I've only been a flashaholic for a few months now, but have obtained more than enough flashlights already (with still more on my wishlist). All my friends think I've just become weird (well, they use "nerd" and "geek")...haha. I thought I'd give a review on the lights I have. Some have already been reviewed while others I couldn't find reviews on when I searched CPF. I hope this helps newbies like myself for reviews and comparison to various entry-level flashaholic lights and is easily searchable. My words used rank like this: Great > Very Good > Good > Pretty Good > Ok > Decent.
Lights in this review: SL TL-2 Xenon, SL Scorpion LED, SL KeyMate, Nuwai Q3, Aurora 1.5W, Nuwai TM-310H, Nuwai TM-313X, Xnova 8LED, Regulated 3W V2, Pelican M1.
1. Streamlight TL-2 Xenon - Originally purchased 2, but sold one to a relative recently.
Light Output - Very bright and great throw. I like the adjustable focus, but that does result in a focused beam that has some artifacts. This is not noticable tho in actual use. Bright hotspot with very useful spill, even when focused.
Finish/Machining/Ergonomics - Finish is very good and has withstood keys and other metal objects with no wear signs (not even minor scratches). Machining is very good with no machine marks, mistakes, or rough edges. Mine came with a rubber cover over the tailcap button that can be removed to allow the light to stand on its tail. Both head and tailcap thread very smoothly. Tactical tailcap was tough to twist at the beginning, but has yielded to a great compromise of effort, smoothness, and tightness. Glass lens is nice, tho not a UCL. Lens is removed from the front and can only be done at SL or a service center. Texturing on the body provides good grip at all times while not being uncomfortable. I much prefer this body texture to knurling. Good weight and size (4.9"). Not too long for me to carry in my pocket, but SF E-series at 4.5" is even nicer. I really like the design of the TL-2.
My use, misc. info: I keep the TL-2 on my nightstand for situations that require lots of light and checking bumps in the night. My only desired change would be an optional HA3 finish. I'd highly recommend this for a smaller and IMO more attractive alternative to the SF G2 at a slightly higher price.
Price paid and vendor - ~$41 shipped from Botac.com
2. Streamlight Scorpion LED
Light Output - Great output and great throw. I was surprised it's a Lux1 (likely overdriven). Runtime is great at almost 3hrs continuous (FLR.com). Beam color is bluish, but not too noticable in actual use. Bright hotspot with very good size corona and very good amount of spill.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Finish on the head of the light is very good with no wear signs at all. The head can be disassmbled into 2pcs (bezel and head base) but the light engine is sealed into a metal heatsink. The LED is perfectly centered. The rubber covered standard clickie is easy to press for momentary, but harder to press for continuous. I need to use my thumb tip and can't click with the flat part of my thumb. Bezel and head threads together smoothly, but the body is less smooth threading to the head (tho, not bad at all). Lens is removed from the front like the TL-2. Rubber body is comfortable and grippy and not as temperature sensitive as bare Al to ambient temps. Be aware, others have had issues with the rubber boot degrading. A bit long (5.75") to carry in pockets.
My use, misc. info - This is my car light for my daily driver. I know many people throw lights they don't care for anymore in their car. I like to keep one I feel I can trust in my car (which would be from SF, SL, Pelican, PL, or Inova). Overall, great performance for a great price. I really like the look of the head w/ the antiroll.
Price paid and vendor - ~$43 shipped from Botac.com. If I were to do it again, I'd get the TL-2 LED Gen2 as I prefer the aesthetics (but it's higher priced).
3. Streamlight KeyMate - Have 2 silver ones.
Light Output - I'm very impressed by the light output and throw of the KeyMate (Good output and throw for size). The back wall of my living room is about 30ft away from my front door and I can see things decently well at the back wall. Good spill light and good size corona. Light is tinted blue, but it doesn't bother me at all under any real-world usage situations. I recently changed the LED to a Nichia CS and it is brighter with a more greenish (but whiter) tint. It's about as bright as the Nuwai TM-310H stock.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Our silver ones have held up quite well to keys and everything banging on them. My KeyMate has minor surface scratches everywhere, but nothing penetrating the finish. Machining is very nice for such a small light. It feels well made and there are no rough parts or machining marks. Good attention to detail in machining. Twisting the head is smooth and easy. No jerkiness or roughness while twisting. It can be used for momentary if turned just off and the head pushed inward, but I don't suggest keeping it this way. Fits good in my medium-sized hands. Size and weight are fine for my pockets. My keys weigh more than my KeyMate.
