Which one? Task Force CREE, Sportsman Xtreme, MAGLITE TerraLux Upgrade?

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Joshatdot

Joshatdot

Enlightened
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Sep 9, 2007
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WA State
I been wanting to get a big LED flashlight. I own a old MAG-LITE 4D and considering one of these:

- Lowes Task Force 3w 2C
- Sportsman Xtreme 4W 3C
- TerraLUX 4-6 Cell 5w MAG-LITE upgrade

Anyone know their run times?
How do their throw & spill compare?

edit: aslo, if I wanted to, could I mod either of the 1st two listed with a CREE Q5?
 
Last edited:
I think on the rough that you should more or less consider all three to be pretty close in intensity and spill. Close enough that you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference unless you had them running side by side.

That said, you're basically looking at a tradeoff of runtime vs size. Comes down to how you want to use the light. It's not convenient for me to carry around a 4D Mag every day, but the 2C is pretty compact. Then again, I'll only get a couple hours out of it. It's not gonna be a SHTF or a "search for a lost hiker in the woods" kind of light.

EDC? I'd say the Task Force. Light for the truck or in the nightstand? TerraLUX in your 4D.

As far as modding, from what I can tell, it's pretty easy with either one. Both of them let you get pretty much right to the star, just desolder a couple of leads.
 
If you're willing to spend in the $60 range, I would just buy a Fenix L2D or P3D Rebel or Q5. Light output is going to be the same and probably better than those lights you mentioned and the Fenix have awesome regulation circuits that are going to give you steady output to the end. If it's throw you're wanting, you might wait for the upcoming Fenix T1 with it's tactical head.

That being said, the Rayovac is probably going to be somewhat less output than the Task Force Cree but has DC-DC regulation so is probably going to give you a more consistent output. I have the Lux version of the TF light and I can tell you that while it's wonderfully bright at first it DOES dim fairly quickly. I have used it on a caving trip and after a couple of hours it is getting pretty anemic compared to when I first started. 3W is a lot to ask from a pair of C cells if you're talking Alkalines which is what I was using. Possibly NiMH would give you a better, steadier output and they would handle the current better but it is likely to be dimmer than the initial output you would get from Alkaline cells. Better still would probably be a Li-Ion rechargeable but I'm not familiar enough with the different ones to tell you which one is equivalent to two C cells in physical size and the higher voltage might present a problem as well.
 
if it were me i would go with the task force.
of the first 2, it would be easy to swap out the stars for a q5 star. why not a r2?
 
I thought the outcome of the ROV threads is that the 3C does not have DC-DC regulation, just a resistor was found inside? The TF has a boost circuit (albiet a rough one, by the look at the runtime chart on the LuxIII model - presumed to be the same guts just diff emitter to the new one)

After a couple of hours you're starting to run down the 2C's which is why they were dimming. It looks like it drops out of regulation right around 2:30, according to Quickbeam's review.
 
Thanks everyone.

I guess I am looking for a Car, Garage, House emergency type, $30 or less, decent run time, but with nice WOW factor on throw & brightness.

I've only seen the TF Lux version at my nearest Lowes. Maybe I should get it, a Cree Q5 & regulator from DX or whoever and mod it. I don't know where to find the ROV in B&M stores, but I guess I could call and order one.

I wish I could find the AAP verison of the TF 3W, as it's only ~$20. But AAP is only a eastcost store, I live in the Pacific NW.
 
If I can find a Lowes near or around my area, Skagit Valley/County, I am gona get the TF CREE 3W.

If I can't is the guts the same as the TF Lux? If so I'll just get one of them and a Q5 bin from DX. Maybe even a reg board, but the only 1000mAh is 5 mode, I'd be happy with 2 mode, 100% & 50%.
 
i had one of those MTE Seoul, while it was very bright for a little light, i think they are hit or miss, some get good lights while i had mine for 1 week and the switch crapped out on me, i took the emitter and threw it in my mini-mag, very happy now.
 
that's cool and all..but I don't need 20 modes in my MAG-LITE :) BTW how would I mod my 4D MAG with a Q5 & 1000mAh reg board?

I would be happy with 2, 100% and 50%. At the very most, 5 is enuff for me.
 
Hmm...maybe I'll just get a 2D Krypton MAG-LITE, they were only $15 at Lowes last time I was there.

Then mod that with whatever.
 
If you wait until Friday, you can get a 2, 3 or 4 D maglight at Lowes for $10. While I'm not a big fan of Mags, I'm thinking about getting the 4D and modding it with a good LED dropin (once I figure out which one is best) just for the insane runtime and throw.
 
Avatar28 said:
If you wait until Friday, you can get a 2, 3 or 4 D maglight at Lowes for $10. While I'm not a big fan of Mags, I'm thinking about getting the 4D and modding it with a good LED dropin (once I figure out which one is best) just for the insane runtime and throw.
Click to expand...

TeraLux TLE-6EX will be a good choice now, but wait awhile, Malkoff is going to release new CREE Q4 dropins.
 
I keep the Task Force 2C in my car, because it is smaller,.....but also have the ROV 3C in my house.....they are both equally bright and have similar beams, but the ROV of course is bigger but has a much much longer runtime....they both can go into 'candle mode'
 
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