# Ebay hid lights vs branded led's



## savtraxx (Sep 25, 2011)

Ok so i want a light thats going to be bright...obviously.. , i was lookin at a 2200 lumen tk70 , then for the same price i seen the 65w hid light on ebay...is it a true 6000 lumen torch? If so that would be insane , what about terms of toughness/quality? Should i settle for less light and and go with a known brand? Or are these hid lights really bang for buck and actualy near 6000 lumens?


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## Fusion_m8 (Sep 25, 2011)

Hey 2100, you wanna take this one bro? You've got a TK70 and a couple of the ebay 65w HIDs...

savtraxx: When you ask about toughness and quality, what sort of extremes will you be using the lights under? If you are using it for life saving/threatening situations it may be wise not just to have only ONE light, even the toughest, best built lights can still fail under stress. Better to have a spare light than NO light.


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## savtraxx (Sep 25, 2011)

What do you mean by the first paragrapgh mate? Just normal situations maby some submerging... So are these hid 70w lights really pushing 5000/6000 lumens? Theyre not some junk high lumen claimed torch? If so thats blowing away a tk70 , sr90 wickedkasers tirch etc...


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## Fusion_m8 (Sep 25, 2011)

CPF member 2100: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ondotech-3152-35W-4200K-Sanmak-5200-55W-5000K Look at post #30 for TK70 vs 65w HID, bear in mind these shots were taken with HEAPS of ambient street lighting in Singapore.

Yes, the 65w ebay HID does BLOW the SR90 & TK70 out of the water... no contest really...

I use my HID lights for fishing and prawning, but I do not advise about submerging any HID light unless its a POLARION or a dedicated dive light. Which means you'll have to add another "0" behind those ebay light prices.


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## savtraxx (Sep 25, 2011)

Cheers mate ...now to choose a good name/waterproof over something stupidly bright


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## Fusion_m8 (Sep 25, 2011)

Have you seen the new Jetbeam RRT-3 XM-L.... NICE!!! Check out the video on how they produce the RRT-3, it'll make you think twice about looking down on Chinese made stuff.


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## Mezomeyer (Oct 1, 2011)

The progress in LED technology is amazing. And the pace is frantic. The jet beam RRT-3 XML is a great example 1950 lumens in a flashlight. When will we see 18650 lights in the general us marketplace?


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## Fusion_m8 (Oct 1, 2011)

:welcome: mezomeyer.

I agree LEDs are developing at a frantic pace. I've given up the race to keep updating my collection of LED flashlights with the latest offerings, its just insane trying to keep up. Its a bit like computing hardware and software isn't it? The latest stuff you buy now gets outdated in 6months or less. Thats why I spent $170 and got a cheap ebay HID, it will be awhile before a single LED can put out 4000lumens+ OTF and have a 45min runtime without melting anything.


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## BassTib (Oct 8, 2011)

I remeber when the white LED was the latest greatest invention in lighting in general, not just in the LED community. Then when they were able to make them brighter and brighter as well as making a true white color. I remeber some of the early white LEDs having a green tint to them. I used to go to Frys and buy the Coast brand blue LED bulbs and wire them up myself because the market was still so limited. Now I have probably 20 flashlights, my cars tail lights are aftermarket LEDs. I think the brand is called spider lights. I bought them probably 6 maybe even 7 years ago when there were very few LEDs being used externally on cars. I still get compliments on them. I have a red car so I ended up changing the map lights to red LEDs. I used some of the first aftermarket LED tail lighs that Autozone sold. I took them apart and just hard wired them in the socket. I did the same on the courtesy lights in my doors. Pretty funny to think of what all I had to modify to get them to work when you can just buy the LED bulbs in every imaginable configuration no problem.


