[Review] Niwalker MM18JR - 4x18650 high power

WalkIntoTheLight

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
3,967
Location
Canada
This is a review of the Niwalker MM18JR flashlight. This is a extremely bright light that uses two neutral-white XHP70.2 emitters for high output and large flood, and a XHP35 HI emitter for long throw. The output can vary from 1 lumen, up to an impressive 13500 lumens.


A5zCLmX.jpg



Niwalker is a flashlight company that designs high-output flashlights with simple but versatile user interfaces. You can see more details on this flashlight at niwalkerlight.com. This light was sent to me by Niwalker for review purposes.


There is also a video review of the light I put up on youtube, here:







Overview:


You want bright? This light will turn your yard into daylight. It might also bring the cops down on you, maybe the black helicopters, and you'll end up in a cell in Area 51 indefinitely. They thought you were signalling aliens, or perhaps trying to blind the spy satellites in orbit. All for just using a light because you're a nut about high-power flashlights. Yes, it could happen, so beware!


5J5z4XO.jpg



The Niwalker MM18JR (if this is "junior", I don't know what "senior" is), is a flashlight that meets and exceeds its brightness claims. It claims 10,000 lumens. I measure 13,500 lumens on a full charge, and surprisingly it maintains this output quite well as the batteries deplete their charge. Only the highest modes sag a bit as the voltage depletes, leaving the maximum output at around 11,500 lumens by the time the batteries are about 50% depleted. This is still more than the 10,000 lumen claim in the specs. Maybe my measurements are wrong? Maybe I was blinded during the testing and can't read the lux meter correctly? Whatever the case, the MM18JR is a very bright light.


Y19RPfs.jpg



It is also a very usable light, when you become tired of annoying your neighbors by pretending there are helicopter search lights on their homes. Have I done that? Well, let's just say they're trying to run me out of the neighborhood.


The light can be used in a flood condition, utilizing the large XHP70.2 emitters which provide a massive amount of even light in all directions in front of you. Of course, you don't usually need a massive amount of light, so there are 6 different mode levels to choose from. Level "2" is usually all I need (around 100 lumens). That doesn't stop me from chuckling while I crank it up to level "6". But seriously, the big flood on a modest output is great for lighting up a large area of the path in front of you. And it's very efficient when using the XHP70.2 emitters.


4JKTL2k.jpg



So what do you do when you want to see further? You turn on the XHP35 HI emitter, which is set in a very deep and smooth reflector for maximum throw. And it does throw very well, lighting up a long distance with a small hot-spot, plus a small amount of spill.


iuqWAmm.jpg



You can use the XHP35 HI emitter either alone, or in combination with the flood of the XHP70.2 emitters. While the XHP70.2 emitters create most of the lumens, the XHP35 HI emitter does most of the throw.


juM6dRZ.jpg



My initial thoughts were, "Why use a combination of different emitters, when you could use a single emitter type that gives both decent throw and good flood?" Other multi-emitter lights, like the BLF Q8, do this pretty well. Well, there are two reasons I can think of:


1. You can tune whether you want flood, or throw, or both.

2. The combination of different emitters works really well together, to give you an illusion that the light is even brighter than it actually is. You get immense flood up close, which lights up areas close to you and the sides of your vision extremely bright. And, you get a hot-spot that reaches out a long distance (up to 560 meters), that gives you an illusion that the flood is actually reaching out that far. Your eyes see a light that lights up a long way, and they see it's extremely bright all-around you. It makes it seem like that brightness all-around you extends far into the distance.

It's a cool effect, but I admit it's probably not something you're likely to use on a regular basis. You're more likely to use the light in a low flood mode, and only kick it into high if you hear something growling in the bushes near you. Okay, in that case, you might also want to throw the light at whatever is growling, because it's solid and modestly heavy (675g with batteries), and might do some damage to the bear coming at you. Or perhaps the bear just wanted your light, in which case it might catch it and go about it's business. I'm not sure what bear business is, but it's probably important to them, and they might appreciate some light at night to do it.


wKAnwH5.jpg





U7jtTdw.jpg



Overall, this is an impressive light, if you like bright lights. It is well built, easy to use, and gives you a wide range of modes and combinations of flood and throw. It is, however, fairly heavy as mentioned, and while it does come with a wrist strap for carrying, it doesn't come with a belt pouch which is probably more important. It is well-balanced, and easy to grip and hold, so carrying it is not a problem. But, for a long walk, you're probably not going to want to hold it the entire time.


9aDWWLB.jpg






User Interface:


Niwalker uses different user-interfaces in their lights than most companies do. I generally like them, and they're simple to use once you learn them. In the MM18JR, the light uses three buttons to control the light. There is a main button, used for cycling through all the modes. The other two buttons are for custom-modes, which is a very nice feature.


