Review of the new Sunwayman T16R.

It is the first flashlight I have purchased in at least 10 years that came with ABSOLUTELY NO LUBRICATION ON THE THREADS. None. Zero. Zip. When I unscrewed the tail cap, it squeaked. It squeaked when I put it back on, too.

Unbelievable.

It is beautifully made, with a matte finish that will accentuate EVERY tiny scratch. I bought the grey one. Don't buy a grey one: it will show scratches even worse than the black one.

The beam. It doesn't have a beam. Or a reflector. Or a collimator. It just...sprays light everywhere.

At about 5 - 6 feet, the 'beam' is MORE THAN 10 FEET IN DIAMETER. That's MORE THAN 3 meters in diameter at a distance of LESS THAN 2 meters, for people outside the USA. Sunwayman says it has a 'convex lens'. It does. It spreads the light over a HUGE area. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. It's not my imagination.

I have a ca. 1915 - 1920 EverReady Daylo flashlight that has the fisheye glass lens on it. I restored it to working condition. The Sunwayman T16R has a slightly smaller beam. Slightly smaller. Not very much. I have no idea what Sunwayman was trying to 'achieve' with this flashlight. It's functionally useless, IMHO. The light spreads so far, at such a short distance, it's completely useless beyond a very close, immediate area. My single AAA powered little keychain flashlight, has more throw than this Sunwayman T16R, at maximum output. It's fairly unbelievable.

Missing from the advertising copy is the fact that this Sunwayman T16R is designed to use an 18350 battery. It has a removable plastic sleeve to allow the use of a Cr123, or a 16340 battery. But it is designed for a 18350 cell. Don't lose that plastic sleeve. There is nothing holding it in place.

I have no idea WHY Sunwayman chose to conceal this fact. It is the reason the flashlight looks so FAT. It is designed to use a bigger and higher capacity battery than the 16340. It may be the only good feature this flashlight HAS.

The switch protrudes from the side of the flashlight, and it takes VERY LITTLE pressure to activate it. A few GRAMS of pressure, at most. I have used computer mice with significantly heavier switches, to give you an idea. I put it into my shirt pocket, with my 9 year old Motorola flip phone, and a plastic ball point pen. Within five minutes, while I was doing some miscellaneous things around my house, the Sunwayman T16R not only turned itself on, but changed the output from the lowest level. Doubtless, the switch came in contact with my cell phone. Twice. At least.

As this little flashlight DOES NOT COME WITH A POCKET CLIP, there is no way to carry it, except in a pocket. EXPECT to find a dead battery in the flashlight, EVERY TIME you put it into your pocket. It isn't a matter of IF it will get turned on, but WHEN. What an incredibly BAD design the switch has, in keeping with nearly every other 'feature' this flashlight has.

It has been a VERY long time since I have seen such a truly horrible flashlight design. It will be the first flashlight I will return in at least 10 years, that wasn't defective.

I cannot imagine just for WHAT REASON or HOW Sunwayman thought that people would USE this flashlight. I have never seen another LED flashlight, except for those using one or more Nichia 5mm LEDs, with their individual plastic 'optics', that produces nothing but an extremely WIDE 'beam'. I have used a diffuser, usually made from scotch tape, to use a flashlight for reading. I suppose this flashlight would be good for reading. And virtually nothing else.

I got a free flashlight which uses 9, 5mm Nichia type LEDs from Harbor Freight, that I consider to be FAR more useful than the Sunwayman T16R: If I break or lose the Harbor Freight POC flashlight, I wouldn't CARE. It even came with batteries. And, using a reverse clicky switch, it has NEVER turned turned on accidentally. It lives in my tool box in my car. It has been beat to death by my tools, the finish is completely gone, it is covered with dents, but it still works perfectly. Very superior engineering, than the Sunwayman T16R has.

I paid $42 for the Sunwayman T16R, including shipping. If somebody GAVE me one for free, I still wouldn't actually USE it. It is, literally, IMHO, a truly useless flashlight. It is better than no flashlight at all, I suppose, but not by very much.

If you want a really small flashlight, buy an Olight S1 Baton. It comes with a TIR optic, giving it a fairly nice beam, has a switch that DOESN'T get turned on accidentally, and has a VERY sturdy, VERY nice pocket clip. It is a few millimeters longer than the Sunwayman T16R, but it is significantly smaller in diameter. It uses either a CR123, or 16340 cell. It will not take the larger 18350 cell. It has a very strong magnet in it's base, which is a very nice feature. It weighs less than the T16R, as well, if that is important to you.

