This is probably the best list I've seen on a general tech channel, even better than most EDC channels. The TS10, M150 and D4V2 are some of the most highly praised lights among enthusiasts. This gets my stamp of approval, as a flashlight specialized EDC'er.
Get rid of all those with side buttons. They're useless, they will turn themselves on in your pocket and be dead when needed. Side buttons are also virtually impossible to use without accidently pressing the side button. Then take away any of those which use an external charger with a custom charger connection, usually magnetic. It will disappear or break and it's no damned good when you have to sit and wait for the torch to charge before you can use it. If you can't put a standard battery which can be recharged in a separate non-propriotory charger, and preferably will also take a singll-use battery, then it's useless for real life EDC. Also anything that requires a ridiculously complex button pressing code to access different modes. That leaves very few of the options you present as viable. I have yet to find a better EDC than the Fenix E12 which takes a standard or rechargable AA, has the on-off button at the end and 3 modes. Starts dim and cycles through medium and full brightness with each half press of the button and back to dim. If you need anything brighter then you need a bigger torch. It's also bullet proof, I've had one in my pocket and used every single day wet or dry for over 2 years now and it's 100% reliable. It's small and light enough to hold in my teeth when I need both hands free which is usually better ofr getting light where I need it than a head lamp. Where cheaper or sometimes not, torches have given up the ghost the Fenix has barely whown wear of the black coating. That's the trouble with most of these UA-cam reviews, they're mostly just an unboxing and run through of the specs with pretty photogrphy by people who've never had to use and rely on them day in day out in adverse conditions
Everyone is different! I like a side switch on my torches - and those with both side switch and tail switch are even better! Fundamentally I agree with you about proprietary charging / batteries etc, but magnetic charging is very convenient . My Olight torches tend to be the ones that are always fully charged and ready to go. But yes if I was still travelling a lot, I'd have a standard USB-C torch ideally with a replaceable standard rechargeable battery.
As a flashlight enthusiast I will say that this is a very good review/roundup, particularly from a chanel that isn't dedicated to lights. It's great to see real testing and important but often ignored features like tint and CRI. Not the usual "first 10 Amazon results"! I will be subscribing.
30K subs giveaway #1! Thank you all for helping me get to 30K subs! As a little thank you I'll be posting a few giveaways over the next few months. First off the 1400 lumen AA battery sized torch from Wurkkos TS10 featured in this video but in red. All you need to do to win: 1. Make sure you're subscribed to my UA-cam channel and have followed me on social media: lnk.bio/thetechman ((that'll also ensure you don't miss the next giveaway) 2. Leave a comment down below this video: ua-cam.com/video/i90Sgt7tBuo/v-deo.html 3. Like the video if you liked it and dislike it if you didn't! 4. I'll pick a random winner from all the commenters on the 16th January 2023. Look out for a reply to your comment requesting your details to send the torch 5. I can only send this out to UK residents on this occasion I'm afraid 6. Good luck! Links to torches featured in video: Let me know your favourite torch! Links (some are affiliate): Olight Baton 3: geni.us/cJlbJ or with charging case: geni.us/4bNunZN Olight Warrior Mini 2: geni.us/5ccw2 Olight Baton 3 Pro: geni.us/s63Ja4 Fenix E18R V2.0: geni.us/CsVelRe Fenix PD25R: geni.us/TSRa Nitecore T4K: geni.us/0GTwmXI Thrunite T1S: geni.us/lAc2v71 Thrunite T2: geni.us/fbi0NF9 Acebeam E70 Mini: geni.us/FdgPCi Skilhunt M150 V3: geni.us/5crav9y (can't see this currently listed yet) Sofirn SC31 Pro: geni.us/6jr6 Sofirn SC21 Pro: geni.us/oVS5iar Sofirn SC18: geni.us/4TVx4ee Wurkkos TS10: geni.us/iFvrWL Wurkkos FC13: geni.us/WMJ6a (can't see this currently listed yet) Wurkkos TS25: geni.us/zv0uns ((can't see this currently listed yet) Lumintop GTA: geni.us/iwlltF Emisar D4V2: intl-outdoor.com/emisar-d4v2-high-power-led-flashlight.html Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:59 Wurkkos TS10. 1400 lm, Anduril 2, high CRI, auxiliary LEDs. AA - only 14500, tail switch 8:00 Fenix E18R V2.0. 1200 lm, 16340 or CR123A 11:26 Olight Baton 3. 1200 lm, 16340 only, charging case or magnetic charging 16:17 Skilhunt M150 V3. 750 lm, high CRI, AA - Li-ion, alkaline, NiMH, magnetic charging 21:02 Thrunite T1S. 1200 lm, 18350 only 24:21 Fenix PD25R. 800 lm with 250m throw, 16340 or CR123A, tail switch 27:59 Nitecore T4K. 4000 lm, integrated battery, OLED real-time display 32.21 Sofirn SC31 Pro. 2000 lm, Anduril 2, 18650. Also Sofirn SC18, Wurkkos FC13 36:11 Olight Warrior Mini 2 (WM2). 1750 lm, 18650, tail switch and side switch, magnetic charging 40:42 Acebeam E70 Mini. 2000 lm, 18650, high CRI, tail switch 44:30 Honourable mentions: Olight Baton 3 Pro (1500 lm, 18650, magnetic charging), Thrunite T2 (3757 lm, 21700), Wurkkos TS25 (4000 lm, 21700, Anduril 2, RGB aux LEDs, power bank feature), Emisar D4V2 (3800 lm, 18650 Anduril 2, RGB aux LEDs, high CRI LEDs), Lumintop GTA (550 lm with 585m throw, AA - Li-ion, alkaline, NiMH) 46:40 Conclusions
The amount of research , time and effort required to produce this video is impressive. Add the analysis and this is an A plus effort. I had the Roy Vaughn A8 I think and it was impressive for it's size but got too hot for me.
It’s not the content of subject that you have done an outstanding job with but the attention to detail to the sound, lighting and editing of the video that you give a lot of attention to. Thank you for your time, I appreciate your creativity and hard work.
Excellent video. We are really spoiled with choice nowadays... Mine torches: Sofirn SP10 and Lumintop Tool AA are always attached to mine phone pouches. For my kids: Convoy S2+ For EDC: Lumintop FW1A Pro, Lumintop EDC 18 Lumintop FW21 Pro For work: Sofirn SC31 Pro For walking dogs: Headtorch Sorirn HS20 with SFT40 Astrolux EA01S with XHP50.2 Astrolux FT02S with SST40 Keychain: Astrolux K2
I have to admit I love the magnetic charging too! Hope it doesn't disappear with new EU laws insisting on universal USB-C charging. Although _think_ it only applies to "radio" devices but could be wrong!
Bravo! That’s a ton of info on most of the major players in EDC flashlights. Quick, precise speaking voice and good inflection(seemingly expected from a young Briton🤘)you could call sports games I’m sure! Seriously though you hit all the pertinent features on each light. One thing if I may, your opinion on the switches would be interesting. Switches are a big deal IMO. Thanks for your great work.
You missed the excellent NEBO Torchy and Torchy 2K. The latter is my daily carry and is fantastic. I replaced my 10 year old Nebo JAG, which is still good, but I wanted something with more lumens and rechargeable.
Anyway you can do a video with more details about each light? 🤣 Jk jk.. great video man, very detailed and answered every question a consumer would have.. 🍻
Been trying to find a "companion" for my Skilhunt M150 V3. Headache pings from studying side clicky models. It's either another Skilhunt-same or less likely Rovyvon A28 Gen3.
So far the fenix ld12r is my favorite practical edc light as a motorcycle/atv tech. I don't like the side switch fenix units as they accidentally fire in my pockets all the time. Pd35r is what comes out for outdoor night time stuff.
None of those can match up with the tunenge s12+. It's way better and cheaper at the same time. Got the brightest led you can get in such a small torch. Also it powers 4,5h side light that's bright enough for working at the sink or line up some cable
The Nitecore T4K, when connected to a good power bank like a Zendure, can be used for very long time at 200 lumens, a feat that just an handful of small torches can achieve.
