# Tactical 50W/38W 4500 LUMEN HID REVIEW



## big4x4 (Aug 27, 2010)

Hi Everybody,
This is a short review of my observations of the 4500 Lumen 50W/38W 6000k flashlight. I have the old style 35W/28W Ebay Flashlight to compare it to.

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Fit and Finish-* 

The first thing I noticed when I got the light is that it was noticeably lighter in weight than my old 35W flashlight. The finish on the new one is more of a glossy black than the flatter black of the old 35W flashlight. It was also about .5 inches longer than the old 4400 Mah 35W/28W ebay flashlight. This is surprising because of the fact they managed to squeeze a 6600Mah battery into this thing! The new battery is much longer than my old 35W battery. The two look very similar however you can tell the heatsinking is a bit larger on the 50W light.

The texture on the hand grip is also different, it felt "slippery" to me when I grabbed it and I much preferred the more pronounced textured grip of the old flashlight. It just felt heavier duty and felt like more of a serious tool. However, the more I use the new flashlight, the less "slippery" it feels however, it still cant match the more pronounced textured grip of the old light.

Some differences I noticed right away over the old 35W light:

1) The HID Strap has improved the plastic clips so now it is impossible to slip out when you are carrying it by the straps. My old light probably had one side of the strap slip out about 25 times total during its nearly 1 year tenure with me.
2) The reflector is smooth (same as old one) but looks like it is even higher quality with a better finish to it. It is quite evident in the beam pattern as it is much more uniform and overall much cleaner than my 35W light before.
3) The focus adjustment on the new 50W flashlight is easier, smoother and much more secure than before. Now I don't have to worry about changing the focus by lightly touching the front of the light on accident.
4) The rubber end cap that also houses the yellow filter is also a better fit and easily slips on and off instead of having to hassle with it on the last 35W version.
5) The tail cap that threads on is much harder and more time consuming to screw in on the new 50W light for some reason. I liked the way the 35W flashlight's tailcap screwed in better... much easier.

*Performance-*

When I first turned it on, I immediately noticed that it was a different color than my old 35W 6000K bulb. It was much warmer and seemed around 5000k to me. Perhaps it will get back to the same color after burn in? Only time will tell.

After about a minute of running it, I felt the head of the flashlight, and I could definately tell more amps were being fed to it as it was already pretty darn warm. My 35W never got above even slightly warm. As you can see from the pictures, the 50W blows the 35W away in total illumination. The flood is wonderful on this thing, and is now my preferred walking light since you can see everything to the front, side, near, far, everything! I would say based on my eyes, it is about 35% brighter in the sense of more lumens. The hotspot is brighter, but not much brighter than the old 35W light, but that could just be my eyes seeing the bluer tint of the old light. There is just way more light around the hotspot thrown downrange which allows you to make out objects and much farther distances than my old 35W light. I would recommend this light in a heart beat. I know some people said the old 35W lights were hit and miss with quality, but so far I am 2 for 2, and I would not hesitate to buy another (and actually did, yesterday!). You just can't beat the price/lumen with the added flashlight form bonus (which is easy to put wherever you need) and the 6600mah lithium battery! Here are the pics:

Stanley HID 35W Spotlight:







The Stanley HID throws farther and has a tighter hotspot. However, the new light definitely lit up more real estate than the Stanley. 


Tactical 35W/28W 6000K Flashlight:






Throw and distance is noticeably weaker than the new 50W flashlight


Tactical 50W/38W 6000k Flashlight:






The 50W flashlight has both good throw and great flood. Total Lumens to my eyes seems like about 4200-4500. I estimate this based on the 5300 Lumens of my old XeRay 50W searchlight. The XeRay could throw a lot farther and was a more yellowish color temp. LOVE the color of this new flashlight. It renders colors easily, and is NOT too yellow or blue. Very White.


50W Flashlight vs 35W flashlight side x side.






