# Tactical 50W HID SPOTLIGHT 4500 lumen Flashlight Torch



## davee930 (Aug 23, 2010)

Hey guys,

I was looking at this product on ebay and it looks too good to be true. Anybody have this light? I've never had an HID light before, but I want to get the brightest spotlight for the money and this looks like a good fit. I have a Solarforce L1000 right now that I'll try to sell and upgrade to this.
What do you think? I don't know much about HID lights.

Tactical-50W-HID-SPOTLIGHT-4500-lumen-Flashlight-Torch


----------



## HKJ (Aug 23, 2010)

HID are very bright and has good throw if they are focused properly. They only have one brightness or two that are rather close. They are slow starters, it takes some second to reach a decent brightness and may take up to one minute before it is stabilized at full brightness.
On my website there a a couple of beamshots that include HID lights, mostly my favourite the L35, but I also have a some others.


----------



## DavyCrockett (Aug 23, 2010)

Davee, I have the 35W version of this, and it's great. I've been chomping at the bit to buy this one. Wish I'd waited to buy this one instead. I'd say it's the real McCoy and the price is very good. Find the auction that says make an offer...bottom line is, they'll take $170 for it, that's shipping included. (i offered $100 on it, just to see what they'd say, and they came back with "you can buy it for $130. plus the $40 shipping) Let us know how you like it, if you get it. 
Davy


----------



## big4x4 (Aug 23, 2010)

Hey everybody. I have been using that exact light for about 2 weeks now. love it. It is the real deal a good 30-35% brighter than my old 35w tactical hid. Awesome flood and great throw! Stanley hid will outthrow it by a bit. However it is pretty obvious more lumens are getting thrown out of this new guy. I have beam shots and more observations to come when I get back from vacation this Friday.


----------



## davee930 (Aug 24, 2010)

Awesome thanks for the info I want to get this light now. How is the battery life? Do you know how waterproof it is? So it should blow my solarforce l1000 out of the water then huh?


----------



## big4x4 (Aug 25, 2010)

LOL. No comparison. I'm an LED fan too, but its really not even close... You will see. It gets brighter after breaking it in as well! I sold my 35w right after comparing them, and now I just bought another of these 50W lights! I have a sickness I tell you!


----------



## Plan B (Aug 25, 2010)

big4x4 said:


> LOL. No comparison. I'm an LED fan too, but its really not even close... You will see. It gets brighter after breaking it in as well! I sold my 35w right after comparing them, and now I just bought another of these 50W lights! I have a sickness I tell you!



After reading this thread it has just made me want one also! :laughing:

Do you know if you are able to get spare globes for this light? How would you rate the build quality of this light? And is yours black or silver?

Hurry up with those beamshots!


----------



## stollman (Aug 25, 2010)

I looked up the light. Bulb temp is 6000k - Output is probably a little blue. It would be nice if they offered it in 4500-5000K


----------



## DavyCrockett (Aug 25, 2010)

Wouldn't bet on it being waterproof.
 
Heads up, most there will charge you an extra $30 US for the carrying case, so if that's what you want, add $30. If not, tell them, and you'll get the light for $170 to $189 US. 
 
They tell you the battery life in their ad.


----------



## davee930 (Aug 26, 2010)

Thanks for the info. Do you really get 80 minutes on high? I offered 100 and they counteroffered 120 but I said I wanted the case which would be another 30 and they won't go below 160 now for some reason. 
Can't wait for those beamshots though!


----------



## amaretto (Aug 26, 2010)

ordered it too. will review it soon.


----------



## HIDSGT (Aug 26, 2010)

What exactly is Tactical about that?:thinking: It's 14.5 inches long....:thumbsdow


----------



## davee930 (Aug 26, 2010)

Because you can use it like a baseball bat


----------



## DavyCrockett (Aug 26, 2010)

You guys are killing me.  :candle:  

(Tactical is just a word they used to get more hits.)


----------



## big4x4 (Aug 27, 2010)

I am back from vacation. I'm putting up the beamshots and observations in a new thread. Look for it in about an hour.


----------



## sweisholtz (Aug 29, 2010)

Thanks so much for the price info-will come in handy in ordering


----------



## MannyDLights (Sep 1, 2010)

$160.00 is about median range on this light ..... and it's worth it .... They are Greeeeat ...... :thumbsup:


----------



## mknewman (Sep 24, 2010)

Got mine, love it. There is some variation to the color of the beam but after I charge it up and put some time on it I expect it to get better.

