Manufacturer Comparison Wanted.

[Erik Mejia]

Hello everyone.

I'm looking to expand my current collection of flashlights mostly consisting of Fenix brand lights (E21, TK11, TK15, TK21, TK35) and a Novatac Special Ops.

I'd like to expand my collection with quality flashlights from other manufacturers. While I love my Fenix lights, I'd like to improve my collections variety. How do the following manufacturers compare to Fenix in build quality/ durability, performance, and reliability? Thank you for your honest opinions.

Olight
FourSevens
Eagletac
Sunwayman
HDS
Led Lenser

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

Most if not all LED lensers are not regulated so they dim over time and aren't very good quality, there ok and pretty tuff but not like higher end stuff.

Foursevens, Jet-beam and Sunwayman should all be comparable to Fenix and there all FL1 and IPX-8 rated.

HDS is pretty different, indestructible with a programmable UI and a lot more expensive.

 

[shelm]

level good: Olight, ITP, 4Sevens, Eagletac
level very good: Jetbeam, Niteye, Klarus, Niteman (=Sunawayman), nitecore

Xeno has impressive construction and build quality but cheap UI.

Fenix, i would say, is on level good. I've seen eccentric LED's and greenish tints, i.e. tint lottery, on the same Fenix flashlight model, which means that Fenix faces the same production challenges as anyone else on level good (and on level very good).

no big following of LED Lenser on cpf.

HDS? heavy clunky lights (for a 1xCR123 flashlight). Expensive but affordable .. i guess

 

[Erik Mejia]

level good: Olight, ITP, 4Sevens, Eagletac
level very good: Jetbeam, Niteye, Klarus, Niteman (=Sunawayman), nitecore

Xeno has impressive construction and build quality but cheap UI.

Fenix, i would say, is on level good. I've seen eccentric LED's and greenish tints, i.e. tint lottery, on the same Fenix flashlight model, which means that Fenix faces the same production challenges as anyone else on level good (and on level very good).

no big following of LED Lenser on cpf.

HDS? heavy clunky lights (for a 1xCR123 flashlight). Expensive but affordable .. i guess

Thank you all for the feedback. And for providing more quality choices for me to choose from.

Can you explain the Sunwayman = Niteman? Is one a division of the other? Also you mentioned Xeno has cheap interfaces, can you explain?

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

Thank you all for the feedback. And for providing more quality choices for me to choose from.

Can you explain the Sunwayman = Niteman? Is one a division of the other? Also you mentioned Xeno has cheap interfaces, can you explain?

I think he was making a joke with niteman? the company is Sunwayman.

Most of Xeno's interfaces just change modes when turned off and on.

Jet-beam and nitecore are the same company and niteye is tied in there some how to but its a different company with the same manufacturer or something.

And Olight makes all of Foursevens aluminum parts.

Also I wouldn't but from Niteyes product stealing company.

 

[Ezeriel]

Olight - FourSevens
they have a "strategic partnership" whatever that means.... I haven't heard many, if any, bad things about Olight, but threads about 4sevens usually erupt into flamewars and get locked.

Eagletac - solid rep, I don't remember ever reading a complaint

Sunwayman - I don't know too much about 'em

HDS - I know even less about them... way out of my price range...

Led Lenser - non-regulated, walmart-esque, overpriced

Dereelight also has a solid rep



At this point I see two major issues with Fenix, both caused by competing with 4Sevens

First, due to voltage issues, their circuitry isn't designed to do moonlight modes. Alkaline double A batteries usually give them the most grief, and the low modes won't work on fresh double A's.

Second, they get dragged into the tint lottery when they push out the newest LEDs. Although I grabbed a E40 and it's nice and white, so I dunno if they are still pushing the limits.




Personally, after buying a read dud of a zebralight, I think I'll stick to either Fenix or Shiningbeam from now on.

 

[cancow]

I like SWM 4/7's, and ET, but SWM are by far the best looking lights in the market IMO.

 

[fyrstormer]

Jetbeam is my favorite. Fenix is okay, but cheap by comparison. With the exception of Jetbeam and Sunwayman, basically all the big Chinese brands offer the same products with exceedingly minor differences.

 

[roadkill1109]

Hello everyone.

I'm looking to expand my current collection of flashlights mostly consisting of Fenix brand lights (E21, TK11, TK15, TK21, TK35) and a Novatac Special Ops.

I'd like to expand my collection with quality flashlights from other manufacturers. While I love my Fenix lights, I'd like to improve my collections variety. How do the following manufacturers compare to Fenix in build quality/ durability, performance, and reliability? Thank you for your honest opinions.

Olight
FourSevens
Eagletac
Sunwayman
HDS
Led Lenser

Olight - solid portfolio of lights, ranging from keychain lights, edc's to tactical to thowers and HUGE lights. Company is low profile, but has been there for quite some time now. No problems with any of the lights I got from them.
FourSevens -best customer support (US based), best warranty (10 years, no frills, no fuss) Dave Chow (owner) lurks our posts here in CPF. hehe.
Eagletac - also has a large selection of lights to choose from, solid quality, dont hear so much about them or their customer support. (either its that good or that crappy! haha)
Sunwayman - excellent machining, great annodizing, great-looking lights.
HDS - if you wanna go custom and have the g's for it, by all means!
Led Lenser - focusable beam flashlights, not waterproof (except for the diver's light)

 

[nfetterly]

My $0.02 on the ones I have had

HDS - very solid light, very good quality

Fenix - bought 4 or 5 years ago, didn't like it, but I was mostly higher powered lights at the time.

The two other brands I bought after I wasn't going to buy any are Sunywayman & foursevens.

Foursevens - only bought their peons, AAA powered, very impressive for AAA. Quality good.

Sunywayman - bought 3, one of them actually bought new! V10 Ti+. Ability to use AA, 14500, CR123 or RCR123 was one reason I bought light. Nice looking, lots of modded parts ou there - tritted cooling fins, ano'd ring.

 

[HighlanderNorth]

I think its safe to say that all the brands you listed except maybe LED Lenser make high quality lights. Its hard to say who's lights are better, as I've seen people complain about certain lights made by all those companies at one time or another here. Cant really say I've heard people complain about any one of those companies more than the others. I dont hear about a whole lot of Olight complaints, but then again, I think there are probably less of them sold than with Fenix, Jetbeam, etc, so you have to consider the volume of lights sold when counting complaints. If one company sells 20,000 lights, and another sells 5,000 lights, but these lights from both companies are of equal quality, you will still probably hear more complaints about the company that sold 20,000 lights simply because there are more out there, so its a volume thing.

HDS are probably a step above the others, but also about 2 times more expensive all things considered, and they apparently have a tough time keeping up with orders due to production contract problems and delays, etc.

This is another perfect opportunity to post the link to that cheap, $4 yellow flashlight, but I'll refrain!

 

[Erik Mejia]

Thank you all for the replies.

I just purchased a Jetbeam BC10 and am looking to get more flashlights to expand my collection.

I'm interested in getting a decent thrower also, can anyone give me some info on Armytek lights as far as build quality...etc.?

As far as an HDS, I'm going to save up for one. Hopefully w/in the next 2-3months Ill be placing an order w/ them.