I have all the baton 3 pro pd25r e18r are the best and acebeam e70 mini nichia 5000k is needed for most people BUT THE BEST is the baton 3 pro max for light and have pd25r for throw or better c7 fenix BEST LIGHT EVER although green 21700 and magnetic with extreme throw
Funny I have the Baton 3 Pro Max but just find it too floody - and too big really for EDC for me at least in most cases. Not tested the C7 - thanks for the suggestion!
Just ordered one and excited for its arrival. A replacement for my very disappointing FiTorch P25GT. Do not buy any products from them. I had a brand new P25GT malfunction in 6 months. The company will not back the repair. Why? Because they never answered my retailer and ignored my emails. My supplier stopped carrying them after serious customer service and quality control issues. DON'T BUY FITORCH
Can anyone tell me flashlight which has max. lumens 150, but runtime on high mode will min. 10 hours, and with 2 or 3 mode. I will thankful if anyone give me a sign.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. You are clearly passionate and knowledgeable about the subject and just the chap I've been looking for while trying to narrow down my decision.
As far as I am aware, the Olight Baton 3 Pro doesn't have a proximity sensor. I wonder if he's confusing it with the Max version? Or is the UK version of the Pro different than the U.S. one?
Just picked up a Olight Baton 3 Pro Max 2500lumen a 21700 battery and run time of 23h at medium 120lumens which was the feature I looked the most for a pocket-sized light with a runtime close or over 24hours at 100+ lumen output.
Brilliant analyses. Such a fine video. Thanks a ton for your valuable inputs. I am confused between Fenix PD25R and E18 v2.0. Beam is good on PD25r but I am concerned about runtimes. Also I like smaller form factor and magnetic tail on e18r. Kindly guide me ..
Thanks! Tricky one - very different torches. If you're not interested in the longer range of the PD25R or the tail switch - the E18R V2.0 makes more sense.
Hello. Can you tell me please why isnt recommended to use an external charger for Olight batteries? I have the red Baton 3 with the case and 3 spare batteries, Seeker2Pro and Baton3ProMax with warm white, a really nice touch between all the cool whites i own. Also a spare 21700. I noticed the Olight magnetic charge dont start if the flashlight was only used for 15 -20 minutes and also end before its fully charged compare with my Nitecore C4 charger. I keep the magnetic charger and the tail clean all the time, imperfect contact is not the reason. I owned another red Baton3 with no case and gave it to my brother, same problem (if its a problem). My guess is that they want to prolong the battery life not allowing to charge at 100% . But i dont care about batteries as i already bought spares. Thank you for your patience!
It's more their batteries are mainly proprietary so can't be charged in a standard charger. But with a small magnet in the recessed terminal I've recharged them fine in a SkyRC MC3000 charger.
@@TheTechnologyMan of, but they fit perfect in the Nitecore C4 charger. The Plus pole have some bumps that fit right through the plastic ring of Olights. It works with the imr16340 of Baton3 and with the 21700 of bigger Olights. I thought it may be some electronic problem.
Have you heard of Trustfire? They've come a long way over the years and seem to be clones of Fenix lights for lower prices. I have a couple of their weapon lights and they've been a great value. Thinking about trying one of their EDC lights now
@@TheTechnologyMan Would you recommend them as an alternative budget choice to some of the other more expensive brands? Their new products/models seem to be pretty good quality from what I've seen and what I've experienced with the currents ones I have
Great Video! Is it possible to use other batteries in the Olight Baton 3? I would love to use a USB type C rechargable battery to not be binded to the magnetic charge. I like to carry one cable for everything ideally. Evrything is slowly going in the USB C direction anyway. Cheers!
Really good review. You did miss my favorite company and gave way to much credit another. I've been carrying a Zebralight SC62 for about the last 10yrs still works and looks almost new. I also use several of their headlights. I use to buy Olight products but they have gotten so greedy I quit.
Zebralight are hard to get hold of in the UK - the Fenix importer used to stock them, but doesn't anymore. I'll look at getting some for the next roundup.
Just remember that Olight rear switches are unreliable, and often require a rap on something hard to fire them up, I prefer the i3T EOS for everyday carry, I can stick AAA’s in it, no need for chargers, I use a torch a lot, mostly for short periods, but it will last long enough if I actually need to work on something when I’ve found it ! the battery goes on the price anyway. PS if you want to lose torches, use the stupid clip !
Bought a ts10. Lasted only a week bought another one same deal....1 week !!!! A crap light!!!! I wrote to them no reply .... I have 4 other Wurkkos lights all fine, this light is a no go!!!
Thanks for the mischief. Acebeam e70 mini, the only one with Hicri (Nichia 519A) three diodes. At the same time, it turned out to be the best among competitors in terms of parameters. There are very few factory options with such light. Its only drawback is the lack of a button on the side. And just in case, charging would not hurt. Magnetic or Type C which is available by unscrewing the head. Review on Edc 21700 still.
Hey, great channel! lots of great technical detail! I've had good experience of both Fenix and olight , I agree, the olight warrior mini 2 is brilliant and my choice of EDC now. The previous model suffered slightly from only being able to carry with the light facing up (probably changed on an upgrade?). The only thing I found is the magnet is a bit weak on the warrior mini 2 and doesn't hold in a horizontal position, maybe that's been fixed recently I have an olight baton and the obulbs too. One thing that is missing from many torches is red light - for this I have an FENIX LD15R , which I really like as it's right-angle, so can be fixed to a rucksack straps etc.
Wukkos/Sofirn is one of the top and best brand made and sold directly from China. the quality, performance and price is so good it is the best option compared to most comparable very expensive brand like Olight, Astrolux, Armytek and the like.
@@TheTechnologyMan it might have been a misunderstanding of my part. i heard "Wukkos is a lessen known brand" @2:56 . i was simply mentioning that many other brand are even less known like for example Lumintop. in my view i have more exposure to Sofirn and Wurkkos than most other brand except Olight. i guess it depends on where the person is browsing online and what videos they are watching.
Praise for choosing what are actually some of the best and most liked lights for EDC and enthusiasts. Most general channels seem to just take the first 10 search results from Amazon but you seem to have either done very detailed research or are one of us.
Very nice comparison. The conclusions have a lot of merit. Thanks so much. For headlamp suggestions two great midsize options are the Nitecore NU33 with my favorite throw spill mix in the spot mode and the Fenix HL32rt with the best flood for a midsize. NU33 built in battery I dont like and the fenix spot is good but not perfect. Very nice review and thanks a lot.
Thanks might include that one in the next roundup. Have a written review of the new Seeker which has UV too: thetechnologyman.com/olight-seeker-4-mini-review-dual-1200-lumen-white-light-uv-mode/
I have just ordered a nitecore MH12V2...looking at the comments here...I'm kinda worried now...I was under the impression they are very capable torches hence the reason I ordered one...can you do a review on nitecore torches please...preferably the MH12V2
I have the first Fenix E18R with the magnetic charging. I know eventually I will need to get a replacement eventually as the proprietary cable will get lost, but I have had it for several years and love it.
Yes magnetic charging is a double edge sword - super handy but always that concern that you won't have the proprietary cable with you need it! Ideally we need some combined magnetic charging with USB-C backup!
Very good and detailed review indeed. But for us who don’t have English our mother language, it would be much better to speak more slowly and clearly. No offense intended. And a final question. What about Imalent LD70? I think it should definitely be in that list of yours. I don’t really know all the makers but last years Imalent has raised the bar very high in terms of performance. I don’t want to advertise or something, I’m just making a statement based in facts of the torche’s industry.-
Try reducing the playback speed to 0.75x - UA-cam does a good job on this. And you can enable captions - I have full transcripts for every video. Hope that helps.
@@TheTechnologyMan Thanks for the advice. I would try it. What about Imalent? Don’t forget that (at the time of course! Or must say at the exact minute?) LD70 is supposed to be the strongest for it’s size and weight at 4000lm, and SR32 the strongest of the world at 120000lm! Waiting for your opinion eagerly!
My Olight only lasted 2.5 years then the switch stopped working. I suggest throwing them in a rock tumbler with some rocks for a few days as part of your test . I work in maintenance so my pocket flashlight gets abused from day 1.