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## missionaryman (Oct 25, 2011)

I have an eBay 38/50w HID and an SR90 and I've built and played with incans of similar brightness (like the RS-623 predecessor to "the Torch") and to what's been said here I have to add that build quality and reflector effectiveness are more important to actual output than the lumen count.
My SR90 is rated at less than 1/2 the lumen value of my HID but due to a far more effective reflector and better build quality it outshines it. There is no one who has seen them both in operation (that's not a CPF member that is) and didn't the think the SR90 was rated at 5000 and the HID at 2200.
Those eBay HID's lose most of their light out of the reflector, it needs to be twice the area to properly capture the amount of light they put out. The build quality is also terrible and terribly varied from one unit to another.
If you're in Sydney or Australia you can buy mine off me, I'll let it go for much less than I paid for it.


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## scheven_architect (Jul 7, 2012)

savtraxxx i'll send you a pm with a link to a good deal for a 85w ebay HID 4300k and a link to some pictures taken with my HID.
I myself have a 6000k version of it but i've ordered a 4300k replacement bulb. 
I'm really happy with this light, only downside might be the size.


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## Fusion_m8 (Jul 7, 2012)

scheven_architect said:


> savtraxxx i'll send you a pm with a link to a good deal for a 85w ebay HID 4300k and a link to some pictures taken with my HID.
> I myself have a 6000k version of it but i've ordered a 4300k replacement bulb.
> I'm really happy with this light, only downside might be the size.



I too had the 75/55/35w ebay HID that came with the 6000K bulb. I purchased a 75w 4300K bulb/ballast from a seller named lovepets88 and now its my favourite HID in terms of sheer output. 4000 OTF lumens easy. Yes, the quality of the flashlight body leaves a lot to be desired: thin o-rings that hardly seal and breaks easily, the finish of the threading between the bezel and the head is very uneven, very easy to gall or strip if you screw/unscrew too quickly.

The MagicFire 40w and Titanium Innovations L35 are WAY better in materials & finish but would play second fiddle to the ebay HID for output, even when it had the 6000K bulb, if not the 4300K that it has now.

The ebay HID is a bang-for-your-bucks type of HID that is only suited for hobby use. I would even go so far as to say its a toy, not a tool that can be used reliably outdoors like the branded HIDs.

edit: Did anyone realise that the time gap between post 10 & 11 was more than 8 months?!!


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## scheven_architect (Jul 8, 2012)

Ow yes there is a huge gap I didn't notice . I bought the 85w 4300k bulb from that same seller. But it will probably take an other week or two to arrive here.
What are your experiences with the 4300k vs 6000k bulb?


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## Fusion_m8 (Jul 8, 2012)

I got the 4300K 75w ballast not the 85w one. My 6000K bulb was a 75w ballast also, however the 4300K version is a lot brighter. As expected, the colour rendition of the 4300K leaves the 6000K for dead. As an added bonus, the slightly larger 4300K bulb suits the smooth reflector better by giving me a rounder and more intense hotspot, thus giving me better throw than the smaller 6000K bulb. But due to the varied production tolerances of this ebay HID and components, it might not always be the case with every bulb upgrade.

Overall, I'm very happy with the 4300K bulb, pity I didn't get the 85w version.


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## rambo180 (Jul 8, 2012)

savtraxx said:


> Ok so i want a light thats going to be bright...obviously.. , i was lookin at a 2200 lumen tk70 , then for the same price i seen the 65w hid light on ebay...is it a true 6000 lumen torch? If so that would be insane , what about terms of toughness/quality? Should i settle for less light and and go with a known brand? Or are these hid lights really bang for buck and actualy near 6000 lumens?




I have a stupid bright 800 lumen flashlight. You won't need 6,000 lumens, unless you're trying to light up an ENTIRE forest.

How much do you want to pay? Guess thats the main factor.


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## scheven_architect (Jul 8, 2012)

Fusion_m8 said:


> Overall, I'm very happy with the 4300K bulb, pity I didn't get the 85w version.



