Review of the Nitecore EF1 Explosion-proof Flashlight

This torch costs in the region of £110.00 GBP to buy and is sold as an Explosion-proof flashlight, it seems that Nitecore have been making a series of Explosion-proof headlamps lately like the EH1 and EH1s however this EF1 Flashlight appears to have been around for about a year now so not a new arrival by any means but it has some nice features and there doesn't seem to be many reviews or videos for it around so I thought that I would take it on a day out down a slate mine and write a bit of a review.

SOME SPECS AND INFO
The Nitecore EF1 is powered by one 18650 battery or 2 CR123 batteries, it has three power levels that range from 4 lumins to 830 Lumins, the power switch is a sliding affair with 3 positions 0-1-2-3.
The body is made of aerospace grade aluminium alloy that is 3mm thick and the finish is a military grade anodised black coating.
The LED is a CREE XM-L2 U3 LED and chucks a beam out to 270m
The Lens is a 10mm thick job that is sealed by appoxy
IP67 rated and impact resistant to a drop of 1.5m
Weight is ....8.82 oz
length is .... 5.99 inches
Head size ...is 1.57 inches
I like FEET and INCHES

power levels
LOW POWER: 4 lumins .....runs for 150 hours on a fully charged battery
MID POWER: 320 Lumins...runs for 3 hours on a fully charged battery
HIGH POWER: 830 Lumins..runs for 1.5 hours on a fully charged battery


When the torch arrived it was well packaged


so I opened it IMMEDIATELY and the box inside was plain brown with a label on it


Inside the box was a foam insert with the torch, a pouch, some spare O rings, a lanyard, some instructions and a warranty card.



First impressions were good and it seemed like a nice well made bit of kit...here is a 360 series of images around the torch body




this is the spec lifted from Nitecores websie


And the Features as described


Below are Some close ups of the main bits
Firstly there are two stainless steel hex screws either side of the torch head that I imagined were holding the shroud on so I left them well alone


A close up of the power slider switch, ranging from 0 to 3, it moves nice and smoothly with a definate locating CLICK at each setting


The Tail cap with the lanyard cord attached, it is flat so will stand vertically on a table or anywhere else flat


The Tail cap Knurling, I was really impressed with the build quality and precision knurling


Knurling on the main body of the torch, the aluminium alloy is 3mm thick, I guess this is to aid the containment of a battery that may explode.


Inside the end cap, a spring and a wafer board by the looks of it


With the battery out and looking down the tube, this is the contact for the positive side of the battery behind the driver and LED, it looks to be gold plated


The body of the torch with the cap off, you can see the 3mm thick alloy and the bottom of the 18650 battery, as I reckon it is thick to try and contain an exploding battery, you can see one of the O rings and there is plenty of thread to retain the cap tightly, again probably a measure to further secure and contain any internal problem.


The head of the torch, you can see the Cree XM-L2 U3 LED that sits in a pretty deep reflector, it gives the beam a really good throw capacity.
The lens is 10mm thick and sealed by appoxy.
The head is 40mm wide and a series of coloured diffusers can be bought for it.


The CREE XM L2-U3 LED that emits 830 Lumins


The EF1 next to its pouch, the pouch has a velcro fastener to attach to a belt and and a D-ring that can be attached to a caribiner.


In its pouch, it fits snugly and although I dont use pouches or holders it seemed well made and pretty robust.


sitting next to my iphone for size comparison


I took this into a disused slate mine and did some beam shots, all at 5 seconds F5.6 and ISO200
LOW POWER SETTING 4 LUMINS