OpsoCxw.jpg





Secondary buttons:


Once you select a mode you like using the main button, you can set one of the other two buttons to memorize it, by simply pressing & holding the button until it flickers (after about a second). Once the button it set to that mode, whenever you click it it will instantly go to the programmed mode. Clicking it again will turn off the light. Essentially, you can use the light in an on/off configuration by only using that secondary button. You can set the other secondary button to a different mode you like. That gives you two favorite modes which are instantly accessible at any time.


Main button:


The main button is more cumbersome to use, acting more like a traditional switch on a multi-mode light. A single click turns on the light to "moonlight" using the two XHP70.2 emitters. Another click will cycle to the XHP35 HI emitter, and a third click will use all three emitters, still in their lowest mode. A forth click turns off the light. When you're in a particular configuration, you increase the brightness by pressing and holding the main button. That will cycle the brightness up through six different levels.


It sounds a bit complicated, but it's really not. Basically, it's single-click for on, and to cycle through the emitter configurations. Then, and click & hold to choose the brightness. It's a long process, which is why the two instant secondary buttons are so nice.


Turbo mode:


Turbo is chosen by a press & hold of the main button from off. This instantly kicks in all three emitters, at a level above their normal maximum. Think of it as cranking a stereo up to 11 on the volume knob. It's bright; really bright. Releasing the main button will shut off the light.


If you want to use the light in turbo without holding down the button, you can turn back on turbo within 3 seconds. That will leave the light on turbo for 1 minute, until thermal regulation kicks in and drops the light down to "level 6" maximum. Essentially, it drops the output from 13,500 lumens to 9,400 lumens.


The light will run at "level 6" indefinitely, and surprisingly it handles the heat well. You essentially have a 9400 lumen light which will run at constant output until the batteries start to die.




Strobes:


A fast-flashing strobe is accessible by a double-click of the main switch when off. Don't do it! You have been warned. It is extremely bright and disorienting, and might put you into a coma for weeks.


There are other strobes (SOS, warning flash, and beacon) which are available by double-clicking the main button when the light is on. Don't do these either, because real men don't use strobes. We'd rather starve on a deserted island than signal for help using a flashlight SOS mode.




Lock out:


Each button can be locked-out independently, by triple-clicking the button. After that, the button does not work until triple-clicked again. It's a little odd that each has to be locked out separately, but I suppose it might be useful if you just want to use the secondary buttons to use the light in a 2-mode (or 1-mode) style.




Batteries:


The main button has an integrated LED to indicate battery health. The button is green when the batteries are charged, and will turn red when the battery voltage drops below 12v. That is 3v per cell. When this happens, stop using the light as soon as possible and charge your batteries. In a multi-cell light that uses batteries in series, you do not want to drain the batteries too far for safety reasons.


SVf74HH.jpg



This light requires high-drain cells for best performance. So, make sure to use a good matched set of high-drain cells, such as Samsung 30Q or something like that. The light will accept both button top and flat top cells in its battery carrier. The carrier is good quality, and you can install it in the light forwards or backwards. But, protected cells will likely not fit, and they won't have the high-drain characteristics anyway.


JBdJKa7.jpg



The light is not listed as having low-voltage protection. And, even if it did, it can not know the individual voltage of each cell. So, best practise is to turn off the light when the red switch LED comes on, or soon after. If you are using a matched set of cells (same brand, same capacity, same purchase date), this should be perfectly safe use of the cells.




Output Modes:


As mentioned earlier, this light has a lot of output levels and combinations of emitters. It is easiest to sum up my measurements in the following table:


LWPV0HZ.jpg



On levels 6 and "turbo", battery voltage does have an impact on maximum brightness. A half-depleted battery results in about 20% less output than when batteries have a full charge. On level "1" though level "5", the regulation is extremely flat and there is no apparent loss in brightness.








Specifications:


Construction: Black anodized aluminum. Solid build, good heat-sinking, easy grip on body. Threads are nicely square cut, and came lubricated. Lanyard with large wrist strap included.


Modes: See prior discussion.


LED: 2 x Cree XHP70.2 + 1 x Cree XHP35 HI.


Tint: 4600K neutral white. There is a little green in the tint, which is usual with Cree emitters, but not noticeable in normal use.


Lens: Good anti-reflection coating. Tempered glass.


Size: 143mm long, 55mm diameter body, 67mm head.


Weight: 675g including four 18650 cells.


Battery type: 4 x 18650 high-drain lithium-ion. Flat-top or button top. Most protected cells will not fit, and could not deliver the required current.


Output: 1-13500 lumens. Most modes are well regulated.


Throw: 80,000 candella. This represents a throw of 560 meters to 0.25 lux.


Beam pattern: Selectable, with lots of flood or narrow beam, or both.


Heat: The light will get hot on turbo, but steps down after 1 minute. After that, output is constant, and the light does not get too hot.


Tail-stands: Yes.


Package contents: Flashlight, cardboard box, spare o-ring, lanyard.






