ITP EOS vs Quark Minis ? Who handled both ?

[Cruzer23]

Hey guys !
I am trying to find a good reason to pay 40$ for a quark instead of a 25 dollar ITP A2.

Is there anyone here who has both and can tell me if the quality difference is vast ?



I am talking pure usefulness, not from a collection standpoint... Collections never end anyway


Basically - Quality wise, are the quarks and ITP's comparable ? (build, reliability, output )
I know 4Sevens is probably more reputable by name, but can the ITP fight it ?
The A2 EOS has GREAT runtimes and that's what I need.

 

[photonstorm]

I have both. I prefer the Quark MiNi for these reasons:

better knurling vs grooves for a twisty light operation
tail stands
10 yr warranty with great Cust Serv
hidden strobe and beacon modes
shipping is included
nicer packaging if gifting
option of the warm white emitter
lanyard with a great strong clip
latest and most efficient XP-G R5 emitter
unbelievably bright with 14500 cell
CPF8 discount code at 4sevens.com works out $35
better value overall IMO

If your still unsure buy both and keep the one you prefer
Either light makes a great gift

 

[Gregozedobe]

I've had both, and I found the biggest difference is the LEDs and output on high (I have no interest whatsoever in any "flashing" modes).

The QminiAA I bought had a really green tint, so much so I traded it after a couple of months. The XPG had a noticeably larger hotspot and is much brighter on High.

I thought the Qmini got hot very quickly running flatout with a 14500 lion rechargeable, so much so I didn't use it for more than about a minute.

In terms of which is best value for you, I guess it depends on your cost/brightness/runtime preferences, they are both good lights.

 

[tucolino]

I have both. I prefer the Quark MiNi for these reasons:

better knurling vs grooves for a twisty light operation
tail stands
10 yr warranty with great Cust Serv
hidden strobe and beacon modes
shipping is included
nicer packaging if gifting
option of the warm white emitter
lanyard with a great strong clip
latest and most efficient XP-G R5 emitter
unbelievably bright with 14500 cell
CPF8 discount code at 4sevens.com works out $35
better value overall IMO

If your still unsure buy both and keep the one you prefer
Either light makes a great gift

+1.well,that sums pretty much everything!!
the only thing i miss (a lot)from the minis is a clip.

 

[Cruzer23]

I have both. I prefer the Quark MiNi for these reasons:

better knurling vs grooves for a twisty light operation
tail stands
10 yr warranty with great Cust Serv
hidden strobe and beacon modes
shipping is included
nicer packaging if gifting
option of the warm white emitter
lanyard with a great strong clip
latest and most efficient XP-G R5 emitter
unbelievably bright with 14500 cell
CPF8 discount code at 4sevens.com works out $35
better value overall IMO

If your still unsure buy both and keep the one you prefer
Either light makes a great gift

Interesting, thanks !!!

 

[vizlor]

I have a couple of both and they are good in their own ways. I have had the quark minis fail on me and so have many other on the forums but this is not really an issue, as 4sevens warranty is excellent.

I think that the iTP lights are an increadible value while the Quark MiNi's are still great for what you pay. I'd let the dession come down to which design I prefer if I would choose between the two as I don't think the modes, build quality and features differ enough to be of relevance. Of course, this is my personal opinion and preferens. I love both lights.

 

[fugleebeast]

As others have mentioned, it's a $15 difference on paper but with the CPF discount and free shipping from 4Sevens, it's a lot less than that.

If you can live without a pocket clip, I'd definitely go with the Mini. The tailstanding is quite useful and the limited Warm editions are simply awesome. Actually, if you go with a Warm Mini, you even save an extra $2 because of the "green" packaging so it's about $34 + free shipping.

 

[shark_za]

If you want to wear it around your neck the iTP hangs better with its centrally located mount point.
To counter that the Qmini can tailstand and the iTP not.

The Qmini's are more knurled that the smooth iTP's. This is pure aesthetics.

I'd say reliability is dead heat, the circuits are so close I would say they come from the same factory or supplier.


