Solarforce XM-L 5 modes vs Manafont XM-L 3 modes

[sugibdg]

Hi guys,

To those who have these drop in, can you share pros and cons between these two?

Thanks.

 

[Lighthearted1]

I have only the 3 mode Manafont (2 of them).
I didn't want strobe on this one.

I love them! I put one in a Solarforce L2X, the other in a L2P.

I really like the driver in this drop-in (has memory).
I can't measure how many fractions of a second of 'off' time is needed before it returns to memorized level, but it is just the way I like it (less than one second, maybe even less than 1/2 of a sec.)
This allows me (with a forward click switch) to momentary on half press... release for off... and quickly decide to pulse on again without changing levels!

Level changes are easy with very rapid pulsing of the switch.

The 3 levels are well spaced, the medium is like my XPG quark on max. High is like putting 3 of them together! The hotspot is wide, about 10-12 degrees.

I changed the tail cap on the L2X, put the S8 forward clicky and really love that too.
I am using high quality Redilast cells, and tightly wrapped the drop-in with about 36 inches x1/2" of heavy duty alum foil for a tight press/twist fit into my hosts (for heat dissipation).

There is a Smooth reflector on this one, and it does have bright corona on the hotspot with the center being a little less bright. Some call this a donut hole, but it is not really that bad. I have a P7 that really has a donut hole. The Manafont really lights up the back yard, and the hotspot isn't a problem when you get off the white wall.

Here is a review. See post #11 for comparison beamshots.
http://budgetlightforum.cz.cc/node/1193

 

[jondotcom]

I don't have either of these but I bought the XM-L 5 mode (might be the same as those) from KD, and I have the lower output single-mode XM-L from DX.

Between these two, the DX single-mode one is approx 90% as bright as the KD one, but the KD one gets hot hot hot!

Folks say the DX one is underdriven, but if you don't need that extra ~10% of light and don't like a light that gets super hot, the "underdriven" one from DX is good. The emitter itself looks to be the same, and the beam/color is identical.

 

[sugibdg]

@Lighthearted1,

Thanks for the info.After I read this article, http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?311375-Dead-Solarforce-XM-L-2.8A-mod-w-pics-WHOA!!! I think I am going for Manafont Drop In.

It seems, Solarforce's Drop in is over rated.

 

[Brian10962001]

I have a Manafont drop in, its extremely bright! When I first got it, it had power but it wasnt amazing. I couldn't stand the hole in the beam so I switched to an OP reflector from one of my Solarforce lights. This worked well, but the smooth reflector didn't have anything to shield it, so the R2 drop in I had would ground out on it. I ended up switching these back, heat sink greasing the threads on the XML module, resoldering the module to the pill, and loosening the reflector about a turn. This cleans up the beam a lot. The Ultrafire drop in is just silly bright on 18650's. It's even painfully bright on 3 AAA nimh's but nowhere near the power of the LiIon.