Have you ever heard of /seen the Nebo flashlights? I’ve got a couple of them and they have been doing great, so far. I haven’t really been putting them through the same abuse as y’all. But, that’s what y’all are all about. I really can’t thank you guys enough for everything you do. It’s really awesome that you are really helping all of us save money and time and huge headaches from dealing with the nonsense from crap products.
@@johnanthony8865 the Nebo flashlights do well, but they are just one of the name brand lights out of China. Many of their models don't appreciate being dropped from height, the battery tends to crush/break the contact on the positive side when dropped on the lens from heights over 4ft, but it can be fixed if you know how to take them apart.
I use an olight as a diesel mechanic daily and am always impressed. I also support your decision to pull on the reigns with them as you're here to level the playing field and helping any certain company in marketing would lead people to think that you're biased. Thanks for staying true!
Thanks for saying so. It's a tight line to walk, but when we do purchase more Olight's we're hoping they do well against the others as so far their lumen ratings have been spot on.
@@RadDadisRad honestly you cant beat streamlights warranty especially if you have a good dealer. If i break one of mine he usually just hands me a new one.
I've often thought of the Milwaukee 'true view' as a kind of 'nice to have' but not essential. Recently however I was working in a rats nest of color coded wiring. My generic 'white' flashlight wasn't helping so I went to the other car and dug out the 2161. The wire colors were MUCH easier to follow with the Milwaukee light.
Itronics( brand or company ) has made a killing on Amazon by selling those JUNK lights...you pointing this out will go a long way...awesome work!...companies shouldn't capitalize this dishonestly...
@@TorqueTestChannel it will get around... and hopefully people will see that just because it's a "best seller " doesn't mean it's any good...it just means a whole lot of uninformed people buy junk....don't follow them to the junk bin....do your research.....
Alot of people buy Coast... they're decent and affordable...my Coast EDC that I use at work has been kickin' for 2 years in a chemical plant i use it everyday..in highly caustic and acidic environments...
@@TorqueTestChannel I would love to see coast’s inspection pen light go in your testing. I was able to pick one up for like 10 bucks on Amazon and it went more than a year before succumbing to my brutal treatment. True to work coast sent me a new one no questions asked. I really like the light.
I have 2 HP3R penlights. Theyre ok, but from what I know right now their rechargeable batteries take a poop after a few 5 foot drops so ive stuck to triple A batteries.
Coast HP1, $10 on Amazon slide focus,190 lumen claim runs on 1 AAA. I've been using one as my EDC for years now. I own may other lights from Surefire, Fenix, O light, BlackHawk, Klarus. The Coast is still my fave and goes everywhere with me.
I have used Streamlight flashlights for years and they have held up well for my work usage. My newest one is a micro stream usb rechargeable. And they honor their warranties on them too. So please consider testing those - thanks for informative videos.
I second this. I’ve owned (and lost) more streamlight stingers than I care to share but they have been fantastic lights. Last a long time, rechargeable batteries, and good warranty. Definitely test if you can. Although I do use a Milwaukee headlamp and streamlight pen light all the time now. Because I lost my last stinger, again.
my shop has AA batteries as a shop supply, so I go with the good old fashioned drop-in alkaline streamlight. Would like to see how it compares to other pen lights.
I own many Fenix and Olight flashlights. Both are excellent qualitatively. The build, performance and quality. I prefer Olight over Fenix only from design as they just look and feel better to me. Purely subjective. The light output and capacity of each always amaze me. So my vote is to put these up against themselves, each other and against other lights. Love the channel and enjoyed the response to olight. You are the consumer reports of RUclips for the stuff you review and the quantifiable data driven approach is incredible.
I have two fenix flashlights and love them but I have no Olights because if I buy stuff then batteries and chargers from other stuff should also work with them and olights special chargers and batteries just turns me off instantly. I think both are good but I think fenix are a bit better (several reasons) but I would also really like to see a Fenix vs Olight video both in cheap flashlights and medium flashlights (80-110$)
Thanks for staying non-biased. Testing duty lights for us first responders would be awesome. Stream light stingers, micro streams, etc. Nitecore seems decent as well. As a medic/nurse, I am always searching for a good pen light. You’d be surprised at how handy they are. Keep up the great work.
Nice to see Milwaukee takes their flashlights seriously, not just as some generic accessory with their name slapped on it. Love that consistent output level throughout the discharge cycle, and good drop resistance. I can see a use for both the 2160 and 2011R, some overlap in their uses, but it looks to me like the 2011R is more of a light for inspectors and technicians while the 2160 is for heavier duty and/or harsher environments.
Diesel mechanic here the Olight by far the best lights IMO. They are really bright and last the only downfall I would say is on their smaller lights is temp but the slightly bigger ones desipate heat better
I dropped my Milwaukee 2110-21 30' on to concrete Over a year ago and it still works great. It did damage the housing but nothing I couldn't fix with a file.
Another great quality info vid👍 One curiosity for me being an admitted Fenix fan is if the Fenix would perform better in the light output test if it was tested at a similar lumen output of the Milwaukees. I find that any smaller light designed to have an extreme turbo or high output for its size is bound to get hot quick, drain its battery fast , and therefore have reduced run time performance If that high lumen level is used for an extended period of time. I believe that the turbo modes on these small lights are designed for occassional short burst use but not designed for any extended run time at those levels and there for testing them at max run time at those levels would certianly hurt runtime performance significantly.