My use, misc. info - It runs off 4x LR44 button batteries. Not the easiest to find locally, but can be found cheap online (20-25cents each). SR44 batteries fit also and provide more juice. This is my only real EDC. I'd definitely recommend the KeyMate to everyone (not just flashaholics) for the performance, size, quality, and price as most non-flashaholics won't pay much for a light.
Price paid and vendor - <$8.50 shipped from Botac.com
4. Nuwai Q3 - Have both a green and silver one.
Light Output - Very good output and very good throw, but not near that of the Scorpion. Very good amount of spill light and a pretty good size (flower-shaped) corona (smaller than Scorpion). I purchased 4 total (2 for a friend) and tints varied from very white, bluish, greenish, and purplish. I got the greenish and purplish ones.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Both the green and silver colors look great and are darker than in the pics of various vendors. There are machining differences between the silver and green Q3s, particularly on the flutes in the head and the width of the ridges on the tailcap. Overall machining is pretty good with machine marks left in areas such as the flutes in the head. Some rough edges. The tailcap on all of them look like a slightly different shade than the rest of the light, but you have to stare at it to notice (and be really anal). The tailcap clickie on my silver Q3 acts like a standard and reverse clickie hybrid. I can turn on the light at partial push for momentary, then as I push further it turns off until it clicks to turn on. Strange. The silver Q3 tailcap clickie also sticks out further than all the other 3 and is harder to push to a click. The green Q3 acts like a normal reverse clickie. The LED is a bit off center in all 4 Q3s I've seen. Quite a bit of mfr'ing variance, but none detrimental to use, quality, or aesthetics. The texturing on the body is similar to the TL-2, but rougher and not as comfortable, but it works well. Threading is pretty smooth, but not as smooth as others.
My use, misc. info - The green is my fiance's EDC. The silver was mine, but since I've gotten more lights, I rotate them and no longer call any light an EDC (since I don't any one every day). I call them PC lights for Personal Carry. The Q3s also seem to be the best at sucking a 123A primary cell dead dry. For someone looking at a Q3, I'd also recommend the BatteryJunction Iota for more brightness and throw (optics) and the NexTorch Z1 (nicest looking of the 3 IMO). All 3 only offer about 1hr continuous of max brightness, the Z1 maybe a bit more.
Price paid and vendor - ~$31 + shipping ($6 sh split across various lights) from Amondotech.com
5. Aurora 1.5W - Originally purchased as a Christmas gift, but arrived way too late as there was a shipping error from the vendor that took 1.5 months to resolve.
Light Output - I don't think it actually makes that much overall light (and according to FLR.com, it doesn't), but the collimating lens in the front does a really good job at focusing the light into a perfectly round spot. Ok output and good throw. Light is bluish with more blue rings at the edge of the spot. There's a darker whole in the center of the hotspot, but it's only noticable on walls. There isn't much spill light, but enough to see surrounding things dimly when it's completely dark.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - I loved the color when I saw it. It's a slight greenish-grey (very slight green). No rough edges or machine marks anywhere. The tailcap threads smoothly. The body clickie isn't as smooth or easy to click as the Pelican M1, but is ok. Size is a bit long (4.3") for a 1cell 123A due to the body clickie. Still easy to carry in my pockets tho. It feels comfortable in the hand and the knurling isn't rough. Overall mfr'ing looks better than the Q3, but the design is simpler so there's less details to leave roughness on.
My use, misc. info - Since I hadn't intended to keep the light, I don't really have a use for it. I used it when I first got it to spot light the various locks in my house to make sure things were locked at night. Otherwise, I just keep it for it's originality and the optics (my only light w/ optics). My fiance thinks the very-convexed lens looks really cool. Also my only flashlight that uses a Nichia Jupiter LED. I have a River Rock lantern that uses a Nichia Jupiter. I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone unless they wanted an interesting light that's different. I'm personally not a big fan of body clickies.