This image shows you how much brighter and what a different color temp this new 50W light has. What is strange is the camera picks up more residual light in the blue range from the 35W light that was not visible when looking at it with the naked eye. Also, the 50W seemed to have more spill visible with the eye than shown in this picture. Regardless, you can see how much brighter the 50W really is than the 35W light. 

Thanks for reading!


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## DavyCrockett (Aug 28, 2010)

Thanks for the review 4x4. Lots of people will be jealous...all for approx'ly
$180. Now I may have to get one.


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## davee930 (Aug 28, 2010)

Awesome review thanks I ordered one :thumbsup:


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## DavyCrockett (Aug 30, 2010)

About as much output as a PH50. No more paying $2200. oo: Pearls before swine.


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## KRUSHDUDE (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks for the review.

Any estimate on the warm-up time?


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## dudemar (Aug 30, 2010)

Nice review, I really enjoyed the beamshots. Very cool!


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## big4x4 (Aug 31, 2010)

Mine is about 12-15 seconds for full brightness. Its bright when turned on, it just slowly gets brighter. The initial flash seems brighter than when it is warmed up in high.


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## MannyDLights (Sep 1, 2010)

Great review ....... I guess there goes more money ......


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## KRUSHDUDE (Sep 1, 2010)

big4x4 said:


> Mine is about 12-15 seconds for full brightness. Its bright when turned on, it just slowly gets brighter. The initial flash seems brighter than when it is warmed up in high.


Not bad. Mine is on the way.


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## get-lit (Sep 1, 2010)

Damn! Another must have. My wallet hates this forum. Here we go again :shakehead


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## big4x4 (Sep 1, 2010)

I wish you guys good luck with yours. I received my silver 50W yesterday and it is definitely a bluer tint than my first one... Also, another bonus I forgot to mention is the 4000k amber filter that is included, it used to be 3000k on my old 35W flashlight, the new one is MUCH more usable. Also keep in mind, the light (at least for me) got brighter the more I used it. It wasn't that impressive off the bat, but definitely is now!


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## 33696933 (Sep 2, 2010)

Looks good. Time to save up for one . Wonder if they come in 4300K.


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## amaretto (Sep 8, 2010)

edit: I got mine today and my first impression when first firing up is a bit disappointment. Seems more 35 W than 50 W output compared to my Polarion 50W HID. But imho it gets a little brighter each time i use it.


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## dudemar (Sep 8, 2010)

Amaretto,

This is not at all surprising. Most chinese HID manufacturers overstate their lumens ratings to sell their products. I'm sure the light being discussed will get brighter with use, but there are VERY few lights that can touch the PH50. The Xenide is perhaps one of the few exceptions.


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## Patriot (Sep 8, 2010)

amaretto said:


> edit: I got mine today and my first impression when first firing up is a bit disappointment. Seems more 35 W than 50 W output compared to my Polarion 50W HID. But imho it gets a little brighter each time i use it.




Completely predictable when compared to the PH50. I've learned over time to keep two separate standards with regards to HID output. Just as a 35W Microfire isn't even in the same universe of performance as a 35W Polarion, a 50W ebay light that costs $200 will likewise come up short. This isn't to say however that this isn't one heck of a deal. If the light wasn't 16" long and if it was something I thought I'd get use out of, I'd jump on this one. I'm much more into the very compact lights myself.


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## mknewman (Sep 10, 2010)

I bought one during their Labor Day holiday for $179 and they sent me some spam today saying they have extended that price for the rest of the week. Hope mine gets here soon so I can report on it.


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## jdriller (Sep 11, 2010)

Got one of these. NO way it can compete with a Polarion. I have a ACRO 35w and a Titanium innovations 35w and this light is close to the TI. The ACRO is brighter. But for the money, you can't beat it.


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## KRUSHDUDE (Sep 12, 2010)

Just remember, performance of this light improves after using it for a while. Mine is considerably brighter now than when it first arrived.


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## big4x4 (Sep 12, 2010)

+1
Remember, I was disappointed when it first came as well. It was as bright or even less than my 35W Tactical HID. Now, after some good use, it is WAAAY brighter. The pictures speak for themselves. Extremely pleased with my purchase.


