# My first (and last) Solar Force L2 host



## Max_Power (May 8, 2011)

I recently decided to get a few Twofish Cyclopblock Flashlight Bicycle Mounts. I tossed in some other items to meet the free postage threshold. One of those items was a Solar Force L2 HA-III host, which now holds a Malkoff 4000k M61W and 18650 cell. 

Issue 1) The longitudinal fit is loose, not fully securing the drop-in. Luckily I had a spare shock ring to make the drop-in snug. 

Issue 2) The drop-in wasn't making electrical contact with the body. My fix for this was to wrap a thin strip of aluminum foil around the drop-in, which should improve thermal conductivity as well.

So, it worked (eventually) but it doesn't appear to follow Surefire or Malkoff spec. The electrical circuit depends on the outer coiled spring on surefire drop-ins. Malkoff drop-ins work fine in SureFire bodies without this spring or extra shimming. 

Other dislikes: The switch is a reverse clicky. I swapped out the tailcap with a spare surefire forward clicky (threads seem to match up nicely, and it functions reliably). The construction feels very light, tubing must be very thin compared to higher-end lights. Knurling is a bit wimpy, almost not worth doing.

So, I have tried a SolarForce body, and was able to make it work, but I am not impressed. This would be a good light to use with an old drop-in and CR-123s, and hand out to the neighbor. 

I am testing it for vibration resistance on a bicycle.


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## RedForest UK (May 8, 2011)

I understood that solarforce weren't allowed to follow surefire's P60 spec exactly due to legal issues and Malkoff drop-ins, being a high end product, were designed with tight and specific tolerances for surefire and elzetta hosts.

Anyway, I think it's a bit harsh to bash what is a great quality and incredibly good value host on 'issues' relating as much to the drop-in itself, and which aren't a problem for either unless used in this configuration. 

I could equally say I'm very disappointed in Malkoff drop-ins for not fitting perfectly in an L2 host when almost all other drop-ins work fine, but again that wouldn't make sense, they have slightly different specifications and weren't designed by the same people or to work specifically in conjunction with each other. Again, the reverse clicky is an option designed for multimode drop-ins, not the Malkoff, but this is again not an issue, just a different design choice.

I'm not trying to have a go at you, but try it with a new P60 drop-in, like a nailbender one or do some research and pick up one of the great value cheap chinese ones like the manafont XM-L. It can handle those no problems (with a little added heatsinking for high output ones) and I'm sure you'll be pleased with it.


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## srfreddy (May 8, 2011)

It has been known that L2s are not designed to hold malkoffs.


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## srfreddy (May 8, 2011)

And it is the same thickness as a bored 6P, more or less.


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## Bullzeyebill (May 9, 2011)

Moving this to Budget Lights, or in this case Budget hosts.

Bill


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## Max_Power (May 9, 2011)

Thanks for the comments, I didn't know that there were issues with Malkoff drop-ins in SolarForce bodies until I tried it. And yes, I like the 18650 capability. But I knew going in that there was a chance there would be issues, and there were. Since I am used to SureFire, FiveMega, and Malkoff hosts, I had high expectations!

How does one improve the heatsinking in a solarforce host? I suspect my aluminum foil shim will accomplish that fairly well. The M61W drop-in doesn't get very hot, it's quite efficient. An XM-L would probably stretch the thermal design.

Can the switch be easily replaced with a forward clicky? 

--
Max_Power


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## LV426 (May 9, 2011)

Max, You could get a S6 tailcap witch is a "fwd" or modify the existing with a McCklicky.

Take a look here.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?274014-Solarforce-L2-L2P-forward-clicky


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## Robocop (May 9, 2011)

I have had great luck with Solar Force hosts however while I am tough on lights on duty I think your bicycle mount would be much more tough on a light. I am using a P60 XM-L drop in on a single cell host with an 18350 cell for power. It gets hot on long runs however thus far has never failed me yet. I have a SF 6P using a Malkoff drop in and it too has some contact issues. Nothing major but it is picky at times. The drop in is designed as a flood and has such nice tint and beam quality I overlook the small issues....it is a duty bag light only for searching vehicles.

I saw a thread here somewhere (cant find it now) where someone used a thin strip of a coke can inside the host. When wrapped it held its shape and seemed to be very popular and actually worked very well. If I remember correct it was maybe a half inch wide and something like 6 or 7 inches long. It can be cut with plain old scissors and now that I think of it I may do this to my single cell host tonight.....good luck.