Dude I’m so glad I found your channel early on! It’s helped me make up my mind without taking too much time researching. I hold up your reviews with trust, and respect to your work that I think changes the industry to focus on honest marketing but most importantly in the good results. It’s exciting to see real innovation and improvements over products, without falling for false advertisement.
Flashlights stepping down brightness is a thermal management thing. For brighter lights at longer run times, you need to get that heat out of there somehow. Unfortunately, physics largely prevents that in a pocketable format.
Like old school big o jump box or those small pocket sized jump packs with the lithiun cells in em? Id guess all the bigger packs would be close to the same seeing as they all use sealed lead acid.. some just use bigger batteries or multiples.. but guess itd be the same for the packs also, just all depends on how cheap they went with the cells.. or how much they lied cuz i would bet all of them lie...
Haven't seen a lot mentioned about NEBO. They may not be the brightest, but Ive carried a Redline Torchy for going on 3 years now and as an EDC for a mechanic I usually get a week out of the battery, and even the low setting is more than usable. Not to mention I haven't been able to kill it yet. For $30 it's honestly a really solid light, especially considering its only ~2" long and ~¾" diameter, with that same hat/pocket clip as the 2011R
It’s a little on the pricey side, but I would love to see the streamlight 2020 model tested. It’s by far the best stream light I’ve ever owned and beyond bright
I've used and abused my Fenix PD32 for years with no drop in performance. I love the UI for it. A Streamlight Microstream USB has replaced it as a daily just because it's so much smaller while being just as bright and avoiding battery replacement. Great series!
Have you considered doing PWM measurements? Many light use this method to control brightness. Unfortunately some models use PWM frequencies and duty Cycles that are visible under normal use. This makes using the lights very unpleasant to use over long term use. Thanks for the excellent videos.
The headlamps shud have drop tests, but attached to a hard hat to make it as realistic as possible Or a "Crashtest" where you bump the headlight whilst attached to a hard hat into a hard surface at a set speed
Streamlight HLX (1000 lumen) for me. Love the fact I can just swap a new rechargable battery in and keep running it. Super small and lifetime warranty.
Honestly for me, the Itonics that took 24ft drops repeatedly without issue is the clear winner here, baring actual true to advertisement output. The price to lumen and durability is...impressive. I think I'm going to buy a couple of those for the trunk of the car if nothing else.
I’m a mechanic and my headlamp of choice is the Coast FL75R. They have a higher lumen now but I got mine a while ago. It’s my favorite because it’s one of the brightest, and the rechargeable battery packs can swap out so you have 0 down time
Regarding magnetic EDC lights. After years of carrying a S2 Baton with a mag base, I cannot imagine NOT having the convenience of a magnetic base. I work in IT and being able to stick it to the side of a server rack wile working is really nice. Turbo mode is indeed an function of heat, I generally never use it since non turbo is usually bright enough. Despite their aggressive marketing I find Olight to be a nice balance between cost and quality. Their magnetic chargers are a great feature as well. Really enjoy your content and transparency. Nice to see ethics being priority in 2021.
@@reahs4815 Retail and other non-DC racks gather stupid amounts of dust. I've fixed countless pieces of "faulty" equipment with just canned air, paint brushes, and a vacuum.
The protected 18650 li-on battery can not take that many drops without a springs at the head end , I had a protected 16650 quit working after a drop of 4ft.
Nice tests! As a guy with a slight flashlight fetish, I'm glad to see FENIX included since I EDC a PD36R and still keep my PD35R handy around the house. Thanks for being honest and impartial.
Huge fan of the new flashlight tests you guys do. I'm a ships engineer and I have some wide ranging requirements for lighting. The one in my pocket needs to be bright enough to illuminate a shadowed spot while standing in bright sunlight, and dim enough not to kill your night sight when trying to find something in a darkened wheelhouse. The light I currently favor is a Thrunight TN12 (2016 version, not v4) 1100 Lumens down to 0.4 lumens. My second is a Fenix PD35 (1900 lumens down to around 10 lumens) I definitely like the Snap On lights you reviewed early on and wonder if the imitation of those are worth anything. Amazon search comes up with Maxxeon and some no names.
Dear Gentlemen, Thank you for providing an honest to goodness "fair play" forum for the average consumer. I own so many different types of tools and select them for performance and quality first. Thank you for whittling down the percentages of experiencing buyers remorse.
You guys should test bateries like difrent brands of 18650's since there a very common battery and you can buy aftermarket one's with better performance then stock
Love these videos! I very much so respect that you guys don't except free products or discounts even, awesome stuff. I've always figured that lumen ratings were pretty much only loose ballpark numbers. Any chance you guys could test the Milwaukee M12 100 lumen flashlight and the palm sander shaped M12 Rover service and repair flood light one of these times? Very curious to know what they actually output
Just to add my 2 cents. Having an EDC flashlight with a magnet on it is a must for me. I work construction and do service calls for my work. Many times I am in a spot where I am working inside of a metal box. Having the ability to turn on my flash light and stick it to the top so I am hands free is really nice.
I did post on their Facebook group (under my wife's account) about y'all testing their light previously and it actually doing really well. Sorry for bringing the heat from their marketing department, lol.
The light output over time has always been suspect, and I’m glad to see that showing here. And you’re so right about some flashlights being uncomfortably hot!
Yeah, that's an awesome test. Crappy lights have no voltage/current regulation and are only bright when fresh off the charger. They are the worst type of light, and are veeery common in cheap units.
The high lumen lights, like the fenix, are designed to offer high output for short bursts. The whole design philosophy is around that, let you see 2 football fields away for a bit if you need to, but live in the 300-600 lumen range otherwise. They dont get that.