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## jdriller (Sep 12, 2010)

Thanks guys, I'd better run it through a few cycles.


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## Pi_314 (Sep 13, 2010)

Got this light a couple days ago, and it is plenty bright enough for my needs, but the spill is way to much for my liking. It's like a competition wherein the spill wins and my ability to see at a distance gets washed out. I'm about ready to get a mod hat on.
Any good reflectors that would fit this puppy?


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## amaretto (Sep 14, 2010)

on german ebay you can find a spare battery for 60 euro
item 120612650240


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## dudemar (Sep 14, 2010)

Pi_314 said:


> Got this light a couple days ago, and it is plenty bright enough for my needs, but the spill is way to much for my liking. It's like a competition wherein the spill wins and my ability to see at a distance gets washed out. I'm about ready to get a mod hat on.
> Any good reflectors that would fit this puppy?



This is one of the reasons why the price is so low. A bulb can emit 4,500 lumens, but if the reflector can't collimate light effectively the lumens don't mean $#!7.

Depending on the diameter of the reflector you can find a replacement. If it's an unusual size you'll have to get one custom-made, in which case you might as well buy another HID.


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## davee930 (Sep 14, 2010)

I got mine a few days ago, it's really bright. I sort of wish it had an orange peel reflector since I like that nice and smooth beam. I bought the 35w hid eliminator from canadian tire to compare it to. The 35w out throws it because of the huge reflector but this 50w is way brighter.
Another note when I try to turn on the 50w light when it's cold it usually quickly flashes on and then off right away. I will have to try and turn it on about 3 to 6 times before it stays on. Is this normal or is it defective?


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## DavyCrockett (Sep 14, 2010)

Very nice light for the price. 
I received one from Taiwan, 75w, that blows away the PH50...$290. :thumbsup:


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## ampdude (Sep 15, 2010)

Still a 6000K HID is peaking anyone's interest? To me it's not even worth looking at unless it's 4200K. Not even many LED's are 6000K blue anymore! :thumbsdow


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## amaretto (Sep 15, 2010)

DavyCrockett said:


> Very nice light for the price.
> I received one from Taiwan, 75w, that blows away the PH50...$290. :thumbsup:


please send me more info (pn)


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## URZS (Sep 15, 2010)

do tell about your 75w hid. none showing on ebay or alibaba


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## davee930 (Sep 15, 2010)

So it turns out my ballast was defective so I'm sending it back and they're going to replace it for me.


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## Ottorino (Sep 17, 2010)

I own a 35W HID, and i brok the lamp. Anyone know where it is possible to buy the lamp whit its ballast. Any sugestions on on line shop?


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## mknewman (Sep 17, 2010)

I ordered one of the 50w from HIDcountry a couple of weeks ago and haven't gotten it yet. In the mean time I see that the Chineese on thEbay have got them for sale with free shipping, $150. I'm tempted to cancel my order.

Anyone get one recently?


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## dudemar (Sep 18, 2010)

Forget the 50W, you need a Baseball Bat HID. You can blind AND whack your adversary!

I'm almost tempted to buy one just for fun, but .


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## Okalintu (Oct 20, 2010)

davee930 said:


> So it turns out my ballast was defective so I'm sending it back and they're going to replace it for me.



I bought this flashlight too and have similar problems (not starting, only after several button presses starts, flickers), is the ballast integrated to the batterypack or is it in the head of the lamp (with the bulb)? Looking at the battery, the clearance of the D and K - pins would suggest high voltage.

Did you return the WHOLE light or just some part?

People having this light: do you see much difference in the light output in the 38W-mode? I don't, might be that -20% power means -20% light and that might be difficult to see?

Edit: Did a couple of discharge/charge cycles and seems to be ok now?! Might the batterypack peak current capability have improved or something like that.. And obviously the ballast is in the head of the lamp, not in the battery (stupid of me). At 22 Celsius ambient constant running for 20 minutes (starting at 22 Celsius) at full power results in 60 degrees Celsius head surface temperature, so better not touch it after that.. Now also beginning to see difference between 50W and 38W modes.