Looking forward to head torch video because i live in an area with no street lights, i already have a cheap head torch £12 but it says its 400lm its never that
best headlamp fenix hm65rt for your upcoming comparison. the most comfortable headband, very clever tightening design, great power outputs, magnesium body. I can't get enough of it. they should come out with different color versions maybe as special editions or possibly headbands in different colors etc.
Batterys with built-in charging are not a good recommendation unless the user doesn't plan on using the light much due to reduced capacity. Also, they are more likely to stop working due to the added complexity.
@The Technology Man I mean it is not good to have a flashlight sized battery with the battery having built-in charging. 1. Because the charging system takes up space, that should be used to increase the capacity of the battery. The battery is small, let's not make it smaller. 2. With the added complexity of having a built-in charger, the battery is more likely to malfunction, and we are adding extra components that use nedless resources for every battery that has a built-in charger. 3. A built-in charger in a battery will not regulate the charging of the battery as well as a quality dedicated device that is designed to charge lithium ion batteries. A good charger is careful not to damage the battery it slows the current to ensure the voltage stays below 1.2 volts for a standard LI battery. The battery with a built-in charger basically dumps in whatever the cable brings it in 5 volt mode and turns off when the voltage exceeds the max voltage limit of the built-in protection system. This is not good for the battery.
❤ Thanks for this! I’ve bought a dozen some-odd from Amazon that rate at thousands of lumens, but are dimmer than my old and cheap coast 500 lumen flashlight.
Sorry, I saw your graphs, mentions, but I saw no actual tests so I assumed you were going off of rated lumens. 10 lights, multiple honorable mentions or other options, my brain is a wee bit numb, info overload. Just now saw your link for more info, I’ll check that out now. Thanks.
@@TheTechnologyMan - My apologies, I know I can be verbose and a pain in the bum. Ever consider a summary chart? Nothing too detailed, just the samples tested, basic stats (lumens min-max, levels, and links) to make this excellent massive amount of information palatable for us lesser beings? 😊
Impressive video, man. I can't say I REALLY like any of them, but all of them have something to love. Are there any baby torches out there with adjustable focus beam? I have the Milwaukee M12 torch and it's GREAT but it's HUGE relative to these :-D I also have a DeWalt 18V which is mega bright and reaches a LONG way. I use both but the Milwaukee more often and feel like I should have a pocket torch again - I loved my maglights as a kid :-) PS, I saw you reply to every question, you don't have to reply to this one if you don't have time/desire - take a break :-)
Thanks! LED Lenser are your best bet for torches with a focused beam. You can get torches with both a spot and flood beam like the Olight Marauder Mini which is great - best of both worlds but a little large for my jacket pockets.
@@TheTechnologyMan Yeah, that olight marauder mini is too close to the M12 which has the advantage of many M12 packs ready to shove in if it gets low - and nice warm natural light - though probably not as bright? M12 = 800/350, DeWalt = 1500/500 (3 LEDs vs 1 LED). Impressive that these pocket torches can put out that much light - just not for as long. With the DeWalt I can put a massive battery under there and it'll last on high for AGES :-D horses for courses. I looked at the ledlenser range and only the P6R and P5R seem like good fits, both a bit chunky, a bit low performing, and a bit pricey, though. I will keep thinking about it and maybe give this a rewatch. Perhaps your pick with the USBC on the side is the right one for me, too, after all. Cheers! :-)
@@TheTechnologyMan I ended up getting a Baton 3 Premium in red from a local shop. I'll try to remember to let you know how I feel about spending that much on a tiny torch after I've had it for a while :-)
@@tyarnold4088 it's great. I have used it for multiple things. By the bed with press and hold for a gentle moonlight that doesn't disturb my Mrs is great. Low outside the bedroom at night is easy on the eyes. High is ample for wandering around outside. Turbo when you need a bit more. Light enough to hang off a drone. Small enough to hide or lose anywhere. Probably doesn't need to be so small, but being short and light means horizontal magnet use is reliable, and I've used it like that under the bonnet hanging from ATF cooling line fittings and in the engine room on the boat and more. Baton 4 came out just after I got it, probably get that instead since it's slightly better in most ways.
I think I've just watched Torch The Movie lol and I was curious enough to do so I only recently discovered what the torch situation is nowadays and there's been quite some progress since I last looked a decade ago. It's actually quite staggering.
@@TheTechnologyMan I look forward to the head torch sequel. I have bought about 10 or so torches recently but not yet looked at head torches which was a bit silly. Still want to get a baseball cap to try some of the clips on torches also which might do for a head torch or are the bespoke head torches distinctly better? I'm sure you will have it covered thoroughly.
@@TheTechnologyMan Good man. I've just received my first head torches ( I got a 2 pack, there was something like a choice of 10,000 on Amazon to try and pick something) and I'm not much impressed as it claimed 2000 lumens but more like 300-500 but they do a basic job and are very light weight which probably will be enough for me though will good to see something of what I could have gone for or maybe will do down the line.
I researched for awhile, and based my decision for the fact that I live in 2 countries in Asia - one is 220 volts and the other 110 volts. The Maglite solitaire is perfect, as I can find the batteries in both countries, and I just carry extra batteries with me. I bought 2 - one for my wife and 1 for myself around 6 years ago, and they have never had any problems.
@The Technology Man but with the rolling blackouts you don't know how long the power will be out. Sometimes just a few hours, but other times it can be 2 or 3 days.
As a ship's engineer, my two main requirements are that it is easy to use but won't turn on accidentally in my pocket. Effectively that requires an end switch for on-off and a side switch for the brightness level. Both my Fenix LD30 and a Fenix PD25R meet this requirement. The PD25R is smaller but is not as bright as the LD30 and has a fairly short battery life. I have not tried the Olight Warrior Mini 2 but it also sounds nice.
I've got the same job and looking for a torch just now. Is it a problem that you can't adjust from tight to wide beam? I always found that useful for different stuff on the ship. Ideally I want something smallish with an adjustable beam, decently bright with few brightness levels, a tail switch, water proof/resistant, can handle a drop from height and magnetic on the side or tail(preferably both). It seems weird to me that none of the reviews I'm finding are about that stuff but instead obsessed with being stupidly bright and small. Nothing about the versatility and resilience of them.
Yes just been testing that one - the natural white version. Unfortunately it's just too floody for outdoors use - for me at least. Noticeably less reach than the 18650 Baton Pro. But it is pretty compact for a 21700 and good runtimes in high mode. I've not checked the tint yet but will.
@@TheTechnologyMan i just got mine, NW. Maybe someone will find a way to mod it more throwy. For now, i gotta wait until it's charged and try it out. I plan this to be my pocket EDC
Let me know what you think of it! Yes for me if it had more throw, and a sustainable 1000 lumens high mode it could be the perfect torch! It's actually very similar to the Thrunite T2 - which is also very floody but turbo is almost 4000 lumens so more reach. And in Olight's range the Seeker 3 Pro is similar - but a little big for EDC.
@@maggi98mw Yes the T2 has a slightly wider head and is a little heavier (it is 1mm shorter though FWIW) - but since neither torch is trouser pocketable for me they feel very similar in my hand and don't notice either of them in my jacket pocket :). Like the USB-C charging on the T2 for travel - don't have to take an additional cable.
Counterpoint: I suppose everyone's experience differs but I own 14 Nitecore lights, from full size tactical, LEP, and keychain versions. Some are as old as 15 years and not a hiccup with any of them - highly reliable! I don't abuse them but use them extensively, and they serve me well. 👍🔦👍
If you’re ever thinking of getting a Thrunite, don’t count on any kind of warranty or service should anything happen to your edc light. Horrible service and they will not honor their promise of lifetime coverage regardless of if you’re willing to pay out of pocket to get it serviced. Awesome light (TC15) but once it goes. Don’t waste your time waiting for them to get back to you. Just buy another light
Just want to give everyone a warning. I have had 6 Olight 18650 flashlights die within 2 years of use. Olight has great features but bad reliability for 18650 flashlights.
Doesn't sound good. Have you gone back to Olight - what did they say? If you don't get a quick response off their email - try the very active Facebook groups. They're very helpful there in my experience.