Price paid and vendor - ~$21 + shipping ($6 sh split across various lights) from Amondotech.com
6. Nuwai TM-310H
Light Output - Tint is bluish. Decent hot spot, but mostly a flood beam. Not a huge amount of light or throw, but very useful for indoor tasks. Decent output and decent throw. I can see fine walking around my house in the dark. About the same output of a stock KeyMate, but less throw. A modded Nichia CS KeyMate outshines the TM-310H.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Damn it's a nice color! I got the Titanium version, similar to the Q3 silver/Ti, but slightly darker. Like the Q3 colors, it's darker in real life than vendors' pics. Finish is very smooth and can be a bit difficult to grip when slippery. The clip helps for this. The clip isn't very stiff, but works fine bezel up (don't do bezel down as it'll fall right off your shirt, etc.). Very attractive design, small and easy to carry and clip anywhere and again, great color! Switch is tactical, push momentary, twist constant. Momentary is very easy to actuate and I love that feature. Twisting is smooth, but usually requires both hands for me. No machine or rough marks. Threads are pretty smooth. It looks better machined than my Q3s, but the design is much simpler tho. The only mfr'ing irregularity is a small area of the black rubber seal behind the lens.
My use, misc. info - Mostly use for indoor tasks. I like the size and it produces enough light for most indoor tasks. Like the KeyMate, a definite recommend for everyone/non-flashaholics. If you're willing to trade more thickness for more brightness and runtime, get the TM-313X. If you're willing to trade additional length for more brightness and runtime, get the TM-311H.
Price paid and vendor - ~$13.75 shipped (split shipping with TM-313X) from J2ledflashlight.com.
7. Nuwai TM-313X
Light Output - Similar attributes to TM-310H, but with a brighter hotspot and brighter corona (just more light). Ok output and good throw. Ok spill light and good corona size. Very useful indoors and about the minimum I'd accept for usefulness outside (walking around my neighborhood).
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Like the TM-310H, damn it's a nice color! Finish is smooth and can be difficult to grip when slippery. Same type of clip as TM-310H, but a bit larger. Ok for bezel up clip, but not bezel down. Switch is a standard clickie, which is really nice. It's much easier to activate than my Q3 switch. I can push it to full click with the flat of my thumb. Feels very comfortable in my hands. The smaller diameter body feels nice and the smooth finish is a nice contrast to the texturing of my other lights (albiet more slippery). Threads are pretty smooth. I love the design, very attractive. The head is considerably larger than the body and it just looks so nice, combined with the color, oooh.
My use, misc. info - I use it both indoors and outdoors. It's one of my PC lights, tho as I mentioned, it produces about the minimum amount of light I'd like for an outdoor/multipurpose light. For the amount light it produces, there's good throw. Another one I'd recommend to everyone/non-flashaholics due to a great combo of style, finish, performance, quality, and price. However, the TM-313X seems somewhat difficult to find. I only know of 2 places that carry this great light and J2 was the cheaper one.
Price paid and vendor - ~$13.75 shipped (split shipping with TM-310H) from J2ledflashlight.com.
8. Xnova 8LED - Purchased 2, a blue and a grey. Blue is my friend's as it matches the color of his car.
Light Output - Decent output and throw. Similar to the TM-310H in overall output. Has no hotspot and is purely flood. Tint is bluish. TM-310H is more focused due to the reflector resulting in a tighter hotspot (vs. the lack of one at all) and more throw.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - The colors aren't as bright and shiney as they appear on the websites, but still look very nice. There are differences in machining between the grey and blue ones I received, including the thickness and location of the silver ring in the head (grey is thinner and lower), grey's head doesn't twist down as far as blue, grey's tailcap is not perfectly flat (wobbles a bit standing on its tail). There are some nicks and rough edges in various areas. The blue had 2 spots of slight discoloration, but not too bad or noticable. Threading is a bit rough, but still pretty good. The tailcap feels a bit loose (easily turnable) when twisted off. It's smaller than I thought and fits very nicely in my hand.