The only real difference is the use of the XP-G R5 over the XP-E Q5 in the iTP.
Is this worth the extra $10 to you?
The Qmini is a little more floody but the iTP has a very practical beam profile.

The ranges overlap with the AA and 123, 47 has the CR2 and iTP the AAA and its these models on the ends that really make them stand out.

The 123's in 47's have reported to skip and not make the cleanest of contact, I have seen the same on my iTP so I would avoid that model in both ranges if I had the choice (I dont cos I'm a flashaholic and must have them)

So you are really just comparing the AA's.

My warm AA is arriving soon, I cant comment on it till I have it in hand and even then its academic because of the very specialised colour.

I LOVE my iTP AA, I dont think you will get a 50% better light so price wise the iTP is a winner.

 

[Zendude]

Yeah, build quality is identical. I do like the knurling on the mini better but miss the clip. You will get better runtime with the mini because of the lower Vf of the XP-G. Is it worth the price difference? Depends on your priorities.

I gifted the A2 and kept the mini.

 

[Let It Bleed]

Except for the ridiculously high shipping, the Maratac costs the same as an iTP. They are basically the same light except the Maratac has knurling and will tailstand.

I prefer the Maratac, but the only place I know to get them is online at CountyComm. They will only ship UPS, so it costs more and takes longer.

But they do have a beautiful Copper AAA Maratac that you should at least take a gander. There is also a thread with pictures that shouldn't be hard to find.

For a keychain, I would get a AAA iTP or Quark Mini CR2. In AA, I went with the Maratac. And I also got a copper AAA to make the shipping cost a little less onerous.

 

[ergotelis]

I have quark mini AA and A2 eos SS. I like both,but my keychain is A2 due to SS. I don't see any difference in total output, though SS throws further. Mini has hidden modes and some other plus, but A2 isn't that bad either!

 

[Chauncey Gardner]

Shark za summed it up pretty well.

I wear a ti A3 around my neck on a 10440 & keep a Mini AA warm white (ti) in a pocket a lot of the time.
Another ti mini 123 sees a lot of use too. Threads can be a bit iffy, bad or perfect on the mini's that are ti, but a lot of the time that is not hard to remed (unless they are sloppy loose).

The AA Mini feels just about perfect in the hand or pocket, the A3 around the neck just disapears. They are both pretty close (surprisingly to me) performers (for a short period of time) on lithium ion rechageables.

Those are my favorites of the lot so far, but the warm CR2 has not arrived yet...

Both are great lines of lights, but the little ti Quarks are almost like pocket jewelery when you get a winner.

The little ti A3 goes everywhere though:thumbsup:.

Best advice is to get a bunch, the merchants here will take care of any issues.

 

[bjt3833]

I have a mini 123 and a1 SS so it isn't the AA size you are looking at but here are my opinions.

If you were going to use it as a neck light I would hands down choose the ITP for the lug. I also like the threads better on the ITP. I have not handled the AL version though so their threads may not be as good as the SS threads.

The mini is a little brighter and has a wider hotspot. But the threads have a good bit more play in them than the ITP does. I have to do just a smidgen short of a full half turn to not be able to press on the head and it come on.

Mind you the minis don't seem to have the thread play in the AA version due to the smaller diameter.

So if I were to buy an AA version of one I would buy the itp in stainless if you wanted to wear it otherwise buy the mini

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

I never ever tailstand any of my torches and I cover them all with grip heatshrink so the better knurling and tailstand aspects of the Quark are negated.

That basically leaves the decision for me down to the emitter, the UI and the fact that the keychain lug is in the middle of the Eos, just where I want it. I prefer the tints and spots on my ITP EOS's and I much much much prefer the fact that they are not complicated by strobes etc. I also super super love the fact that my A3 Eos comes on in medium mode. My A2 on 14500 throws surprisingly well. My A1 Eos seems to have the same thread play issues as the Mini 123, both fixable with a dash of thread tape.