@The Technology Man to be honest, I don't care to talk to Olight. I bought their little AA flashlight a long time ago, and it was so much better than a Mag Light that it changed my life. But when I was using the flashlight a lot, the battery would die, and I would always have to pack at least one battery, which is complicated. Also, when I used the flashlight for EDC, it always died at an inconvenient time. So, I learned about the 18650s and how much more power they have, and I purchased an Olight S2 flashlight. I really love the size, runtime, and power settings of this flashlight. I also purchased a Zebralight AA flashlight and a Zebralight headlamp at the same time. The Olight just died for no reason after about a year and a half of use. I purchased another one because I liked the first. After a couple of years, it burned out for no reason. Then I purchased two s2r flashlights. I left one with my godson and used the other. Both flashlights died within three years without cause. I think I have sampled quite enough of Olight's 18650 flashlights. I would have stopped much sooner, but I love the magnetic tail cap. As a mechanic working at night, the magnetic tail cap is a godsend. I don't ever send stuff back, I just tell others what works for me and what doesn't work. And I can definitely say in my sample of four Olight flashlights, 100% of them failed in moderate use in less than three years. I call that garbage. I still have all three of my Olight AA flashlights, and they all still work. One is a collectors edition made from titanium, and I have the matching titanium tube extension. It is amazing but overly heavy for its size. I still have all three of the Zebralights that I purchased, and they work flawlessly. My biggest complaint is that the clip is too hard to easily use on my AA flashlight. I have a four cell Olight 18650 flashlight, and it is OK, but not awesome. I have three Sofirn flashlights. The single 18650 lights are OK and haven't died. But, they don't feel quite as nice to me, but they work! I also have their beer can flashlight with four 18650s, and it is awesome. I use it as a lamp in my bedroom, and it is awesome when there are raccoons trying to eat my chickens, it light up the whole backyard. If Olight sees this post and wants to make good on their products, they can check my Amazon purchase history and replace every 18650 flashlight I have purchased from them, but personally I am moving on to packing a more reliable brand.
@The Technology Man I cringe any time I hear someone say a company's customer support is helpful. With a better product, they wouldn't need "helpful" customer support. I would bet money you have no idea how helpful Zebralights customer support is with replacing defective products because Zebralight products just work. They don't break under normal circumstances. Tell me if I am wrong, provide proof, and I will apologize for my mischaracterization. of the Olight 18650 products.
It's one thing I can't test in these reviews - so good to hear personal experiences from viewers! Personally I've had the best experience with Fenix torches - I've owned many of their torches for years and they have been very reliable. I even sold them amongst other brands when I had a retail store and I can't remember any coming back with a fault!
I bought a small Energiser, about 3 and half inches long, 700 Lumens or 600 can't recall, excellent little torch really powerful beam half the power of the large energiser l have that does 1300 lumens, my point is it was on sale at £8 with two 123.. 3v batteries included, but when l needed to replace the batteries l discovered they're £10 for the 2 you need, it would be cheaper to buy another torch than the batteries lol. Are there 123 batteries that are rechargeable and if so could you tell me where l might purchase them and the charger with them as its a great little torch with clip on it, l like my big energiser that takes 6 batteries AAs but it would be nice to have the smaller torch in my pocket as a back up but not at £10 a set of batteries lol.
There are rechargeable CR123s - but you can only use them if you torch supports them - they're higher voltage. I'm be fairly certain your Energiser torch won't I'm afraid but check the manual.
The great video, but sadly many people will not watch 1hr video. Would be cool if you could post shorter versions of same info in multiple videos in future 🫶
I have chapters in the video so you can jump to the section you're interested in if you don't want to watch the whole thing. I wanted to do a comparison of all the main competitors in this space - and I wanted to make sure I covered each torch in enough detail to make the comparison useful. I tried to be as concise as possible without adding any fluff, but it's still unsurprisingly a lot longer than my typical videos and took a ridiculous amount of time to research and produce! I'll see from the analytics in a few months how well this format works but thanks for the feedback.
This is probably the best list I've seen on a general tech channel, even better than most EDC channels.
The TS10, M150 and D4V2 are some of the most highly praised lights among enthusiasts.
This gets my stamp of approval, as a flashlight specialized EDC'er.
Thanks - really appreciated!
@@TheTechnologyManVery helpful video
Please tell which penlight is better between Coast PM50R and Coast HP3R ?
Get rid of all those with side buttons. They're useless, they will turn themselves on in your pocket and be dead when needed. Side buttons are also virtually impossible to use without accidently pressing the side button. Then take away any of those which use an external charger with a custom charger connection, usually magnetic. It will disappear or break and it's no damned good when you have to sit and wait for the torch to charge before you can use it. If you can't put a standard battery which can be recharged in a separate non-propriotory charger, and preferably will also take a singll-use battery, then it's useless for real life EDC. Also anything that requires a ridiculously complex button pressing code to access different modes. That leaves very few of the options you present as viable.
I have yet to find a better EDC than the Fenix E12 which takes a standard or rechargable AA, has the on-off button at the end and 3 modes. Starts dim and cycles through medium and full brightness with each half press of the button and back to dim. If you need anything brighter then you need a bigger torch. It's also bullet proof, I've had one in my pocket and used every single day wet or dry for over 2 years now and it's 100% reliable. It's small and light enough to hold in my teeth when I need both hands free which is usually better ofr getting light where I need it than a head lamp.
Where cheaper or sometimes not, torches have given up the ghost the Fenix has barely whown wear of the black coating.
That's the trouble with most of these UA-cam reviews, they're mostly just an unboxing and run through of the specs with pretty photogrphy by people who've never had to use and rely on them day in day out in adverse conditions
Everyone is different! I like a side switch on my torches - and those with both side switch and tail switch are even better! Fundamentally I agree with you about proprietary charging / batteries etc, but magnetic charging is very convenient . My Olight torches tend to be the ones that are always fully charged and ready to go. But yes if I was still travelling a lot, I'd have a standard USB-C torch ideally with a replaceable standard rechargeable battery.
As a flashlight enthusiast I will say that this is a very good review/roundup, particularly from a chanel that isn't dedicated to lights. It's great to see real testing and important but often ignored features like tint and CRI. Not the usual "first 10 Amazon results"! I will be subscribing.
Really appreciate the feedback many thanks! And thanks for the support 😊.
Thank you for making this video. I would have liked a segment comparing the output charts head to head and a direct runtime comparison.
No problem and thanks for the suggestion. I'll try and add that graph to the accompanying written article at thetechnologyman.com.
30K subs giveaway #1! Thank you all for helping me get to 30K subs! As a little thank you I'll be posting a few giveaways over the next few months. First off the 1400 lumen AA battery sized torch from Wurkkos TS10 featured in this video but in red. All you need to do to win:
1. Make sure you're subscribed to my UA-cam channel and have followed me on social media:
lnk.bio/thetechman ((that'll also ensure you don't miss the next giveaway)
2. Leave a comment down below this video: ua-cam.com/video/i90Sgt7tBuo/v-deo.html
3. Like the video if you liked it and dislike it if you didn't!
4. I'll pick a random winner from all the commenters on the 16th January 2023. Look out for a reply to your comment requesting your details to send the torch
