The event that brought me to CPF was dropping and damaging a mini-maglite with a LED replacement bulb installed. Several members gave some very good advice. I had some wickets for the replacement LED flashlight and, after looking, the Longbow ECO fit the bill (about the same size as the mini-maglite, 2 AA, lumens output). It arrived today. So, just some initial thoughts.
The fit and finish on the light are good and the twist tailcap moves very easily, like it is on ball bearings. The light is thicker than I thought, which turned out to be a sticky point with my Nite Ize pouch. I eventually inserted a broom handle into the flashlight slot to stretch it out. That seemed to do the job. However, the light still gets hung up a little. This is due to the design. A smoother slope to the bezel and on the tailcap would help. I do wish the tailcap was flush with the body, but that might be difficult due to the twist design. On the other hand, a custom made cordura sheath (because it carries my flashlight and multitool) would probably be my best solution.
The lanyard has a little clip that I removed, as it got in my way. Just using the little keyring through the lanyard is more streamlined. I also removed the threaded ball.
The beam is very nice. White and even, with no dark areas. That is a definite improvement over other LED lights I have seen out here, except the Surefires used by some Marines.
The batteries are held into place by a little sleeve, plastic or maybe nylon (like the white spacers you can buy at a hardware store). However, it is not a perfectly snug fit. If you wave the light around, you can feel it wobble a little. Shaking the light did not cause the light to blink or anything.
Have not had any chance to find out how durable the light is, but that will happen sooner or later.
My overall feelings about the flashlight are mixed. I'll see how it holds up over a few months. Anybody else with an ECO (including the clicky tailcap version - 8210S) with some thoughts to spare?
The fit and finish on the light are good and the twist tailcap moves very easily, like it is on ball bearings. The light is thicker than I thought, which turned out to be a sticky point with my Nite Ize pouch. I eventually inserted a broom handle into the flashlight slot to stretch it out. That seemed to do the job. However, the light still gets hung up a little. This is due to the design. A smoother slope to the bezel and on the tailcap would help. I do wish the tailcap was flush with the body, but that might be difficult due to the twist design. On the other hand, a custom made cordura sheath (because it carries my flashlight and multitool) would probably be my best solution.
The lanyard has a little clip that I removed, as it got in my way. Just using the little keyring through the lanyard is more streamlined. I also removed the threaded ball.
The beam is very nice. White and even, with no dark areas. That is a definite improvement over other LED lights I have seen out here, except the Surefires used by some Marines.
The batteries are held into place by a little sleeve, plastic or maybe nylon (like the white spacers you can buy at a hardware store). However, it is not a perfectly snug fit. If you wave the light around, you can feel it wobble a little. Shaking the light did not cause the light to blink or anything.
Have not had any chance to find out how durable the light is, but that will happen sooner or later.
My overall feelings about the flashlight are mixed. I'll see how it holds up over a few months. Anybody else with an ECO (including the clicky tailcap version - 8210S) with some thoughts to spare?