The Olight S1 Baton can be found on Ebay, and doubtless, other places, for less than $45, including shipping. It is a vastly superior flashlight. It isn't as attractive in appearance, as the Sunwayman T16R. I have to admit: the T16R is a very nice looking flashlight, to somewhat offset its nearly useless ability to produce light. I would much rather read by candlelight, than use a Sunwayman T16R. You don't have to HOLD a candle in place. Just stick it with hot wax to any nearby surface. And, a candle has a built in lifespan indicator. How very clever.

Sounds like this light has a beam similar to the Zebralight H602w that I own. It's all flood and it does it very well. Oh course the H602 is also a headlamp so it becomes more useful than a handheld all flood light. I love the beam on my H602w and use it nearly every day. It is only useful for up close work though, but for that it is excellent. I wouldn't buy an all flood hand held light , but as a headlamp they can be very useful and make more sense.

Anyway the switch sounds like a serious issue on this light, and the fact that they couldn't be bothered to lube the threads is ridiculous.

Something I forgot to mention: This flashlight has a BLACK REFLECTOR. Really. As you look at the LED emitter, it has what looks like a BLACK REFLECTOR surrounding the LED, and going to the edge of the bezel. It is a piece of dull black aluminum or plastic. This is something I've NEVER seen on a flashlight. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot could the reason be for that?

goldenlight said:

It is better than no flashlight at all, I suppose, but not by very much.

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super amusing reading, thanks for that!!

Not the average review. Thank god !
Reviews usually give almost all praise and too many pictures. Also the flashlight would be free to the reviewer.
Thank you for the honest observations.

kreisl said:

super amusing reading, thanks for that!!

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I used to do stand up comedy. Really. I opened once for PeeWee Herman, before that unfortunate 'incident'. He had appeared on several of the 'big' talk shows, including The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson. If Johnny Carson liked a comedian, odds were that they would get some very good bookings.

My favorite points:

goldenlight said:

The beam. It doesn't have a beam. Or a reflector. Or a collimator. It just...sprays light everywhere.

I have no idea what Sunwayman was trying to 'achieve' with this flashlight. It's functionally useless, IMHO.

If somebody GAVE me one for free, I still wouldn't actually USE it. It is, literally, IMHO, a truly useless flashlight. It is better than no flashlight at all, I suppose, but not by very much.

I would much rather read by candlelight, than use a Sunwayman T16R.

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I love it. A truly honest review....and ouch :sweat:for the designer of this light.

Ironically I recently just won this flashlight on a CPF free GAW. I entered thinking it would be cool to have an exotic battery fed light that I would just have to source the battery for...seeing how so many people have these types on CPF. In Canada, every battery that the T16R takes is expensive (CR123, 16340...even the 18350) and not particularly easy to find.

I wonder if I could wrangle a trade for a new in box T16R on CPF ... :thinking:

I think this light was designed to be a close up flood light mule kinda setup.

That said - I agree that everything about this light appears to be ridiculous. For a small keychain flooder this light is huge. I don't see any practical application for it.

Hopefully Sunwayman will take the feedback into a redesign for this one.

Id return it. When it comes to Jetbeams the 3M Pro and WL S1 are they best lights they make.

goldenlight said:

Something I forgot to mention: This flashlight has a BLACK REFLECTOR. Really. As you look at the LED emitter, it has what looks like a BLACK REFLECTOR surrounding the LED, and going to the edge of the bezel. It is a piece of dull black aluminum or plastic. This is something I've NEVER seen on a flashlight. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot could the reason be for that?

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LEDs emit light in a cone facing forward. In this light, the back of the convex lens is so close to the LED that all of this cone should be passing through the lens. A reflector only helps when it protrudes forward enough that it intercepts some of the cone of light from the LED. A reflector would do nothing here.

The area around the LED on this light is black, but it's not a reflector. It's just a backplate. Still... it might have helped making it white to help gather some of the tiny bit of the scattered light. However, the difference in output would have been unnoticeable.

While unusual for a premium light, this optic system is actually quite common in budget lights like the Sipik 68. Pretty much all budget zoomies have the same system: a convex lens, no reflector, and a backplate that might be black or white plastic or chrome metal. Black plastic is actually quite common as it helps reduce artifacts in spot mode (a mode not present in this fixed-focus flood-only Sunwayman).

I have the 18650 version of this Sunwayman and also was not impressed.

