First-Light T-MAX

Craig K

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Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
424
First time I have heard of these lights, more expensive than Surefire or at least around the same price as Surefire.
 
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wjv

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Aug 1, 2012
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962
Their web site is good at saying very little. . . Even the "Data Sheet" is mostly marketing with little data.

What type of battery?
How many lumens is low and medium?
What are the run times?
Is it floody or focused?
How does the UI work? (colored LEDs, strobe and such)

:thinking:
 

FPSRelic

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Jul 8, 2011
Messages
522
Location
Brisbane, Australia
First time I have heard of these lights, more expensive than Surefire or at least around the same price as Surefire.

Yes, they are not often discussed on these forums, but there is a cult following of users here (like myself). They are best known for their liberator and tomahawk lights, which are designed to free up your light hand for use with a firearm. The tomahawks were issued to some US Marines in Iraq, which sometimes show up on EBay at much cheaper prices than RRP. I think the main reason that they are unpopular is because they both are 2xCR123A lights that still use the SSC P4 emitter, which put out about 120 lumens on high. So they don't do so well in the lumens wars.
 

FPSRelic

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Joined
Jul 8, 2011
Messages
522
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Their web site is good at saying very little. . . Even the "Data Sheet" is mostly marketing with little data.

What type of battery?
How many lumens is low and medium?
What are the run times?
Is it floody or focused?
How does the UI work? (colored LEDs, strobe and such)

:thinking:

Not sure on the lumens output and run times, but this looks like an upgraded version of the Tomahawk which a CPF user reviewed here

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?188740-First-Light-USA-Tomahawk-MC-*Pic-Heavy*
 

think2x

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Jul 3, 2009
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1,581
Location
Pulaski, Va.
Having modded a few of the original Tomahawks with an emitter upgrade from the SSC P4 to either an XP-G2 or XM-L2 I can say, if the new T-max series is an upgraded version of the Tomahawk then it will be an awesome light IMO.
 

geisto

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Joined
Apr 12, 2011
Messages
148
Location
USA
I had my Tomahawk NV upgraded to a XPG and it was definitely an improvement in brightness. It's more of spot beam with the smooth reflector. The mode-switching UI (especially going to IR) is a little clunky but gets better with practice.

Only reason it's sitting around as my backup is that it doesn't operate properly with a single 17650 cell (no brightness control, erratic mode switching). Runtime on high with 2x CR123s is about an hour at best.
 

tobrien

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Dec 16, 2005
Messages
4,861
Location
Georgia Highway 441
its about time! this should be good. Think2x (above) has modded two Tomahawk LE's for me and did a fantastic job. an XP-G2 is really what these need
 

mikekoz

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Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
1,281
I used to have one and sold it a year or so ago. It was top quality, but I no longer needed it after I gave up CR123 lights. The one I had was a wee bit overpriced. These new ones , to me, are way too much $$$ for what they do, but that is just me! :cool:
 

nkrantz

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Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
6
Just got the T-max and I like it a lot.......man if first light was smart they would have this light work with a 18650 and Cr123
 

PM01

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Joined
Mar 22, 2010
Messages
16
Just got the T-max and I like it a lot.......man if first light was smart they would have this light work with a 18650 and Cr123

The driver board that's in the T-Max and older Tomahawk series won't work with the lower 3.7 to 4.3 volts (fresh out of charger) of an 18650. I've talked to the folks at FL and they want to keep the format at CR123A, or they divert you to use their more "civilian" version Torq which uses AA batteries.

Now IF they had the sense to redesign the driver board to take advantage of 18650 as well as dual 18350 or dual CR123A, the FL T-max lights would be a real winner. As it is now, I'm feeding mine a steady diet of CR123A batts...and it gets expensive.
 

usdiver

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Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
1,881
Location
In the Sticks
The driver board that's in the T-Max and older Tomahawk series won't work with the lower 3.7 to 4.3 volts (fresh out of charger) of an 18650. I've talked to the folks at FL and they want to keep the format at CR123A, or they divert you to use their more "civilian" version Torq which uses AA batteries.

Now IF they had the sense to redesign the driver board to take advantage of 18650 as well as dual 18350 or dual CR123A, the FL T-max lights would be a real winner. As it is now, I'm feeding mine a steady diet of CR123A batts...and it gets expensive.

Sorrry to wake this thread up but I m currently looking for someone to bore a tube to 18mm. I have a T-Max LE that I d like to try an 18650 in. Think it'll work?
PS if I have an older Tomahawk I want modded does anyone here still do this? I realize it's been awhile.
 
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