Does anyone know what replacement bulbs are used for this?


----------



## dudemar (Sep 25, 2010)

mknewman said:


> Does anyone know what replacement bulbs are used for this?



Chances are you'll never end up having to replace it because HID bulbs typically have a 2000-3000 hour bulb life. By the time you go through 4-5 sets of batteries you might end up having to replace the bulb. That is, of course, if the company will still be around by then.


----------



## Oztorchfreak (Sep 25, 2010)

davee930 said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I was looking at this product on ebay and it looks too good to be true. Anybody have this light? I've never had an HID light before, but I want to get the brightest spotlight for the money and this looks like a good fit. I have a Solarforce L1000 right now that I'll try to sell and upgrade to this.
> What do you think? I don't know much about HID lights.
> ...


 

I hope what you are looking at does not result in a disappointing purchase of a similar style of torch that I purchased.

I posted a thread on my bad experience in buying a Teking brand 35W HID.

The thread is below.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/285279

The batteries were a huge problem.

Adjustment of the beam gave me a crappy spot or a completely out of focus brownish stained flood.

I now have a completely useless standby torch near my front door.

The batteries drain after charging within a week and drain even faster when in the torch.

My HID had some parasitic drain happening in it.

I ended up buying a Stanley 35W HID and it really rips into the night.

It has a lot better throw than the Teking HID torch.

Also I can easily buy a new SLA battery for it when it gets low in capacity.

I leave the Stanley HID on charge all of the time so that I know it is ready to go when needed for street noises etc.

The other torches that are good performers are the Titanium Innovations N30 and L35.

As CPFers have said to me, this style of chinese HID torch is a real hit and miss affair.

It is a lucky dip and also the torch is supplied from maybe a little known or dubious seller.

I like dealing with a local dealer in case of warranty or repairs.

Good luck and do your research. :candle:


----------



## dudemar (Sep 25, 2010)

Oztorchfreak said:


> The other torches that are good performers are the Titanium Innovations N30 and L35.


 
I would like to add to the list the L30. Great light.:thumbsup:



Oztorchfreak said:


> As CPFers have said to me style of HID torch is a real hit and miss affair.



I'm going to hazard to guess you meant "tube style of HID". This is true for many Chinese manufactures, but Polarion, AE Light, Titanium Innovations, Tactical, Oracle, etc all make very reliable tube-style HIDs. You also brought up a few great points...



Oztorchfreak said:


> It is a lucky dip and also the torch is supplied from maybe a little known or dubious seller.



Most of the Chinese HID flashlight sellers on eBay are fly by night, as are the manufacturers. Remeber LumenTek?

Which brings us to your next point...



Oztorchfreak said:


> I like dealing with a local dealer in case of warranty or repairs.
> 
> Good luck and do your research. :candle:



:thumbsup:

Which is why I would spend a little more to buy from the seller in Florida, not from China. Hopefully there will soon be more sellers in Oz/NZ.


----------



## Oztorchfreak (Sep 26, 2010)

dudemar said:


> I would like to add to the list the L30. Great light.:thumbsup:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 


Do you think the Lion batteries in most of these chinese junk torches are a common problem?

The torch has parasitic drain, how common would this be in other chinese junk torches?

I mean a week or two of charge is ridiculous in or out of the torch!!

I nearly bought a 35W HID from Tactical Leds in the USA but decided to go local and this turned out to be a big mistake as I have not had any satisfactory offers by the dealer to replace the torch as I posted before on CPF.

I changed my signature line as you pointed out to reflect the "tube style" description of my Teking HID piece of junk. 

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...d.php?t=285279

So even local dealers are only as good as their moral fibres are. 

I am a lot happier with my Stanley 35W HID. It is a good performer and a better thrower than the Teking crap could ever be.

If I have a battery problem then I can change the old battery over to a new easily available SLA reasonably easily. :ironic:


----------



## Norm (Sep 26, 2010)

Oztorchfreak said:


> The torch has parasitic drain, how common would this be in other chinese junk torches?


There should be no reason why this style of light would need to have any current draw when switched off.

Norm


----------



## Oztorchfreak (Sep 26, 2010)

Norm said:


> There should be no reason why this style of light would need to have any current draw when switched off.
> 
> Norm


 

The batteries in these torches are usually 6 x 18650s in a cylindrical container.

