Got my Cree Explorer from Mike at PTS last week and wanted to have some time to play with it before posting a review. I purchased it for use in conjunction with a firearm and to use camping, boating and for general adventure. I also purchased WE's shotgun mount which is a straightforward design and very sturdy.
Overall, the Explorer is beautifully made with quality threads and O rings and very smooth operation of the rear clicky. Tactically, it's worth noting that the clicky switch is the quietest of the 15 or so lights I looked at and considered - a nice feature when you don't want to advertise your presence (such as choosing the mode into a cupped hand, etc). In fact, the clicky operation becomes very important with a 4 level as you will be operating it quite a bit and WE got it right. The amount of movement/resistance to choose the mode is about right and there's a clear delineation between moving between modes, then pushing further to make that mode active.
This is a hefty light owing to its solid construction and in your hands it's clear that the self defense application of this chassis with either this head or the smaller crenellated (points designed to maximize strike force) D26 head on the Defender would provide quite a bit of force.
What can I say about the beam? It's really a winner in terms of throw, and someone spent some time getting the bright spot and surrounding illumination just right for nearly all uses. The exception being close up work in low mode, it's simply too concentrated. That's not a criticism and the only way it could be achieved would be a change in the focal length. When moving through a dark house you get a great sense of where you are with peripheral vision and lighting well matched, and a bright spot that is strong enough for quick identification of anything questionable. There are zero rings or artifacts - simply a great beam.
As for the modes, this is a current one that goes max, strobe, medium, low. I know there may be a Cree change putting the strobe at the end but I like this position for my use and purposely got this model. Going from bright mode which you will be in while searching for a confrontation, to strobe mode to help disorient the other side when contact is made makes sense for me versus having to click through successively dimmer modes while the confrontation begins.
The dimmest mode could actually be dimmer yet. It's still so bright that when using it to read or look at paperwork they are overilluminated, yet it does make sense to still have enough power in your hand to instantly detect something going wrong around you. I think it's a good compromise. I find I'm using the max mode and the dimmest mode most often. I like that there is no PWM (fast flicker to conserve power that is supposed to be above our ability to see) on low mode like other lights. I can easily see it on other lights and once you've noticed it, that will annoy you forever. You can't get it out of your mind.
So far, the strobe mode has been useful mainly to annoy my patient wife. I thought it would be great to tease the cats, but it appears along with their fabulous night vision comes an ability to process the strobing with no reaction. They don't even seem to notice.
The body detailing is nicely relieved, meaning edges are rounded a bit to reduce snagging on a pocket if you were to try pulling it out fast. It is not an anti-roll body with large flat spots, but the notches on the tail cap are large enough to prevent it from rolling on a slightly sloped surface.
The charger that comes with my model seems sturdy and overbuilt, highlighted by a pair of solid brass screw on battery adapters to suit various battery lengths. Nice.
There is no lanyard, and also no hole for a lanyard. I find lanyards to be slightly distracting and inevitably manufacturers put them at the rear where they routinely interfere with clicky activation - you scoop them with your thumb while moving to the switch, or they're already laying across the switch when you try to activate the switch. So, kudus to Wolf Eyes for not putting one back there. What they did instead was machine a nice deep groove at the head juncture that's just the right size for a homemade lanyard made of stout paracord.
Overall, I think my patience and careful shopping were rewarded with a light that's got current state of the art production output, and solid construction.
Regards,
DougM
Overall, the Explorer is beautifully made with quality threads and O rings and very smooth operation of the rear clicky. Tactically, it's worth noting that the clicky switch is the quietest of the 15 or so lights I looked at and considered - a nice feature when you don't want to advertise your presence (such as choosing the mode into a cupped hand, etc). In fact, the clicky operation becomes very important with a 4 level as you will be operating it quite a bit and WE got it right. The amount of movement/resistance to choose the mode is about right and there's a clear delineation between moving between modes, then pushing further to make that mode active.
This is a hefty light owing to its solid construction and in your hands it's clear that the self defense application of this chassis with either this head or the smaller crenellated (points designed to maximize strike force) D26 head on the Defender would provide quite a bit of force.
What can I say about the beam? It's really a winner in terms of throw, and someone spent some time getting the bright spot and surrounding illumination just right for nearly all uses. The exception being close up work in low mode, it's simply too concentrated. That's not a criticism and the only way it could be achieved would be a change in the focal length. When moving through a dark house you get a great sense of where you are with peripheral vision and lighting well matched, and a bright spot that is strong enough for quick identification of anything questionable. There are zero rings or artifacts - simply a great beam.
As for the modes, this is a current one that goes max, strobe, medium, low. I know there may be a Cree change putting the strobe at the end but I like this position for my use and purposely got this model. Going from bright mode which you will be in while searching for a confrontation, to strobe mode to help disorient the other side when contact is made makes sense for me versus having to click through successively dimmer modes while the confrontation begins.
The dimmest mode could actually be dimmer yet. It's still so bright that when using it to read or look at paperwork they are overilluminated, yet it does make sense to still have enough power in your hand to instantly detect something going wrong around you. I think it's a good compromise. I find I'm using the max mode and the dimmest mode most often. I like that there is no PWM (fast flicker to conserve power that is supposed to be above our ability to see) on low mode like other lights. I can easily see it on other lights and once you've noticed it, that will annoy you forever. You can't get it out of your mind.
So far, the strobe mode has been useful mainly to annoy my patient wife. I thought it would be great to tease the cats, but it appears along with their fabulous night vision comes an ability to process the strobing with no reaction. They don't even seem to notice.
The body detailing is nicely relieved, meaning edges are rounded a bit to reduce snagging on a pocket if you were to try pulling it out fast. It is not an anti-roll body with large flat spots, but the notches on the tail cap are large enough to prevent it from rolling on a slightly sloped surface.
The charger that comes with my model seems sturdy and overbuilt, highlighted by a pair of solid brass screw on battery adapters to suit various battery lengths. Nice.
There is no lanyard, and also no hole for a lanyard. I find lanyards to be slightly distracting and inevitably manufacturers put them at the rear where they routinely interfere with clicky activation - you scoop them with your thumb while moving to the switch, or they're already laying across the switch when you try to activate the switch. So, kudus to Wolf Eyes for not putting one back there. What they did instead was machine a nice deep groove at the head juncture that's just the right size for a homemade lanyard made of stout paracord.
Overall, I think my patience and careful shopping were rewarded with a light that's got current state of the art production output, and solid construction.
Regards,
DougM