Great work! Very much appreciate what you do ethically! Thanks for saying no to Olight even though I own several of their lights. Almost impossible to find unbiased opinion/testing on anything these days.
Love to see some Streamlights, maybe the 1L-1AA? Not rechargeable but versatile. Maybe some Thrunite lights also? I've had good luck with them also and they make a headlamp or two.
I use Streamlight Strion everyday as a diesel mechanic. It is around 10 years old and the only thing I have done is replace the battery. the knurling is worn completely smooth I use it so much. I tried Olight because I like that is reverts to the last light setting you last used, so you don't have to constantly change the light mode. I also liked the magnet. It lasted less than a year before it would only work on moonlight(very low lumen). I sent it back for warranty. They fixed it, but it only lasted another month before the same thing happened. I went back to Streamlight.
I think it would be nice to see some of the Lenser flashlights. In my experience, these arent the brightest but they are bright, and come with a simple user interface. Especialy the long term output test would be interesting. They also have headlamps as far as I know. :)
Streamlight definitely need to be in this conversation. The macro stream is very comparable in this catagory. And when you get too full size lights, the stinger is bulletproof. Keep up the awesome work though!
Would love to see you test a maglite at some point. I bought one of the ones that you can grab off the wall at Lowes and it's been decent enough for the price.
Oh and again I'd like to see the Bosch FL12 tested, favorite shop work light. Been dropped, ran over many times, use for additional light while welding, and none of them have died.
Just a suggestion, when doing the drop tests you should drop the light agai. After it stops working to see if that knocks it back into place. Percussive engineering is real and theirs a reason why. When something doesn't work I smack it and occasionally it helps
Would really like to see a stremlight micro stream usb. That and the nebo torchy have been my favorite edc lights. They are very different lights but compact and very bright.
the Rayovac tactical flashlight is the most indestructible flashlight i ever owned. yall should test it. it amazed me after i ran over it multiple times, left it out in a hurricane for a week and it still worked with no problems
streamlight polytac x has been my daily for a few years now and still going strong, best balance of features, run time and durability I have ever come across
I just found you channel I have some what of an unhealthy love of flash lights but have a Nebo 2k torchy that I have dropped from 10' accidentally and also gave it a 2.5 hour hot water bath in the washing machine and still works like new
I own the 80$ 1100 lumen flashlight by Milwaukee and it’s pretty good I use it almost daily and it gets what I need done and I feel like it won’t break unlike some cheap flashlights I have had in the past
I'm assuming the ones with a removable 18650 battery were better at the drop test, like the Amazon and Milwaukee 2160 because there alot less to go wrong with them, another amazing video!
I recommend some Wowtac lights, they are reasonably low cost but still of good quality. The Wowtac A1S and A7 I think would be good candidates for an EDC light.
I’d love to see Black Diamond and Petzel headlamps. I’m a huge fan of penlights and think that might be neat. I’ve had one 5.11 penlight for almost a decade and still going strong. Including being a valet so always exposed to weather and getting beat up in and out of cars. Id have a hard time believing that they is a more durable flashlight option on the market than 5.11.
Great testing. Would really appreciate commenting on each lights operation mode. I only buy lights that turn on and off with a single click. Can't stand cycling through 3+ modes to turn it on and off each use.
Keep up the great work! I think you should also be measuring the Lux in each of these tests? A Lux meter is inexpensive and might be a better unit of measurement since it's supposed to be measured away from the source of the light. Also, as I understand it, the lumens on a package are usually just the potential brightness from a light bulb vs what they actually throw with their reflectors? A few other things to measure.. Lux at various distances.. 5, 10, 20ft, etc. Compare the spread of the light (spot vs flood), etc.
I use the 2161 Milwaukee 1100 lumen in the underground tunnels in NYC and I really like the interchangeable battery so you can keep a spare. That to me seems to big a very big plus. They clip comes off when dropped but very drop proof. My favorite
I like Coast brand flashlights. Also, could you test flashlights with AAs with both good alkaline and good re-chargeable batteries? On cheap flashlights, I think they deserve demerits if they have 5-10 modes and no way to select them save cycling through them.. I stay away from those flashlights. Lastly, thank you; I'm really enjoying these flashlight videos.
I have been using the Coast PX22 for a couple years now daily and yes I hate flashlights with multiple options to click through and even worse not a smart one that remembers your last setting
Just remember where you bought your Fenix. I had more trouble than they were worth with warranty from I can't get a hold of Fenix just their distributors that all sound the same. One I broke it shouldn't have but it gave a few months of good work but one had a constant battery draw issue right from the start that just made it worthless this is when I learned of their different distributors. Again remember where you bought it. I liked their lights and truthfully love their lanterns but their support system... hope this changes in the future. Maybe it already has my troubles were a few years back They were only ever competing for backup duty to the Surefire anyway. Keep up the great tests thanks!
Own a 2011r got it for my 15th brithday not to long ago... very good so far havent dropped it yet. But im not gonna drop it on purpose to test it out when i watched your video to prove its durability
Testing AA lights with lithiums seems questionable, especially for a cheap one. If you want to remove the included cells from the test using a quality alkaline would be more realistic. Would also be nice to see AA lights tested with a decent rechargeable such as eneloop. Some AA stuff doesn't work well, or at all, with rechargeables.
Sofirm flashlights are worth checking out.. I've had a bunch of their SP40 headlamps.. they're cheap, tough, and USB C if that matters to you. I personally swap out batteries and charge my 18650's with a MiBoxer C4-12 battery charger..
