Malkoff M61 / M61N as Do-it-all lights

[kerneldrop]

For clarity I prefer a cool beam for that reason but felt like the NL is a great comprimise between the relaxed state the W produces versus the intensity of the cool beam.

Exactly how I see it, too.
The form factor usually determines which light I pick...I never think about the tint.
I probably would think more about the tint if I was going to use it for an extended period of time.

Social media massively pushes warmer tints...we'll see if that influences Elzetta and Surefire to do something other than white on down the road. Look at what Oveready did...they started an LED indoctrination that anything over 4000K is awful. I was told my 4500K XPL is the most awful tint to ever be created...I dunno, looks fine to me?

 

[pnwoutdoors]

But I also find satisfaction in using just one light for almost everything, not because it's the best one for each task specifically but it's the one that's there and it's good enough. You can rely on it to do the same thing every time. It becomes a companion. Rather than pulling out a handful of different tools all the time ...

That's why I ended up with the Malkoff M61W.

It's not as bright as the M91 series, nor the hotter Malkoff "thrower" LEDs. At distance, the cool variants can seemingly give sharper contrast. But my own M61W's are used daily. For daily carry, defensive use (all-metal w/ crenelated ring), for indoor use in darker spaces. It's a bit overpowering if used closely for up-close work, but held off at an angle it provides plenty of light without overpowering. There are all sorts of cheapie LED lights available nowadays that double or triple the output, but those can either be of lower quality or utterly overpower anything within a couple of yards. The M61W turns out to be such a decent single-choice light that it's become my only one (almost), my daily go-to for everything.

Though I do have a MagLite-based LED LambdaLights 2DXMLPU thrower using 2xD NiMH cells and the Cree XM-L T6 LED, purchased about 10yrs ago. For outdoors where I need a solid thrower. It's heavy and utilitarian-appearing, with a great beam.

 

[Cree XHP 70 LED]

I have both. M61 and M61N. They are good lights, but I have been using my E2XT for the first 2 hours of each day before the sun comes up. I like to be able to see a couple hundred yards.

 

[ekardscribner73]

Thanks for the great conversation. I've ordered an M61N and M61NL to see which one works best for me as a daily carry on an MD3. Cheers!

 

[Cree XHP 70 LED]

Thanks for the great conversation. I've ordered an M61N and M61NL to see which one works best for me as a daily carry on an MD3. Cheers!

 

[ekardscribner73]

You guys are awesome, and this thread was engaging and thought-provoking.

Got my M61N and M61NL today. I had begun to think that I had over-hyped the abilities of the T lights, that the standard M61 would throw the same but just with more spill. I was dead wrong. Outside on a clifftop I don't see as much of a difference. However, when there is competing illumination, or there are objects in the foreground lit by spill, the M61N seems to just dissipate. The M61T is where it is at for me. I wanted the beautiful M61N reflector beam but I think I'll stick to lower-output modules for that, like the LLs or even LLLLs.

For anyone curious, here's an approximate current draw (ma) of some of the lights I have, all running CR123 primaries.

MD3
M61T - 625
M61N- 780 / 85
M61NL - 265 / 85
WM61LLLL - 40

MD2
M61T - 830
M61N - 940 / 43
M61NL - 320 / 43
WM61LLLL - 45

 

[Buck91]

Sorry, but the M91BN made most of the M61 models obsolete IMHO, as long as you're not running 2-3 CR123 primaries. A superior floody beam, more useful overall compared to the somewhat-better throw of the M61.

Modestly beats the M61 on the M91B's "reduced"-output 1xLiIon config (& simply buries it on 2xLiIon), can even get mega long runtimes on 1xCR123 and specific 2xAA configurations when desired.
The "easter egg" revised driver (compared to the M91A) was a game changer.

Can you elaborate on the <2S voltage performance? Specifically, 2x17500 vs 2xAA. In a C3/9P body what is the optimal battery configuration?

 

[Megalamuffin]

I have the m61n in my c2 today as opposed to the usual m61w. The n is really nice, there's nothing bad to say about it. The tint is better than every other neutral I have except sw45k, but it's brighter and the m61 reflector is the best general purpose reflector out there.

 

[NutSAK]

I go back to what I mentioned before....operating room lights are pure white.
If cool was inferior, it wouldn't be in there.

Surgical lights are typically between 4000 and 5000 Kelvin, with some exeptions. Generally that's considered neutral in relation to flashlights, not cool.

I prefer that same range for my flashlights, and I consider the M61 and M61L in any tint to be do-it-all lights, if they have the hi-low ring. For my uses, higher CRI is more important than an exact tint. I would go outside the neutral range if it meant higher CRI.

 

[kerneldrop]

For my uses, higher CRI is more important than an exact tint.

I find that tint greatly influences rendering in high CRI emitters. I can take the same emitter — whether it's a 219b, 519a, 351– in various cct and the color rendering will be different. A color chart shows the dramatic rendering differences the various tints produce.

