Best Thrower for a relateively mature collection.. <$200

Tommygun45

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Aug 26, 2010
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Alright fellas. I have caught this addiction like the plague and it is terrible/great. After going on a spree and getting a bunch of sub par lights I have come to realize that quality over quantity is more important. I tried most of the different lights and then flipped them on the market. I have tried to thin my herd to mostly Malkoff's, a few Surefire's, and have a Rotary arriving tomorrow. I went camping last week for the first time for real and although my M91W was fantastic, I realized I need an excellent thrower to complete the deal. So far I essentially have a couple of MD2's with M61's, MD4 and C3+A19 with M91W and M91 respectively for lighting up the area, a Quark Turbo 123 and Quark AA2 for general use, an L4 and M60LF in a VME on an E2d body for hat lights, and now I need a thrower. Im looking to keep it under $200 and I don't want a thower that's going to be so aspheric and unique that its just a laser. I want a thrower that lights up a bit of area around it.

So far I am thinking TK35, the new Catapult, a DBS,(that I don't know much about) and maybe the Malkoff HoundDog (but a bit expensive) and that's about it. I value quality over everything else. I've had to contact 4sevens about the tailcap on my Turbo on about 3 occasions because the light just stops working. Have to make adjustments or get a new cap or whatever...Just annoying and unreliable. The M60's don't do it for me and I can't drop hundreds on one of the Surefire's that might be dated.

Anyways as of June 2011 what would you guys get for throw and for under 2 bills.

PS Go Bruins.
 

Z-Tab

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Malkoff Hound Dog XM-L.

It's $220 for the head, but you've already got the bodies to run it on.
 

Tommygun45

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One opinion heard and respected. I was trying to figure out what to do with my extra MD2. I guess I could sell an M61 and get the HD head instead of getting another M91. Does the HD work with the HiLo switch? Any experience running the HD off just 1 18650 in an MD2? I guess you really dont need a thrower for a long time so that run time should be sufficient. 220 is alot for a head though!
 

Z-Tab

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The Hound Dog has a high/low function built into the head.

My Hound Dog won't light up on 1x18650, but it runs just fine on 2x16340s or 2x18350s.

That $220 buys you an absolutely perfect beam. It's a lot, but $150 for something that is less than perfect is a lot, too.
 

PoliceScannerMan

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The TK35 does not disappoint, I actually really like it. My only fenix. The HD XML is sweet too. But if your on a budget, there isn't much difference between the two as far as high output. The TK has 4 levels, side by side 18650's or 4x123, where the HD is two levels and a traditional long tube.
 

twl

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Get a lightly used Malkoff Hound Dog XP-G in great condition off the CPFMP.
That's what I did.

You can find them under $200 shipped, if you watch the market. You have to be quick when it comes up.
 

Tommygun45

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Well the XP-G on the MD site is only 155 without body. I suppose I already have the bodies to run it. I am leaning towards grabbing an HD XML. I will sell the M61 I have in my MD2 now for ~60, I have an extra clicky MD2 switch I can maybe get $20 for, still new in package. I also can sell my SF 6PX Pro and maybe get 55 or so. That'll put like 135 in my PP account which is well on its way to funding another Malkoff purchase. Jesus Ive spent like $500 there the past two weeks maybe hell give me a freebie.
 

tre

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May 3, 2010
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While the Malkoff Hound Dog is an excellent light and a good thrower, it does not have anywhere near the throw of the Catapult V3. The TK35 is also a compromise between a thrower and a general light. Since you have so many great general lights, I would concentrate more on throw as you don't need a jack of all trades compromise light.

My suggestions:

1) Catapult V3 XML is an excellent thrower.

2) Lambda lights VaraPower 3C XML - this throws farther than the Catapult V3 and EagleTac M3C4 XML which are two of the best XML throwers. I have a Lambda Lights 3CXML and it throws farther, has a slightly brighter hot spot and much brighter spill. It is the current XML king of throw as far as anything I've seen and you can use alkaline C cells in it if you are camping and your rechargeables are all out. It is a truely amazing light. I have the 3CXML version without the VaraPower control. The Varapower control will allow 35 different brightness levels so batteries can be conserved if you don't need all 1100 lumens.
 

Tommygun45

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Ive heard of varapower's but haven't really read much of their praises. I suppose you make some excellent points. I am definately intrigued by the Catapult and you make a great point about how many general use lights I have. It does seem to make sense to get the best pure thrower I can I just dont want one of those laser like aspheric lights. The V3 also seems to update itself quickly. V1 V2 V3 etc. I suppose that's a good thing but seems to make them obsolete quickly.