• Beam pattern - basically a mule. Looks very similar to what you get out of a well-designed budget zoomie in flood mode. Beam is a perfect even circle with no hotspot and no spill outside the circle. Very floody and only suitable for very close use. The beam is wider than most budget zoomies and has no rings around it... but then again, most budget zoomies can be modded to achieve the same width and artifact-free beam pattern.
• Like a zoomie, but without the zoom - At least the budget zoomies can zoom... so they are good for both up close and at a distance. The Sunwayman has most of the disadvantages of a zoomie while skipping the biggest benefit: the zoom. To make this light into a zoomie it would have been necessary for Sunwayman to mount the lens in a bezel that could slide forward or backwards to move the LED on and off the focal point.
• Anodizing - My sample (tan) had anodizing that looked great, but feels awful. This may just be my personal preference and could be limited to the tan. The problem is the texture: to me it feels like I am holding a stick of chalk, complete with that same hair-raising feeling. I only have one other light that feels this way (Olight S10 Ti, bead blasted). I can't stand it.
• Switch - Switch is very easy to turn on accidentally. No moonlight and even low isn't that low. Switch is also very difficult to find by feel, so expect to have to rotate the light a few times to find the switch. I also did not like the UI.
• Difficult to mod - Bezel is very securely glued on... so not at all easy to mod. I was unable to remove it (tried rubber jar opening pad, indoor stairway grip tape, strap wrenches). A blow torch may be needed to remove the bezel, which could damage the light.

This light might look nice, but if you want a small 18350 or 18650 light there are much, much better choices available.

Loved it thanks :thumbsup:

So tell us what you really think, ha ha.

Great review, thank you!

i got to ask, what kind of beam did you expect to get from this light? looking at the promotional pics my first thought was "wow, a poor mans sundrop"

goldenlight said:

And, a candle has a built in lifespan indicator. How very clever.

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Hahahaha

CelticCross74 said:

Id return it. When it comes to Jetbeams the 3M Pro and WL S1 are they best lights they make.

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I did return it. I haven't returned a flashlight that wasn't defective in a VERY long time.

I just bought two Jetbeam WL-S2 flashlights, which take an 18650, 2 - 16340's or 2 - CR123's, NIB shipped for just $30 ea. They have the most beautiful cool white LED emitters. Probably the whitest tint on any LED flashlight I've ever seen. I'm trying to think of a reason NOT to give the second one away as a gift, because I know I'll never see such nice white emitters again for a long time. I have a WL - S1 battery tube and tailcap here somewhere, as I have an older WL-S2. So then I would have 3 of them. I should try the S2 head on the S1 battery tube again. I remember it as being kind of large. It is nice to have a flashlight that can use AA cells, since you can buy them in almost any store.

I always feel sorry for the people outside the USA buying flashlights and batteries. Everything is set up for USA sales. Lots of websites don't ship out of the USA. And if they do, shipping is very expensive. They are a couple of smaller website that ships for free for purchases over $25. I buy a lot of things on Ebay, too. People who have a postal meter at home can ship things that weigh a few ounces, like Lithium Ion batteries, for about $1.50 USD.

I just looked up a Zippo lighter on Ebay. I can buy one NIB for $8 USD, delivered to my home. I can't understand how they make any money. Ebay charges a fee, Paypal charges a fee. They have to buy a small bubble envelope. The exact same lighter costs a little under $13 in a Walmart store here, including sales tax. And I have to drive to the store to buy it.

I remember I wanted some ice cleats with carbide tips that aren't available in the USA, but they are in Canada. I E-mailed to the website asking about shipping to the USA. I'm probably 200 miles by air from the Canadian border. The guy E-mails me back, saying he can send them by a courier service for about $25. Thus doubling the price. I asked him why he couldn't just use, oh, you know, some sort of Postal Service to send them to me. I allow as sending a courier by dog sled from Canada into the USA was just way too expensive for one 6 ounce package. I ask him how much to send it by Canadian Postal Service, (Or what ever the proper name is) instead of by courier. He says he can't do it. I ask why not. He says he can't because of 'rules'. I asked him if the RCMP was going to kick in his door and arrest him at 4 AM in the morning, because he MAILED a pair of light duty ice cleats to the USA. He never answered. They probably threw him in prison for even DISCUSSING shipping a pair of light duty ice cleats into the USA by mail. What if some terrorist should intercept the package? It could be the end of civilization as we know it.

I finally managed to get someone I know in Finland to buy them on line, and then ship them to me. It was cheaper than getting them from Canada. By courier service. She sent them by mail. Obviously.

