenix TK11 and the Olight M20 Warrior Premium.

The TK11 pros and cons in my opinion:
+ only two lightlevels
+ holster seems to be more versatile when it comes to attachment possibilities
- no clip (is there any possibility to attach a clip?)
- lower level (60 lm) perhaps a little high
- comes only in black

Olight:
+ has a clip
+ has also a 7 lm level, however how useful is this really?
+ seems to have a warmer light
- strobe
- slightly longer
- relatively new company

Of course I would love to be able to get both to compare them in reality, but unfortunately my budget is too tight. But I am sure you guys will have some excellent ideas for me that help with my decision. Especially I am unsure about the lightlevels and the clip. It would be of great help, if someone could give a comment on this.

 

[crazee horse]

i have and love the tk10, it has a great build, stonking power (technical term) and good run times. the only minor fault in my eyes is that i"d have liked another lower setting than 60lumens.
the m20 has everything the fenix has and more different modes. the battery longevity seems slightly better (on write ups at least) and the build looks great too. a 250 lumen strobe is going to have its uses! a 7 lumen low mode will be more than enough in pitch black, my fenix eo1 has blinded me on many occasions when i wake up in the middle of the night and need the rest room.

http://www.qualityflashlights.co.uk/termekekmain.php?csoportid=70
have a look at the strip down, it would appear to be upgradable.

 

[artec540]

Hi,
I need a new flashlight and cannot really decide between the Fenix TK11 and the Olight M20 Warrior Premium.

The TK11 pros and cons in my opinion:
+ only two lightlevels
+ holster seems to be more versatile when it comes to attachment possibilities
- no clip (is there any possibility to attach a clip?)
- lower level (60 lm) perhaps a little high
- comes only in black

Olight:
+ has a clip
+ has also a 7 lm level, however how useful is this really?
+ seems to have a warmer light
- strobe
- slightly longer
- relatively new company

Of course I would love to be able to get both to compare them in reality, but unfortunately my budget is too tight. But I am sure you guys will have some excellent ideas for me that help with my decision. Especially I am unsure about the lightlevels and the clip. It would be of great help, if someone could give a comment on this.

I can't help on this. I've got a TK 11 and like it fine. I've got an M 20 on order but haven't seen it so can't compare.

 

[lazerboy2000]

Bump!

I'm also trying to decide between a TK-11 and an M20 so does anybody else have thoughts on which is "better"?

 

[SupremeEye]

I have a TK11 R2.

I thought about a M20, but I can find much better things to spend a $100+ on right now than a Flashlight that is some what the same as my TK11 R2.

Eventually I may get it, but then I'll start thinking what do I do with both of them?

I don't get lights just because, I want them to serve a purpose.

 

[MilitaryPower]

I am looking for a good flashlight for work (law enforcement) and am trying to decide between these two lights as well. Keeping in mind that it would be used from room clearing to open fields. I'd like rechargeables as long as performance doesn't really suffer. I really do like the strobe, as I use it frequently on my LD20.

I have a T1 and a Malkoff 6P as well, but I want something with little bit more performance. I like the throw in the Pelican 7060, but with more flood.​

Good questions asked so far, let's keep the answers coming in!

 

[gmf2010]

The determining factor, for me, would be whether you intend to primarily use CR123s or a rechargeable 18650. The M20 has flat regulation using CR123s, but not with 18650s. From what I hear the TK11 R2 has flat regulation using the 18650 (not the case with the original TK11).

Of course the 7 lumen mode (and strobe, though not as useful) are nice to have. The low lumen mode comes in handy when you want to read a map and/or preserve your night adapted vision by keeping light output to a minimum.

So my $.02 is get the M20 if you would rather use CR123s, get the TK11 R2 if you prefer the 18650.

Good luck =)


Edit: Also, forgot to mention, the M20 comes with an Orange Peel (OP) reflector (smoother beam, more spill), but you can purchase an additional Smooth reflector for about $10.00 (more throw, beam will have more rings). With the TK11, it comes stock with a Smooth reflector and, as far as I know, there is no purchasable Orange Peel reflector accessory available, so that may factor into what you want/need in a light.

 

[Xak]

I have the M20 and it is amazing. I also got a pressure switch tail cap for it to mount on my rifle. The 7 lumen mode is more like 15lm and is plenty useful. In pitch darkness it's all you need, and if you lose power for an extended period or get stuck somewhere for weeks the low setting will run almost forever. It comes with a kick *** holster and you should get extra battery magazines for it. It can run with batteries with out the battery magazine, but having an extra magazine (or 2) is great. You can change batteries with the magazines QUICKLY in complete darkness all by feel. The UI is great for weapon mounting. It is bright as hell, has a fantastic tint, and can be had with an OP and/or a smooth reflector. The pocket clip is robust, removable, and so is the "cigar ring thingy". Oh, waterproof as well.

 

[PetaBread]

TK 11

 

[DHart]

Between these two, I'd take the M20 because having the low low and super long run time on low is valuable to me.

