Thrunite tn12 review

Recently put on clearance sales on the official ThruNite store EU/US (40€ then 29,95$ + 2,95$ shipping as of today), I wanted to see if it was still worth choosing this flashlight when almost all competitors woke up offer similar solutions in this size / power.
This flashlight powered by one 18650 or 2 * CR123 / 2 * 16340 in a compact form factor provides high output with an originality that can make the difference : the temperature control rather than timer to protect it from overheating.
Basically the temperature is monitored and when it exceeds 85 ° C (at the driver) power is gradually reduced in steps of approximately 20/30 lumens every 10 seconds (this is barely noticeable)
Technically it's still in the game : this lamp introduced in late 2011 was one of the first to use the LED XM-L U2 : of course the power difference of about 7% is almost invisible compared to XM-L T6 and it is physically impossible to distinguish one from the other ..
The LED is mounted on a copper holder rather than AL for better heat dissipation, it is becoming more widespread now, but remember, it was still quite rare two years ago …
There is also a "firefly" mode 0.09 lumens convenient not to dazzle in total darkness, and a not too tight beam with good reach for XM-L in a small reflector.

Note that although it is compatible, I do not recommend the use of CR123 batteries if you plan to use the lamp at maximum output for long periods: the fact that consumption is important may cause the batteries to overheat quickly and lithium do not like it too much …
The manufacturing quality is neat:

-trapezoidal threads, anodized on tailcap side to allow lockout

-coated glass

-Knurling that provides excellent grip, but not on the head which can be a problem to change modes hands wet.

-Switch is hard enough to prevent inadvertent activation and notches in the tailcap allows for easy access. (it can stand up in candle mode, but stability is not optimal.

A removable clip-type, but this one seems to do the job honestly

The lamp is compatible with flat-top batteries with this little terminal tit on the circuitry's back inside the head

The fairly complete packaging includes:
-replacement switch
-gitd cap replacement
-spare o'ring
-belt hoster
-lanyard
-Cr123 battery tube (to prevent the battery to rattle)
I found it strange that there is confusion in the maximum lumens between thrunite' website and the packaging:
-On the box 605
-705 On their website
remember, 2011 the ANSI standard was not generalised

The beam is typical from xm-l led in small reflector with it's big hotspot with a useful mix of throw and spill: it throws much further than anSC600, however it's side spill il little less bright.
This 2012 version has unfortunately a smooth reflector (the first version had a textured one) this is excellent for the throw, but it penalizes the beam quality in the central part: the (in)famous donut hole. (beamshots to come)
The interface is extremely simple with only what you really need.
4modes + strobe
modes changing simply by screwing / unscrewing the lamp 1/8th turn when turned on, forward clicky
I found convenient that once arrived in high mode, you should let the head unscrewed a little longer to enter strobe.
Modes:
firefly 0.09 lumens 695 hours
Low 30 lumens 65h
med 95 lumens: 9h
max 705 lumens: 1h12min



pluses:
-Power-good quality / price /
-Simple interface, you can easily lend this lamp to a novice.
-Reliability mode change (no extra button)
-Xm-l-led u2 still in the game two years after its release
-forward clickie
-Ultra-low mode (0.09 lumens for 4 weeks)
-No useless SOS mode
-Lifetime Warranty

Negatives:
-Beam quality (smo reflector)
-No direct access to low or high modes


In conclusion, I would say that this lamp is still in the game: unlike many of its competitors that depends on a timer for overheating protection, this TN12 only reduces maximum power when it is needed, its simple interface and low mode that preserves night vision enhance its versatility and its format and quality workmanship make this a very pleasant to use lamp.
The clearance price is an opportunity not to be missed to try a premium brand at budget price.
i'm planning to swap this one later to an xm-l2 neutral or high cri, i'll keep you updated of what the insides guts looks like !


This sample was provided for review by Thrunite.

link to the website thrunite.com






some beamshots (tn12 vs sc600w mk1 for similar size/power)

*F/2.8, iso80, 24mm eq., 4", auto WB to minimize tint differences.

control


tn12


sc600w


control


tn12


sc600w

Nice review .

Got the TN12 myself in the summersale. I intended to use it as a bike light and camping light because of its compact size. The UI fits great for my task because of its simplicity. Though I would miss the strobe mode. As bile light it needs a little bit to get used to mode switching but then it works quite nice. And for a camping light I bought a diffuser to get a pure flood light in the tent.

rayman

Nice review.