When I first received my light the first runtime test I did after charging was half of what was claimed.

I repeated the runtime tests many times.

After telling the dealer a few months after I purchased this torch he sent me another battery and after charging the new one it did exactly the same thing.

The claims of around 2hrs runtime on high are ridiculous as I have only gotten about 50mins max.

I just wonder how many people have torches similar to this one I have and have had exactly the same problems.

I can't be the only person that has bad batteries that discharge like these ones do.

I just wonder where dealers like Tactical Hids get their batteries from.

Maybe they use a battery that costs a little bit more but is reliable.

I has left me with a totally unreliable torch that I will never use again.

The Stanley 35W HID is now my always ready "big emergency torch".


----------



## Norm (Sep 26, 2010)

There is no way a 50 Watt HID is going to run for 2 hours on 6 X 18650's your 50 min runtime sounds about right.

My home made 35 Watt HID runs about 1.5 hrs on a 16V 4.5Ah lipo.
Norm


----------



## Oztorchfreak (Sep 26, 2010)

Norm said:


> There is no way a 50 Watt HID is going to run for 2 hours on 6 X 18650's your 50 min runtime sounds about right.
> 
> My home made 35 Watt HID runs about 1.5 hrs on a 16V 4.5Ah lip.
> Norm


 

Thanks Norm,


My battery packs are rated at 11.1V and a capacity of 5200mah.

They both give me around 55 minutes maximum on high.

The picture below shows a similar kit to to the one that I bought.

My kit came packaged exactly the same as this one with all of the accesories laid out the same way.









The battery pack in my kit is gold coloured the same as this and my torch was black in colour.

I should have bought from Tactical HID but I did what I thought was right and bought from a local dealer in Victoria that turned out to be *SHADY*.

I now deal with a nearby Sydney dealer for my medium size lights.

He has Olight, Surefire, ITP, Pelican, Jetbeam, Maglite and Nitecore as his regular stock items.

It is not easy finding local sealers in Sydney as far as I have found.

Below is the product description from the Teking manufacturer.

The battery capacity shown in this info states 4400mah but mine is 5200mah.

These chinese websites are usually stuffed up in some of the details.

At the start of this product info it states 5200mah and then when you scroll down it states 4400mah.

Apart from the exagerated runtimes the biggest overstatement is this - Irradiation distance: ≥1.5 KM

This is probably describing the fact that in good weather you could see this tiny pinpoint of light when it goes on and off at 1.5Kms.

These claims are misleading and the Manufacturers should detail what this figure is all about. 


*Teking X1 HID Torch*

*Detailed Product Description*

35W/28W Two-gear Adjustable HID Flashlight 
Power: 35W--28W 
Lumen: 3400LM(at 5000K)/35w 
Rechargeable Li-ion Battery: 5200mAh 



*35W/28W Two-gear Adjustable HID Flashlight*

Bulb type: HID (High Intensity Discharge) Lamp
Power: 35W--28W
Lumen: 3400LM(at 5000K)/35w, 2750LM/22750LM/28w
Continual illuminate time: 100min/35w, 140min/28w
Bright color temperature: 5000K(standard), 4300K, 6000K, 8000K, 10000K
Irradiation distance: ≥1.5 KM
Bulb life span: >3000hrs
Light starting time: &e: ≤ 0.4 second to start quick; ≤5 seconds to full brightness
Optical efficiency max: 100LM/W
Reflector: High Efficiency, Aluminium alloy
Glass lens: High-temp toughened quartz glass lenquartz glass lens
HID flashlight ballast input voltage: 8~16V
HID flashlight ballast working current: 3.2A
HID flashli flashlight ballast starting current: 8A max
HID flashlight ballast output voltage: oltage: 85V normal (23KV temporary starting-up max)
Battery type: SANYO ICR18650 Lithium Cell / 3X2 / 4400mAH
Battery setup style: Cartle: Cartre: Cartridge-style(enabling easy swap)
Battery life span: >500 times
Battery pack weight: 400G
Backup light: 2X1W LED bulit D bulit in battery pack
Dimension: L: 370mm, Head: D81m, Torch: D46mm
Material: Aerospace-Grade Aluminium alloy (6061 T6) -
Surface treatment: Flat Black Type III Hard Anodized Finized Finish
Flashlight Color: Silver or Black
Head running running temperature: 80 max
Weight: 840G
Battery AC charger input: 100~240VAC 50/60Hz 0.8A max
Battery charger output: 12.6VDC, 1.8A
Charging time: About 4 hrs
Starting environment temperature: 0 ~ +50ºC
Working environment temperature: -20 ~ +50ºC