BUT! Do you know about the Jet III Military? That's definitely the one I would choose over these two. (And I did.) The list of features and benefits is huge. Big for me is that the Jet runs on any of these: 18650, 2*RCR123, 2*CR123. The low is amazingly low (runs for like 220 hours or something like that)... perfect for super dark situations where you just need a squeek of light. And you get instant high just with a turn of the bezel. Light has two modes A is always full high power, and B is whatever you choose to program it to be. The whichever position you have the bezel turned to, the light will start out on A or B. If you want it, it can also do srobe, SOS on different brightnesses, and signaling mode. Stainless steel bezel ring and tail cap ring. Momentary on forward clickie. Tallstands for candle mode. Throws great. Nice spill too. Very high build quality. Choice of SMO, OP, or HYBRID reflectors, choice of cool or warm emitter. (The warm emitter is remarkably incand-like... I love it.) Clip is two-way (and removeable) so you can have bezel down or up clipping, or no clip. This is an amazing light for general use, police, military. And would be my first choice in emergency, SHTF, bug out, and EOTWAWKI scenarios. I don't know of another light which even comes close.

Read selfbuilt's review and other's comments and reviews on the Jet III M.

Look into the Jet III M and you'll never look back.

 

[2benlightened]

i have a t1 and an M20 Warrior... fair to compare these?

I am a huge fenix fan and LOVED my T1 when it came... first tank generation, very tough. always will love this light.


I have to vote on the olight for 3 reasons:

a) third, low setting = lots more runtime and much better for reading; or walking in the dark without losing too much night vision. Unlike some on here, I sometimes think that even 7lms is too much... 3 or 4 would be plenty.

b) lighter and easier to hold; didn't think I'd like the cigar hold ring but now find myself using it all the time.

c) seems that the extra throw this light has hasn't really much compromised the amount of useful spill. ( I know it has an R2 and the T1 doesn't, but even so, what a beautiful beam). In fact, I have grown to prefer the warrior's "throw to spill" ratio over almost all of the lights I own... still enough spill to not trip on what's in front of you, but you aren't as blinded by the nearby spill when trying to see into the distance.


I have to say, though, that I am one of the very, very few on here that liked the look of the T1 over the TK10/11's: which is why I baby my T1 as it will be hard finding another one.

 

[hiluxxulih]

I have a Olight M20 warrior and its a pretty good light , and it takes a dunking pretty good

 

[NonSenCe]

i chose tk11 because it was cheaper than olight.
(also needed to buy it close by, had no time to wait a overseas delivery)

if thy would of been same price, i would of chosen olight just because of one more mode.

if i would be buying such a light now: i do believe that i would buy jetbeam military. the ability to choose the "right" amount of light for every occasion sounds cool.

dont get me wrong, i do like tk11, it is dead simple to use! and robust!

i hardly ever need more than burst of light and the momentary button has perfect feel to my thumb. and the 60lm mode is plenty bright most occasions to me. when i need more i can twist the head.

if you think you need the high mode constantly then the twisty head is not so convinient.

 

[sardian]

I have both. the M20 Warrior Premium and the TK11 R2, Just got them this week (Also got the JetBeam III Millitary today).

I guess it all depends on what you want to do with it. If I only could keep one of them I would keep the M20 just because it's more fun to play around with. Having more modes (a long runtime on low) and a strobe. I also have both reflectors for the M20 (Smooth and OP).

I find that the M20 with the OP reflector gives about the same beam size on close and distant objects as the TK11 does with it's smooth reflector. With the smooth reflector in the M20 it has better throw with a very small main beam. For me the smooth reflector is fun to play with and would be good for search at long distance but the beam is so small for every day use that I wouldn't keep it in as my main reflector. At 50 yards and less it's very tight and bright, the hot spot in a room is so bright it makes it hard to make the spill usefull. Also, at 100 yards the OP reflector gives plenty of light in it's main beam. And again, with the OP in the M20 you get about the same light as the TK11 R2 so it really comes down to what features you want.

I have decided to use my TK11 at work every day. To me it feels like it would be a tougher light to abuse for every day use. ( I also don't want to mess up my M20 ;-) And only having two modes makes it easy to use the lower mode for most of my work and quickly turn it to turbo for when I need extra light. I don't need a strobe at work either (Service Plumber).

It's a hard call. They both are nice lights. I like the UI of the M20, but for practical use the TK11's two modes are fine. I guess thats why I bought both

 

[droeun]

I love the user interface of the M20 - just received mine last week & I love it. The orange peel reflector that came with it throws a very smooth & far beam, much farther than you'd expect. I'm using AW RCR123a's that are a bit wider than primaries so they don't quite fit in the magazine but they don't rattle either. I love the 3 different modes, but lack of regulation on 18650's might be a deal breaker for some, not for me though since I have both. I can't speak for the TK11 but I don't think you'd be disappointed with the M20. Batteryjunction.com has the hyper-white R2 WD version but their return policy sucks and is only 7 days if you don't like it - 4sevens has the warmer R2 WH with a 30-day return policy but it might look a little green to some people.

Here are some nice pics of M20 & TK11 beamshots:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=221847

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=215906

 

[civic77]

Sardian or anyone with the Jetbeam and the Fenix, how does the throw on the Jetbeam Military compare with the Tk11 and M20? What type of tint and reflector do you have in your Jetbeam?