My impressions:


Pros:


- Shockingly bright.
- Good construction.
- Can run constant output on everything except turbo.
- Extremely efficient, due to XHP70.2 emitters.
- Flexible outputs.
- Nice method to program two most commonly used modes.
- It comes in a standard neutral white tint.
- Tail-stands well.
- LED switch indicator warning for battery charge level.




Cons:


- No low-voltage protection I am aware of, but I wouldn't rely on such a system in a multi-cell light that uses cells in series. Just be aware not to run this light flat, or any light that uses cells in series, regardless of low-voltage-protection.






More pictures:





lmZnQ6h.jpg





I3oX8i8.jpg



oYWJguP.jpg





mOlaDNP.jpg





jDN1N4R.jpg





ZZ8s8Gn.jpg






Here are some images showing the indiviual emitters, on and off, as you cycle through the different modes.




txbYd6J.jpg





fpkl2r0.jpg





rSZbUeY.jpg





etu7JsU.jpg






There is a hole for a tripod mount.




2hXnnfh.jpg





Flood mode:


dus9nrl.jpg





Spot mode:




hB8OWIo.jpg





Combination mode:




T8U9tt4.jpg






This is a nightshot (all are the same exposure values) of the BLF Q8, for comparison:




5EL28w9.jpg





nlfGE7G.jpg






This is a comparison shot of the Niwalker MM18JR (on right) vs the Convoy C8 (on left).




ZtOeT4a.jpg





This is the Niwalker MM18JR (on right) vs the Zebralight SC600w MkIV HI (on left). To be fair, the flood of the Niwalker adds some brightness to the spot of the Zebralight.




B9aitXF.jpg




Finally, this comparison makes no sense, but here is a shot of the Niwalker MM18JR vs a BLF A6 (a floody EDC). Yeah, you can't see the BLF A6 at all:




77yumEV.jpg











That's all for now. Thank you for reading.
 

aginthelaw

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 28, 2007
Messages
2,655
Location
NJ, USA
i can't believe no one replied to this thread. must take an awful lot to impress cpf*er's these days. hopefully one is on the way to me (still waiting on an answer for availability)
 

klrman

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
181
Never heard of this light until I saw this thread today. It seems like the type of light I would want to add to my collection.
 

WalkIntoTheLight

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
3,967
Location
Canada
I guess it's been about 6 months since I wrote this review. After that time, I'm still using the light occasionally, and there has been no issues. Those XHP70.2 emitters really sip power lightly, and it lasts forever on a set of four 30Q's.

The only thing I wish they implemented was a way to go to max power quickly, whether from on or off. The way they did it was to give you a shortcut to max power from off (press and hold main button), but from on that just changes levels incrementally and only within whatever LED group you start from.

You can program one of the secondary buttons to level 6 with all three LEDs on. That's almost as good, but it's still one step below full power. There's no way to program full power to the buttons. I think that's because full power comes with a 1 minute step-down, and maybe their thinking was that they only wanted regulated modes programmable. That wouldn't have been my choice, though.

Other than that, I can't say it's a light I'll use while hiking, even though it would definitely be cool to do so. The included wrist strap is comfortable enough, but the light is still too large and heavy for carrying on long walks. But, that's just me, and I think that way about anything larger than a Zebralight or maybe a C8 thrower.

If I could find a way of securely using it as a bike light, I'd definitely try that out. The combo of flood + throw LEDs would make it an awesome bike light.
 

Lateck

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
172
Location
Arizona, USA
Thank you WITL. I have not been on the forum much lately, other interests.....
I own the 1 & 2 versions of the MM18. Great lights less the drain.
NiWalker is an under rated brand.

Lateck,
 

thermal guy

Flashaholic
Joined
Jan 28, 2007
Messages
9,981
Location
ny
Great throw and huge food/spill. Might be perfect for a bob!! I never saw this light before thanks.
 

klrman

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
181
I guess it's been about 6 months since I wrote this review. After that time, I'm still using the light occasionally, and there has been no issues. Those XHP70.2 emitters really sip power lightly, and it lasts forever on a set of four 30Q's.

The only thing I wish they implemented was a way to go to max power quickly, whether from on or off. The way they did it was to give you a shortcut to max power from off (press and hold main button), but from on that just changes levels incrementally and only within whatever LED group you start from.

You can program one of the secondary buttons to level 6 with all three LEDs on. That's almost as good, but it's still one step below full power. There's no way to program full power to the buttons. I think that's because full power comes with a 1 minute step-down, and maybe their thinking was that they only wanted regulated modes programmable. That wouldn't have been my choice, though.

Other than that, I can't say it's a light I'll use while hiking, even though it would definitely be cool to do so. The included wrist strap is comfortable enough, but the light is still too large and heavy for carrying on long walks. But, that's just me, and I think that way about anything larger than a Zebralight or maybe a C8 thrower.

If I could find a way of securely using it as a bike light, I'd definitely try that out. The combo of flood + throw LEDs would make it an awesome bike light.

Maybe a few short comings but if I can find a good deal on it I'm pretty sure I will go for it.
 
Top