5. I can only send this out to UK residents on this occasion I'm afraid
6. Good luck!
Links to torches featured in video:
Let me know your favourite torch! Links (some are affiliate):
Olight Baton 3: geni.us/cJlbJ or with charging case: geni.us/4bNunZN
Olight Warrior Mini 2: geni.us/5ccw2
Olight Baton 3 Pro: geni.us/s63Ja4
Fenix E18R V2.0: geni.us/CsVelRe
Fenix PD25R: geni.us/TSRa
Nitecore T4K: geni.us/0GTwmXI
Thrunite T1S: geni.us/lAc2v71
Thrunite T2: geni.us/fbi0NF9
Acebeam E70 Mini: geni.us/FdgPCi
Skilhunt M150 V3: geni.us/5crav9y (can't see this currently listed yet)
Sofirn SC31 Pro: geni.us/6jr6
Sofirn SC21 Pro: geni.us/oVS5iar
Sofirn SC18: geni.us/4TVx4ee
Wurkkos TS10: geni.us/iFvrWL
Wurkkos FC13: geni.us/WMJ6a (can't see this currently listed yet)
Wurkkos TS25: geni.us/zv0uns ((can't see this currently listed yet)
Lumintop GTA: geni.us/iwlltF
Emisar D4V2: intl-outdoor.com/emisar-d4v2-high-power-led-flashlight.html
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:59 Wurkkos TS10. 1400 lm, Anduril 2, high CRI, auxiliary LEDs. AA - only 14500, tail switch
8:00 Fenix E18R V2.0. 1200 lm, 16340 or CR123A
11:26 Olight Baton 3. 1200 lm, 16340 only, charging case or magnetic charging
16:17 Skilhunt M150 V3. 750 lm, high CRI, AA - Li-ion, alkaline, NiMH, magnetic charging
21:02 Thrunite T1S. 1200 lm, 18350 only
24:21 Fenix PD25R. 800 lm with 250m throw, 16340 or CR123A, tail switch
27:59 Nitecore T4K. 4000 lm, integrated battery, OLED real-time display
32.21 Sofirn SC31 Pro. 2000 lm, Anduril 2, 18650. Also Sofirn SC18, Wurkkos FC13
36:11 Olight Warrior Mini 2 (WM2). 1750 lm, 18650, tail switch and side switch, magnetic charging
40:42 Acebeam E70 Mini. 2000 lm, 18650, high CRI, tail switch
44:30 Honourable mentions: Olight Baton 3 Pro (1500 lm, 18650, magnetic charging), Thrunite T2 (3757 lm, 21700), Wurkkos TS25 (4000 lm, 21700, Anduril 2, RGB aux LEDs, power bank feature), Emisar D4V2 (3800 lm, 18650 Anduril 2, RGB aux LEDs, high CRI LEDs), Lumintop GTA (550 lm with 585m throw, AA - Li-ion, alkaline, NiMH)
46:40 Conclusions
Congratulations to Simon Kay - the winner of the 30K subs giveaway #1!
The amount of research , time and effort required to produce this video is impressive. Add the analysis and this is an A plus effort. I had the Roy Vaughn A8 I think and it was impressive for it's size but got too hot for me.
Thank you - really appreciate the comment!
@@TheTechnologyMan I am looking for pocket sized rechargeable flashlight having long throw, magnetic tailcap.
Please guide
It’s not the content of subject that you have done an outstanding job with but the attention to detail to the sound, lighting and editing of the video that you give a lot of attention to. Thank you for your time, I appreciate your creativity and hard work.
Far too kind - but really appreciate your comment thank you!
Excellent video. We are really spoiled with choice nowadays...
Mine torches:
Sofirn SP10 and Lumintop Tool AA are always attached to mine phone pouches.
For my kids: Convoy S2+
For EDC:
Lumintop FW1A Pro,
Lumintop EDC 18
Lumintop FW21 Pro
For work:
Sofirn SC31 Pro
For walking dogs:
Headtorch Sorirn HS20 with SFT40
Astrolux EA01S with XHP50.2
Astrolux FT02S with SST40
Keychain:
Astrolux K2
Great selection! Have the Sofirn HS20 too - nice head torch just wish it had better regulation!
I love the olight ecosystem. Even their lantern uses the Magnetic charger. And you get one with most of their lights.
I have to admit I love the magnetic charging too! Hope it doesn't disappear with new EU laws insisting on universal USB-C charging. Although _think_ it only applies to "radio" devices but could be wrong!
Bravo! That’s a ton of info on most of the major players in EDC flashlights. Quick, precise speaking voice and good inflection(seemingly expected from a young Briton🤘)you could call sports games I’m sure! Seriously though you hit all the pertinent features on each light. One thing if I may, your opinion on the switches would be interesting. Switches are a big deal IMO. Thanks for your great work.
Thank you - glad you liked the video! I'll try and make sure I discuss switches for future videos - thanks for the suggestion!
You missed the excellent NEBO Torchy and Torchy 2K. The latter is my daily carry and is fantastic. I replaced my 10 year old Nebo JAG, which is still good, but I wanted something with more lumens and rechargeable.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Anyway you can do a video with more details about each light? 🤣 Jk jk.. great video man, very detailed and answered every question a consumer would have.. 🍻
🤣 - brilliant glad it was useful!
Been trying to find a "companion" for my Skilhunt M150 V3. Headache pings from studying side clicky models. It's either another Skilhunt-same or less likely Rovyvon A28 Gen3.
So many choices!
So far the fenix ld12r is my favorite practical edc light as a motorcycle/atv tech. I don't like the side switch fenix units as they accidentally fire in my pockets all the time. Pd35r is what comes out for outdoor night time stuff.
Sounds a good combo!
None of those can match up with the tunenge s12+. It's way better and cheaper at the same time. Got the brightest led you can get in such a small torch.
Also it powers 4,5h side light that's bright enough for working at the sink or line up some cable
Looks like a cheaper copy of the RovyVon, but thanks for the suggestion.
The Nitecore T4K, when connected to a good power bank like a Zendure, can be used for very long time at 200 lumens, a feat that just an handful of small torches can achieve.
I agree - it's a handy feature!
Cant handle rear clicky period unless it is mounted on a weapon. Any ideas what would be a good companion to my Skilhunt M150 V3?
Do none of the torches in this roundup tickle your fancy?
Fenix PD25R :”accept cr123A non rechargeable «
Does it accept cr123A rechargeable too?
No IIRC.
I have all the baton 3 pro pd25r e18r are the best and acebeam e70 mini nichia 5000k is needed for most people BUT THE BEST is the baton 3 pro max for light and have pd25r for throw or better c7 fenix BEST LIGHT EVER although green 21700 and magnetic with extreme throw
Funny I have the Baton 3 Pro Max but just find it too floody - and too big really for EDC for me at least in most cases. Not tested the C7 - thanks for the suggestion!
@@TheTechnologyMan floody is a good thing 🤪
Just ordered one and excited for its arrival. A replacement for my very disappointing FiTorch P25GT. Do not buy any products from them. I had a brand new P25GT malfunction in 6 months. The company will not back the repair. Why? Because they never answered my retailer and ignored my emails. My supplier stopped carrying them after serious customer service and quality control issues.
DON'T BUY FITORCH
Never heard of that brand but thanks for warning!
Can anyone tell me flashlight which has max. lumens 150, but runtime on high mode will min. 10 hours, and with 2 or 3 mode.
I will thankful if anyone give me a sign.
I'd have to look through all the runtimes - but 150 lumens for 10 hours should be possible with a few 18650 or 21700 torches.
@@TheTechnologyMan thank you very much for your disturb, but what you looked for which was the best one in AA? please tell me 3 of these.
Thank you very much question Harrow, your order from China?
Most of these torches come from China yes.
Wonderfully done video. Love all the data you collect. It’s invaluable
Great thanks glad it helped!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. You are clearly passionate and knowledgeable about the subject and just the chap I've been looking for while trying to narrow down my decision.
No problem very glad I could help!
You have the same first and last name as me lol
As far as I am aware, the Olight Baton 3 Pro doesn't have a proximity sensor. I wonder if he's confusing it with the Max version? Or is the UK version of the Pro different than the U.S. one?
When first released the Baton 3 Pro did but they had issues with it so released a version with the proximity sensor disabled. I have both.
Just picked up a Olight Baton 3 Pro Max 2500lumen a 21700 battery and run time of 23h at medium 120lumens which was the feature I looked the most for a pocket-sized light with a runtime close or over 24hours at 100+ lumen output.
That's a great torch - I have a review on my channel. 21700's give some great runtimes and that is one of the most compact 21700 torches I've tested.
Brilliant analyses. Such a fine video. Thanks a ton for your valuable inputs. I am confused between Fenix PD25R and E18 v2.0. Beam is good on PD25r but I am concerned about runtimes. Also I like smaller form factor and magnetic tail on e18r. Kindly guide me ..
Thanks! Tricky one - very different torches. If you're not interested in the longer range of the PD25R or the tail switch - the E18R V2.0 makes more sense.