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## ^Gurthang (May 9, 2011)

Max,

There are a TON of threads addressing heat sink improvements for any P60 host. If you go over to the Custom and HomeBuilt Market Place you'll find several folks that sell copper foil strips for exactly this purpose. Malkoff M series drop-ins are proprietary design, you can make them work in a P60 host but like Robo says they can be picky.


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## trooplewis (May 9, 2011)

I've got 4 Solarforce hosts, have never had any issues with any of them. But I buy generic P60 drop-ins off of either Solarforce's site, Lighithound, or Manafont.
I only have had to wrap XM-L drop-ins for heat transfer. XR-E's and XP-G's don't seem to matter much. 
So far no concerns, but I'm aware the the SF switch may not like higher amperage as in the newer XM-L drivers. So far so good; in fact I have had good luck with $8 Ultrafire 504B hosts as well, go figure.


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## Flashlite Foy (May 9, 2011)

L2 annodizing is similar to the high gloss finish on a 6P. "HA III" is only on the Solarforce L2P and is a much tougher finish.

Also; the Solarforce L2 is second only to the L2P, being regarded as one of the best budget hosts you can buy. A quality drop-in makes an L2 one of the finest flashlights available at anything near it's price. I own several of each (and reviewed them on another forum) and after lots of real world use; the Solarforce L2 is one _hell_ of a nice flashlight.

Foy


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## mitro (May 9, 2011)

Everyone has their own tastes, but I've sold all of my malkoff drop-ins and have bought many solarforce hosts since then. I can't say I miss them. I don't have my life on the line when I click that button though. Maybe my opinion would be different then, but I doubt it.


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## Norm (May 9, 2011)

Robocop said:


> I saw a thread here somewhere (cant find it now) where someone used a thin strip of a coke can inside the host. When wrapped it held its shape and seemed to be very popular and actually worked very well. If I remember correct it was maybe a half inch wide and something like 6 or 7 inches long. It can be cut with plain old scissors and now that I think of it I may do this to my single cell host tonight.....good luck.


Improving heat sinking on P60 style drop ins. 

Norm


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## Robocop (May 9, 2011)

I knew I had read this somewhere and thank you for the link. This actually works very well and gives me a little bit of added insurance on these XM-L hosts.


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## jacktheclipper (May 9, 2011)

Flashlite Foy said:


> L2 annodizing is similar to the high gloss finish on a 6P. "HA III" is only on the Solarforce L2P and is a much tougher finish.
> 
> Also; the Solarforce L2 is second only to the L2P, being regarded as one of the best budget hosts you can buy. A quality drop-in makes an L2 one of the finest flashlights available at anything near it's price. I own several of each (and reviewed them on another forum) and after lots of real world use; the Solarforce L2 is one _hell_ of a nice flashlight.
> 
> Foy


 
Show 'em some pics , Foy :naughty:


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## jondotcom (May 10, 2011)

1 out of 1,000 are bound to not like a perfect product. It's totally normal.


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## fishx65 (May 10, 2011)

Hard to find a better P60 host for $13.00 shipped!


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## trooplewis (May 10, 2011)

fishx65 said:


> Hard to find a better P60 host for $13.00 shipped!


Unless you like the Ultrafire 504B for $8.50 shipped from manafont. I find the 504 and the non-HAIII Solarforces very similar in almost all aspects.
I've had several, no issues so far.


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## Flashlite Foy (May 12, 2011)

My L2 duo.














And some close ups . . .










And, these have been as realiable as they are good looking. Switch hasn't missed a beat with 3 amps of Ultra Fire XM-L. They're not IPX rated but I submerged these for about a half hour with no ingress and when the drop-in in wrapped tightly . . . well, it does heat up if left on high for long. Not any worse than other hosts I have.

thanksforlookingFoy


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## richpalm (May 12, 2011)

Well, #1: Malkoffs are for the rich... I would never pay that price for what you get and I have no desire for one. Not when I can build 3 of my XP-G triples for the price of one Malkoff and get 1000 lumens or more, and have the satisfaction of building them.

Solarforces? Different story! I love the things and have ~15 L2P's with various triple XP-G and reflectored single XM-L dropins. I like them better than all the other lights I ever had. All of the switches, stock and optional, have held up fine with loads up to 4A and have had no issues. I use Illumination Supply's copper tape to wrap the dropins and snug them in with thermal compound. Host sucks up the heat right away. Pimped out with GITD and lanyards they look great.