The seller's "3 days to complain after receiving" scared me too much it seems.  Now running the battery to the end to see how long the run time really is..


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## amaretto (Oct 21, 2010)

Ottorino said:


> I own a 35W HID, and i brok the lamp. Anyone know where it is possible to buy the lamp whit its ballast. Any sugestions on on line shop?


http://www.aliexpress.com/product-g...bs-and-stability-accessories-wholesalers.html


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## KevinL (Oct 21, 2010)

amaretto said:


> http://www.aliexpress.com/product-g...bs-and-stability-accessories-wholesalers.html



Thanks for the link, might come in useful. 

Mine shipped with a defective ballast and I'm currently exchanging a lot of words with the supplier who is not being very helpful. 

Worst come to worst I may have to cough up $ and buy my own replacement. At least I figured out which part wasn't working. 

I'm not impressed with these......heck even my $80 spotlight sized HID was better (hey, it works.... is that too much to ask for these days)


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## olebob (Oct 21, 2010)

Link at same place for 38/50W version:

http://www.aliexpress.com/product-g...bs-and-stability-accessories-wholesalers.html


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## dudemar (Oct 21, 2010)

My initial suspicions proved to be correct.

I was willing to cut the light some slack due to its price and reviews, but at $170 something smelled fishy.

Maybe the company thought this flsh was straight baller, son.


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## KevinL (Oct 21, 2010)

olebob said:


> Link at same place for 38/50W version:
> 
> http://www.aliexpress.com/product-g...bs-and-stability-accessories-wholesalers.html



Great, I might try this one to get 50W. at least now I know my investment is not going to be a complete writeoff - I still have the light, the power pack and charger. 



dudemar said:


> My initial suspicions proved to be correct.
> 
> I was willing to cut the light some slack due to its price and reviews, but at $170 something smelled fishy.
> 
> Maybe the company thought this flsh was straight baller, son.



The ballast I received was covered in fingerprints. Not a good sign - looks like they recycled one. Normally you can't see it because it's buried inside the light, but I had to disassemble mine for RMA. 

For $170 I am willing to overlook things like beam quality. The light worked for all of 2 stunning minutes, and that's how I observed the beam being pretty bad, however the QUANTITY of light is tremendous and I am ok with that. Machining is ok, oil on the surfaces is not, but I can overlook that again. 

I'm not impressed and I will not be buying from them again, nor can I recommend their product in good faith.


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## amaretto (Oct 22, 2010)

question because of the charger:
when fully charged the led of my charger don't changes from red to green. It only changes to a kind of orange (or less red). Only if you plug the battery off the charger the led turns green. I'm in contact with another owner with the same problem. How is yours?


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## olebob (Oct 22, 2010)

So far, mine still turns green.


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## big4x4 (Oct 24, 2010)

KevinL, Sorry yours was a dud! I don't know what to say, both of mine still work perfectly, and the beam quality is actually pretty good, much better than the original 35W i had. Hopefully I am not the only one that got lucky with these, for the price, IMO, it cannot be beat!


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## scotty59 (Oct 24, 2010)

I got mine on ebay.de auction 110583064323. No problems charging, when the battery is full, the charger turns green. I had one problem lately, the flashlight didnt start on first attempt. I waited a few seconds and second try succeeded. I dont know, if thats a bad sign. The 38W setting is not much dimmer, than 50W, the difference is small.


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## KevinL (Oct 25, 2010)

big4x4 said:


> KevinL, Sorry yours was a dud! I don't know what to say, both of mine still work perfectly, and the beam quality is actually pretty good, much better than the original 35W i had. Hopefully I am not the only one that got lucky with these, for the price, IMO, it cannot be beat!



I too was hoping luck would be on my side......oh well! I hope they eventually do decide to send me a RMA.

Next time I hit the 4.5K lumen mark, it will be with LED or incan, two technologies I know, I trust, and fit within my price range. Osram 64447IRC/62645HLX here I come


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