Wow what a review 👍, so much work has gone into making it. Cheers 🙏
Thank you - your comment is really appreciated and I'm glad the video was useful.
What battery did you use (swatch to) for the Wurkkos FC13 to get the higher lumen output?
Samsung 30Q IIRC.
Fenix PD25R FTW!
The PD25R is a great little torch!
That's my next flashlight/torch lol
Hello.
Can you tell me please why isnt recommended to use an external charger for Olight batteries? I have the red Baton 3 with the case and 3 spare batteries, Seeker2Pro and Baton3ProMax with warm white, a really nice touch between all the cool whites i own. Also a spare 21700.
I noticed the Olight magnetic charge dont start if the flashlight was only used for 15 -20 minutes and also end before its fully charged compare with my Nitecore C4 charger. I keep the magnetic charger and the tail clean all the time, imperfect contact is not the reason. I owned another red Baton3 with no case and gave it to my brother, same problem (if its a problem). My guess is that they want to prolong the battery life not allowing to charge at 100% . But i dont care about batteries as i already bought spares.
Thank you for your patience!
It's more their batteries are mainly proprietary so can't be charged in a standard charger. But with a small magnet in the recessed terminal I've recharged them fine in a SkyRC MC3000 charger.
@@TheTechnologyMan of, but they fit perfect in the Nitecore C4 charger. The Plus pole have some bumps that fit right through the plastic ring of Olights. It works with the imr16340 of Baton3 and with the 21700 of bigger Olights. I thought it may be some electronic problem.
So this ved telles me why have a light thats over 600 lms
Not sure how you got that from the video!
Have you heard of Trustfire? They've come a long way over the years and seem to be clones of Fenix lights for lower prices. I have a couple of their weapon lights and they've been a great value. Thinking about trying one of their EDC lights now
Yes heard of them been around for years.
@@TheTechnologyMan Do you have any experience with them?
@@TTime685 Yes I had some of their early torches and batteries. Just like any other budget brand on Amazon.
@@TheTechnologyMan Would you recommend them as an alternative budget choice to some of the other more expensive brands? Their new products/models seem to be pretty good quality from what I've seen and what I've experienced with the currents ones I have
Great Video! Is it possible to use other batteries in the Olight Baton 3? I would love to use a USB type C rechargable battery to not be binded to the magnetic charge. I like to carry one cable for everything ideally. Evrything is slowly going in the USB C direction anyway. Cheers!
Thanks! Unfortunately the Baton 3 uses a proprietary battery.
Really good review. You did miss my favorite company and gave way to much credit another. I've been carrying a Zebralight SC62 for about the last 10yrs still works and looks almost new. I also use several of their headlights.
I use to buy Olight products but they have gotten so greedy I quit.
Zebralight are hard to get hold of in the UK - the Fenix importer used to stock them, but doesn't anymore. I'll look at getting some for the next roundup.
Just remember that Olight rear switches are unreliable, and often require a rap on something hard to fire them up,
I prefer the i3T EOS for everyday carry, I can stick AAA’s in it, no need for chargers, I use a torch a lot, mostly for short periods, but it will last long enough if I actually need to work on something when I’ve found it ! the battery goes on the price anyway.
PS if you want to lose torches, use the stupid clip !
AAA torches are pretty handy!
How does the ts10 compare size wise to sofirn lights? It looks like an SP10? Or is it closer to the SC32?
It's similar to the SP10 but thinner and longer with its AA size battery.
Bought a ts10. Lasted only a week bought another one same deal....1 week !!!! A crap light!!!! I wrote to them no reply .... I have 4 other Wurkkos lights all fine, this light is a no go!!!
Not very encouraging!
You do a fantastic job on your videos super informative..how long does it take to makenone of these videos?
Thank you - very much appreciated! They take far too long is the short answer!
Thanks for the mischief. Acebeam e70 mini, the only one with Hicri (Nichia 519A) three diodes. At the same time, it turned out to be the best among competitors in terms of parameters. There are very few factory options with such light. Its only drawback is the lack of a button on the side. And just in case, charging would not hurt. Magnetic or Type C which is available by unscrewing the head. Review on Edc 21700 still.
Always hard to find the *perfect* torch!
Hey, great channel! lots of great technical detail!
I've had good experience of both Fenix and olight , I agree, the olight warrior mini 2 is brilliant and my choice of EDC now. The previous model suffered slightly from only being able to carry with the light facing up (probably changed on an upgrade?).
The only thing I found is the magnet is a bit weak on the warrior mini 2 and doesn't hold in a horizontal position, maybe that's been fixed recently
I have an olight baton and the obulbs too.
One thing that is missing from many torches is red light - for this I have an FENIX LD15R , which I really like as it's right-angle, so can be fixed to a rucksack straps etc.
Thanks - lots of great torches around! Just testing the new Warrior Mini 3 - and checked - it does hold itself horizontally unlike the WM2 :).
Wukkos/Sofirn is one of the top and best brand made and sold directly from China.
the quality, performance and price is so good it is the best option compared to most comparable very expensive brand like Olight, Astrolux, Armytek and the like.
Yes I've included Wurkos and Sofirn - good value torches. Do wish they had better regulation though.
@@TheTechnologyMan it might have been a misunderstanding of my part. i heard "Wukkos is a lessen known brand" @2:56 . i was simply mentioning that many other brand are even less known like for example Lumintop.
in my view i have more exposure to Sofirn and Wurkkos than most other brand except Olight. i guess it depends on where the person is browsing online and what videos they are watching.
Yes absolutely - no doubt everyone has a different exposure to different brands depending on where they live etc.
Praise for choosing what are actually some of the best and most liked lights for EDC and enthusiasts. Most general channels seem to just take the first 10 search results from Amazon but you seem to have either done very detailed research or are one of us.
Many thanks! I've had an unhealthy obsession with torches for many, many years!
Why is your black Wurkkos TS 10 reversed? It doesn't come that way. The clip position is a giveaway.
I must have reversed the battery tube - I'll check next time I have it to hand.
Very nice comparison. The conclusions have a lot of merit. Thanks so much. For headlamp suggestions two great midsize options are the Nitecore NU33 with my favorite throw spill mix in the spot mode and the Fenix HL32rt with the best flood for a midsize. NU33 built in battery I dont like and the fenix spot is good but not perfect. Very nice review and thanks a lot.
Glad you liked the review!
Decent lights, but speaking about EDC and not even an mention of Zebralights is an absolute joke.
Feel free to suggest specific torches for the next roundup.
arkfeld uv - white light and uv dual light sources flashlight Olight
Thanks might include that one in the next roundup. Have a written review of the new Seeker which has UV too: thetechnologyman.com/olight-seeker-4-mini-review-dual-1200-lumen-white-light-uv-mode/
Fénix pd25r all the way
Great little torch!
IS THE BEST ONE FOR THE MONEY 2500 max light Olight Baton 3 Pro Max 3000 warm lights are easier on your eyes""""""""" wheelchair larry Merry Christmas
I like the Baton 3 Pro Max too!
i just bought thu amazon wish they had the warm light wheelchair larry happy new year@@TheTechnologyMan
I have just ordered a nitecore MH12V2...looking at the comments here...I'm kinda worried now...I was under the impression they are very capable torches hence the reason I ordered one...can you do a review on nitecore torches please...preferably the MH12V2
I've had not issues with Nitecore torches myself. Thanks for the suggestion - will try and include it in one of my next roundups.
@@TheTechnologyMan great man...thanks for replying 👍
I have the first Fenix E18R with the magnetic charging. I know eventually I will need to get a replacement eventually as the proprietary cable will get lost, but I have had it for several years and love it.
Yes magnetic charging is a double edge sword - super handy but always that concern that you won't have the proprietary cable with you need it! Ideally we need some combined magnetic charging with USB-C backup!
Must watch EDC flashlight recommendations!
Thank you 😊
Very good and detailed review indeed. But for us who don’t have English our mother language, it would be much better to speak more slowly and clearly. No offense intended.
And a final question.
What about Imalent LD70? I think it should definitely be in that list of yours. I don’t really know all the makers but last years Imalent has raised the bar very high in terms of performance. I don’t want to advertise or something, I’m just making a statement based in facts of the torche’s industry.-
Try reducing the playback speed to 0.75x - UA-cam does a good job on this. And you can enable captions - I have full transcripts for every video. Hope that helps.