I like the matte finish of the L2P. I don't like the shiny finish of the regular L2 though.

Rich


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## Max_Power (May 13, 2011)

I'm too poor to buy cheap. That's why I have rechargeable protected cells and a quality charger.

The things that attract me to the Malkoff drop-ins and bodies include ruggedness, reliability, interchangeability, usefulness of the beam shape, neutral and slightly warm tints, excellent user interface, and surprisingly good brightness that lasts 1.5-2 hours with a single 18650. *The genius of of Gene Malkoff's designs lies in the balance he strikes*, without compromising on reliability. I wasn't completely disappointed with the Solarforce L2P, but at first it reminded me of the cheap imported stuff that I put up with before I learned my lesson about false economy. 

I haven't had any issues with my shimmed L2P since I overcame the initial problems. The SureFire Z49 clicky tailcap (which costs nearly 3x as much as the L2P body  is doing a fine job of keeping the light from slipping out of the Twofish CyclopBlock on my handlebars. I tried it in my makeshift velcro helmet mount this evening. I have no complaints in my road testing so far. The feel of the light in hand isn't overly slippery, mainly thanks to the matte finish. 

As for 1000+ lumens, there are problems with that much floody light. I don't want to blind pedestrians, automobile drivers, other cyclists, and myself (road signs are bright enough with what I am using now!). I would also dislike having to stop and change batteries every 20 minutes.

--Max_Power


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## trooplewis (May 13, 2011)

Any post with the word "Malkoff" in it should be moved out of Budget Lights into the LED section.
That is like saying Fords are cheap and BMW's perform better. Duh.

My personal opinion is that if you have the bucks to spend on the Malkoff, the solid brass heat sink is the redeeming value in it. But if it is not driven hard, the massive heat sink is not really a big issue so there goes my value theory...


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## march.brown (May 13, 2011)

Max_Power said:


> I'm too poor to buy cheap.--Max_Power


 In that case , I must be too wealthy to buy expensive






Actually I'm not wealthy at all ... However , I'm lucky enough to be happy with my Solarforces and my ITP's ... Probably my most expensive torch is my Skyline 1 or maybe my ITP A3 in titanium which is my EDC attatched to my car keys ... Nevertheless , my six assorted Solarforces (two L2's , two L2i's , one L2r plus my Skyline one) all give excellent service though I don't suppose any is over 300 lumens ... As for the expensive batteries and charger , I have had no problems with my Trustfire TR-001 or my Soshine SC-S2 and SC-S1 chargers ... My Li-Ion 18650 batteries are either blue or silver Ultrafires and my 123's are Soshines ... All my batteries are performing perfectly ... When a battery dies , I will merely buy another cheapie ... After all , my Li-Ions will die of old age rather than too many charges.

Even being poor , I can still afford to buy an Ultrafire 18650 every couple of years if necessary ... I just don't (now) keep too many Li-Ion spares ... My three Li-Ion chargers didn't cost as much as a single expensive one and I can charge four 18650's and four 123's at the same time if I want to ... I really like the Soshine chargers and they are more than good enough for the purpose.

Happiness (to me) is "being contented with good quality , reliable , lower cost items" ... I know that a Rolls Royce is more expensive and to some people more desireable than a Volkswagen , but I will stick with the more practical one ... I've had both and one is certainly more practical for everyday use than the other ... It is the same with torches ... If I drop one of mine or scratch it , it isn't the end of the world ... Torches are just simple utility items to be used everyday as a tool and as such we must expect the odd mark on them ... If I had any expensive torches then they would be kept as show or display items rather than everyday users.

My expensive fountain pens (Pelikan , Conway Stewart and Sheaffer) are in glass topped cabinets and are nearly all uninked ... I carry Cross pens and Pelikan 400 series as EDC rather than risk damage to my other expensive ones ... Even the users are carried in leather wallets and are still virtually mint ... If I had expensive torches , I suppose they would go on display (unused) the same way as the pens.

Life is strange ! We buy utility items and put them on display in pristine unused condition ... I got rid of about 300 Conway Stewart fountain pens as the children and grandchildren just weren't interested in them ... I couldn't get rid of all the pens , so I have the best on display.

At the end of my days , the torches will be snapped up by the family and the pens will appear on a famous auction site , probably still unused ...
.


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## macktheturtle (May 13, 2011)

has anyone else ordered direct from Solarforce? my order is taking MONTHS.