My use, misc. info - I got it mainly cuz it was cheap and I like the color. It's a useful indoor light that produces a decent amount of light for indoor dark navigation and work. Tho not the best mfr'ing quality (as expected for the price), it's another light I'd recommend to everyone/non-flashaholics.
Price paid and vendor - $5.19 each shipped ($6.19 if you order only 1) from qualitychinagoods.com
9. Regulated 3W V2 - Ordered a Green one, but got a Black one instead.
Light Output - Tight hotspot and very large, but fairly dim, corona (dimmer than Q3). Great output and great throw (both more than Q3, but Scorpion still brighter). Runs off rechargable LiIons. I tried a primary 123A and it produces about the same amount light as the TM-310H. On this low output, you can see a donut beam at <4" from wall. At high output, it looks fine. Tint is very slightly greenish, but much whiter than any of my Q3s. I really like the throw.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - This is one of my favorite designed lights. It's simple and rugged, but still has enough styling attributes to it that it just looks amazing. I just love the design. Finish is matte black and very uniform. There aren't any machining marks or rough edges anywhere. The head and bezel area have a few small knicks in them that seem to have occured before anodizing/finishing as they're anodized over. The knurling is very nicely cut and much smoother and higher quality looking than the Q3 knurling. The head is huge (I think about 1.35"-1.4") and reflector is big. It looks short and stubby due to it's diameter to length ratio. The lens has some debris on the inside of it that I can't get out (head is sealed and lens removed from front only). The LED is ever-so-slightly off center, but more centered than the Q3. The driver board has a spring soldered to it that contacts the + of the battery which is the first I've seen for any 1cell light. Threading is smooth. The light overall feels really nice. Overall, mfr'ing looks nicer than the Q3. I wonder how the green would've looked (sigh). Black is still very nice tho. It can stand on it's tail on the rubber clickie itself. The switch is a reverse clickie. The rubber cover for the switch actually sticks out quite a bit from the actual switch so you push quite a ways in before you touch the switch. It's easy to push and activate tho, much easier than my Q3 (which is weird as mentioned above). It's easier to push than my fiance's Q3 (which is a normal Q3 switch) as it doesn't require as much force.
My use, misc. info - It's in my pocket as I'm writing this super long post. It's another PC light that I'll rotate with my Q3 and TM-313X. I just love the appearance.
Price paid and vendor - $19.20 shipped from qualitychinagoods.com
10. Pelican M1 2310 - Haven't received yet, but I bought one for my dad (which I played with and what this review is based on).
Light Output - Good output (bit less than Q3) and very good throw (about same as Q3). Bright hotspot and a good sized corona and spill light. The beam has rings in it at the edges tho, but not really noticable in actual use. Tint is quite white, maybe slightly yellowish, but a very good tint. It's got very good runtime at almost 2.5hrs.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Simple and rugged looking design, I like. It's matte black, but not as matte as the 3W V2. Finish is very even and there's no machine marks or rough edges anywhere, very nice machining. The knurling is nicely done and is comfortable. Both the body and head are quite thick, but I like the short stubby design. The bezel can be removed from the head. Everything threads together smoothly. The reverse body clickie feels much better than the Aurora one, easier to activate and feels nicer overall. LED is well centered. The tubing is the thickest I've ever seen. It "looks" very tough and robust. Mfr'ing is very well done and feels better than the Pelican M6 Xenon (rougher threads, cheaper finish, more rough edges).
My use, misc. info - Once it arrives, this will be my car light for my weekend car. As I mentioned earlier, I want my car lights to be lights I can trust. I also mentioned I don't like body clickies, but after seeing the one I got my dad, this is a very nice light, feels good, and well made. The light output is good and about the minimum I want when I'm stuck on the side of the road working on my car. Since I won't be carrying it, I don't mind the body clickie and can overlook that for such a nice light. Not the cheapest for it's output, but worth the mfr'ing quality. For lights of equal performance and lower price, I'd recommend the Nuwai ALX-2611X or Dorcy Super 1W, but I trust the PM1 more than either of these.
Price paid and vendor - $30 shipped slightly used from CPFer. $32-$35 + sh new.
Damn, this is long! Sorry.