One thing I have to repeat is how nice the workmanship is on the T16R. The grey one looked a LOT like titanium. But then they use a micro switch with a micro spring in it. Did nobody at Sunwayman THINK about them getting turned on accidentally? You CAN buy micro switches with heavier springs. And then a bare emitter set in black aluminum, behind a curved lens. I never checked to see if it was glass or plastic. I sure hope it was glass, because it protruded almost exactly even with the nice stainless steel bezel. It's like there was one really good engineer designing half of it, and the really stupid brother in law engineer who graduated dead last in his class designing the other half of it. And they hated each other and refused to speak to each other. Or something.

Fireclaw18 said:

LEDs emit light in a cone facing forward. In this light, the back of the convex lens is so close to the LED that all of this cone should be passing through the lens. A reflector only helps when it protrudes forward enough that it intercepts some of the cone of light from the LED. A reflector would do nothing here.

The area around the LED on this light is black, but it's not a reflector. It's just a backplate. Still... it might have helped making it white to help gather some of the tiny bit of the scattered light. However, the difference in output would have been unnoticeable.

While unusual for a premium light, this optic system is actually quite common in budget lights like the Sipik 68. Pretty much all budget zoomies have the same system: a convex lens, no reflector, and a backplate that might be black or white plastic or chrome metal. Black plastic is actually quite common as it helps reduce artifacts in spot mode (a mode not present in this fixed-focus flood-only Sunwayman).

I have the 18650 version of this Sunwayman and also was not impressed.

• Beam pattern - basically a mule. Looks very similar to what you get out of a well-designed budget zoomie in flood mode. Beam is a perfect even circle with no hotspot and no spill outside the circle. Very floody and only suitable for very close use. The beam is wider than most budget zoomies and has no rings around it... but then again, most budget zoomies can be modded to achieve the same width and artifact-free beam pattern.
• Like a zoomie, but without the zoom - At least the budget zoomies can zoom... so they are good for both up close and at a distance. The Sunwayman has most of the disadvantages of a zoomie while skipping the biggest benefit: the zoom. To make this light into a zoomie it would have been necessary for Sunwayman to mount the lens in a bezel that could slide forward or backwards to move the LED on and off the focal point.
• Anodizing - My sample (tan) had anodizing that looked great, but feels awful. This may just be my personal preference and could be limited to the tan. The problem is the texture: to me it feels like I am holding a stick of chalk, complete with that same hair-raising feeling. I only have one other light that feels this way (Olight S10 Ti, bead blasted). I can't stand it.
• Switch - Switch is very easy to turn on accidentally. No moonlight and even low isn't that low. Switch is also very difficult to find by feel, so expect to have to rotate the light a few times to find the switch. I also did not like the UI.
• Difficult to mod - Bezel is very securely glued on... so not at all easy to mod. I was unable to remove it (tried rubber jar opening pad, indoor stairway grip tape, strap wrenches). A blow torch may be needed to remove the bezel, which could damage the light.

This light might look nice, but if you want a small 18350 or 18650 light there are much, much better choices available.

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I saw some very nice photographs of the 16340/18650 version. It is a REALLY nice looking flashlight.

I have never owned a cheap zooming flashlight, but I'm assuming the 'focused beam' has virtually no spill light.

I completely missed what a bad design the switch was, as it is so small, and only protruded a very minimal amount. I only turned it on and off a few times. There was light in the room. It would be just terrible in the dark.

I have an Olight S1 Baton. Somebody mentioned in their review placing the pocket clip a little to the left side of the switch, to make it easy to find the switch in the dark. What a gem of information that is. I doubt i would have figured it out on my own.

The Sunwayman T16R doesn't come with a pocket clip. They literally cost a few CENTS to make. Too expensive for this $50+ flashlight. Unbelievable.

Thank you for the explanation of how the LED 'works' with what I called the 'black reflector'. I've never seen this explained, and in easy to understand language, always appreciated, before. In the really cheap flashlights, it makes sense to leave the backing black. But this is (supposed to be) a NICE flashlight that is not at all inexpensive. It would make more sense to spend a few CENTS to anodize the backing plate sliver (or gold, perhaps) to make it look nicer.

I bought this flashlight based almost completely on it's appearance. And because I have 16340 cells on hand. And the specs looked reasonable for a very small flashlight.