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## ronparr (May 13, 2011)

macktheturtle said:


> has anyone else ordered direct from Solarforce? my order is taking MONTHS.



My first order to ~10 days. I placed a second order recently and I have not yet received it. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks.


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## trooplewis (May 13, 2011)

Several orders, all received in 9 to 14 days. We are talking about solarforce-sales dot com correct?


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## Monocrom (May 14, 2011)

My first Solarforce light was an L600 model. Being a copy of a semi-decent G&P light, I shouldn't have expected much. And didn't get much. I liked the overall concept, so I spent quite a bit more for a quality alternative (SureFire M4 w/ Leef 2x18650 body). Heard some good things about the Solarforce L2 host. Knowing it was a blatant copy of the SureFire 6P, I figured this design would be significantly better than my first Solarforce light. It was. But the construction on the inside was clearly rough. Not nearly as good as any of the C-series SureFires, including my 6P models. 

I put a Solarforce forward-clickie switch on it, took the ridiculously sharp bezel-ring off, replaced it with a less aggressive Solarforce stainless steel bezel-ring; and gave the light away. The person who received it was very grateful. The quality compared to a genuine 6P simply wasn't there. It looked fine on the outside and, overall, is pretty decent. (Especially if you don't have to spend extra to replace the tailcap and bezel-ring like I did.)

Aftermarket parts designed to fit SureFire lights will quite often not work properly (or if at all) in a blatant SureFire copy. I have two Malkoff drop-ins. Both work perfectly in my SureFire lights.


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## mvyrmnd (May 14, 2011)

It's a commonly known thing that the L2 and L2P are too big internally to take a "normal" P60 dropin. That said, there's no official standard for a P60 dropin, so users have to take what they get. I've used Norm's Coke can trick in the past for a SST-90 dropin, and it worked a treat. 

I currently use a L2 and a L2P each with one of Kenji's Triple dropins that have been specifically designed for the Solarforce host. The dropin is huge compared to a Malkoff or other P60 dropin, but it fits perfectly in the Solarforce host. No need for tape or thermal paste.

I'd use the term "compatible" very loosely when comparing a Surefire and Solarforce host. Some end-users may not be aware of these differences, so I suppose threads like this act as a good 'public service announcement' for those researching what to buy.


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## Zeruel (May 14, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> The quality compared to a genuine 6P simply wasn't there. It looked fine on the outside and, overall, is pretty decent. (Especially if you don't have to spend extra to replace the tailcap and bezel-ring like I did.)


 
Mono, check out L2P HAIII, it's much better than L2, externally and internally.


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## Monocrom (May 14, 2011)

Thanks for the heads-up. If I don't like it, Santa Mono will make another person happy. :santa:


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## Zeruel (May 14, 2011)

If you like forward clicky, the black version comes with it. The grey one comes with reverse. I bought the SS bezels separately, the default ones is the same HAIII as the body. You could be my Santa if you don't like it afterall.


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## Max_Power (May 14, 2011)

The L2P is my first (and last) Solarforce 2-cell body. It's not bad for $20. However, for another $25 I can get a 6p host with a high-quality forward clicky and no need to shim my Malkoff drop-ins at both ends. If I get the ~$50 Malkoff MD2, I can also add the eminently useful high-low ring at any time. Since I won't go hungry for spending $50 or $150, I prefer the better fit and function.

Now, if there were a SolarForce Masterpiece with ~4500k color temperature, I might be tempted to buy that.


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## mitro (May 14, 2011)

So what is the point of all this? Oh yeah... bashing Solarforce. 

Your complaints are well documented differences in the Solarforce hosts and they are easy to compensate for. I would think someone who wants to spend their money wisely would have researched enough to be aware of the differences.

I think its clear that you need to throw that piece of junk Solarforce in the garbage and get the host that was designed for that drop-in. I'll take a L2P *and* an XP-G Nailbender (or something even cheaper) for less than the price of just that drop-in. Not to mention that it will tailstand, have multiple modes with more output and more throw. 

2 out of the 6 McClickies I've owned have failed, so I'm not sold on the reliability. I've never had one of those darn undesirable reverse clickies fail.

EDIT:Also, the L2 is available for 13.50 shipped, Not $20. If you want, I'll PP you $13.50 and you can send me the light so I can happily beat on it for the next few years.