The OR lights around here are white-blue…at least that's what my wife describes them as.

 

[NutSAK]

I find that tint greatly influences rendering in high CRI emitters. I can take the same emitter — whether it's a 219b, 519a, 351– in various cct and the color rendering will be different. A color chart shows the dramatic rendering differences the various tints produce.

The OR lights around here are white-blue…at least that's what my wife describes them as.

I don't have first-hand experience with OR lights, I just go by what my lighting supplier tells me. I'm sure there are exceptions, and sorry your wife has to deal with the blue.

Tint does indeed influence the rendering of the spectrum, no doubt.

 

[Trout River]

To answer your first question, where am I taking the light? If I am going out in the woods for me no way. If there weren't other humans and animals then sure the M61 would work.

I'm always taking a Hound Dog Super. Plus a E2XT OR E2XTD head for ease of carry vs. potency in the woods, but im not lugging the large lights around as an EDC either. To answer your second question, about 4000K to 4500K the higher CRI the better. If we're wanting to accurately see what we're looking at obviously that makes sense. By the bed each night is an E2XT or E2XTD on a 16650, and a 4000K SST-20 AA. Bathroom trips are better now at night at 0.3 lumens. That is plenty of light for me to see well with night adapted eyes.

So basically that is why I have ten Malkoff's. Different tools different jobs. However, I overlap and like I said if there were no bears, and people an M61N or M61 would work for most things.

 

[NutSAK]

After using my M91 regularly for a while, I'm going to have to agree with those who have said that it is the best Malkoff all-rounder, paired with an MD3 body. I've basically retired the M61/MD2 I've been using for years in favor of it.

On 1xLi-Ion, it's great for around the house with dark-adapted eyes on low. On 2xLi-Ion, it's a great level for outdoors on low. Both setups are as bright as you ever really need on high for an all-rounder.

 

[Buck91]

After using my M91 regularly for a while, I'm going to have to agree with those who have said that it is the best Malkoff all-rounder, paired with an MD3 body. I've basically retired the M61/MD2 I've been using for years in favor of it.

On 1xLi-Ion, it's great for around the house with dark-adapted eyes on low. On 2xLi-Ion, it's a great level for outdoors on low. Both setups are as bright as you ever really need on high for an all-rounder.

What cell do you use for 1s in the md3?

 

[NutSAK]

What cell do you use for 1s in the md3?

18650 + Oveready's 18340 dummy cell. Malkoff's CR123 dummy will work as well.

 

[ledbetter]

md3 m91b with hi/lo a dummy or two and a 2 aa sleeve and you can run a big variety of batteries and at different outputs. With this set up you really don't need any other light but that's not as much fun.

 

[Jfowler]

I currently have 2 MD2's w/ M61N + Hi/Lo. One sits on the night stand, the other by the back door. I think they are the perfect "house light". I keep them set to low, and you can hand it to any non-flashlight person and they can use them without lengthy explanation of the UI. I run mine on 2x18350, but they can obviously handle many battery combinations.

My question - The Neutral M91b is interesting. When run on 2x18350, is it a worth while upgrade in output over my M61N's?

 

[PoliceScannerMan]

I would say no, but it is definitely brighter.

 

[NutSAK]

I currently have 2 MD2's w/ M61N + Hi/Lo. One sits on the night stand, the other by the back door. I think they are the perfect "house light".

These are the duties my M61N/MD2/hi-lo served perfectly for years before I replaced it with the M91BN/MD3. It is more versatile, because it acts like the M61 did on low, but is much brighter on high (with 1 or 2 Li-ion). That's before you consider the many more cell options you have with M91B/MD3 as ledbetter mentioned.

If I were a person that used an MD2 as an EDC, the MD3 would not really be an option as a replacement. But since my MD2 use is as a "house" light or outdoor light around the property/neighborhood, the extra length really makes very little difference. Now that I think about it, my unwillingness to EDC such a light actually precludes me from calling it "do-it-all".

I'm the only one that uses that light around here. I have simpler Malkoff legos placed around the house for other members of the household that don't have high/low switches and generally run on simpler cell setups--mostly 2xAA NiMH. They just want to hit the button and light things up, and not get into the details of cell maintenance and such. But, since your household is used to M61/MD2/hi-low operation, they wouldn't find the operation of M61B/MD3/hi-low operation any different.

 

[kerneldrop]

My question - The Neutral M91b is interesting. When run on 2x18350, is it a worth while upgrade in output over my M61N's?

Do you want more lumens or more runtime? You can't have both.
One is twice as bright, one lasts twice as long. (Not exactly, but think of it like that)

The XP-L emitter in the M91 handles more current than the SST20 emitter.
I vote with @PoliceScannerMan
I'll generally choose runtime.

With all that said, M91T is the light on my night stand.