Solarforce L950m Review. (Pics, Beamshots(inside,out), RUNTIME, and more!)

I received my new Tiablo ACE-G yesterday. I have high hopes for the Tiablo but I have been terribly spoiled by the L950's total output and buttery smoooth, donut free beam.
I ordered the ACE because I have tried the M-30 and the M1X and while output and throw were good the donut effect was totally annoying. Last night I was expecting the ACE to dominate my cheap SolarForce, boy was I wrong. I would guesstimate that the Solarforce was 15-20% brighter than the Tiablo. Which would account for the difference since the reflector of the Solarforce is about 15-20% bigger. I think the Tiablo is an awesome light and in fact I will keep it. However the Solarforce is still my favorite for several reasons. First, it has truly adjustable focus from spot to flood. None of the others I have tried come anywhere close to being anything other than a fixed beam. In addition to the adjustable beam the color of the Solarforce very warm most likely due to the P7 characteristics as opposed to the MCE's. Finally, there is the price difference. The $50 difference between the two would buy a charger and several nice 18650's. There are still plenty of L1000's out there if you just know where to look.

MIke
 
Good to hear Mike

That's what I like about Solarforce. It's a company that's still rising, still a bit rough around the edges but it still delivers a darn good product for a darn good price.

In the near future you will defiantly hear more from Solarforce
 
I just couldn't resist the L950M, bought one last night even though I recently got a TK40 and M1x, I guess I had some extra batteries that needed a home and at the price of the Lm950 it was too good to pass up. I think it's good to have competition in the market force and the pricing is competitive to say the least and should be rewarded. I joined the cpf in the spring of 2003, long before it was a big site and the Arc AAA at 15 lumens was a marvel and there was hardly any light that had 100 lumens unless you went surefire with their xtra bright bulb, maybe it was theP91. Now I am going to own 3 lights over 600 lumens and they are all brighter I believe than the Surefire M6 which was rated at 500 lumens and thought to be amazing. My how things have changed. First the 1 watt lights, then 3 watt, then 5 watt lights that burned to hot. There weren't any rechargeable 123 bulbs , now I have every version of that light that they make, I even charge up some old pila batteries where two pilas equaled 3 cr123 batteries and they still work, so much about ancient history, but boy how things have changed.
 
Keith:

I'm pretty sure you bought from me, and my page says I'm out of stock (been like that for a bit). I do have the L900m in stock though (Just as bright as the 950m)

Also, you didn't pay. lets discuss this over PM?
 
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OMG! i just discovered Solarforce lights..... 😱

there goes my mortgage payment...............😱oo:

Jake25, PM inbound with a few questions........:thumbsup:

I'm really liking the Lm950, the stabby bezel, hell all the lights and accessories.....i'm doomed.....must find 2nd job to fund this bloody flashlight habit.

GF just warned me to not go crazy when ordering.......she doesn't understand our hobby..........:shrug: :shakehead

hmmm//........GF....or flashlights.........GF....or flashlights.......😀
 
OMG! i just discovered Solarforce lights..... 😱

there goes my mortgage payment...............😱oo:
......
I'm really liking the Lm950, the stabby bezel, hell all the lights and accessories.....i'm doomed.....must find 2nd job to fund this bloody flashlight habit.

GF just warned me to not go crazy when ordering.......she doesn't understand our hobby..........:shrug: :shakehead

hmmm//........GF....or flashlights.........GF....or flashlights.......😀
I think it's all wrapped in the signature line of a CPFer, can't recall who, that goes along the line of {My Wife/Girlfriend has put me on notice that if I buy another flashlight she will leave me. I suppose I'll miss her, but my faithful Dog will Stand By His huMan!"}

I thought the L950m was no longer available or is there a secret handshake known only by the Illuminati, Cognoscenti, and those pure of addiction heart who have proven themselves worthy?

For those of you not predisposed to firearms, or precluded therefrom by your government, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that a very expensive addiction is off limits to you. Put another way, "1,000 Meters. Where fantasy hits the wall of reality, physics, and skill."

But for those overburdened with disposable income, a State's Attorney with champagne taste as regards firearms and Dom Perignon personal finances reports that the really Psychotic Money is in Photography 😱.

Food and Shelter? What's that:crackup:?
 
Oops.
Maybe my reviews shouldn't be so encouraging. 😛

yeah,,. The 950 is no longer available 🙁
but as Jake said.. Knowing solarforce, something is probably cooking in the wings. 😱
 
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Congrats on your 20th post, Bill!