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## trooplewis (May 14, 2011)

Max_Power said:


> The L2P is my first (and last) Solarforce 2-cell body. It's not bad for $20. However, for another $25 I can get a 6p host with a high-quality forward clicky and no need to shim my Malkoff drop-ins at both ends. If I get the ~$50 Malkoff MD2, I can also add the eminently useful high-low ring at any time. Since I won't go hungry for spending $50 or $150, I prefer the better fit and function.



So you are going to spend $45 on a host and $50-70 dollars on a drop-in. OK, you are at a hundred bucks or so. So move it out of "Budget Lights" and have fun.
But I can still build 4 very reliable XM-L lights for less than $100 and if two of them crap out I still have twice as many reliable lights as you do.

Or maybe I'll build 2 XM-L's and 2 XP-G's and a nice XR-E thrower, and then I will have 3x as many reliable lights left compared to your one.


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## brted (May 14, 2011)

Zeruel said:


> If you like forward clicky, the black version comes with it. The grey one comes with reverse. I bought the SS bezels separately, the default ones is the same HAIII as the body. You could be my Santa if you don't like it afterall.


 
Not all black versions of the L2P come with a forward clicky, but some of them do. The different clickies are only available in black and not all of them are the same HA III that matches the L2P. So if you get gray, you can only get the reverse.


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## richpalm (May 14, 2011)

OK, FWIW, this is what I put in my L2P hosts. 

I'm gonna put it out here and probably get axed for good but so be it: There are those on CPF that think the only "real" light is the one that is over $500, titanium and puts out 100 lumens. They don't like us poor folk or budget lights, period. Made in China=no good. Moneyed folks reject these lights out of hand _because_ they don't cost big bucks IMO. Just my feeling on the matter. If someone sees this as trolling/baiting, too bad... _not_ my intent.

Any of you that don't want your Solarforce L2p's, PM me... I'll take 'em! :shakehead 

I had all the Surefires and hi-$$$ lights when I was working and I _like the Solarforce hosts better_. I'm quality-oriented-I won't buy junk either-so if these weren't any good they wouldn't cross the threshold of the door. Of course the HA on the Solarforces won't hold up like Surefire's but I've had no problems.

Host gets banged up? Fine... just get another. If my custom Super Lumen Detonator mark X got banged up, there wouldn't be this option.

Honestly, the only other production light that rocks me is the 4Sevens G5... other customs I won't even consider because of cost.

Flame away...

Rich

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?307347-Rolled-my-own-XP-G-Triple


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## Flashlite Foy (May 14, 2011)

+1 richpalm

To each his own I suppose but from a person that has a nice Surefire 6P that I like very much, the truth is that (in my experience at least) it has nothing over an L2P in terms of quality, performance or reliability. 

simpletruthFoy


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## SashiX (May 14, 2011)

Another "+1" for Rich and Foy.
I bought L2P (host only) not so long ago, and for $20 shipped WW... I think it's well worth that money: good machining quality, HAIII... Just my 2 cents, guys


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## buwuve (May 14, 2011)

The L2p is really nice. There is only one point, which isn't great - the bezel. There is a 1mm gap. If you order the premium grade SS flat bezel additional, you have a perfect torch.


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## Monocrom (May 14, 2011)

richpalm said:


> Flame away...
> 
> Rich


 
Let me grab my fire-extinguisher and put out this "Us vs. Them," "Rich vs. Poor," sideline. 

As you've mentioned, you've had both SureFire and Solarforce. You prefer Solarforce. Some of us prefer SureFire. I found machine-marks and some clear lack of attention to detail inside my L2 host. Compared to the 6Ps I own, the L2 host simply was not as good. I also didn't enjoy spending extra for a bezel-ring that wouldn't chew up my pants, and for a tailcap switch that had a momentary feature. 

I tried both brands just like you did . . . and came to the opposite conclusion. I prefer quality at a good price, and am willing to pay a bit extra for it. No need to turn this topic into yet another "SureFire vs. _____" thread. Or, a Rich vs. Working man" thread. Far from flaming, that's a good way to get an interesting and informational topic closed down.


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## trooplewis (May 14, 2011)

Paying for quality lights/hosts is no guarantee of better reliability. I know, I own a Pelican. 
Or you can search this site with the words "Surefire problem" and sift through tons of threads.
But Monocrom, I agree with you to a point, just interesting that a person would post a thread like this under "Budget Lights" dissing the best budget host available. Maybe if he had recommeded a better _budget _host, it would make more sense.


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## hellokitty[hk] (May 14, 2011)

> I also didn't enjoy spending extra for a bezel-ring that wouldn't chew up my pants, and for a tailcap switch that had a momentary feature.