/***Below is for ease of searching***/
Streamlight TL-2 TL2 Scorpion LED KeyMate Key Mate Nuwai Q3 QIII TM-303X TM303X TM-310H TM310H TM310 TM-313X TM313X TM313 Aurora 1.5W Nichia Jupiter Xnova Pelican M1 2310 PM1
Lights in this review: SL TL-2 Xenon, SL Scorpion LED, SL KeyMate, Nuwai Q3, Aurora 1.5W, Nuwai TM-310H, Nuwai TM-313X, Xnova 8LED, Regulated 3W V2, Pelican M1.
1. Streamlight TL-2 Xenon - Originally purchased 2, but sold one to a relative recently.
Light Output - Very bright and great throw. I like the adjustable focus, but that does result in a focused beam that has some artifacts. This is not noticable tho in actual use. Bright hotspot with very useful spill, even when focused.
Finish/Machining/Ergonomics - Finish is very good and has withstood keys and other metal objects with no wear signs (not even minor scratches). Machining is very good with no machine marks, mistakes, or rough edges. Mine came with a rubber cover over the tailcap button that can be removed to allow the light to stand on its tail. Both head and tailcap thread very smoothly. Tactical tailcap was tough to twist at the beginning, but has yielded to a great compromise of effort, smoothness, and tightness. Glass lens is nice, tho not a UCL. Lens is removed from the front and can only be done at SL or a service center. Texturing on the body provides good grip at all times while not being uncomfortable. I much prefer this body texture to knurling. Good weight and size (4.9"). Not too long for me to carry in my pocket, but SF E-series at 4.5" is even nicer. I really like the design of the TL-2.
My use, misc. info: I keep the TL-2 on my nightstand for situations that require lots of light and checking bumps in the night. My only desired change would be an optional HA3 finish. I'd highly recommend this for a smaller and IMO more attractive alternative to the SF G2 at a slightly higher price.
Price paid and vendor - ~$41 shipped from Botac.com
2. Streamlight Scorpion LED
Light Output - Great output and great throw. I was surprised it's a Lux1 (likely overdriven). Runtime is great at almost 3hrs continuous (FLR.com). Beam color is bluish, but not too noticable in actual use. Bright hotspot with very good size corona and very good amount of spill.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Finish on the head of the light is very good with no wear signs at all. The head can be disassmbled into 2pcs (bezel and head base) but the light engine is sealed into a metal heatsink. The LED is perfectly centered. The rubber covered standard clickie is easy to press for momentary, but harder to press for continuous. I need to use my thumb tip and can't click with the flat part of my thumb. Bezel and head threads together smoothly, but the body is less smooth threading to the head (tho, not bad at all). Lens is removed from the front like the TL-2. Rubber body is comfortable and grippy and not as temperature sensitive as bare Al to ambient temps. Be aware, others have had issues with the rubber boot degrading. A bit long (5.75") to carry in pockets.
My use, misc. info - This is my car light for my daily driver. I know many people throw lights they don't care for anymore in their car. I like to keep one I feel I can trust in my car (which would be from SF, SL, Pelican, PL, or Inova). Overall, great performance for a great price. I really like the look of the head w/ the antiroll.
Price paid and vendor - ~$43 shipped from Botac.com. If I were to do it again, I'd get the TL-2 LED Gen2 as I prefer the aesthetics (but it's higher priced).
3. Streamlight KeyMate - Have 2 silver ones.
Light Output - I'm very impressed by the light output and throw of the KeyMate (Good output and throw for size). The back wall of my living room is about 30ft away from my front door and I can see things decently well at the back wall. Good spill light and good size corona. Light is tinted blue, but it doesn't bother me at all under any real-world usage situations. I recently changed the LED to a Nichia CS and it is brighter with a more greenish (but whiter) tint. It's about as bright as the Nuwai TM-310H stock.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Our silver ones have held up quite well to keys and everything banging on them. My KeyMate has minor surface scratches everywhere, but nothing penetrating the finish. Machining is very nice for such a small light. It feels well made and there are no rough parts or machining marks. Good attention to detail in machining. Twisting the head is smooth and easy. No jerkiness or roughness while twisting. It can be used for momentary if turned just off and the head pushed inward, but I don't suggest keeping it this way. Fits good in my medium-sized hands. Size and weight are fine for my pockets. My keys weigh more than my KeyMate.
