Thrunite Ti - Impressions and Discussion

I recently received a Thrunite Ti and wanted to post my impressions of this light. Please forgive the quality of the images as photography is something I seldom do.

Additional comments will be added as the light is used over time.


First the manufactures specs:

• Cree XP-E R4 LED
• 0.9-1.5V AAA (Ni-MH, Alkaline) battery
• 7.2cm (Length) x 1.4cm (Diameter)
• 20-gram weight (excluding batteries)
• OP reflector
• Reverse polarity protection
• aircraft-grade aluminum
• Type III hard-anodized finish
• Waterproof to IPX-8 Standard
• Tighten for Firefly(0.04lumens) tighten further for max Output(60 lumens)


My initial impressions of the light is that it appears to be reasonably well made with coarse grippy knurling. No defects noticed in the finish on the outside of the light. There is a lug on the tail for the split ring that's quite large for the size of the light. The Led appears to be pretty well centered at the bottom of the reflector in the head. It's also a bit larger than most of my other AAA lights.









Next, I moved on to the threads and internal machining. All of the threads are clean and smooth with no gritty material found. The threads are adequately lubed and are sealed with an O-ring. There was a bit of anodizing on the threads of the body.





I could not get a recognizable shot of the interior of the body. It is cleanly machined with smooth sides. This light does not have a spring in it. It uses the foam ring on the head in place of a spring.




The tab in the center of the foam ring is the mechanism this design uses to change from low to high. It takes very little turning to switch between the two outputs.




A comparison shot of other AAA based single cell lights.




Further observations:

The switching tab on the head appears to me to be a weak point of the design. While it works really well initially, changing between modes requires less movement over the short time that I've been using this one. Now only requiring a few degrees between off and high. I would also like to see a thicker o-ring incorporated into the design.

The beam of the light is quite nice and well matched for close to mid range usage. I've been using it to take our dog out at night and there is just the right amount of throw and spill for most tasks. The best aspect of the light (for me) is that there are no flashing modes!

Output... The high is matched well to the light and is more than enough to see at night or light up dark spaces in the daytime. The low is really low. It is enough to see by once your eyes are adjusted but for me there is too much difference between the low and high. In the daytime, unless you are looking into the head, it's difficult to tell if the light is even on when it is in the low mode.


Over all it appears to be quite durable and an outstanding value.



The light was provided by Illumination Supply

Re: Thrunite Ti

Nice review. I too, have one. I do not have many AAA lights to compare this one to, but I feel that the light was nicely put together. I wish there was a little more movement in the head going from low to high, and I think I prefer 3 modes versus 2 mode. I feel it needs something in between. (20-30 lumen mode) I guess I am used to my LD 01 in SS. (Med-Low-High) And the small hole in the tail makes it very difficult to get a split-ring in there. I think it needs to be just a little bit bigger. Or have the light come with a split ring installed. The light performs flawlessly, and is an excellent value for such a well made light. It makes for an excellent EDC keyring light. Just my 2 cents here.

Re: Thrunite Ti

Good review thanks. I have been following the development of this light (and the discussions about the 2 modes) with interest.

I am impressed with the build quality and the value for money.

The switching method looks a bit crude and I imagine will become less reliable with time. I have seen some reports that the brass tab tends to become bent and in contact, leading to the light being permanently on high mode, but it can be easily bent back to its original position. I wonder if this might cause it to snap if you had to do this repeatedly.

I understand that Thrunite are to also offer this with a 2 lumen low mode, which might be more useful for many users (me included!)

Re: Thrunite Ti

thnx for nice review.

personally, i prefer 2-stages only and love the ultra low just the way it is. if i want other options, i have other lights to choice from.

but i too wish for more "twisting space" between the 2 levels.

Re: Thrunite Ti

Unforgiven,

Thanks for the review. It makes me feel more comfortable about the fact I finally caved in and ordered two Ti from Craig. I plan to use one as a dedicated nightlight and the other on a keychain. Both will provide company to Fenix E01s so the mid-range level missing on the Ti will be covered. Both E01s have received the steel wool treatment so the beams are more diffused. That might provide a useful contrast to the Ti. I understand the XP-E R4 provides more throw.

Re: Thrunite Ti

Well written review, Tom! I hope the light will continue to do well in the long run, I am also concerned about the tab but so far it's not seemed to be an issue.

Craig

Re: Thrunite Ti

After several day's usage, the light is still performing well in both modes. The longest that I have had the light on high at one time is about 30-40 minutes and the sample I have runs very cool on high compared to other AAA lights that I have. Perhaps do to the slightly larger size being able to dissipate heat more efficiently. The more I use it, the more I like it. Although still not confident the switching mechanism being reliable in the long run, I believe it's the best value in its size on the market... for now.