Did it cost more than your surefire?
Actually, didn't it cost _significantly _less than your surefire?


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## Monocrom (May 14, 2011)

hellokitty[hk] said:


> Did it cost more than your surefire?
> Actually, didn't it cost _significantly _less than your surefire?


 
I can buy a 2D flashlight at the Dollar Store that comes in cool transparent colors. If price is the main issue, why pay the cost of even a Solarforce 6P clone?

You can get good deals on older SureFire models, if you know where to look. To answer your question, no; it didn't cost less after purchasing the L2 host and then the other two pieces.


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## srfreddy (May 14, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> I can buy a 2D flashlight at the Dollar Store that comes in cool transparent colors. If price is the main issue, why pay the cost of even a Solarforce 6P clone?
> 
> You can get good deals on older SureFire models, if you know where to look. To answer your question, no; it didn't cost less after purchasing the L2 host and then the other two pieces.


 
But how much would it cost you to get a HA 3, 18650 capable 6p?


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## Monocrom (May 14, 2011)

srfreddy said:


> But how much would it cost you to get a HA 3, 18650 capable 6p?


 
Why bother? Since the only thing that natters to some is cost, we can all just make due with a 2D inca. costing a dollar.


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## brted (May 14, 2011)

The really cheap lights aren't going to have higher end LED's like XP-G or XM-L. They aren't going to have solid aluminum bodies, o-rings at the joints, glass lenses, and aluminum reflectors. But almost any Solarforce, Ultrafire, etc. will have all of that as well any Surefire, Quark, etc. So there is a cutoff.

Most of the differences I am seeing discussed here comes down to personal preference: forward clicky vs. reverse, aggressive knurling vs. milder knurling, modes vs. none, etc. Nobody's preferences are any better than anyone else's which is why there is no perfect light for everyone, especially here.

I looked at Surefire 6P's today and they aren't ridiculously priced. You can get one for $70. They don't seem to say what kind of LED they have, but I have seen claims of 80 or 120 lumens, so I'm thinking they are not XP-G and certainly not XM-L. Still, $70 isn't that bad if you want the Surefire tail clicky, bezel, guarantee, Made in USA label, plan on using CR123As anyway, etc.

I have a couple of Solarforce lights and they are nice. But I put a P60 I had made in my L2P and it didn't work because the 18650 wasn't making contact with the driver's built-in spring (this is the 2.8A NANJG driver). The L2P battery compartment seems just a little too long. Worked fine in a L2 and worked fine in a Ultrafire 504B. Sometimes cheaper works better. Sometimes it doesn't.


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## richpalm (May 14, 2011)

brted said:


> The really cheap lights aren't going to have higher end LED's like XP-G or XM-L.
> 
> I have a couple of Solarforce lights and they are nice. But I put a P60 I had made in my L2P and it didn't work because the 18650 wasn't making contact with the driver's built-in spring (this is the 2.8A NANJG driver). The L2P battery compartment seems just a little too long. Worked fine in a L2 and worked fine in a Ultrafire 504B. Sometimes cheaper works better. Sometimes it doesn't.



That's why I build my own dropins!

The _first_ thing to do is get rid of that ridiculous little spring on the NANG driver. I fashion a copper stud for mine and stay careful with battery insertion... works fine and no more contact probs.

Rich


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## mitro (May 15, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> Why bother? Since the only thing that natters to some is cost, we can all just make due with a 2D inca. costing a dollar.


 If it does the exact same things as a 2D incan at 5x the price and I have to buy one, I would be silly not to buy the dollar one.

They're aluminum tubes.

If cost was all that mattered to some, they wouldn't make a hobby out of flashlights. They'd collect bottlecaps.

Cost isn't everything. Light is. I like getting the most for my money. That doesn't mean I like junk. Once I replace the glass, bezel, and switch in the tailcap (which I would do with either a 6p or a L2) you're left with one tube that fits a 18650 and one that doesn't. Other than that, what can be the *significant* difference between the two? I can't figure it out, but its apparently what you're paying for.


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## Dsoto87 (May 15, 2011)

It sounded like this was more an issue with the drop-in rather than the host. Besides my m61 I have yet to come across a drop-in that wont work right out of the box (aside from possibly having to trim the outer spring a little).

