rookiedaddy
Enlightened
Was contacted by Olight for a chance to test the 2018 release of Olight M2T Warrior, a non-rechargeable version of the 2017 release M2R Warrior... however, this will not be a comparison with the M2R as I turned down the testing sample of M2R due to personal reasons previously.
Olight M2T Warrior
Reviewer's Overall Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary:
Pros:
Cons:
Features / Value: ★★☆☆☆
Retailed at US$69.99, M2T could have included a rechargeable 18650 LiIon battery. Olight's decision to not include a rechargeable 18650 battery made this light comparatively less attractive than similar tactical flashlight in the market especially given that the included 2 x Primary CR123A can NOT reach the full potential of 1,200 lumens out-of-box.
Olight has chosen to use a new packaging to kick start the year 2018, a white, tall, cardboard box. I've also receive a H16 Wave in exactly the same box dimension.
The new 3-stage tail-switch is very experimental in my opinion. No other manufacturer has done that. It isn't and has no similarity to the 2-stage SureFire tailcap (e.g. SureFire LX2) that we know and love. This 3-stage tail-switch is somehow weirdly functional and I'm guessing as a tactical user, you'll either love it or hate it!
Design / Build Quality: ★★★☆☆
The build quality is very high like other tactical flashlight release from Olight. The anodizing is good and additional knurling at the tailcap provides very good grip when tightening or loosening the tailcap.
Olight assembly line is a little on the generous side when it comes to greasing... there are a fair bit of excess grease at the tailcap as can be seen here near the switch boot. Every push action of the switch boot button will force some of those excess to squeeze out and before you know it, there are grease all over the finger. There are also excess grease near the head assembly where Olight installed the 2-way clip...
Side-switch mode switching is very stable and uses the tried-and-true UI of the S-series.
Turbo and Strobe mode are not memorized, which is a preferred UI. High mode is only memorized for 10 minutes and will revert to Med2 mode after that. We can direct access to Turbo and Strobe modes via the side-switch using Double-Click and Triple-Click respectively. With the new tail-switch, however, you have another way to access the Turbo 1,200 lumens and Fast Strobe. The forward electronic switch will interpret the half-push, click and click-hold states of the tail-switch to give you Momentary Turbo mode, Constant-On Turbo mode and Fast Strobe respectively.
The red LED indicator at the side-switch button is a nice touch. It functions both as a lockout indicator and LVP (Low Voltage Protection) warning beacon.
One weird UI/UX of this M2T is if your M2T is Switched On, any actuation (half or full press) of the tail-switch will activate the Momentary Turbo mode and upon releasing the switch, it will switch-off the M2T. No matter if your M2T was switched-On using the side-switch or the tail-switch (click-On Turbo mode). It also means any bump (knock, drop, etc.) at the tail-switch will switch-Off the M2T Warrior. And No, it doesn't matter if you click-On the tail-switch thinking it will activate the constant-On Turbo mode, but once you release the button, it will switch-Off!
Similarly, if your M2T is Off, a bump at the tail-switch will activate the Momentary Turbo mode. In fact, I can reliably push the tail-switch rubber-boot to the side to activate Momentary-On, this has a nicer feel than any SureFire, Fenix and other tactical push button switch I have handled before. For tactical users who absolutely need Momentary-On most of the time, this M2T will be the perfect companion for you. But as a daily EDC or around the house use, this M2T is awfully irritating as the tail-switch UI doesn't work well with the side-switch. A better UI design is for the tail-switch to complement the side-switch or vice-versa instead of counteract each other.
I would also strongly recommend that you either engage the mechanical lockout (loosening the tailcap) or the side-switch electronic lockout when bag-carry or bezel-up pocket carry. My preference is bezel-down pocket or holster carry.
The 2-way pocket clip is pretty strong! and it can be carried 4-way due to Olight design the M2T body to accommodate 2 different positions to put-on the clip. I like to put the clip near the tailcap as this allows for deeper pocket carry.
Battery Life: ★★★★★
Below is a runtime in Turbo mode using a button-top 3400mAh Panasonic NCR18650B cell.
I manually stop the runtime a few minutes after Low Voltage Protection kicks-in. Cell's read 3.01V upon removal from M2T Warrior. This is much desired than letting it drain the cell down to below 2.6V.
If according to ANSI/PLATO/FL-1, the tested runtime is much longer than advertised and this runtime test is based on a 3400mAh cell while manufacturer is using 3500mAh to quote.
Picture showing the Low Voltage Warning activated when battery power is low.