 

[Cole07]

It really comes down to the emitter type. The XP-E will throw further with a tighter beam but the XP-G is a little more efficient with more spill. I have heard that iTP actually manfuactures all the Olights, iTPs (obviously), and the 4sevens lights. So quality/reliability should be the same. Keep in mind the 10 year warranty on the 4sevens and the minimal 2 year on the iTP. I have an A3 EOS and I love it! Great purchase. All comes down to what you prefer.

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

I have heard that iTP actually manfuactures all the Olights, iTPs (obviously), and the 4sevens lights.

I may be barking up altogether the wrong tree here but I'd be surprised if iTP manufacture anything. I would have thought that iTP torches, like so many other torch brands, are manufactured by some nebulous Chinese manufacturing plant/s that ain't named after any torch "brand" at all.

 

[Cole07]

All Olights, 4sevens, and iTPs are made in China. I'm not 100% sure if I'm right about being made by the same company though. That's just something I thought I read not to long ago. I could be wrong.

 

[Woods Walker]

Hey guys !
I am trying to find a good reason to pay 40$ for a quark instead of a 25 dollar ITP A2.

Is there anyone here who has both and can tell me if the quality difference is vast ?



I am talking pure usefulness, not from a collection standpoint... Collections never end anyway


Basically - Quality wise, are the quarks and ITP's comparable ? (build, reliability, output )
I know 4Sevens is probably more reputable by name, but can the ITP fight it ?
The A2 EOS has GREAT runtimes and that's what I need.

I have handled both AAs and they are about the same in practical terms. I got a feeling iTP makes both but this is speculation. In any case I guess it comes down to what works best for you. The Mini comes in XP-G R4-R5 and the A2 uses a XP-E Q5. The Mini can tail stand, the iTP A2 not so much. The Mini has warmer tinted LED options. The lanyard hole is in a different position in each light. The iTP has a clip but the Mini feels less slippery do to the texture of the body. Both A2 and Mini can be had for less with discount codes posted within CPF. Both lights seem to have the same runtimes but never timed them.

I like the Mini better but also think the A2 is good.

 

[red02]

Except for the ridiculously high shipping, the Maratac costs the same as an iTP. They are basically the same light except the Maratac has knurling and will tailstand.

I prefer the Maratac, but the only place I know to get them is online at CountyComm. They will only ship UPS, so it costs more and takes longer.

But they do have a beautiful Copper AAA Maratac that you should at least take a gander. There is also a thread with pictures that shouldn't be hard to find.

For a keychain, I would get a AAA iTP or Quark Mini CR2. In AA, I went with the Maratac. And I also got a copper AAA to make the shipping cost a little less onerous.

+1, go for the maratac.

The AA I've got turns on from nearly dead cells, a big plus for me.

The clip is great; I've almost lost my Q123-2 due to the clip bending, but the maratac clip seems much stronger.

Can't say enough good things about it.

 

[HarveyRich]

I have the itP 3A and have gifted the iTP A2. I also have three MiNi's, the 123, the AA, and the Cr2. So, I have plenty of experience with all of these lights. With li-ion cells all of them throw out an amazing amount of light. Personally, I like the beam profile of the MiNis better because they are designed for the XPG-R5 led. There's an excellent balance between spill and throw and the hot spot is usefully much larger. I also prefer the knurling as it feels better as a twisty in my hand. That's not to say the itP isn't OK. It's just not as nice a feel for twisting.

For pocket use, I must say that the MiNi Cr2 is extraordinary for its power and small size. That's my favorite as an edc. I used to carry the itP 3A, but now it's the MiNi Cr2. Unfortunately, both take unprotected batteries when using li-ions, since there are no useful protected ones made. I also carry the MiNi 123 in my pocket occasionally. I have had no problem with thread skipping on any of my MiNis. I have carried the MiNi AA in my pocket. It seems large to me, especially when compared to the Cr2 model. However, the AA version of both itP and MiNi flashlights can use Alkalines and NiMH batteries, which may be useful and more versatile for some persons.