L2Ps are as good as any p60 host. They are not your run of the mill chinese garbage. I love my C2s but I love my L2Ps even more. They look great and perform just as well. I wish I could use my C2s at work but for the price I paid, Im scared to drop them. On the other hand, I dont mind using and abusing my $20 host. If it gets too dinged up, Ill just buy another. I can do this MULTIPLE times before I surpass the price I paid for that 1 C2



> no; it didn't cost less after purchasing the L2 host and then the other two pieces.


L2P=$20 for a host which already contains a bezel ring that doesnt "chew up pockets" (add $5 if you want a stainless steel one)
S6 Foward Clicky=$8

So you will end up paying between $28-35 for an 18650 host with either an aluminum or stainless steel bezel and a forward clicky rated to 3 amps...

How the hell did you get a brand new surefire host for cheaper than you paid for the L2 and 2 extra parts?


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## Erzengel (May 15, 2011)

When You live outside North America, the price/performance ratio will shift extremely in favor of Solarforce. My life doesn't depend on my lights, therefore a Solarforce is good enough for me and better for the budget of a student.


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## parkerdude (May 21, 2011)

Monocrom said:


> My first Solarforce light was an L600 model. Being a copy of a semi-decent G&P light, I shouldn't have expected much. And didn't get much. I liked the overall concept, so I spent quite a bit more for a quality alternative (SureFire M4 w/ Leef 2x18650 body). Heard some good things about the Solarforce L2 host. Knowing it was a blatant copy of the SureFire 6P, I figured this design would be significantly better than my first Solarforce light. It was. But the construction on the inside was clearly rough. Not nearly as good as any of the C-series SureFires, including my 6P models.
> 
> I put a Solarforce forward-clickie switch on it, took the ridiculously sharp bezel-ring off, replaced it with a less aggressive Solarforce stainless steel bezel-ring; and gave the light away. The person who received it was very grateful. The quality compared to a genuine 6P simply wasn't there. It looked fine on the outside and, overall, is pretty decent. (Especially if you don't have to spend extra to replace the tailcap and bezel-ring like I did.)
> 
> Aftermarket parts designed to fit SureFire lights will quite often not work properly (or if at all) in a blatant SureFire copy. I have two Malkoff drop-ins. Both work perfectly in my SureFire lights.



Did it work?

I thought this was a budget light forum. When I look, I can't tell the difference between expensive light and inexpensive light. I do know that I won't be owning any of the expensive lights, but if you see my light, make sure that you're friend not foe. My light is attached to my AR15. Let me know if you can tell which light I'm using.

Boy, it would have really SUCKED to be as good as a real Surefire for less than half the price.

later,


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## parkerdude (May 21, 2011)

What forum is this?





Forum
Flashlights
LED Flashlights
Budget Lights
 My first (and last) Solar Force L2 host
Isn't there any room in the other forums (you know, the one's that don't have "budget" in the title)?




Max_Power said:


> The L2P is my first (and last) Solarforce 2-cell body. It's not bad for $20. However, for another $25 I can get a 6p host with a high-quality forward clicky and no need to shim my Malkoff drop-ins at both ends. If I get the ~$50 Malkoff MD2, I can also add the eminently useful high-low ring at any time. Since I won't go hungry for spending $50 or $150, I prefer the better fit and function.
> 
> Now, if there were a SolarForce Masterpiece with ~4500k color temperature, I might be tempted to buy that.


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## RedForest UK (May 22, 2011)

Right, I am of the opinion that a solarforce L2p or L2 offers a much better price to performance ratio than a surefire 6p or C2. Though it is important to remember that the actual price ratio between these lights varies significantly from where you are located, if I wanted to order over the internet in the UK an L2 is roughly $12, an L2p is $18 and a surefire 6p is about $85. It is stupid to compare either to a '2D incan light' for $1, as they aren't in the same category as either. We aren't 'only concerned with price' but are concerned with getting the best value and quality for our money. I and many others don't consider surefire lights to be worth quite so much extra money than the solarforces, (in fact if both use the same drop-in and neither had a name on even at the same price I would certainly choose the L2p and possibly the L2 over the surefire) but then others do think surefires are worth more, that is possibly just a matter of opinion.

However, to be fair to the OP; I would like to reiterate that he *did not originally post this in the budget forum*. This was posted in 'General Flashlight Discussion' but was later moved here by a moderator. This is even clearly stated if you read the thread through. I'm guessing because it is discussing solarforce, who are generally considered a 'budget' brand, but I do think it's a shame that just because discussion is on a light cheaper than others it must automatically be moved to a forum where it is much less visible.