I got 3 tn lights. I got to say its quality is very impressive. I particularly love the true low mode and throw of tn31 and archer 1a. Saber 1a is mini flooder plus truth low mode.

but they have not got any new lights recently. I be keeping an eye on their new release. Well done tn. Weeeeee

Nice review. I'd been eyeing this light for awhile, over a year but was initially hesitant due to its lack of real compatibility with 2 x CR123a. But since then I've been switching to 17670 and 18650 cells in my 2-cell lights, so the TN-12 is now more appealing. At the clearance price, I could not resist. It actually gave me the option when ordering of a cool or "natural white" emitter, so I opted for the natural. Of course, I don't know now exactly what I'll get, maybe a T6? Doesn't really matter, since I'll probably have it modded with a high cri XM-L2.

I also picked one up in the TN summer sale. I'm impressed with the size/output, and the build quality is OK too. The only disappointing thing (which I was well aware of when I bought the light), is the UI - strobe is part of the main sequence. It's actually a pain in a twist head to change mode light imho.

Still, a very useful (true) firefly mode makes it handy as a bedside light, and at the clearance price - especially now that a neutral is available - a steal.

This light tested at 705 lumens and around 7000 lux for throw. Not bad for such a small reflector. Mine has no donut hole, but you can see a yellow spot in the middle. Only noticeable on white walls. My only complaint is the left-hand threads in the tail cap. The switch retaining ring will loosen with each tightening of the cap. Put some lock-tite on it. It's a great all-around light, but not special in any way. I keep it in my home emergency gear bag now. I just found I always reached for other lights for a particular task. It never got used. It's 700 hours of moonlight mode make it a great light for the end of the world.

How do you feel about the spacing of lumen output?
0.09
30.
95 lm
705 lm.
The two things that kept me from getting this light was that big jump from 95 to 705 lm, and the price.

Now that the price is more reasonable. I'm much more tempted to get another light that I really don't need.

What are your thoughts?

the jump is not that huge IRL, it feels like you've twice the output when switching from 95 to max, not seven times the output.

Ti²C said:

the jump is not that huge IRL, it feels like you've twice the output when switching from 95 to max, not seven times the output.

Click to expand...

I've noticed this with several lights. The jump from, say, 100 to 200, or even 300 to 500 lumens, you would think would be dramatic. It isn't. It's noticeable, but not extreme. Seems I've read that you actually have to double lumens to ge a perceptible increase in brightness, and quadruple them to perceive a light as twice-as -bright. I think this is most apparent with low outputs. Compare a sub-1 lumen light with a 3, 5, or 10-15 lumen light in a dark room. BIG difference, which can be accentuated by the type of reflector/optic being used. With that in mind, it makes sense. With lights outputting in the multiple-100s of lumens, on a simple ceiling bounce test, your reaction may be "ho-hum, it's a little brighter." Take it outside at night, light up different areas and distances, and you will see that the increase in lumens really does make a diffeence with visibility at distance. Sometimes even a small increase will give you what you are looking for. When you see that it is actually twice as bright, that's a BIG difference, but still not as dramatic as the difference between lights outputting at lower levels.

I have a Thrunite Neutron that jumps from 135 to 455, and while that is a visible jump, it certainly is not huge.
0.09lumen (650hrs) 9 lumen (65hrs) -> 65 lumen (16hrs) -> 135 lumen (8hrs) -> SOS Turbo Mode: 455 Lumen(1.5hrs)

My wife uses the lower lumens for reading, and when I use the light, I use the 65 and 135 lm settings more often.
I guess the TN12 settings are fine.

The flat spots on the side of the head. Do they keep it from rolling (if one was to remove the clip) OR are they just for show?

I like most things about the light, and I find I like the spacing of the modes, and the availability of moonlight. I don't love the interface, and recently the head-twisting mechanism has gotten finicky -- sometimes it changes modes, sometimes it doesn't, as I twist the head

BigBluefish said:

really matter, since I'll probably have it modded with a high cri XM-L2.

Click to expand...

I'm thinkinh about doing the same. So do you know how to open the head? It seems like it is just screwed on but I can't manage to open it. Either it is glued on or just screwed on pretty tight. Anybody already opened it or knows how to unscrew the head?

rayman

rayman said:

I'm thinkinh about doing the same. So do you know how to open the head? It seems like it is just screwed on but I can't manage to open it. Either it is glued on or just screwed on pretty tight. Anybody already opened it or knows how to unscrew the head?

rayman

Click to expand...

i'm waiting to receive an xm-l2 neutral to check this, have you tried with some heat ?