The sofirn if25 or the if25a if you don't care as much about color accurate or at least color temperature I think you pretty much have to wait in China but I'm sure you will be impressed for the price
I was at work few years ago and had 2 flashlights fail when I really needed them one was harbor freight leson learned I spent a few hundred on milwaukee flashlights and never been happier they all have there uses and work when you need them lol
You guys should try the Alpha Pocket Flashlight by tzumi. I got one for 10 bucks a couple years ago as a Christmas special at Walmart and I cannot break the thing. It's been dropped, thrown, soaked in oil, left dead for weeks, and lost multiple times. Best 10 bucks I ever spent
I would love to see a newer maglite with the rechargable batteries and led. I think their label for it is the ML150 and while it is one of the largest flashlight there are I'm sure it will be the most durable and longest lasting.
I use a nebo brand rechargeable headlamp has a magnetic charger and 600 lumens on turbo mode It'd be interesting to see how it compares to other headlamps
I have one of those milwaukee 2160s, one of the best small hand lights ive owned, can throw the same batteries at my milwaukee helmet headlamp Biggest downfall is not have a usb-c, the super short cable they supply and the charge port on the same side as the button would make it easier to see the charging state while its lying down
I use the streamlight micro stream, $30 on Amazon, rechargeable, leave it is rated at 2:50, I don't necessarily believe that I think it's brighter, would love for you to test that flashlight considering it is sold on most cool trucks as well for about $50
I just purchased an olight s2r II batton and I’m very happy with the light. On turbo mode it reaches “1100 lumens” lasting 4 minutes until it goes down lumens to save itself from the heat. This light gets very hot but it would be cool to see you test it.
My understanding of the way Fenix lights work is that they have a transformer of some sort in the circuitry that pulls as much power from the battery as possible to keep them running stably at brighter levels before stepping down/falling off. The upshot to this is longer runtimes at any given output and generally holding that output for the duration. The downside is... it tends to go from "running" to "not" pretty quickly once the battery can no longer sustain the draw levels it's asking for, dropping straight to the lowest brightness setting until it's fully dead.
Very informative from a testing standpoint. Most people just looking for a flashlight will be fairly happy with most lights on the shelves, providing they are LED. There is more to flashlights than lumens though, so if anyone is looking for a certain type of beam I would advise watching many of the very good flashlight channels on RUclips. The reason behind the 1 meter drop test is essentially the user dropping it from your hand. I would suggest using a lanyard to prevent this from happening especially if you have paid a decent price for the light. Driving over and dropping items from great heights is usually just a marketing ploy. New subscriber 👍
Anker lights....their LC40 and LC90 have been good to me so far. Like the LC40 for size (non-removable battery), butblike the 18650 of the LC90. They also have a bigger model too.
I’m surprised about it, but I’ve actually been using the Power Probe flashlight for the last 3 years, every single day. I’m shocked at how well it’s held up.
Considering this one currently costs 30% less than when we bought it: amzn.to/3AcuUv0 This seems to be the stand out amongst this group.
the tempature runtime measurement was that fahrenheit or celsius they where up too around 100??
@@siezvay5986 Sorry, fahrenheit
Have you ever heard of /seen the Nebo flashlights? I’ve got a couple of them and they have been doing great, so far. I haven’t really been putting them through the same abuse as y’all. But, that’s what y’all are all about. I really can’t thank you guys enough for everything you do. It’s really awesome that you are really helping all of us save money and time and huge headaches from dealing with the nonsense from crap products.
@@johnanthony8865 the Nebo flashlights do well, but they are just one of the name brand lights out of China. Many of their models don't appreciate being dropped from height, the battery tends to crush/break the contact on the positive side when dropped on the lens from heights over 4ft, but it can be fixed if you know how to take them apart.
Free olight? Sign me up chip. The most ironic part is that I just had an olight ad.
I use an olight as a diesel mechanic daily and am always impressed. I also support your decision to pull on the reigns with them as you're here to level the playing field and helping any certain company in marketing would lead people to think that you're biased. Thanks for staying true!
Thanks for saying so. It's a tight line to walk, but when we do purchase more Olight's we're hoping they do well against the others as so far their lumen ratings have been spot on.
I agree, non-biased opinions are so hard to come by these days. This channel and project farm are two of my favorites because of that reason.
Auto mechanic and use mostly olights as well other favorite is streamlight but i just love the magnetic charger olights come with
@@RadDadisRad honestly you cant beat streamlights warranty especially if you have a good dealer. If i break one of mine he usually just hands me a new one.
I use it Olight seeker 2 pro everyday at work and it always impresses
I've often thought of the Milwaukee 'true view' as a kind of 'nice to have' but not essential. Recently however I was working in a rats nest of color coded wiring. My generic 'white' flashlight wasn't helping so I went to the other car and dug out the 2161. The wire colors were MUCH easier to follow with the Milwaukee light.
I've carried the same fenix light for probably 10ish years and it still runs like a champ. Definitly worth the money
Itronics( brand or company ) has made a killing on Amazon by selling those JUNK lights...you pointing this out will go a long way...awesome work!...companies shouldn't capitalize this dishonestly...
I'm sure we're a very small dent in their momentum. But hey, it's something
@@TorqueTestChannel it will get around... and hopefully people will see that just because it's a "best seller " doesn't mean it's any good...it just means a whole lot of uninformed people buy junk....don't follow them to the junk bin....do your research.....