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## jacktheclipper (May 22, 2011)

"... but I do think it's a shame that just because discussion is on a light cheaper than others it must automatically be moved to a forum where it is much less visible..."

Yep .

Same with the Ultrafire XML dropin ...


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## richpalm (May 22, 2011)

jacktheclipper said:


> "... but I do think it's a shame that just because discussion is on a light cheaper than others it must automatically be moved to a forum where it is much less visible..."
> 
> Yep .
> 
> Same with the Ultrafire XML dropin ...



+1


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## r1derbike (Sep 22, 2011)

Why must a budget light forum be seen as the dregs-of-the-brew? What am I missing here? Or have I just missed the point entirely?


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## march.brown (Sep 22, 2011)

I guess there are some Lumen-snobs out there who just won't buy anything cheap when they can get the same thing for far more money.

Some people do use their torches in "Life or Death" situations like going to the bathroom without disturbing other family members ... I guess that a mega-expensive torch on its lowest power is better than my Solarforce on its lowest power ... We all really need the ultimate in reliability and expense to visit the loo at night.
.


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## mvyrmnd (Sep 22, 2011)

A fully decked out L2P with a S9 tailcap, dropin, SS bezel and clip will set you back $50 or so. At what point is the cutoff for budget?


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## Brian10962001 (Sep 23, 2011)

mvyrmnd said:


> A fully decked out L2P with a S9 tailcap, dropin, SS bezel and clip will set you back $50 or so. At what point is the cutoff for budget?


 
All 100% un needed to have a fully functional tough little flashlight whos looks punch far above its weight 

And I'm talking about the L2P here, I am a budget light fanatic i see no need at all to pay more than 30 bucks for a light, but I won't own another basic L2, much better off with the L2i, or spend the extra and go L2p/m.


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## march.brown (Sep 23, 2011)

Brian10962001 said:


> I won't own another basic L2, much better off with the L2i, or spend the extra and go L2p/m.


L2i is amazing when running on a 18650 battery , particularly with a three-mode drop-in and the non-crenelated bezel ... It will even fit easily in my jacket pocket without damaging the lining ... And I like the reverse clicky switch.

Best "value for money" torch *EVER !*
.


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## atbglenn (Sep 23, 2011)

I love my Solarforce P60 hosts. They're inexpensive, and build quality is way beyond their price.


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## Tuikku (Sep 23, 2011)

Well, I didn´t like my L2P, maybe because of the recessed switch.
L2i and L2m are my favorites, sold L2 also. Perhaps I should try L2 2011 as matte or L2T-


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## Erzengel (Sep 24, 2011)

You can also get some L2P models with a protruding switch at solarforce-sales, if You like forward clickies.


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## Brian10962001 (Sep 24, 2011)

march.brown said:


> L2i is amazing when running on a 18650 battery , particularly with a three-mode drop-in and the non-crenelated bezel ... It will even fit easily in my jacket pocket without damaging the lining ... And I like the reverse clicky switch.
> 
> Best "value for money" torch *EVER !*
> .



Oddly this is exactly how my L2i is setup, and it's the sand color! Most attractive flashlight I own. I run it off of laptop scrounged 18650's now with an XPG drop in and it's the most versatile of all the L2 hosts! My g/f has a silver one that I shaved the crenelations down on so it wouldn't chew up her purse. It has an R2 drop in and she loves it as well.


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## march.brown (Sep 24, 2011)

Brian10962001 said:


> Oddly this is exactly how my L2i is setup, and it's the sand color! Most attractive flashlight I own. I run it off of laptop scrounged 18650's now with an XPG drop in and it's the most versatile of all the L2 hosts! My g/f has a silver one that I shaved the crenelations down on so it wouldn't chew up her purse. It has an R2 drop in and she loves it as well.


My favourite L2i is my sand coloured one though my black one with a crenelated bezel is OK too ... Both my L2's are sand coloured , one with the crenelated bezel ... I also have an L2r in the silver colour which is a nice colour , though personally it is a bit too long and thin ... The L2i is my favourite and I might try one in the silver colour though I don't actually need another torch.

Now that my Skyline 1 is working properly plus all the other assorted (relatively) cheap torches , I will probably stick with what I've got ... My ITP-A2's and ITP-A3's are my EDC torches whilst the ITP-A1 is one of my bedside torches ... I guess I've got enough now if I include the two Maglites that are fitted with Fusion showerheads and the kitchen Maglite LED.

Time will tell though , as my old father used to say "Too much is just enough"
.


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