I put some Nyogel on the threads and O-ring, before I shipped it back. Most people don't have light silicone grease on hand. At least I assume they don't. Somewhere, somebody is (foolishly) putting WD40 on a brand new Sunwayman T16R. Because the threads DID squeak when I first put the battery in.

tab665 said:

i got to ask, what kind of beam did you expect to get from this light? looking at the promotional pics my first thought was "wow, a poor mans sundrop"

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I have never seen a flashlight with a convex lens before, so I had no idea what the beam they produce would look like. I am unfamiliar with the name 'sundrop', as well.

I expected a flashlight with a wider beam than would be expected from a flashlight with a deep, smooth reflector.

I would have been pleased if it had a beam similar to my Olight S1 Baton. At 6 feet, the Olight has a beam less than 3 feet in diameter. It's very decent, at close to moderate distances.

Never in my deepest, wildest, and worst opium, marijuana and LSD induced flashlight nightmares, could I have possibly imagined a flashlight with a beam 12 feet in diameter, at a distance of about 5 feet. But I gave up illegal drugs a very long time ago. Hours ago. Well. Almost an hour ago. But I have had no horrible flashlight nightmares. Not recently, anyways. Not for well over an hour. At least.

In short, I didn't know what to expect. Almost ANYTHING OTHER than what The Sunwayman T16R delivered. And NEVER such an unbelievably poor design.

Not from anybody NOT suffering from an extremely severe case of flashlight psychosis, somewhat common. unfortunately, among those who dwell permanently underground, in very deep abandoned mine tunnels. They are virtually never hired to design flashlights, for obvious reasons. Flashlight psychosis, you know. There is no known cure. Not even an effective treatment. Very tragic. Psychiatrists refuse to even visit them in their deep tunnel homes. And they refuse to leave them. Consequently, it is a very poorly understood form of mental illness.

I just wish the poor blighters would cease their endless pleas to purchase my fine ca. 1915 to 1920 EverReady Daylo flashlight, with the heavy glass fisheye lens. It's MINE.

tab665 said:

i got to ask, what kind of beam did you expect to get from this light? looking at the promotional pics my first thought was "wow, a poor mans sundrop"

Click to expand...

I have never seen a flashlight with a convex lens before, so I had no idea what the beam they produce would look like. I am unfamiliar with the name 'sundrop', as well.

I expected a flashlight with a wider beam than would be expected from a flashlight with a deep, smooth reflector.

I would have been pleased if it had a beam similar to my Olight S1 Baton. At 6 feet, the Olight has a beam less than 3 feet in diameter. It's very decent, at close to moderate distances.

Never in my deepest, wildest, and worst opium, marijuana and LSD induced flashlight nightmares, could I have possibly imagined a flashlight with a beam 12 feet in diameter, at a distance of about 5 feet. But I gave up illegal drugs a very long time ago. Hours ago. Well. Almost an hour ago. But I have had no horrible flashlight nightmares. Not recently, anyways. Not for well over an hour. At least.

In short, I didn't know what to expect. Almost ANYTHING OTHER than what The Sunwayman T16R delivered. And NEVER such an unbelievably poor design.

Not from anybody NOT suffering from an extremely severe case of flashlight psychosis, somewhat common. unfortunately, among those who dwell permanently underground, in very deep abandoned mine tunnels. They are virtually never hired to design flashlights, for obvious reasons. Flashlight psychosis, you know. There is no known cure. Not even an effective treatment. Very tragic. Psychiatrists refuse to even visit them in their deep tunnel homes. And they refuse to leave them. Consequently, it is a very poorly understood form of mental illness.

I just wish the poor blighters would cease their endless pleas to purchase my fine ca. 1915 to 1920 EverReady Daylo flashlight, with the heavy glass fisheye lens. It's MINE. Sick *******s.

Thanks for the amusing and detailed review. Like you, I was attracted by its looks. I was about to buy one. Good thing I didn't.

da1510a said:

Thanks for the amusing and detailed review. Like you, I was attracted by its looks. I was about to buy one. Good thing I didn't.

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You would have been very unhappy, as I was. They are very nice looking. The appeal pretty much ends there, unfortunately. Sunwayman makes some nice flashlights, but they sure missed the boat on the optics for this little flashlight. A total lack of sanity. I kept trying to think of an application when a super wide beam would actually be desirable. I was unable to think of any time I would want that beam. As I said, the Olight S1 Baton is very similar in size and shape, has a very decent beam, and a very nice pocket strong clip. A better switch, too. Not nearly as nice looking, but I won't care if I ding it up, either. I'm glad I saved you the trouble.