Poppy said:

The flat spots on the side of the head. Do they keep it from rolling (if one was to remove the clip) OR are they just for show?

Click to expand...

just for the show i'm afraid :ironic:

I received the TN12 today. I like it, but am not greatly impressed. Out of the box, it didn't work. I remembered someone posting that sometimes thes swithces were a bit wonky, so I took out the switch, and put it back in, making sure the retaiing ring was properly tightened, and problem solved. The extra GITD switch boot has a post in it, which may need to be trimmed before the boot will work with the switch(?) I also found that on a pair of partially depleted CR123a cells, it wouldn't enter turbo mode, but on a pair of almost fresh cells, and then on a newly charged 18650 it went into turbo. Entering strobe seems to take a bit more head twist than swithing into other modes. I think I received a cool emitter, but maybe Thrunite's neutrals are on the cooler end. Looks more like 5500K to me, though. Since I plan to have a different emitter stuck in it anyway, I really don't care. Haven't taken it outside to check the throw, but the beam out to about 25 feet indoors is better than I had expected from the smooth reflector. Build quality is good, but not great. Switch feel is OK, nothing special. Finish is good. Knurling is good. Overal aesthetic/size/hand-feel is good. Don't like the clip, took it off. Emitter not quite centered, but doesn't seem to mess up the beam any. I'm not thrilled with the head twist UI, but it does have advantage of giving you a choice of modes to start-up in, which is good. Moonlight, 30 and 95 lumen levels are useful, though I think I'd prefer say 10 and 50 or 60, then 150 or 200. Stroke is adequately annoying. I think it's about 10 hz. Might be good for disorienting an opponent, though a faster rate woudl probably be better. It does have adequate brightness, for such usage, if you are into these things. For the $29 I paid for it, I really can't complain.

Ti²C said:

i'm waiting to receive an xm-l2 neutral to check this, have you tried with some heat ?

Click to expand...

Not yet only by force what I could do with my bare hands. Don't want to damage it.

@ BigBluefish
Nice to hear that you could solve the problem by yourself. I had to send it back to Hongkong for an exchange but now got it back and it works just fine. +1 for your last sentence .

rayman

Having tried the light out some more, and taken it outside, I'm more favorably disposed towards it. I guess the emitter is a neutral, maybe 5000K-ish, compared to the cool XM-L in my M11R, though it has a more...hard to desribe it, not really yellow or green but different tint from my cook XP-G2 MDC. In any event, it's not objectionable. The light has a very smooth beam with good throw from the small size of the head and considering its an XM-L. Raw power makes up for alot. What it throws is pretty much a wall of light, not a true flood, but there's really no hotspot at any distance past 10 or 15 yards. The moonlight is comparable to the moonlight on my M11R, the 30 lumen setting is probably about that, the next setting up, which I think is listed as 90 lumens, is really closer to 200 by ceiling bounce and unscientific comparison to the high on my M11R and Malkoff MDC CR123. This would explain in some part the less dramatic than expected jump from high to turbo, which given the neutral emitter and 18650 cell, is probably outputting something like 525-550 lumens rather than 700, still very respectable. Having used it outdoors, I like the level spacing better than I did having just used it indoors. And the strobe is really rather unpleasant, which is, after all the whole point. So, I'll give it a definite thumbs up for $29.

rayman said:

Not yet only by force what I could do with my bare hands. Don't want to damage it.

@ BigBluefish
Nice to hear that you could solve the problem by yourself. I had to send it back to Hongkong for an exchange but now got it back and it works just fine. +1 for your last sentence .

rayman

Click to expand...

a couple of seconds @300°C with an heatgun and voila !

Great, easier than expected . So now I only have to get a neutral XM-L.

rayman

rayman said:

Great, easier than expected . So now I only have to get a neutral XM-L.

rayman

Click to expand...

Now, if they just had an XM-L2 with the tint and CRI of the Nichia 219....

Observations on 2012/2013 TN12

1, SMO reflector.
2, Higher medium mode, much more than the 95lm of older models and in the spec, As BigBluefish says around 200lm ish.
3, No "caution hot surface" triangle
4, Best one of all $29.95!

PS using IMR 18650 in mine , anyone tried 2 x 16340? and is it any brighter with them?