@@TheTechnologyMan
Thanks for the advice. I would try it.
What about Imalent? Don’t forget that (at the time of course! Or must say at the exact minute?) LD70 is supposed to be the strongest for it’s size and weight at 4000lm, and SR32 the strongest of the world at 120000lm!
Waiting for your opinion eagerly!
The LD70 is a pretty old model now and I found Imalent torches quite hard to get hold of here in the UK.
My Olight only lasted 2.5 years then the switch stopped working.
I suggest throwing them in a rock tumbler with some rocks for a few days as part of your test .
I work in maintenance so my pocket flashlight gets abused from day 1.
Reliability is hugely important. I've had Fenix torches that have lasted for years. Have you asked Olight support?
2.5 years is that too short or are you bragging about it? Seems like a good amount of time for a flashlight to last imo
They improved that side switch on the Olight baton 4
Tactical Flashlights? Do you have a video comparison?
Not yet thanks for the suggestion!
Very very interesting, thank you! subscribed to your channel
Thanks for the support!
For me it's the if25 I haven't tried the A version but the color seems fine to me on mine
Thanks not yet tried that one.
Looking forward to head torch video because i live in an area with no street lights, i already have a cheap head torch £12 but it says its 400lm its never that
Yes some manufacturers list crazy lumens!
I live in an area with no street lighting so these reviews are very useful!
best headlamp fenix hm65rt for your upcoming comparison. the most comfortable headband, very clever tightening design, great power outputs, magnesium body. I can't get enough of it. they should come out with different color versions maybe as special editions or possibly headbands in different colors etc.
Thanks yes the HM65R-T is in the roundup and doing well so far!
Can you replace the battery or once it dies you have to throw it away?
@@vktravellog1242 you can swap the battery, you can also carry extras and swap them when they die in the headlight
Lumitop 3.0 aa 14500
Great suggestion thanks!
Batterys with built-in charging are not a good recommendation unless the user doesn't plan on using the light much due to reduced capacity. Also, they are more likely to stop working due to the added complexity.
Do you mean built in charging or a built in battery?
@The Technology Man I mean it is not good to have a flashlight sized battery with the battery having built-in charging.
1. Because the charging system takes up space, that should be used to increase the capacity of the battery. The battery is small, let's not make it smaller.
2. With the added complexity of having a built-in charger, the battery is more likely to malfunction, and we are adding extra components that use nedless resources for every battery that has a built-in charger.
3. A built-in charger in a battery will not regulate the charging of the battery as well as a quality dedicated device that is designed to charge lithium ion batteries. A good charger is careful not to damage the battery it slows the current to ensure the voltage stays below 1.2 volts for a standard LI battery. The battery with a built-in charger basically dumps in whatever the cable brings it in 5 volt mode and turns off when the voltage exceeds the max voltage limit of the built-in protection system. This is not good for the battery.
Luckily there's loads of options - so you can choose what fits your own personal needs best!
❤ Thanks for this! I’ve bought a dozen some-odd from Amazon that rate at thousands of lumens, but are dimmer than my old and cheap coast 500 lumen flashlight.
Not sure what you mean - yes all the torches have had their true output in Lumens measured - as I discuss and show in graphs in the video.
Sorry, I saw your graphs, mentions, but I saw no actual tests so I assumed you were going off of rated lumens. 10 lights, multiple honorable mentions or other options, my brain is a wee bit numb, info overload. Just now saw your link for more info, I’ll check that out now. Thanks.
@@Erin-Thor All the graphs are measured lumens in my test chamber.
@@TheTechnologyMan - My apologies, I know I can be verbose and a pain in the bum. Ever consider a summary chart? Nothing too detailed, just the samples tested, basic stats (lumens min-max, levels, and links) to make this excellent massive amount of information palatable for us lesser beings? 😊
That’s not a giant. He’d barely even be legal in Texas.
Not sure I follow?!
@@TheTechnologyMan hahaha I was trying to comment on another video and it switched to yours before I sent the message.
Are the hoto flashlights any good?
Sorry I haven't tested any Hoto torches!
Arch olight never going back to round
Do you mean Arkfield?
Impressive video, man. I can't say I REALLY like any of them, but all of them have something to love. Are there any baby torches out there with adjustable focus beam? I have the Milwaukee M12 torch and it's GREAT but it's HUGE relative to these :-D I also have a DeWalt 18V which is mega bright and reaches a LONG way. I use both but the Milwaukee more often and feel like I should have a pocket torch again - I loved my maglights as a kid :-) PS, I saw you reply to every question, you don't have to reply to this one if you don't have time/desire - take a break :-)
Thanks! LED Lenser are your best bet for torches with a focused beam. You can get torches with both a spot and flood beam like the Olight Marauder Mini which is great - best of both worlds but a little large for my jacket pockets.
@@TheTechnologyMan Yeah, that olight marauder mini is too close to the M12 which has the advantage of many M12 packs ready to shove in if it gets low - and nice warm natural light - though probably not as bright? M12 = 800/350, DeWalt = 1500/500 (3 LEDs vs 1 LED). Impressive that these pocket torches can put out that much light - just not for as long. With the DeWalt I can put a massive battery under there and it'll last on high for AGES :-D horses for courses. I looked at the ledlenser range and only the P6R and P5R seem like good fits, both a bit chunky, a bit low performing, and a bit pricey, though. I will keep thinking about it and maybe give this a rewatch. Perhaps your pick with the USBC on the side is the right one for me, too, after all. Cheers! :-)
@@TheTechnologyMan I ended up getting a Baton 3 Premium in red from a local shop. I'll try to remember to let you know how I feel about spending that much on a tiny torch after I've had it for a while :-)
@@fredio54so how do you like it fredio?
@@tyarnold4088 it's great. I have used it for multiple things. By the bed with press and hold for a gentle moonlight that doesn't disturb my Mrs is great. Low outside the bedroom at night is easy on the eyes. High is ample for wandering around outside. Turbo when you need a bit more. Light enough to hang off a drone. Small enough to hide or lose anywhere. Probably doesn't need to be so small, but being short and light means horizontal magnet use is reliable, and I've used it like that under the bonnet hanging from ATF cooling line fittings and in the engine room on the boat and more. Baton 4 came out just after I got it, probably get that instead since it's slightly better in most ways.
Do you know when the headlamp video will be out?
Working on it right now - has been a lot of work! Hopefully next week 🤞. Any particular headlamps you were hoping to see?
I think I've just watched Torch The Movie lol and I was curious enough to do so I only recently discovered what the torch situation is nowadays and there's been quite some progress since I last looked a decade ago. It's actually quite staggering.
😂 - yes torches have come a long way!
@@TheTechnologyMan I look forward to the head torch sequel. I have bought about 10 or so torches recently but not yet looked at head torches which was a bit silly. Still want to get a baseball cap to try some of the clips on torches also which might do for a head torch or are the bespoke head torches distinctly better? I'm sure you will have it covered thoroughly.
Yes will try and cover this - although baseball caps aren't so common here.
@@TheTechnologyMan Good man. I've just received my first head torches ( I got a 2 pack, there was something like a choice of 10,000 on Amazon to try and pick something) and I'm not much impressed as it claimed 2000 lumens but more like 300-500 but they do a basic job and are very light weight which probably will be enough for me though will good to see something of what I could have gone for or maybe will do down the line.
Still loving my led lenser torch for winter dog walks but these look like a marked improvement
😊most definately!
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I researched for awhile, and based my decision for the fact that I live in 2 countries in Asia - one is 220 volts and the other 110 volts. The Maglite solitaire is perfect, as I can find the batteries in both countries, and I just carry extra batteries with me. I bought 2 - one for my wife and 1 for myself around 6 years ago, and they have never had any problems.
These all charge off USB so you could just use a portable charger or laptop USB port to charge them ...
@The Technology Man but with the rolling blackouts you don't know how long the power will be out. Sometimes just a few hours, but other times it can be 2 or 3 days.
We're lucky here - rarely got any blackouts!