Where is the varapower sold and how much?
 

jhc37013

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Feb 17, 2009
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I like the Catapult but favor the TK35 for it's size, the TK35 throws pretty darn good and still light's up a very large area plus I like fatter light's rather than longer light's because when I'm camping or outdoors I can put a TK35 in my 5.11 cargo pants or more easily carry it in the supplied holster.
 

tre

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I like the Catapult but favor the TK35 for it's size, the TK35 throws pretty darn good and still light's up a very large area plus I like fatter light's rather than longer light's because when I'm camping or outdoors I can put a TK35 in my 5.11 cargo pants or more easily carry it in the supplied holster.

You make a good point about fatter rather than longer. Another of my favorite throwers is the EagleTac M3C4 XML. It throws as well as the Catapult V3 but is shorter and fatter. Both the Catapult V3 and M3C4 XML have massive throw but also have spill (they are not laser aspheric type lights). Both out-throw the TK35 by quite a lot.

Just google Lambda Lights to find their web site. Kevin is an excellent light builder and knows more about making high power lights than most anybody.
 

bigchelis

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You make a good point about fatter rather than longer. Another of my favorite throwers is the EagleTac M3C4 XML. It throws as well as the Catapult V3 but is shorter and fatter. Both the Catapult V3 and M3C4 XML have massive throw but also have spill (they are not laser aspheric type lights). Both out-throw the TK35 by quite a lot.

Just google Lambda Lights to find their web site. Kevin is an excellent light builder and knows more about making high power lights than most anybody.

The most throw with Reflector XM-L 3C VARAPower.
http://www.lambdalights.com/

You have to email and request what you want and it is built ala Carte.

In fact, the 3C VaraPower I had on loan did 1100 real OTF lumens and 68K lux which is what Aspheric Mag builds or Aspheric DBS lights do, but with reflectors and 5x the OTF lumens of course.
 

RCantor

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Tonight we compared a TK41 ($129 - CPF discount) to several lights and it had great throw and good spill. Outdid just about everything but the 35W HID
 

EZO

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Check out Selfbuilt's recent review of the new Thrunite Scorpion V2 XM-L (turbo head), especially the beam shot comparisons of the TK35, Catapult V3, Jetbeam BC-40 and Scorpion V2 Turbo along with the comparisons of the V2 to dedicated XP-G R5 throwers. It WILL surprise and impress you. The Turbo version of this light (and apparently the regular version as well) absolutely blow the TK35 out of the water!

I've been considering the purchase of a TK35 but am now looking at the Scorpion V2 with Turbo Head as a result of this review.
 

g.p.

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Jan 3, 2009
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Don't overlook the Solarforce Masterpiece Pro 1 or the TK41.

The Pro 1 is an amazing thrower (mine has an extension tube and two 18650's), and a fraction of the price of the others.

The TK41 throws about the same distance, but the hotspot is twice the size, and there is lots of spill. That, combined with the multiple output levels, makes it a very useful all around light. The Masterpiece pro 1 is pretty much just a dedicated thrower.
 

bmmeadors

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The Xeno G42 is worth a look. I believe the XP-G in that light produces some spill, and it can be had from Tactical HID for < $100. :thumbsup:
 

Nachtwacht

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I also highly recommend the Malkoff Hound Dog XM-L, especially if you already own MD2 and MD4 bodies and value quality. The HD still has enough flood to be practical at shorter distances.

I do have to admit that I'm also impressed by selfbuilt's latest review of the Thrunite Scorpion 2.
 

twl

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The Hound Dog XML has wider beam spread than the Hound Dog XPG, but the throw is about the same.

The real difference comes in the Hound Dog XML having much shorter run-times than the HD XPG. You get more lumens, but you pay for it with run time. And the throw is the same.

I chose to get the HD XPG for throw, and got a Wildcat for flood, and use them on the same MD3 body. I just swap heads.

If you want to combine the flood/throw into a relatively good compromise in only one light, the Hound Dog XML will do that, but it has shorter run times.
 
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Tommygun45

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Aug 26, 2010
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Another thing I failed to mention is that I would like this thrower to be able to reside in say, a cargo pocket or on a holster that comes with the light for camping purposes. Also I like sticking with LiIon batteries as Ive already invested in the Pila and have a bunch of them used in my other lights. The TK41 is a beast but its on eneloops correct? And it seems a bit big for carrying around when camping. I guess the HD is kind of big too but I can put it on an MD2 and that should be manageable. Now let me look at this Scorpion guy.
 
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