I got ordered the Military Q3 with hybrid reflector and received it about a week ago. I think they sent me the smooth reflector though, never seen a picture of the hybrid reflector but looks smooth to me and the hotspot seems very small and tight. I previously had a Jetbeam III Pro with an OP reflector and was much happier with the beam profile and the throw seemed to match my Military.

Also is there a noticable difference in the overall brightness of the Jetbeam and the Tk11 R2? I know the Q3 isn't as efficient and bright as an R2 and I've been thinking of getting the TK11 for a long time. Does it have alot more flood and larger spot than the military?

 

[DHart]

Sardian or anyone with the Jetbeam and the Fenix, how does the throw on the Jetbeam Military compare with the Tk11 and M20? What type of tint and reflector do you have in your Jetbeam?

I got ordered the Military Q3 with hybrid reflector and received it about a week ago. I think they sent me the smooth reflector though, never seen a picture of the hybrid reflector but looks smooth to me and the hotspot seems very small and tight. I previously had a Jetbeam III Pro with an OP reflector and was much happier with the beam profile and the throw seemed to match my Military.

Also is there a noticable difference in the overall brightness of the Jetbeam and the Tk11 R2? I know the Q3 isn't as efficient and bright as an R2 and I've been thinking of getting the TK11 for a long time. Does it have alot more flood and larger spot than the military?

civic... I can't compare my Jet III M to a Fenix as I don't have one. But perhaps I can help clarify a little about the Jet III M. I have a Jet III M with hybrid reflector and warm (Q3) emitter. On the hybrid reflector, there is not much to see for texture... it looks "fairly" smooth to me, but I think by comparison, it's not as smooth as the "smooth" nor as textured as the OP. ;-) I do know that for the most part, Jets are known for being strong in throw, regardless of the reflector. As I understand it, choosing an OP reflector with a Jet doesn't do much to reduce throw, but does soften the typical CREE rings.

As for tint, the warm emitter that you can get a Jet III M with is very incandescent looking, VERY. For those who want a warm, incandescent look to the color, the warm emitter in the Jet III M will be very pleasing. On the other hand, if you prefer the color rendition given by a typically cool LED, go for the standard Q5 emitter.

Not sure if I've helped answer your question at all, but hopefully given a little more perspective.

 

[phantom23]

Here are some nice pics of M20 & TK11 beamshots:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=221847
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=215906

And here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=214238

 

[sardian]

Sardian or anyone with the Jetbeam and the Fenix, how does the throw on the Jetbeam Military compare with the Tk11 and M20? What type of tint and reflector do you have in your Jetbeam?

I got ordered the Military Q3 with hybrid reflector and received it about a week ago. I think they sent me the smooth reflector though, never seen a picture of the hybrid reflector but looks smooth to me and the hotspot seems very small and tight. I previously had a Jetbeam III Pro with an OP reflector and was much happier with the beam profile and the throw seemed to match my Military.

Also is there a noticable difference in the overall brightness of the Jetbeam and the Tk11 R2? I know the Q3 isn't as efficient and bright as an R2 and I've been thinking of getting the TK11 for a long time. Does it have alot more flood and larger spot than the military?

I have the hybrid reflector. It does look smooth but if you look closely you'll see a difference in texture near the bulb (very hard to see). I find it gives about the same beam size and similar throw as the M20 with it's smooth reflector, but not as bright to me as the M20. I have the standard tint bulb which is much cooler than either the M20 or TK11 which are about the same to me.

The TK11 has a much wider main beam than the JetIIIM but doesn't have as much throw. But the TK11 seems brighter at closer distances, I guess because of it's beam is wider.

You can get the best of both with the M20 and buying it's smooth reflector (it comes with the OP reflector). The M20 has about the same beam size with it's OP reflector as the TK11 and it's smooth reflector and by adding the smooth reflector to the M20 you get about the same beam size as the JetIIIM but with a brighter, more pleasing spot (and to me a better UI).

With all that said, the JetIIIM is a nice light and I feel it will be easier to carry in my pocket since it seems smoother and will slide in and out of my pocket easier. And even with it's lower rated bulb it very comparable to the M20 and TK11. I also like how it can tail stand and the stainless steel ends is nice. I do wish it had a warmer tint but from what I have seen I think it's warm option when I ordered would have been warmer than I want. In all I like it.

Here is a photo of my hybrid reflector in my JetIIIM:

3 Lights together:

 

[corrections operator]

I've handled the M 20 and the TK 11. Of those two, the M 20 gets a slight nod over the Fenix. M 20 is certainly more versatile, comes with a geat holster, and just looks great. The Fenix feels like it could withstand the coming zombie apocalypse with nary a scratch and in my opinion would make a better weapons light.

That being said, I actually ended up purchasing a JetBeam IIIM. I believe it is a superior light to the Fenix and Olight. Same price range, not quite as bright, but completely adjustable output including strobe. Great fit and finish and the buyer has the option of a warm or cool tint LED. FWIW, I have the OP reflector and the cool tint LED. Very satisfied with the purchase.