MEDIUM SETTING 320 LUMINS


HIGH SETTING 830 LUMINS


Some other shots that show the beam hotpsot and the flood spill of the Nitecore EF1



outside the mine



CONCLUSION
I used this torch for photography and mine explorationI liked this torch from the get go, it is well made and feels substantial when you are holding it in your hand although it is no lightweight, the body has some really nice knurling on the body that makes the torch feel secure and unlikely to slip from your grasp.
The beam that the Cree LED emits is a nice white light and it is perfect for light painting photographs underground, it has an impressive throw and hotspot but also has a good flood or light spill so it makes the EF1 a very usable torch and although it is designed with hazardous environments in mind it would be great for most activities like camping, hiking, fishing or working.
The power level controls fall nicely under your thumb and are easy to operate, the switch locates on each setting with a very satisfying CLICK and there is no mistaking when a power level is selected.
All in all a good bit of kit.
I have some video that I took in a slatemine that I can post which shows the beamshots and power levels of this torch much more accurately, I will post it when I get it onto my computer and add it to this thread.

Thanks for reading.

Thank you for that review. Explosion proof items are a particular interest of mine. Did you notice any North American approval ratings on this (UL, Factory Mutual, etc.) ? Does anything in the manufacturer's literature restrict the batteries used? That is, is the approval only valid with the manufacturer's brand of battery?

Bill

Sorry if this is a stupid observation, but I'm having difficulty understanding how an "Explosion Proof" flashlight only has a drop rating of 1.5 meters. Am I the only one who finds this puzzling?

Kitchen Panda said:

Thank you for that review. Explosion proof items are a particular interest of mine. Did you notice any North American approval ratings on this (UL, Factory Mutual, etc.) ? Does anything in the manufacturer's literature restrict the batteries used? That is, is the approval only valid with the manufacturer's brand of battery?

Bill

Click to expand...

this is the cert Bill from nitecores site, says nothing about restricting batteries.

georgeib said:

Sorry if this is a stupid observation, but I'm having difficulty understanding how an "Explosion Proof" flashlight only has a drop rating of 1.5 meters. Am I the only one who finds this puzzling?

Click to expand...

I would expect that dropping it from more than 1,5m may be more about buggering the torch function up rather than causing an explosion basically it may break at a height more than 1.5m...my guess.

the Kwan said:

I would expect that dropping it from more than 1,5m may be more about buggering the torch function up rather than causing an explosion basically it may break at a height more than 1.5m...my guess.

Click to expand...

This. "Explosion Proof" doesn't mean the light is supposed to survive an explosion ... all it means is the light is supposed to be sufficiently sealed so that it won't cause a spark and ignite an explosion.

Fireclaw18 said:

This. "Explosion Proof" doesn't mean the light is supposed to survive an explosion ... all it means is the light is supposed to be sufficiently sealed so that it won't cause a spark and ignite an explosion.

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Yes I think that it is all about keeping anything that will ignite gas or liquids inside the torch come what may, wether it be an exploding 18650 or a short on a driver board there will be a much reduced risk of an explosion in the outside environment, hence the 10mm appoxy sealed lens and the 3mm thick body and extra threading on the end cap, all in the hope of containment.
I cant really see that the 1,5m impact will effect the construction or outside environment but is more likely to break some of the internal components but still remain safe.

Thanks for the review. I like the looks of the light with the EXCEPTION of ALL that print on the head,a total turn off!

Capolini said:

Thanks for the review. I like the looks of the light with the EXCEPTION of ALL that print on the head,a total turn off!

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Totally agree Capolini however I am not sure if it is a requirement of gaining the certified status to have it on display, I couldnt actually read it too be honest without a magnifying glass it was so small or possibly it could be my tired old eyes

the Kwan said:

Totally agree Capolini however I am not sure if it is a requirement of gaining the certified status to have it on display, I couldnt actually read it too be honest without a magnifying glass it was so small or possibly it could be my tired old eyes

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I would not think that is the case. NC is known to put a lot of writing on many of their lights! Other members have pointed it out before.

Obviously it is just cosmetic and has nothing to do with the function of the light.

You did a great review,don't want to have their "Transcript"[!] take away from your job!

Finally uploaded the beam shots video for the EF1