About battery fitment, there is an issue if your cell length is less than 67mm. Below are the batteries tested.
the flat-top Panasonic NCR18650B and AW IMR18650 from left is ~65mm and when your cell is less than 67mm, there are room for the spring at both ends of the M2T contacts to compress and decompress. As such, when your M2T Warrior is On and you shake or bump the flashlight ever so lightly, with that split seconds of lose contact your flashlight will be switch-Off. The button top NCR18650B cell has no such issue as the length is ~67.5mm, likewise for the 2 x CR123A (installed in the battery magazine), as the measured length is ~68mm.
This, further strengthen the need to include a workable 18650 cell together with M2T Warrior or Olight should really mention it in their manual or packaging that for 18650-size LiIon battery, they need a 67mm length cell to work properly. (fwiw, this issue is not unique to M2T, other models like H2R, S30RIII, etc. have the same issue too, but these lights do include their rechargeable battery in the package...)
Light Output: ★★★★★
My home-made lightbox gives the following readings:
Note that the above measured lumens are by no means authoritative nor an indication of over/under-stating the output by manufacturer.
It's calibrated against some known output lights (e.g. Fenix, SureFire) so take it with a grain of salt and just as a relative reading.
Standby current or parasitic drain: 54µA
Tint is greenish except High and Turbo (err... actually it's still greenish but the sheer brightness from the 600 lumens and 1,200 lumens makes it more bearable.
The decade old M20 Warrior Premium output is included as a comparison of how far Olight has come since then...
Summary: ★★★★☆
A decade ago, Olight released their M20 Warrior (link to Selfbuilt's review) model to the tactical users, it was a popular model, one that Olight have successfully replicate with continual improvements to late models like M20-SX and M23 Javelot. With the release of M2T Warrior this year (and to some extend, the 2017 Olight M2R Warrior), one can see how far Olight's tactical flashlight has evolved and continue to evolve with each new releases.
I believe we are still at the early stage of next generation Olight tactical flashlight, this M2T has so much potential to be a great tactical flashlight but fall short of 2 bits of implementation in my humble opinion, namely UI design and battery inclusion (the missing 18650 battery).
I can't wait to see what Olight will come out next to their tactical M-series line.
A couple of shots of the molded plastic that comes in the box...
Contents of the box
this little fella is hidden inside the holster...
would I recommend this flashlight? Yes but only if you use the tail-switch primarily for tactical applications. so, I modified the usage scenario diagram located at the side of the box a little:
Olight M2T Warrior
Reviewer's Overall Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary:
Pros:
- 3-stage Tactical tail-switch
- XHP35 HD LED with 1,200 lumens Bright
- Direct access to Moon mode, Turbo mode and Strobe mode
- Dual direction pocket clip with 2 alternate positions on M2T Warrior body to clip-on
Cons:
- No 18650 LiIon battery included, the 1,200 lumens can only be power by a 5A discharge-capable 18650 LiIon battery. The included 2 x Primary Olight CR123A can only reach 900 lumens max.
- Included holster could have been better quality (like the holster included with M2R Warrior)
- Not all 18650 battery can be use in M2T Warrior
- UI could potentially make this the best tactical light in the market now OR one of the worst user experience civilian flashlight in the market now.
Features / Value: ★★☆☆☆
Retailed at US$69.99, M2T could have included a rechargeable 18650 LiIon battery. Olight's decision to not include a rechargeable 18650 battery made this light comparatively less attractive than similar tactical flashlight in the market especially given that the included 2 x Primary CR123A can NOT reach the full potential of 1,200 lumens out-of-box.
Olight has chosen to use a new packaging to kick start the year 2018, a white, tall, cardboard box. I've also receive a H16 Wave in exactly the same box dimension.
The new 3-stage tail-switch is very experimental in my opinion. No other manufacturer has done that. It isn't and has no similarity to the 2-stage SureFire tailcap (e.g. SureFire LX2) that we know and love. This 3-stage tail-switch is somehow weirdly functional and I'm guessing as a tactical user, you'll either love it or hate it!
Design / Build Quality: ★★★☆☆
The build quality is very high like other tactical flashlight release from Olight. The anodizing is good and additional knurling at the tailcap provides very good grip when tightening or loosening the tailcap.
Olight assembly line is a little on the generous side when it comes to greasing... there are a fair bit of excess grease at the tailcap as can be seen here near the switch boot. Every push action of the switch boot button will force some of those excess to squeeze out and before you know it, there are grease all over the finger. There are also excess grease near the head assembly where Olight installed the 2-way clip...
Side-switch mode switching is very stable and uses the tried-and-true UI of the S-series.
Turbo and Strobe mode are not memorized, which is a preferred UI. High mode is only memorized for 10 minutes and will revert to Med2 mode after that. We can direct access to Turbo and Strobe modes via the side-switch using Double-Click and Triple-Click respectively. With the new tail-switch, however, you have another way to access the Turbo 1,200 lumens and Fast Strobe. The forward electronic switch will interpret the half-push, click and click-hold states of the tail-switch to give you Momentary Turbo mode, Constant-On Turbo mode and Fast Strobe respectively.