My use, misc. info - It runs off 4x LR44 button batteries. Not the easiest to find locally, but can be found cheap online (20-25cents each). SR44 batteries fit also and provide more juice. This is my only real EDC. I'd definitely recommend the KeyMate to everyone (not just flashaholics) for the performance, size, quality, and price as most non-flashaholics won't pay much for a light.
Price paid and vendor - <$8.50 shipped from Botac.com
4. Nuwai Q3 - Have both a green and silver one.
Light Output - Very good output and very good throw, but not near that of the Scorpion. Very good amount of spill light and a pretty good size (flower-shaped) corona (smaller than Scorpion). I purchased 4 total (2 for a friend) and tints varied from very white, bluish, greenish, and purplish. I got the greenish and purplish ones.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Both the green and silver colors look great and are darker than in the pics of various vendors. There are machining differences between the silver and green Q3s, particularly on the flutes in the head and the width of the ridges on the tailcap. Overall machining is pretty good with machine marks left in areas such as the flutes in the head. Some rough edges. The tailcap on all of them look like a slightly different shade than the rest of the light, but you have to stare at it to notice (and be really anal). The tailcap clickie on my silver Q3 acts like a standard and reverse clickie hybrid. I can turn on the light at partial push for momentary, then as I push further it turns off until it clicks to turn on. Strange. The silver Q3 tailcap clickie also sticks out further than all the other 3 and is harder to push to a click. The green Q3 acts like a normal reverse clickie. The LED is a bit off center in all 4 Q3s I've seen. Quite a bit of mfr'ing variance, but none detrimental to use, quality, or aesthetics. The texturing on the body is similar to the TL-2, but rougher and not as comfortable, but it works well. Threading is pretty smooth, but not as smooth as others.
My use, misc. info - The green is my fiance's EDC. The silver was mine, but since I've gotten more lights, I rotate them and no longer call any light an EDC (since I don't any one every day). I call them PC lights for Personal Carry. The Q3s also seem to be the best at sucking a 123A primary cell dead dry. For someone looking at a Q3, I'd also recommend the BatteryJunction Iota for more brightness and throw (optics) and the NexTorch Z1 (nicest looking of the 3 IMO). All 3 only offer about 1hr continuous of max brightness, the Z1 maybe a bit more.
Price paid and vendor - ~$31 + shipping ($6 sh split across various lights) from Amondotech.com
5. Aurora 1.5W - Originally purchased as a Christmas gift, but arrived way too late as there was a shipping error from the vendor that took 1.5 months to resolve.
Light Output - I don't think it actually makes that much overall light (and according to FLR.com, it doesn't), but the collimating lens in the front does a really good job at focusing the light into a perfectly round spot. Ok output and good throw. Light is bluish with more blue rings at the edge of the spot. There's a darker whole in the center of the hotspot, but it's only noticable on walls. There isn't much spill light, but enough to see surrounding things dimly when it's completely dark.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - I loved the color when I saw it. It's a slight greenish-grey (very slight green). No rough edges or machine marks anywhere. The tailcap threads smoothly. The body clickie isn't as smooth or easy to click as the Pelican M1, but is ok. Size is a bit long (4.3") for a 1cell 123A due to the body clickie. Still easy to carry in my pockets tho. It feels comfortable in the hand and the knurling isn't rough. Overall mfr'ing looks better than the Q3, but the design is simpler so there's less details to leave roughness on.
My use, misc. info - Since I hadn't intended to keep the light, I don't really have a use for it. I used it when I first got it to spot light the various locks in my house to make sure things were locked at night. Otherwise, I just keep it for it's originality and the optics (my only light w/ optics). My fiance thinks the very-convexed lens looks really cool. Also my only flashlight that uses a Nichia Jupiter LED. I have a River Rock lantern that uses a Nichia Jupiter. I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone unless they wanted an interesting light that's different. I'm personally not a big fan of body clickies.