@@boosted2.4_sky It really won't get around. The average amazon shopper just buys the first "best selling" result that passes the smell test.
most often best selling means the worst trash you can find
10 seconds old and 10 likes already. 'yall are too much!
Should be 100 after 10 sec and 1000 after a minute.
Olight: if we send you our stuff will you test it?
TTC: no, no i don't think I will
So since he wouldn't take free Olights they made sure to run 2 ads with discount codes.
Would like to see what Coast does since those seem bright right on the shelf
We've been hearing coast a lot. Will do!
Alot of people buy Coast... they're decent and affordable...my Coast EDC that I use at work has been kickin' for 2 years in a chemical plant i use it everyday..in highly caustic and acidic environments...
@@TorqueTestChannel I would love to see coast’s inspection pen light go in your testing. I was able to pick one up for like 10 bucks on Amazon and it went more than a year before succumbing to my brutal treatment. True to work coast sent me a new one no questions asked. I really like the light.
I have 2 HP3R penlights. Theyre ok, but from what I know right now their rechargeable batteries take a poop after a few 5 foot drops so ive stuck to triple A batteries.
Coast HP1, $10 on Amazon slide focus,190 lumen claim runs on 1 AAA. I've been using one as my EDC for years now. I own may other lights from Surefire, Fenix, O light, BlackHawk, Klarus. The Coast is still my fave and goes everywhere with me.
I have used Streamlight flashlights for years and they have held up well for my work usage. My newest one is a micro stream usb rechargeable. And they honor their warranties on them too. So please consider testing those - thanks for informative videos.
I second this. I’ve owned (and lost) more streamlight stingers than I care to share but they have been fantastic lights. Last a long time, rechargeable batteries, and good warranty. Definitely test if you can. Although I do use a Milwaukee headlamp and streamlight pen light all the time now. Because I lost my last stinger, again.
my shop has AA batteries as a shop supply, so I go with the good old fashioned drop-in alkaline streamlight. Would like to see how it compares to other pen lights.
Not to mention you can take them to any batteries+ for warranty repairs or replacement.
I own many Fenix and Olight flashlights. Both are excellent qualitatively. The build, performance and quality. I prefer Olight over Fenix only from design as they just look and feel better to me. Purely subjective. The light output and capacity of each always amaze me. So my vote is to put these up against themselves, each other and against other lights. Love the channel and enjoyed the response to olight. You are the consumer reports of RUclips for the stuff you review and the quantifiable data driven approach is incredible.
I have two fenix flashlights and love them but I have no Olights because if I buy stuff then batteries and chargers from other stuff should also work with them and olights special chargers and batteries just turns me off instantly. I think both are good but I think fenix are a bit better (several reasons) but I would also really like to see a Fenix vs Olight video both in cheap flashlights and medium flashlights (80-110$)
Thanks for staying non-biased.
Testing duty lights for us first responders would be awesome. Stream light stingers, micro streams, etc. Nitecore seems decent as well. As a medic/nurse, I am always searching for a good pen light. You’d be surprised at how handy they are. Keep up the great work.
Better brands, now we're talking.
Nice to see Milwaukee takes their flashlights seriously, not just as some generic accessory with their name slapped on it. Love that consistent output level throughout the discharge cycle, and good drop resistance. I can see a use for both the 2160 and 2011R, some overlap in their uses, but it looks to me like the 2011R is more of a light for inspectors and technicians while the 2160 is for heavier duty and/or harsher environments.
Diesel mechanic here the Olight by far the best lights IMO. They are really bright and last the only downfall I would say is on their smaller lights is temp but the slightly bigger ones desipate heat better
I dropped my Milwaukee 2110-21 30' on to concrete Over a year ago and it still works great. It did damage the housing but nothing I couldn't fix with a file.
Another great quality info vid👍 One curiosity for me being an admitted Fenix fan is if the Fenix would perform better in the light output test if it was tested at a similar lumen output of the Milwaukees. I find that any smaller light designed to have an extreme turbo or high output for its size is bound to get hot quick, drain its battery fast , and therefore have reduced run time performance If that high lumen level is used for an extended period of time. I believe that the turbo modes on these small lights are designed for occassional short burst use but not designed for any extended run time at those levels and there for testing them at max run time at those levels would certianly hurt runtime performance significantly.
Dude I’m so glad I found your channel early on! It’s helped me make up my mind without taking too much time researching. I hold up your reviews with trust, and respect to your work that I think changes the industry to focus on honest marketing but most importantly in the good results. It’s exciting to see real innovation and improvements over products, without falling for false advertisement.
Have you ever considered testing fasteners? Grade 2, grade 5, grade 8, various manufactures? Include a quick tutorial about bolt properties?
I like it!
@@TorqueTestChannel We got you now! You work will never be done! :)
Streamlight protac usb lights have been my favorite. And as a mechanic they get used and abused.
Flashlights stepping down brightness is a thermal management thing. For brighter lights at longer run times, you need to get that heat out of there somehow. Unfortunately, physics largely prevents that in a pocketable format.
I love this channel it has great content and very trustworthy testing. I would love to see some jump box testing.
Like old school big o jump box or those small pocket sized jump packs with the lithiun cells in em? Id guess all the bigger packs would be close to the same seeing as they all use sealed lead acid.. some just use bigger batteries or multiples.. but guess itd be the same for the packs also, just all depends on how cheap they went with the cells.. or how much they lied cuz i would bet all of them lie...