The red LED indicator at the side-switch button is a nice touch. It functions both as a lockout indicator and LVP (Low Voltage Protection) warning beacon.
One weird UI/UX of this M2T is if your M2T is Switched On, any actuation (half or full press) of the tail-switch will activate the Momentary Turbo mode and upon releasing the switch, it will switch-off the M2T. No matter if your M2T was switched-On using the side-switch or the tail-switch (click-On Turbo mode). It also means any bump (knock, drop, etc.) at the tail-switch will switch-Off the M2T Warrior. And No, it doesn't matter if you click-On the tail-switch thinking it will activate the constant-On Turbo mode, but once you release the button, it will switch-Off!
Similarly, if your M2T is Off, a bump at the tail-switch will activate the Momentary Turbo mode. In fact, I can reliably push the tail-switch rubber-boot to the side to activate Momentary-On, this has a nicer feel than any SureFire, Fenix and other tactical push button switch I have handled before. For tactical users who absolutely need Momentary-On most of the time, this M2T will be the perfect companion for you. But as a daily EDC or around the house use, this M2T is awfully irritating as the tail-switch UI doesn't work well with the side-switch. A better UI design is for the tail-switch to complement the side-switch or vice-versa instead of counteract each other.
I would also strongly recommend that you either engage the mechanical lockout (loosening the tailcap) or the side-switch electronic lockout when bag-carry or bezel-up pocket carry. My preference is bezel-down pocket or holster carry.
The 2-way pocket clip is pretty strong! and it can be carried 4-way due to Olight design the M2T body to accommodate 2 different positions to put-on the clip. I like to put the clip near the tailcap as this allows for deeper pocket carry.
Battery Life: ★★★★★
Below is a runtime in Turbo mode using a button-top 3400mAh Panasonic NCR18650B cell.
I manually stop the runtime a few minutes after Low Voltage Protection kicks-in. Cell's read 3.01V upon removal from M2T Warrior. This is much desired than letting it drain the cell down to below 2.6V.
If according to ANSI/PLATO/FL-1, the tested runtime is much longer than advertised and this runtime test is based on a 3400mAh cell while manufacturer is using 3500mAh to quote.
Picture showing the Low Voltage Warning activated when battery power is low.
About battery fitment, there is an issue if your cell length is less than 67mm. Below are the batteries tested.
the flat-top Panasonic NCR18650B and AW IMR18650 from left is ~65mm and when your cell is less than 67mm, there are room for the spring at both ends of the M2T contacts to compress and decompress. As such, when your M2T Warrior is On and you shake or bump the flashlight ever so lightly, with that split seconds of lose contact your flashlight will be switch-Off. The button top NCR18650B cell has no such issue as the length is ~67.5mm, likewise for the 2 x CR123A (installed in the battery magazine), as the measured length is ~68mm.
This, further strengthen the need to include a workable 18650 cell together with M2T Warrior or Olight should really mention it in their manual or packaging that for 18650-size LiIon battery, they need a 67mm length cell to work properly. (fwiw, this issue is not unique to M2T, other models like H2R, S30RIII, etc. have the same issue too, but these lights do include their rechargeable battery in the package...)
Light Output: ★★★★★
My home-made lightbox gives the following readings:
Note that the above measured lumens are by no means authoritative nor an indication of over/under-stating the output by manufacturer.
It's calibrated against some known output lights (e.g. Fenix, SureFire) so take it with a grain of salt and just as a relative reading.
Standby current or parasitic drain: 54µA
Tint is greenish except High and Turbo (err... actually it's still greenish but the sheer brightness from the 600 lumens and 1,200 lumens makes it more bearable.
The decade old M20 Warrior Premium output is included as a comparison of how far Olight has come since then...
Summary: ★★★★☆
A decade ago, Olight released their M20 Warrior (link to Selfbuilt's review) model to the tactical users, it was a popular model, one that Olight have successfully replicate with continual improvements to late models like M20-SX and M23 Javelot. With the release of M2T Warrior this year (and to some extend, the 2017 Olight M2R Warrior), one can see how far Olight's tactical flashlight has evolved and continue to evolve with each new releases.
I believe we are still at the early stage of next generation Olight tactical flashlight, this M2T has so much potential to be a great tactical flashlight but fall short of 2 bits of implementation in my humble opinion, namely UI design and battery inclusion (the missing 18650 battery).
I can't wait to see what Olight will come out next to their tactical M-series line.
A couple of shots of the molded plastic that comes in the box...
Contents of the box
this little fella is hidden inside the holster...
would I recommend this flashlight? Yes but only if you use the tail-switch primarily for tactical applications. so, I modified the usage scenario diagram located at the side of the box a little:
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