85w vs 75w won't probably matter that much in output. When warmed up i kinda like the tint of my 6000k one (i guess it's more 5000k) but compared to real natural tints of my XM-l light it does look quite dead indeed. Throw of the light could be improved indeed so I'm glad your 4300k bulb did. Hotspot now is quite ugly and focus is quite useless but the light now is already soooo much brighter than the 3xXm-l i have rated at 2200lumen, no comparison.


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## Patriot (Jul 8, 2012)

rambo180 said:


> I have a stupid bright 800 lumen flashlight. You won't need 6,000 lumens, unless you're trying to light up an ENTIRE forest.
> 
> How much do you want to pay? Guess thats the main factor.



I'm guessing that he's already come to the conclusion that he wants OR needs a multi-thousand lumen light or he wouldn't be asking about them. The prices between the lights he's talking about are similar so even the price isn't the issue. I think he's asking whether he should settle for fewer lumens but really high quality OR more lumens of fair / decent quality. 

In any case, it's a hard question to answer because we all have our subjective ideas but if you're a quality over quantity type of person I'd certainly urge you on in that direction. I've never regreted purchasing high quality but I have regretted some purchasing some "cheap" high output lights.


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## rambo180 (Jul 9, 2012)

Patriot said:


> I'm guessing that he's already come to the conclusion that he wants OR needs a multi-thousand lumen light or he wouldn't be asking about them. The prices between the lights he's talking about are similar so even the price isn't the issue. I think he's asking whether he should settle for fewer lumens but really high quality OR more lumens of fair / decent quality.
> 
> In any case, it's a hard question to answer because we all have our subjective ideas but if you're a quality over quantity type of person I'd certainly urge you on in that direction. I've never regreted purchasing high quality but I have regretted some purchasing some "cheap" high output lights.



Fair call. I'd go for quality, at least you KNOW the ANSI lumens. They prices quoted on ebay may well be untrue, maybe not. But hey, I love the feel of a quality flashlight.


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## Fusion_m8 (Jul 13, 2012)

It all boils down to what the flashlight will be used for. If its for a hobby and casual use, some build quality can be traded off for a cheaper price without the user being put at risk. If the flashlight is being used for law enforcement & security, military operations, deep sea drilling on oil rigs etc, where human lives or vasts amount of money are invested, I think the answer is very clear: go for the highest quality that money can buy.

I have regretted spending money on high quality, especially where its not needed... kinda like buying a Bugatti Veyron to drive to the local shops to pick up the milk and bread. Ultimately whats not needed will find its way on sale on CPFMarketplace or ebay.

I think its obvious that the question posted by the OP in post #1 already indicates that the purpose of the flashlight will be for hobby use. I really don't see any self respecting law enforcement/security/military personnel asking this type of question on a family orientated flashlight forum like CPF.


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## langham (Aug 8, 2012)

I think we are all asking the wrong questions. I think the real question is, do any of us need a light that is brighter than 1000lm really? I have several XML-T6 led lights with different reflectors and bodies, all of which serve their purpose very well; but I almost never use their full output unless I am clearly just trying to impress someone. It is pretty useless to have the power of the sun in your hand, I believe the point behind all of these is to just be rediculous. The only question really is do you want to throw or flood? I like both, but something I don't like is to pay large amounts of money for something that will just be outdated in a few months. I have seen videos comparing the SR-90 to the 50W HID lights and all they want to talk about is how the SR-90 blows the 50W HID away at 200m+. Have any of you ever needed useable light in less than a 10m wide area >200m away from you? I pearsonally believe the HID would be better just due to the fact that it is half price and close up it is actually useable rather than the obviously devoted thrower that will cost almost $400.00. It is up to the consumer though, because no matter what I say or do I really want a Polarion PH-50.:shrug:


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## rambo180 (Aug 10, 2012)

langham said:


> I think we are all asking the wrong questions. I think the real question is, do any of us need a light that is brighter than 1000lm really? I have several XML-T6 led lights with different reflectors and bodies, all of which serve their purpose very well; but I almost never use their full output unless I am clearly just trying to impress someone. It is pretty useless to have the power of the sun in your hand, I believe the point behind all of these is to just be rediculous. The only question really is do you want to throw or flood? I like both, but something I don't like is to pay large amounts of money for something that will just be outdated in a few months. I have seen videos comparing the SR-90 to the 50W HID lights and all they want to talk about is how the SR-90 blows the 50W HID away at 200m+. Have any of you ever needed useable light in less than a 10m wide area >200m away from you? I pearsonally believe the HID would be better just due to the fact that it is half price and close up it is actually useable rather than the obviously devoted thrower that will cost almost $400.00. It is up to the consumer though, because no matter what I say or do I really want a Polarion PH-50.:shrug:



Your logic is not welcome here...

Just kidding. Good thread. Brings in new perspectives.


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## jais (Aug 13, 2012)

the 1000lumens bought from ebay is not as bright as branded unit.


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## langham (Aug 13, 2012)

It all depends on the emitter, reflector and driver. If you get an eBay light that is not name brand that has an XML-T6 or U2 and is being driven at 3A it will put out the same amount of light as a brand name light. The real differences come in reflector design, optics, durability, and in heat sinking. The reason no name brand light is coming out with an XML in a P-60 module is due to the fact that the heat is not getting away from the LED. Sure it is ok to run that light until the battery runs out, but it will cause detriment to the emitter, which in the name brand lights means that you have to buy a new one (for those who don't know how to replace them). The generic or off brand lights don't care about safety margins or designs. They will simply put the emitter at its maximum rated capacity and let it go, who cares if it dies in a week, and they also sell emitters and drivers for you to replace it with for only a fraction of the cost of a new light. I have an ultra-fire flashlight that puts close to 800lm out the front with an XML-U2 being driven at around 3A, but it took quite a bit of tweaking and a little patience. If you buy a surefire that says 800lm it will be at least 800lm when the batteries are dead not just for the first 10 sec that it is operating. It all depends on what you want; I bet you will not pay as much per lm for any 2 off brand flashlights as you will for 1 good quality name brand light. It is all about the appeal, and the dependability. I say if you know what you are doing and don't mind tweaking the light go ahead and buy a cheap light, if you don't have the time or patience and you do have the money then don't waste your time on a cheap light buy the nice branded light that you know you will never have any problems with and you know that when it says 1000lm it really means it.


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## jais (Aug 19, 2012)

langham said:


> It all depends on the emitter, reflector and driver. If you get an eBay light that is not name brand that has an XML-T6 or U2 and is being driven at 3A it will put out the same amount of light as a brand name light. The real differences come in reflector design, optics, durability, and in heat sinking. The reason no name brand light is coming out with an XML in a P-60 module is due to the fact that the heat is not getting away from the LED. Sure it is ok to run that light until the battery runs out, but it will cause detriment to the emitter, which in the name brand lights means that you have to buy a new one (for those who don't know how to replace them). The generic or off brand lights don't care about safety margins or designs. They will simply put the emitter at its maximum rated capacity and let it go, who cares if it dies in a week, and they also sell emitters and drivers for you to replace it with for only a fraction of the cost of a new light. I have an ultra-fire flashlight that puts close to 800lm out the front with an XML-U2 being driven at around 3A, but it took quite a bit of tweaking and a little patience. If you buy a surefire that says 800lm it will be at least 800lm when the batteries are dead not just for the first 10 sec that it is operating. It all depends on what you want; I bet you will not pay as much per lm for any 2 off brand flashlights as you will for 1 good quality name brand light. It is all about the appeal, and the dependability. I say if you know what you are doing and don't mind tweaking the light go ahead and buy a cheap light, if you don't have the time or patience and you do have the money then don't waste your time on a cheap light buy the nice branded light that you know you will never have any problems with and you know that when it says 1000lm it really means it.



got your points here, thanks for your advise.


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