Haven't seen a lot mentioned about NEBO. They may not be the brightest, but Ive carried a Redline Torchy for going on 3 years now and as an EDC for a mechanic I usually get a week out of the battery, and even the low setting is more than usable. Not to mention I haven't been able to kill it yet. For $30 it's honestly a really solid light, especially considering its only ~2" long and ~¾" diameter, with that same hat/pocket clip as the 2011R
It’s a little on the pricey side, but I would love to see the streamlight 2020 model tested. It’s by far the best stream light I’ve ever owned and beyond bright
I hate the 2020 the new streamlight that just came out is better
I've used and abused my Fenix PD32 for years with no drop in performance. I love the UI for it. A Streamlight Microstream USB has replaced it as a daily just because it's so much smaller while being just as bright and avoiding battery replacement. Great series!
Have you considered doing PWM measurements?
Many light use this method to control brightness.
Unfortunately some models use PWM frequencies and duty Cycles that are visible under normal use.
This makes using the lights very unpleasant to use over long term use.
Thanks for the excellent videos.
The headlamps shud have drop tests, but attached to a hard hat to make it as realistic as possible
Or a "Crashtest" where you bump the headlight whilst attached to a hard hat into a hard surface at a set speed
Streamlight HLX (1000 lumen) for me. Love the fact I can just swap a new rechargable battery in and keep running it. Super small and lifetime warranty.
Honestly for me, the Itonics that took 24ft drops repeatedly without issue is the clear winner here, baring actual true to advertisement output. The price to lumen and durability is...impressive. I think I'm going to buy a couple of those for the trunk of the car if nothing else.
I’m a mechanic and my headlamp of choice is the Coast FL75R. They have a higher lumen now but I got mine a while ago. It’s my favorite because it’s one of the brightest, and the rechargeable battery packs can swap out so you have 0 down time
Should do the milwaukee 2161 its a pretty bright flashlight rated at 1100
Regarding magnetic EDC lights. After years of carrying a S2 Baton with a mag base, I cannot imagine NOT having the convenience of a magnetic base. I work in IT and being able to stick it to the side of a server rack wile working is really nice. Turbo mode is indeed an function of heat, I generally never use it since non turbo is usually bright enough. Despite their aggressive marketing I find Olight to be a nice balance between cost and quality. Their magnetic chargers are a great feature as well. Really enjoy your content and transparency. Nice to see ethics being priority in 2021.
Metal dust gets stuck to the magnet and short circuits my flashlight quite often but its still working and i do like the magnet overall.
@@kreetins he works in IT, he dosent even see dust even once a year
@@reahs4815 Retail and other non-DC racks gather stupid amounts of dust.
I've fixed countless pieces of "faulty" equipment with just canned air, paint brushes, and a vacuum.
The protected 18650 li-on battery can not take that many drops without a springs at the head end , I had a protected 16650 quit working after a drop of 4ft.
Nice tests! As a guy with a slight flashlight fetish, I'm glad to see FENIX included since I EDC a PD36R and still keep my PD35R handy around the house. Thanks for being honest and impartial.
I see im not the only one with 28 different working flashlights at home and still looking to get some more. 😁
I have the HM61R to use as hand light or head lamp, love it too. Though after a couple drops it does flicker sometimes now.
Huge fan of the new flashlight tests you guys do. I'm a ships engineer and I have some wide ranging requirements for lighting.
The one in my pocket needs to be bright enough to illuminate a shadowed spot while standing in bright sunlight, and dim enough not to kill your night sight when trying to find something in a darkened wheelhouse.
The light I currently favor is a Thrunight TN12 (2016 version, not v4) 1100 Lumens down to 0.4 lumens.
My second is a Fenix PD35 (1900 lumens down to around 10 lumens)
I definitely like the Snap On lights you reviewed early on and wonder if the imitation of those are worth anything. Amazon search comes up with Maxxeon and some no names.
I use a NiteCore Hc65 head lamp for all my HVAC NEEDS
Love my Fenix Flashlights, glad to see them here!
Dear Gentlemen,
Thank you for providing an honest to goodness "fair play" forum for the average consumer. I own so many different types of tools and select them for performance and quality first. Thank you for whittling down the percentages of experiencing buyers remorse.
You guys should test bateries like difrent brands of 18650's since there a very common battery and you can buy aftermarket one's with better performance then stock
My wallet really doesn't appreciate how fast you release all these videos...
Yeah I know right! Sure makes me want to but more stuff.
Amen!
Very impressed with my 2011r after 6 months takes a real beating brighter than everyone else light in the shop
Love these videos! I very much so respect that you guys don't except free products or discounts even, awesome stuff. I've always figured that lumen ratings were pretty much only loose ballpark numbers. Any chance you guys could test the Milwaukee M12 100 lumen flashlight and the palm sander shaped M12 Rover service and repair flood light one of these times? Very curious to know what they actually output
Just to add my 2 cents. Having an EDC flashlight with a magnet on it is a must for me. I work construction and do service calls for my work. Many times I am in a spot where I am working inside of a metal box. Having the ability to turn on my flash light and stick it to the top so I am hands free is really nice.
Klein makes a nice rechargeable headlamps and can shut off the feature of turning off in the presence of a bright light
15:25 “very impressive!”
Kind of ties together my two favorite testing channels.
I did post on their Facebook group (under my wife's account) about y'all testing their light previously and it actually doing really well. Sorry for bringing the heat from their marketing department, lol.
The light output over time has always been suspect, and I’m glad to see that showing here. And you’re so right about some flashlights being uncomfortably hot!
Yeah, that's an awesome test.
