Looking for a new 18650 thrower...

[bbb74]

I'm looking for a very throwy light, mostly just for spotlighting stuff at night for fun.

I already have a TK41 and a TK22. The 41 definitely throws better than the 22 (the 22 is a great general purpose walking light), but I'm looking for something hopefully at least as good as the 41, but in a smaller package. Can you guys give me some options in the

1 x 18650 and
2-4 x 18650 size?

Don't care as much about overall lumens, I guess 1000 is about standard for a single emitter light these days. Lights with multiple emitters are getting pretty big and probably too pricey for me.

Needs to be a good quality brand with a good reputation for reliability such as fenix, eagletac, maybe nitecore

 

[zs&tas]

Olight m2x and m3xs ut. All the way.

 

[bbb74]

Olight m2x and m3xs ut. All the way.

M3xs has a whole lotta lux! What is olight quality like compared to the other brands I mentioned? And are their stats reliable like fenix&eagletac?

Just stumbled onto the eagletac M30LC2 as well.

 

[Aldiggi]

That Olight is great but I went with the Armytek Predator Pro V3 XP-L HI. I was in the same boat as you. Looking for an 18650 thrower. I am super happy with my decision.

 

[BLUE LED]

Olight m2x and m3xs ut are both good choices. Alternatives are Nitecore TM27 and Ace Beam T20, both are XP-L HI V3. The T20 has a neutral colour temperature.

 

[CelticCross74]

If you are looking for KILLER throw Im talking 160000+ CD then its M2X UT and M3XS-UT all day long all off of 1x18650 with the option for 2x18650. M3XS-UT is so concentrated you could land aircraft with it

Olight quality in my experience is top shelf Surefire killing quality. I have 5 Olights the SR52, SR52UT, R40, M2X and M3XS-UT they are all perfectly made and they all crank like hell. My favorite is the SR52UT its got a massive beam and has a 200000+CD concentrated throw to boot but it runs off of 3 18650.

If you want to keep things Armytek by all means get the V2 Barracuda XP-L.

 

[zs&tas]

M3xs has a whole lotta lux! What is olight quality like compared to the other brands I mentioned? And are their stats reliable like fenix&eagletac?

Just stumbled onto the eagletac M30LC2 as well.

All my olights have been good quality same as fenix. Used my m22 as a hammer once too.........

 

[BLUE LED]

M25C2vnT - Best Single*18650 Thrower. 580,000 Lux

 

[Aldiggi]

Also depends on what form factor you are looking for.

 

[Aldiggi]

Damn that EagleTac sounds crazy!!!

 

[swan]

If you already have the tk41 which is about 60kcd [500metres] you might as well get something that beats that.

If you want serious throw, go for the Olight M2X-UT in 1 x 18650 [ i have two of these] this is the best single cell thrower 160 kcd [ 800 metres throw] this will crush the tk41 for throw and make it look as though it has flat batteries .Tiny in comparison to the tk.

In the bigger size 2-3 18650 size Olight M3XS UT 250kcd [1000 metres throw] or the Thrunite TN32 ut 272kcd [1043 metre throw] a big light but very impressive.

 

[Parrot Quack]

I'm looking for a very throwy light, mostly just for spotlighting stuff at night for fun.

I already have a TK41 and a TK22. The 41 definitely throws better than the 22 (the 22 is a great general purpose walking light), but I'm looking for something hopefully at least as good as the 41, but in a smaller package. Can you guys give me some options in the

1-18650 and
2-4 x 18650 size?

Don't care as much about overall lumens, I guess 1000 is about standard for a single emitter light these days. Lights with multiple emitters are getting pretty big and probably too pricey for me.

Needs to be a good quality brand with a good reputation for reliability such as fenix, eagletac, maybe nitecore

1-18650 a MH20.

2-18650, a Nitecore EC4

4-18650, a Nitecore TM16GT (for a good price, in a group buy)

 

[bbb74]

Thanks all.