Price paid and vendor - ~$21 + shipping ($6 sh split across various lights) from Amondotech.com
6. Nuwai TM-310H
Light Output - Tint is bluish. Decent hot spot, but mostly a flood beam. Not a huge amount of light or throw, but very useful for indoor tasks. Decent output and decent throw. I can see fine walking around my house in the dark. About the same output of a stock KeyMate, but less throw. A modded Nichia CS KeyMate outshines the TM-310H.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Damn it's a nice color! I got the Titanium version, similar to the Q3 silver/Ti, but slightly darker. Like the Q3 colors, it's darker in real life than vendors' pics. Finish is very smooth and can be a bit difficult to grip when slippery. The clip helps for this. The clip isn't very stiff, but works fine bezel up (don't do bezel down as it'll fall right off your shirt, etc.). Very attractive design, small and easy to carry and clip anywhere and again, great color! Switch is tactical, push momentary, twist constant. Momentary is very easy to actuate and I love that feature. Twisting is smooth, but usually requires both hands for me. No machine or rough marks. Threads are pretty smooth. It looks better machined than my Q3s, but the design is much simpler tho. The only mfr'ing irregularity is a small area of the black rubber seal behind the lens.
My use, misc. info - Mostly use for indoor tasks. I like the size and it produces enough light for most indoor tasks. Like the KeyMate, a definite recommend for everyone/non-flashaholics. If you're willing to trade more thickness for more brightness and runtime, get the TM-313X. If you're willing to trade additional length for more brightness and runtime, get the TM-311H.
Price paid and vendor - ~$13.75 shipped (split shipping with TM-313X) from J2ledflashlight.com.
7. Nuwai TM-313X
Light Output - Similar attributes to TM-310H, but with a brighter hotspot and brighter corona (just more light). Ok output and good throw. Ok spill light and good corona size. Very useful indoors and about the minimum I'd accept for usefulness outside (walking around my neighborhood).
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Like the TM-310H, damn it's a nice color! Finish is smooth and can be difficult to grip when slippery. Same type of clip as TM-310H, but a bit larger. Ok for bezel up clip, but not bezel down. Switch is a standard clickie, which is really nice. It's much easier to activate than my Q3 switch. I can push it to full click with the flat of my thumb. Feels very comfortable in my hands. The smaller diameter body feels nice and the smooth finish is a nice contrast to the texturing of my other lights (albiet more slippery). Threads are pretty smooth. I love the design, very attractive. The head is considerably larger than the body and it just looks so nice, combined with the color, oooh.
My use, misc. info - I use it both indoors and outdoors. It's one of my PC lights, tho as I mentioned, it produces about the minimum amount of light I'd like for an outdoor/multipurpose light. For the amount light it produces, there's good throw. Another one I'd recommend to everyone/non-flashaholics due to a great combo of style, finish, performance, quality, and price. However, the TM-313X seems somewhat difficult to find. I only know of 2 places that carry this great light and J2 was the cheaper one.
Price paid and vendor - ~$13.75 shipped (split shipping with TM-310H) from J2ledflashlight.com.
8. Xnova 8LED - Purchased 2, a blue and a grey. Blue is my friend's as it matches the color of his car.
Light Output - Decent output and throw. Similar to the TM-310H in overall output. Has no hotspot and is purely flood. Tint is bluish. TM-310H is more focused due to the reflector resulting in a tighter hotspot (vs. the lack of one at all) and more throw.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - The colors aren't as bright and shiney as they appear on the websites, but still look very nice. There are differences in machining between the grey and blue ones I received, including the thickness and location of the silver ring in the head (grey is thinner and lower), grey's head doesn't twist down as far as blue, grey's tailcap is not perfectly flat (wobbles a bit standing on its tail). There are some nicks and rough edges in various areas. The blue had 2 spots of slight discoloration, but not too bad or noticable. Threading is a bit rough, but still pretty good. The tailcap feels a bit loose (easily turnable) when twisted off. It's smaller than I thought and fits very nicely in my hand.
My use, misc. info - I got it mainly cuz it was cheap and I like the color. It's a useful indoor light that produces a decent amount of light for indoor dark navigation and work. Tho not the best mfr'ing quality (as expected for the price), it's another light I'd recommend to everyone/non-flashaholics.