@The Technology Man lol ,I miss those days at times, but I much prefer life in Asia with no sales taxes and way more freedom than Canada
Great reviews. Thank you.
Thank you - glad you liked them!
Hello Lad😎
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Superb, efficient, variety packed vid.
Thank you so much - glad you liked it!
As a ship's engineer, my two main requirements are that it is easy to use but won't turn on accidentally in my pocket.
Effectively that requires an end switch for on-off and a side switch for the brightness level.
Both my Fenix LD30 and a Fenix PD25R meet this requirement. The PD25R is smaller but is not as bright as the LD30 and has a fairly short battery life.
I have not tried the Olight Warrior Mini 2 but it also sounds nice.
I really like Fenix torches but I wish they had quick access to moonlight and turbo like Olight, Thrunite etc.
I've got the same job and looking for a torch just now. Is it a problem that you can't adjust from tight to wide beam? I always found that useful for different stuff on the ship.
Ideally I want something smallish with an adjustable beam, decently bright with few brightness levels, a tail switch, water proof/resistant, can handle a drop from height and magnetic on the side or tail(preferably both).
It seems weird to me that none of the reviews I'm finding are about that stuff but instead obsessed with being stupidly bright and small. Nothing about the versatility and resilience of them.
@@edbr2379 church out coast lights
Well if you're going to church, pray that you don't get a zoomable flashlight because they are crap! Why do you think he didn't mention any?
Gr8 Detail - Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Check out the new Olight Baton Pro Max. 21700 5000mAh, 114x26mm and ~2500lumens max. Also actually good tint on an Olight for once
Yes just been testing that one - the natural white version. Unfortunately it's just too floody for outdoors use - for me at least. Noticeably less reach than the 18650 Baton Pro. But it is pretty compact for a 21700 and good runtimes in high mode. I've not checked the tint yet but will.
@@TheTechnologyMan i just got mine, NW. Maybe someone will find a way to mod it more throwy. For now, i gotta wait until it's charged and try it out. I plan this to be my pocket EDC
Let me know what you think of it! Yes for me if it had more throw, and a sustainable 1000 lumens high mode it could be the perfect torch! It's actually very similar to the Thrunite T2 - which is also very floody but turbo is almost 4000 lumens so more reach. And in Olight's range the Seeker 3 Pro is similar - but a little big for EDC.
@@TheTechnologyMan t2 is quite a bit wider tho, the pro max is basically a 26mm wide tube all the way through, the T2 has a wider head
@@maggi98mw Yes the T2 has a slightly wider head and is a little heavier (it is 1mm shorter though FWIW) - but since neither torch is trouser pocketable for me they feel very similar in my hand and don't notice either of them in my jacket pocket :). Like the USB-C charging on the T2 for travel - don't have to take an additional cable.
Brilliant! Subscribed
Thank you and glad you liked the video!
Great video as always!
Thank you glad you liked it Noah!
No sofrin😢
32:21 😊
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To anyone reading this: do yourself a favor and never ever buy a Nitecore flashlight. They are very unreliable flashlights.
Some ppl swear by them. I cant get one to work for me
Which model(s) have you had issues with?
TM03 and TUP. That's 2 out of 2. I believe I gave the brand a fair shot .
Disappointing!
Counterpoint: I suppose everyone's experience differs but I own 14 Nitecore lights, from full size tactical, LEP, and keychain versions. Some are as old as 15 years and not a hiccup with any of them - highly reliable! I don't abuse them but use them extensively, and they serve me well. 👍🔦👍
If you’re ever thinking of getting a Thrunite, don’t count on any kind of warranty or service should anything happen to your edc light. Horrible service and they will not honor their promise of lifetime coverage regardless of if you’re willing to pay out of pocket to get it serviced. Awesome light (TC15) but once it goes. Don’t waste your time waiting for them to get back to you. Just buy another light
That's very disappointing. I've had excellent after-sales support from the Fenix importer in the UK - second to none.
Just want to give everyone a warning. I have had 6 Olight 18650 flashlights die within 2 years of use.
Olight has great features but bad reliability for 18650 flashlights.
Doesn't sound good. Have you gone back to Olight - what did they say? If you don't get a quick response off their email - try the very active Facebook groups. They're very helpful there in my experience.
@The Technology Man to be honest, I don't care to talk to Olight.
I bought their little AA flashlight a long time ago, and it was so much better than a Mag Light that it changed my life. But when I was using the flashlight a lot, the battery would die, and I would always have to pack at least one battery, which is complicated. Also, when I used the flashlight for EDC, it always died at an inconvenient time. So, I learned about the 18650s and how much more power they have, and I purchased an Olight S2 flashlight. I really love the size, runtime, and power settings of this flashlight. I also purchased a Zebralight AA flashlight and a Zebralight headlamp at the same time.
The Olight just died for no reason after about a year and a half of use. I purchased another one because I liked the first. After a couple of years, it burned out for no reason. Then I purchased two s2r flashlights. I left one with my godson and used the other. Both flashlights died within three years without cause.
I think I have sampled quite enough of Olight's 18650 flashlights. I would have stopped much sooner, but I love the magnetic tail cap. As a mechanic working at night, the magnetic tail cap is a godsend. I don't ever send stuff back, I just tell others what works for me and what doesn't work. And I can definitely say in my sample of four Olight flashlights, 100% of them failed in moderate use in less than three years. I call that garbage.
I still have all three of my Olight AA flashlights, and they all still work. One is a collectors edition made from titanium, and I have the matching titanium tube extension. It is amazing but overly heavy for its size.
I still have all three of the Zebralights that I purchased, and they work flawlessly. My biggest complaint is that the clip is too hard to easily use on my AA flashlight.
I have a four cell Olight 18650 flashlight, and it is OK, but not awesome.
I have three Sofirn flashlights. The single 18650 lights are OK and haven't died. But, they don't feel quite as nice to me, but they work! I also have their beer can flashlight with four 18650s, and it is awesome. I use it as a lamp in my bedroom, and it is awesome when there are raccoons trying to eat my chickens, it light up the whole backyard.
If Olight sees this post and wants to make good on their products, they can check my Amazon purchase history and replace every 18650 flashlight I have purchased from them, but personally I am moving on to packing a more reliable brand.
@The Technology Man I cringe any time I hear someone say a company's customer support is helpful. With a better product, they wouldn't need "helpful" customer support. I would bet money you have no idea how helpful Zebralights customer support is with replacing defective products because Zebralight products just work. They don't break under normal circumstances.
Tell me if I am wrong, provide proof, and I will apologize for my mischaracterization. of the Olight 18650 products.
It's one thing I can't test in these reviews - so good to hear personal experiences from viewers! Personally I've had the best experience with Fenix torches - I've owned many of their torches for years and they have been very reliable. I even sold them amongst other brands when I had a retail store and I can't remember any coming back with a fault!
I bought a small Energiser, about 3 and half inches long, 700 Lumens or 600 can't recall, excellent little torch really powerful beam half the power of the large energiser l have that does 1300 lumens, my point is it was on sale at £8 with two 123.. 3v batteries included, but when l needed to replace the batteries l discovered they're £10 for the 2 you need, it would be cheaper to buy another torch than the batteries lol. Are there 123 batteries that are rechargeable and if so could you tell me where l might purchase them and the charger with them as its a great little torch with clip on it, l like my big energiser that takes 6 batteries AAs but it would be nice to have the smaller torch in my pocket as a back up but not at £10 a set of batteries lol.
There are rechargeable CR123s - but you can only use them if you torch supports them - they're higher voltage. I'm be fairly certain your Energiser torch won't I'm afraid but check the manual.
The great video, but sadly many people will not watch 1hr video. Would be cool if you could post shorter versions of same info in multiple videos in future 🫶
I have chapters in the video so you can jump to the section you're interested in if you don't want to watch the whole thing. I wanted to do a comparison of all the main competitors in this space - and I wanted to make sure I covered each torch in enough detail to make the comparison useful. I tried to be as concise as possible without adding any fluff, but it's still unsurprisingly a lot longer than my typical videos and took a ridiculous amount of time to research and produce! I'll see from the analytics in a few months how well this format works but thanks for the feedback.