M25C2vnT - Best Single*18650 Thrower. 580,000 Lux

Lol yeah that looks good but after converting from USD is going to be out of my budget

If you are looking for KILLER throw Im talking 160000+ CD then its M2X UT and M3XS-UT all day long all off of 1x18650 with the option for 2x18650. M3XS-UT is so concentrated you could land aircraft with it

Olight quality in my experience is top shelf Surefire killing quality. I have 5 Olights the SR52, SR52UT, R40, M2X and M3XS-UT they are all perfectly made and they all crank like hell. My favorite is the SR52UT its got a massive beam and has a 200000+CD concentrated throw to boot but it runs off of 3 18650.

If you want to keep things Armytek by all means get the V2 Barracuda XP-L.

A few people have suggested the M2X-UT for 1x18650 and it is looking like the best choice Questions...

- What did the customise on the xp-l led? Dedome? Why not a xp-l hi?
- The review I read (http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...020lm-XM-L2-Dedomed-18650-2xCR123A-810m-throw!!!) ) has a "stabilisation" section with different brightness for different battery voltages, is this indicating that the light is basically direct drive rather than regulated?

 

[swan]

The first m2xut originally had a xml2 dedomed and thin coat of sealer over the die which was done by olight them selves.

The current model has the xpl dedomed and thin coating of sealer over the die which was also done in house.

Why did they do this- i dont know but it could of been a supply issue with the proper xpl v3 hi , very hard to get and sold out in most places. I would offer another theory that say if the only led available at the time, was the cree xpl hi v2 bin which is 4 bins less bright than an xml2 u4 or the xpl v6 bin and just did not have enough grunt.

Regulation on the high mode with a single cell will show a direct drive like pattern because of the wide voltage input 3v- 8.40 volts. The lower levels run flat reg.
This light will run almost flat reg if you use 2 x 18650 with an optional extender, because of the higher voltage and be brighter.
Cree states on their data sheet that from 25 degrees c to 80 c led temp you will lose approx 10-12 % through heat .Even Zebralight which have some of the best/most efficient drivers in the business cant run flat regulation on a single cell in the turbo mode either.
What i do with mine is use 2 x 18350 high drain cells instead of 1x 18650 so it will only lose approx 10% output/candela right down into lower voltage, to hell with runtimes i want highest power and lux.

I use a big light for run times ,this is fun single cell light that throws like a big one.

 

[pvsampson]

This may surprise many here,but I will recommend the Olight M2X and M3XS as well. M2X with extender will increase run time,but needs to be modified if you want to use the cigar ring,ie:cut it down a little.

If I had to choose....M3XS all the way.That front switch just works easier than the M2X twist head UI.

 

[jercdevil]

How about a compact 18650 thrower?

 

[BLUE LED]

The Olight M2X-UT tint is a bit green because it's not a true XP-L HI.

Compact 18650 thrower.
Armytek Predator Pro LE XP-L HI
You might get a good one?

 

[MartinDWhite]

Malkoff HoundDog in XML or XPG

The HoudDog 18650 can run off a single 18350 in an MD1 host and be a very compact thrower.

 

[yoyoman]

The Malkoff MDX22.3-M61HOT head is even smaller and can run off a single 18350 in an MD1 host. Slim head and small body would disappear in your pocket.

Both of these heads would run off a single 18650 in a stock MD2 host for good throw, long runtimes and robustness.

 

[KeepingItLight]

How about a compact 18650 thrower?

There are already a few good recommendations above. I'm thinking of the Olight and Eagletac models in particular.

On the budget side, consider the BLF Limited Edition X6 and X5 Flashlight Set. The group buy at BLF is just about to start shipping. The X6 sports a Cree XP-L HI emitter, FET+1 driver, ToyKeeper's Bistro firmware, and double springs for higher current draw. It's a good one.

The BLF Special Edition D80 is another diminutive thrower designed by members of BLF. The coupon code for it is now public. Anyone can use it. As shipped, the D80 will accept only a couple of brands of protected 18650 batteries. As the driver has no over-discharge protection, some were concerned by this. In response, the maker is now producing an optional body tube that is slightly longer. Using the optional body tube, all protected batteries should fit.