Price paid and vendor - $5.19 each shipped ($6.19 if you order only 1) from qualitychinagoods.com
9. Regulated 3W V2 - Ordered a Green one, but got a Black one instead.
Light Output - Tight hotspot and very large, but fairly dim, corona (dimmer than Q3). Great output and great throw (both more than Q3, but Scorpion still brighter). Runs off rechargable LiIons. I tried a primary 123A and it produces about the same amount light as the TM-310H. On this low output, you can see a donut beam at <4" from wall. At high output, it looks fine. Tint is very slightly greenish, but much whiter than any of my Q3s. I really like the throw.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - This is one of my favorite designed lights. It's simple and rugged, but still has enough styling attributes to it that it just looks amazing. I just love the design. Finish is matte black and very uniform. There aren't any machining marks or rough edges anywhere. The head and bezel area have a few small knicks in them that seem to have occured before anodizing/finishing as they're anodized over. The knurling is very nicely cut and much smoother and higher quality looking than the Q3 knurling. The head is huge (I think about 1.35"-1.4") and reflector is big. It looks short and stubby due to it's diameter to length ratio. The lens has some debris on the inside of it that I can't get out (head is sealed and lens removed from front only). The LED is ever-so-slightly off center, but more centered than the Q3. The driver board has a spring soldered to it that contacts the + of the battery which is the first I've seen for any 1cell light. Threading is smooth. The light overall feels really nice. Overall, mfr'ing looks nicer than the Q3. I wonder how the green would've looked (sigh). Black is still very nice tho. It can stand on it's tail on the rubber clickie itself. The switch is a reverse clickie. The rubber cover for the switch actually sticks out quite a bit from the actual switch so you push quite a ways in before you touch the switch. It's easy to push and activate tho, much easier than my Q3 (which is weird as mentioned above). It's easier to push than my fiance's Q3 (which is a normal Q3 switch) as it doesn't require as much force.
My use, misc. info - It's in my pocket as I'm writing this super long post. It's another PC light that I'll rotate with my Q3 and TM-313X. I just love the appearance.
Price paid and vendor - $19.20 shipped from qualitychinagoods.com
10. Pelican M1 2310 - Haven't received yet, but I bought one for my dad (which I played with and what this review is based on).
Light Output - Good output (bit less than Q3) and very good throw (about same as Q3). Bright hotspot and a good sized corona and spill light. The beam has rings in it at the edges tho, but not really noticable in actual use. Tint is quite white, maybe slightly yellowish, but a very good tint. It's got very good runtime at almost 2.5hrs.
Finish/Machining/Ergo - Simple and rugged looking design, I like. It's matte black, but not as matte as the 3W V2. Finish is very even and there's no machine marks or rough edges anywhere, very nice machining. The knurling is nicely done and is comfortable. Both the body and head are quite thick, but I like the short stubby design. The bezel can be removed from the head. Everything threads together smoothly. The reverse body clickie feels much better than the Aurora one, easier to activate and feels nicer overall. LED is well centered. The tubing is the thickest I've ever seen. It "looks" very tough and robust. Mfr'ing is very well done and feels better than the Pelican M6 Xenon (rougher threads, cheaper finish, more rough edges).
My use, misc. info - Once it arrives, this will be my car light for my weekend car. As I mentioned earlier, I want my car lights to be lights I can trust. I also mentioned I don't like body clickies, but after seeing the one I got my dad, this is a very nice light, feels good, and well made. The light output is good and about the minimum I want when I'm stuck on the side of the road working on my car. Since I won't be carrying it, I don't mind the body clickie and can overlook that for such a nice light. Not the cheapest for it's output, but worth the mfr'ing quality. For lights of equal performance and lower price, I'd recommend the Nuwai ALX-2611X or Dorcy Super 1W, but I trust the PM1 more than either of these.
Price paid and vendor - $30 shipped slightly used from CPFer. $32-$35 + sh new.
Damn, this is long! Sorry.
/***Below is for ease of searching***/
Streamlight TL-2 TL2 Scorpion LED KeyMate Key Mate Nuwai Q3 QIII TM-303X TM303X TM-310H TM310H TM310 TM-313X TM313X TM313 Aurora 1.5W Nichia Jupiter Xnova Pelican M1 2310 PM1
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