Edit:

One comment I would like to add it about the lug on the tail of the light. The hole is very small and so "tight" that it is difficult to get a split ring on it. If this is going to be a key ring light, the hole should be larger to make it easier to place on your key ring or to us it with a lanyard instead.

Re: Thrunite Ti

I'll get one IF they fix or change the tab. From what I read, it seems flimsy.

Re: Thrunite Ti

The foam disc is a turnoff for me, dont they know springs has been invented...

Re: Thrunite Ti

Excellent review. This might make a good stocking stuffer, with a proper LED and higher output than an E01.

Re: Thrunite Ti

anyone have beam shots of this light?

Hi there,

I ordered up 2 Thrunite TI's from Craig, and received them about a week ago. I've just discovered my latent flashaholic genes in shopping around for a new headlamp, and the Thrunites were a most enjoyable way to start the addiction.

Here's a beamshot from my crappy camera phone - Thrunite TI is on the right, ITP A3 EOS upgrade version on the left, both on high mode. Lights were 50" away from a white wall, about 25" apart. Camera phone was roughly at midpoint between the lights, 63" away from the wall.

That XP-E-R4 LED seems to give it a nice focus with good throw. I like it. I will have to see how this compares with the Preons I have incoming for use in technical reading...

Is there a CR123 version of this light or one with a similar interface? I really like mine.

+

Thumbs up to Thrunite on their Ti

The Firefly mode is very usable w/ full night adapted vision,..
not sure if it was mentioned anywhere, but neither mode shows any sign of PWM.
Use of an XP-E is perfect in the micro reflector & perfectly centered

Treads are good, along w/ anodize.
Knurling is stout, but I think it'll settle in well with use.
Build quality is rather good for the real value the TI brings.

Realizing all lights have room for improvement, Thrunites' out of the box showing for an AAA light is a good one.
(high mode could be lowered to say 35~40lm)

Something a bit different:
Digging through my fishin' tackle box, I found a couple a small & strong stainless split rings
and a 150 lb. Heavy Swivel* ...works really well







* don't ask me why I have 150 lb. swivel in my tackle box,..I have no idea
but now I'm glad it was there #

orbital,

I agree with everything you said. The Ti is a great aaa light. I have attached mine to a P7 Suspension clip so I can just attach it to the collar of my t-shirt and use it as a night light. That XP-E-R4 (?) led is pretty focused & useful even on low if I want to read my kindle in bed.

Sent from my smart phone using Tapatalk

Just got 3 of these. 1 Black (0.04 lumen low), 1 blue and one green (both 3 lumen low)

unfortunately the black was not a 0.04 lumen low, it was the 3 lumen low. This one was going out as a gift, so no time to send it back and get the proper one back.

All the lights are pretty good. Like the others I do worry about the longevity of the switching mechanism. andodizing on is nice, especially on the blue and green ones. I find the switching a tad finicky, it's pretty easy to switch too far and go straight to high. Personally I think the multi-twist switch for levels is better.

Don't think this will replace my ReVo as an edc, but I'll rotate it in and see how it goes.

I'm more interested in this as a gift light. My previous gift light of choice was the itp A3 EOS. Not big fan of the Olight version. Was hoping at the price point that this would be a Fenix E01 killer.... time will tell.

(Side note, the green one was a gift for my wife. When i gave it to her she seemed a tad excited - which when it comes to new lights, is usually not excited at all, so a raised eyebrow here is a huge step up - her fav color is green and this one is a beautiful green. It's replaced her LD01 SS in her purse - which moved to her car)

Thrunite Ti 3 lumen runtime, and lithium primaries okay?

I know that there are a number of threads on this light on CPF, but I've been doing a fair amount of searching and reading of those threads, and I cannot find a battery runtime for the 3 lumens low mode, on the light I just received. The 'manual' states 175 hours, but that is for the .04 'firefly' version. I e-mailed Thrunite, and the respondent referred me to their website, which does not post this information.
Also, does anyone know if lithium primary cells can be used in this light without damage? Even though Energizer L91 cells have a nominal stated voltage of 1.5 volts, I have seen people refer to them as having 1.7, or 1.8 volts. Has anyone been using a lithium primary in their Ti?
Thank you!

Re: Thrunite Ti - Impressions and Discussion

Sorry, I can't help you with the runtime question, but I did put a fresh L91 in my Ti 3/60 and it works fine. I was a little hesitant at first but I figured I'd try. A 10440, no way

Re: Thrunite Ti - Impressions and Discussion

I have the black "firefly" model, and have found it to be a great light for $16. The low (0.04 lumen) mode is ideal for navigating thru a dark room at night, while the high (60 lumens) is more than enough for most normal night activities (e.g., walking the dogs after dark). This one sits on my nightstand, although occasionally I take it with me ... the small size makes it ideal as an EDC in your front pants pocket.