Thusly, you have reached enlightenment status. Behold!
You are now required to own a least 20 flashlights 😉

oh, and buy the entire pipeline. There has to be at least 1 light somewhere in there.
 
Congrats on your 20th post, Bill!

Thusly, you have reached enlightenment status. Behold!
You are now required to own a least 20 flashlights 😉

oh, and buy the entire pipeline. There has to be at least 1 light somewhere in there.

Hey, that was easy.
I may be closer to 20 flashlights than I'd thought if weapon mounted visible frequency lights and tactical quality lights I've bought for my wife count!

The "lowest grade" illumination devices we have are Fenix and the incans on our LDI (As in the military supplier of
DBAL-A2's) illuminator/laser combos on our bedside pistol vaults Glocks. His and hers in .45 and 9mm. Her G17 with the Laser Devices Incorporated illuminator/laser is just the cutest little thing 😗.

But those are just for "bumps in the night". For the determined intruders I've a "George Jetson ejector style vault system" for the shoulder fired deterrent and something a little higher end than visible light and visible lasers. We have laws where I live. And for criminals who have chosen to attempt to victimize us, those laws are just more bad news.

Just because I can see the intruder does not mean the intruder can see me:nana:. But the really nice devices are reserved for the military and are just a tad out of my price range. Hey Kids! Want to play with coolest flashlights in the world and not have to pay for them? Join the United States Marine Corps. Cutting edge technology that's engineered to take all the abuse you can dish out. :popcorn:

And the L950m and L1000 do have differences other than merely run time do they not?
 
NO there are no differences other than extended run time. Both have the same hi/ lo or should I say hi/medium switch since the difference between the two settings is neglible.

Solarforce claims that the L1000 is 50 lumens brighter than the L950 even if that was true I doubt you would be able to see any difference. I have a L950 with an extender(which is not manufacturer recomended-they say it will shorten the led life). I have tried several mce and P7 lights and the only two that I have kept are the L950 and the Tiablo ACE-G. I am not a whitewall fanatic but I find the donut pattern some lights prjoect very distracting and unacceptable. If one pays $140 for a light it ought to have a pretty beam.

MIke
 
NO there are no differences other than extended run time. Both have the same hi/ lo or should I say hi/medium switch since the difference between the two settings is neglible.
MIke
THANK YOU MIKE!!!!!

The presence of more than one output level was not apparent on the Solarforce sites.

I'm preferential to run time generally, more so in the case of 'larger' lights so the L1000 would be my preferred choice! Coming from using exclusively Surefires for tactical/defense purposes, I'm spoiled rotten by their beam patterns.
 
L1000 is single mode! There's no such info on Solarforce site but on their dealers sites - yes.
 
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I think the problem with running the L950 on three cells instead of two isn't led life. If the buck circuit can accomodate the additional voltage, which it seems to, than all should be ok. But, if the low mode is accomplished via a resistor, than increased voltage can burn it out.

I don't know this for fact, just my thoughts. I took the extender off my L950, but would like to put it back if someone more knowledgeable can chime in.
 
L1000 is single mode! There's no such info on Solarforce site but on their dealers sites - yes.

That is odd I assumed the L1000 would be hi/lo as the switch looks the same as the L950. I ordered a L2 smooth switch when I added the L2 extender on my L950 and I still have hi/lo function. On the Solarforce website it does not mention hi/lo functions in any of the switch descriptions. So maybe the is some internal resister?

I had to make a wire o-ring if you will out of a piece of copper. It had to be thin and is the exact circumference of the tube. When the two tubes are screwed together it makes the contact.

MIke
 
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Switch looks the same because it is the same. Cheap DX lights have resistored low modes (resistor inside tailcap) but not Solarforce. L1000 has different driver than L950, supports 3xLi-Ion (it's not recommended to run L950 with 3x18650) and is single mode.
 
how do you put the glow paint on the flashlight? can you tell me how?
 
Hi picard,

there are many ways of putting glow paint on flashlights..

you can use a epoxy and glow powder mix, you can buy glow paint, etc.. quite a few options out there.

what I did (because of lack of materials) was mix clear silicone caulk with the glow powder,then apply, using a toothpick to smooth out the mixture. I then waited for it to dry, and removed the excess.. YMMV.
 
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