BARBOLIGHT T-15
A Basic Review from a Basic User with Advanced Flashlight Needs
A Basic Review from a Basic User with Advanced Flashlight Needs
Pictures:
A DARK DRIVEWAY
No Light:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/islesmetskid/img187.jpg
Streamlight Stinger DS (140 Lumens):http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/islesmetskid/img189.jpg
BARBOLIGHT T15:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/islesmetskid/img188.jpg
A DARK DEAD END STREET
No Light:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/islesmetskid/img163.jpg
A 60 Lumen Backup Light on 2 AA batteries:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/islesmetskid/img167.jpg
Streamlight Stinger DS (140 Lumens):http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/islesmetskid/img166.jpg
BARBOLIGHT T15:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/islesmetskid/img164.jpg
Introduction
I don't know candlepower from lumens, or a bezel from a tailcap. However, what I do know is that if I click a button on a flashlight and everyone around me goes "oooooooo---ahhhhh" that's probably a pretty good thing! What is to follow is a short report detailing the most basic conclusions of a "high end light" by a "low end flashaholic" (that's me). This is kind of like the substitute teacher giving grades on a report card. Having said that, I do consider myself capable of stating the obvious; a Police Officer having a GOOD flashlight is essential, and this one qualifies as such.
A little about myself: I am a foot patrol cop in one of the most highly populated, most famous cities in the world with a high prevalence of crime and many dark places to commit those crimes.
The Effectiveness…B+
I will not be using the terminology that people who know a lot about flashlights might use (i.e. throw, flood, spot, etc.)
I am very impressed by the coverage area of the light, meaning the size of the circle covered by light being output from this flashlight is great. I would say the circle encompassing light is at the very least twice as large as any flashlight I have seen my peers use (Models such as: Streamlight, Fenix, Surefire). This is an ABSOLUTE MUST for a police officer. Think about it: Your searching from one roof top to another for a hiding perp, you shine the flashlight in the left corner but there is some movement about 15 yards to the opposite end. You miss that movement because it was pitch black in that region. Did that lack of light lead to just a missed opportunity for an arrest? Or maybe even you or your partner's life? Now rewind that scenario and imagine if shining that light in the same spot that you had now reveals that movement because of an extra 15 yards of visibility.
The intensity of the light is good. I honestly don't believe it is over 5X's the brightness of my friends 140 lumen flashlight as demonstrated in pictures below, but impressive none the less. It serves the purpose I need it to. On numerous separate occasions I used it with strategic purposes other than just to provide light.
1) A perp in the backseat wouldn't stop running his mouth, I turned around and give him an eye full of the Barbolight T-15. "Ayyyyyyyy papi, no good" were the last words I heard from him during that transport because he was too busy rubbing his eyes and trying to figure out what the hell just happened to him.
2) An intox man was passed out on the sidewalk. Yelling didn't get him to stand up. Prodding and pressure point persuasion would just get a flinch and a shrug. Out came this baby into his eyes and suddenly he sobered up a tad.
3) I'm on foot, I don't have lights and sirens attached to my head so doing car stops becomes a little more interesting. No more do cars ignore my attempts to flash my light their way to get their attention to pull over. Now it's either they are ignoring it on purpose or their eyesight isn't good enough to be driving in the first place.
4) During a stop a man became belligerent. I was closer to him than I probably should have allowed him to get. If he wanted to hit me at that point, he had the opportunity. A quick shine of light in his face disoriented him enough to allow me to create distance and allow time for my partner and myself to restrain the person.
The Craftsmanship
Build Quality…A+
Build Design…B
I had two first impressions when I opened the box and saw the Barbolight T-15 for the first time. 1) WOW this thing is a quality piece of metal. 2) This is very awkwardly designed/shaped. One of these two feelings has subsided a bit.
1) THIS IS BUILT LIKE A TANK. If 5,000 years from now people are digging for artifacts from the 21st century, my money is on finding one of these Barbolights because it is simply indestructible. I dropped it onto a concrete floor in DUNKIN DONUTS (insert cop joke here) the first day out on patrol with it. With the boom this chunk of metal made I was expecting to find a hefty size chunk missing when I picked it up. Not a scratch my friends.
2) I've gotten used to it. Still not crazy over the large head and the thin and short body (rather disproportionate) but if this design is what is necessary to give that type of performance, I am willing to overlook it. In terms of handling it during patrol, it is not as clumsy as I had feared. The 4 bulb system looks kind of awkward and gets noticed quite a bit (the fact that it does get noticed is part of the allure I suppose).
The tailcap is ingenuous in its momentary use. Absolutely silent. It's not a little rubber piece that will rip off in time. It's not something that your finger will slip off of when you need it the most. It just is truly a perfect cap.
However, I wish there was another way to have it permanently stay on other than the "twist" feature. Perhaps, a 2nd button on the "shaft" (i.e. the Streamlight stinger) would absolutely make this the perfect build. It is not always practical to sit there twisting when you need the light and not have to worry about holding down the tailcap.
I'm not crazy over the clip. It is a quality built clip just like the rest of this thing, but it is too stiff. Hard to get it on things. Hard to get it off things. Not practical for a police officer. Hopefully it will loosen up and become more useful. I have yet to find a useful place to keep this on my belt, still looking for a solution and I hope to discover one soon.
Worries: other than the issues listed above I am a little concerned what will happen when one (or all 4) of the bulbs burn out. I don't see how this flashlight comes apart like all other ones I've had (usually just screw off the head, this one doesn't budge). However, this is also a testament to the quality of the build.
Overall…A-
Some negatives. MANY positives. Overall, not disappointed one bit. This is what I was looking for and every officer should have one of these.
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