Crappy lights have no voltage/current regulation and are only bright when fresh off the charger. They are the worst type of light, and are veeery common in cheap units.
its nice to see it tested but I would also like to see another test where the lights are at the same outputlevels
The high lumen lights, like the fenix, are designed to offer high output for short bursts. The whole design philosophy is around that, let you see 2 football fields away for a bit if you need to, but live in the 300-600 lumen range otherwise. They dont get that.
Great work! Very much appreciate what you do ethically! Thanks for saying no to Olight even though I own several of their lights. Almost impossible to find unbiased opinion/testing on anything these days.
I have a Fenix rechargeable 3k lumin ....bright and durable, no more throw away batteries. Pricey but lord do I love it. Just my preference
Could we get some Modlite handheld lights tested? I'd like to see if their lights live up to the hype! 👀
I have a few I can lend you 👀
I was thinking the same. I don't have any modlite heads, but I do have a couple Cloud OWLS.
Love to see some Streamlights, maybe the 1L-1AA? Not rechargeable but versatile.
Maybe some Thrunite lights also? I've had good luck with them also and they make a headlamp or two.
I use Streamlight Strion everyday as a diesel mechanic. It is around 10 years old and the only thing I have done is replace the battery. the knurling is worn completely smooth I use it so much. I tried Olight because I like that is reverts to the last light setting you last used, so you don't have to constantly change the light mode. I also liked the magnet. It lasted less than a year before it would only work on moonlight(very low lumen). I sent it back for warranty. They fixed it, but it only lasted another month before the same thing happened. I went back to Streamlight.
Many in my shop have neck lights. We find they are more useful on our heads but love them.
How about Lumintop?
I think it would be nice to see some of the Lenser flashlights. In my experience, these arent the brightest but they are bright, and come with a simple user interface. Especialy the long term output test would be interesting. They also have headlamps as far as I know. :)
Streamlight definitely need to be in this conversation. The macro stream is very comparable in this catagory. And when you get too full size lights, the stinger is bulletproof. Keep up the awesome work though!
You could try Nitecore, wuben , acebeam, :). Live confidently and peacefully
Would love to see you test a maglite at some point. I bought one of the ones that you can grab off the wall at Lowes and it's been decent enough for the price.
Oh and again I'd like to see the Bosch FL12 tested, favorite shop work light. Been dropped, ran over many times, use for additional light while welding, and none of them have died.
Just a suggestion, when doing the drop tests you should drop the light agai. After it stops working to see if that knocks it back into place. Percussive engineering is real and theirs a reason why. When something doesn't work I smack it and occasionally it helps
Would really like to see a stremlight micro stream usb. That and the nebo torchy have been my favorite edc lights. They are very different lights but compact and very bright.
I got micro stream usb rechargable light last year and really like it. I have used Streamlight flashlights for many years and all models hold up well.
I also EDC a rechargeable Streamlight Microstream and love it for how small it is.
the Rayovac tactical flashlight is the most indestructible flashlight i ever owned. yall should test it. it amazed me after i ran over it multiple times, left it out in a hurricane for a week and it still worked with no problems
We use Pelican 2360 at work. Holds up fairly well, but dose not have a rechargeable feature because it uses AA batteries.
streamlight polytac x has been my daily for a few years now and still going strong, best balance of features, run time and durability I have ever come across
and no turbo mode or heat problems
I just found you channel I have some what of an unhealthy love of flash lights but have a Nebo 2k torchy that I have dropped from 10' accidentally and also gave it a 2.5 hour hot water bath in the washing machine and still works like new
I own the 80$ 1100 lumen flashlight by Milwaukee and it’s pretty good I use it almost daily and it gets what I need done and I feel like it won’t break unlike some cheap flashlights I have had in the past
I wanna see the light bar style head light. They literally look like a light bar off a pick up truck
Gotta test some zebra lights. They’re a go to option in 18650 lights.
I'm assuming the ones with a removable 18650 battery were better at the drop test, like the Amazon and Milwaukee 2160 because there alot less to go wrong with them, another amazing video!
I recommend some Wowtac lights, they are reasonably low cost but still of good quality. The Wowtac A1S and A7 I think would be good candidates for an EDC light.
I’d love to see Black Diamond and Petzel headlamps.
I’m a huge fan of penlights and think that might be neat. I’ve had one 5.11 penlight for almost a decade and still going strong. Including being a valet so always exposed to weather and getting beat up in and out of cars. Id have a hard time believing that they is a more durable flashlight option on the market than 5.11.
Great testing. Would really appreciate commenting on each lights operation mode. I only buy lights that turn on and off with a single click. Can't stand cycling through 3+ modes to turn it on and off each use.
Keep up the great work!
I think you should also be measuring the Lux in each of these tests? A Lux meter is inexpensive and might be a better unit of measurement since it's supposed to be measured away from the source of the light.
Also, as I understand it, the lumens on a package are usually just the potential brightness from a light bulb vs what they actually throw with their reflectors?
A few other things to measure.. Lux at various distances.. 5, 10, 20ft, etc. Compare the spread of the light (spot vs flood), etc.
I use the 2161 Milwaukee 1100 lumen in the underground tunnels in NYC and I really like the interchangeable battery so you can keep a spare. That to me seems to big a very big plus. They clip comes off when dropped but very drop proof. My favorite
OLight was a total disappointment after 3 months of use it took a shit and trying to get it replaced was a total hassle
I like Coast brand flashlights.
Also, could you test flashlights with AAs with both good alkaline and good re-chargeable batteries?
On cheap flashlights, I think they deserve demerits if they have 5-10 modes and no way to select them save cycling through them.. I stay away from those flashlights.
Lastly, thank you; I'm really enjoying these flashlight videos.
I have been using the Coast PX22 for a couple years now daily and yes I hate flashlights with multiple options to click through and even worse not a smart one that remembers your last setting
Just remember where you bought your Fenix. I had more trouble than they were worth with warranty from I can't get a hold of Fenix just their distributors that all sound the same. One I broke it shouldn't have but it gave a few months of good work but one had a constant battery draw issue right from the start that just made it worthless this is when I learned of their different distributors. Again remember where you bought it. I liked their lights and truthfully love their lanterns but their support system... hope this changes in the future. Maybe it already has my troubles were a few years back They were only ever competing for backup duty to the Surefire anyway. Keep up the great tests thanks!
Own a 2011r got it for my 15th brithday not to long ago... very good so far havent dropped it yet. But im not gonna drop it on purpose to test it out when i watched your video to prove its durability
Testing AA lights with lithiums seems questionable, especially for a cheap one. If you want to remove the included cells from the test using a quality alkaline would be more realistic. Would also be nice to see AA lights tested with a decent rechargeable such as eneloop. Some AA stuff doesn't work well, or at all, with rechargeables.
Sofirm flashlights are worth checking out.. I've had a bunch of their SP40 headlamps.. they're cheap, tough, and USB C if that matters to you. I personally swap out batteries and charge my 18650's with a MiBoxer C4-12 battery charger..
Streamlight ProTac 2AA has been my EDC for almost ten years. In fact if I'm not wearing carpenter jeans with it in my pocket I feel weird.
How about some Coast flashlights?
The sofirn if25 or the if25a if you don't care as much about color accurate or at least color temperature I think you pretty much have to wait in China but I'm sure you will be impressed for the price
I was at work few years ago and had 2 flashlights fail when I really needed them one was harbor freight leson learned I spent a few hundred on milwaukee flashlights and never been happier they all have there uses and work when you need them lol
You guys should try the Alpha Pocket Flashlight by tzumi. I got one for 10 bucks a couple years ago as a Christmas special at Walmart and I cannot break the thing. It's been dropped, thrown, soaked in oil, left dead for weeks, and lost multiple times. Best 10 bucks I ever spent
I would love to see a newer maglite with the rechargable batteries and led. I think their label for it is the ML150 and while it is one of the largest flashlight there are I'm sure it will be the most durable and longest lasting.
you could have got the olight range to test, just declined the code and commission part and I think it would have been fair and all good
We don't take any free products to keep, or take anything from brands on this channel unfortunately
@@TorqueTestChannel well it's your channel so your rules, can't complain, great content
I use a nebo brand rechargeable headlamp has a magnetic charger and 600 lumens on turbo mode It'd be interesting to see how it compares to other headlamps
I've had a wowtac A7 for a year now and I'm extremely impressed. I would like to see them tested and recommend them to anyone.
I have one of those milwaukee 2160s, one of the best small hand lights ive owned, can throw the same batteries at my milwaukee helmet headlamp
Biggest downfall is not have a usb-c, the super short cable they supply and the charge port on the same side as the button would make it easier to see the charging state while its lying down
I use the streamlight micro stream, $30 on Amazon, rechargeable, leave it is rated at 2:50, I don't necessarily believe that I think it's brighter, would love for you to test that flashlight considering it is sold on most cool trucks as well for about $50
I just purchased an olight s2r II batton and I’m very happy with the light. On turbo mode it reaches “1100 lumens” lasting 4 minutes until it goes down lumens to save itself from the heat. This light gets very hot but it would be cool to see you test it.
Its literally in this episode and episode 2 :p
My understanding of the way Fenix lights work is that they have a transformer of some sort in the circuitry that pulls as much power from the battery as possible to keep them running stably at brighter levels before stepping down/falling off. The upshot to this is longer runtimes at any given output and generally holding that output for the duration. The downside is... it tends to go from "running" to "not" pretty quickly once the battery can no longer sustain the draw levels it's asking for, dropping straight to the lowest brightness setting until it's fully dead.
Very informative from a testing standpoint.
Most people just looking for a flashlight will be fairly happy with most lights on the shelves, providing they are LED.
There is more to flashlights than lumens though, so if anyone is looking for a certain type of beam I would advise watching many of the very good flashlight channels on RUclips.
The reason behind the 1 meter drop test is essentially the user dropping it from your hand.
I would suggest using a lanyard to prevent this from happening especially if you have paid a decent price for the light.
Driving over and dropping items from great heights is usually just a marketing ploy.
New subscriber 👍
Wow, a test channel that seems to take care to do the tests right! That's a breath of fresh air.
Thanks for the tests. :)
Love to see the streamlight stinger series tested had mine for years and love it completely indestructible
Anker lights....their LC40 and LC90 have been good to me so far. Like the LC40 for size (non-removable battery), butblike the 18650 of the LC90. They also have a bigger model too.
You guys just rock -- thank you for your channel and videos! I've watched almost all of them!!!
Y'all are awesome!😁
I love my Klein 56403 light!! And test some coast. Please. Thank you!!! Keep up the great work, and testing!!! I love everything y’all do!!!
I’m surprised about it, but I’ve actually been using the Power Probe flashlight for the last 3 years, every single day. I’m shocked at how well it’s held up.
I love my Streamlight Protac HL-X. Absolute beast of a light. Olight not bad either.