*LET THE BUYER BEWARE!!*


----------



## dudemar (Sep 26, 2010)

It sucks you ended up with a shady dealer.:shakehead

Personally if you want a nice tube-style HID, I would go with the Tactical 26W. US $274 shipped internationally is unheard of for an HID of its quality:

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=226689

The Titanium Innovations L30 also looks like a great tube style HID. I'm not sure how much international shipping would be, but you can always ask MattK at Battery Junction. Obviously it'll be more expensive, but it would be money well spent IMO.


----------



## Oztorchfreak (Sep 26, 2010)

dudemar said:


> It sucks you ended up with a shady dealer.:shakehead
> 
> Personally if you want a nice tube-style HID, I would go with the Tactical 26W. US $274 shipped internationally is unheard of for an HID of its quality:
> 
> ...


 

What does worry me with the Tactical HID is the colours that are greenish in the photos showing what the beam looks like on their website.

The crappy Teking 35W HID that I have puts out a bluish tint mainly because of the higher colour temp bulb that they used.

I have also noticed most HIDs don't light the subjects up all that crisply.

They always look blurry to me as I have found with both of my HIDs.

The Olight SR90 has a beautiful beam and the pictures in the beamshots in the shootouts show that fact when compared to other torches or HIDs.

I would now buy an Olight SR90 over a HID if I could afford one.

Instant light, swappable battery packs and strobe.


----------



## dudemar (Sep 26, 2010)

Oztorchfreak,

Don't let your crappy experience with the Teking 35W sour your perception of HIDs in general.

Keep in mind both of your HIDs *are not* the epitome of what a good quality HID flashlight is capable of. Once you get your hands on a decent HID, trust me, you will never go back to LED. There's a reason why HIDs have such a following on CPF.

I do see the greenish tint you speak of in the hotspot of the 26W beamshot. I can't say for sure, but it's possible the sample light being photographed is behaving that way. In the actual production lights this may not exist because no two HID bulb's beam patterns are alike. Even if it did exist, I would take the Tactical 26W any day over the Teking 35W.

As for LEDs having better beam patterns than HIDs, apples and oranges. They are two completely different animals. To expect identical performance from both is unfair. LEDs have instant on and off/strobe, while HID has the advantage of superior throw and color rendition. By HIDS being "blurry" I'm guessing you're referring to the artifacts caused by the bulb inside a smooth reflector. Even Polarion lights have "artifacts", and in the real world you really don't notice it. 

In the end whatever floats your boat, go for it. The SR90 is a nice light in its own right, and I wouldn't stop you from buying it.


----------



## davee930 (Sep 26, 2010)

I haven't received my new ballast yet but the seller said he's going to send me an extra new bulb also for the hassle. 
Is there anything you can do to smooth out the beam like an orange peel reflector?


----------



## dudemar (Sep 27, 2010)

Short of a diffuser or OP reflector there isn't a whole lot you can do. I know some folks used Glad Press N Seal to diffuse their N30s, but I can see the potential fire hazard if left on too long. Personally I wouldn't recommend doing this.


----------



## romteb (Oct 18, 2010)

Just received mine. (bought it for 120$ excluding shipping)

Took it out while walking the dog in the forest for almost an hour.

The beam is not the smoothest but you totally forget it in actual use, the tint is very nice, not too cool at all, with a reflector this size the beam is obviously not extremely collimated but the huge amount of lumens easily make up for that and the throw is actually very good.

I'm very impressed after an hour of use, the real test will be to see how it ages though.


----------



## Oztorchfreak (Oct 19, 2010)

romteb said:


> Just received mine. (bought it for 120$ excluding shipping)
> 
> Took it out while walking the dog in the forest for almost an hour.
> 
> ...


 

I am interested to see how long your batteries last.

My 35W HID started losing capacity within two months of getting it as per my thread on the Teking piece of rubbish.

The second battery that I was sent did the same thing.

After charging fully you are left with a battery that is flat within two weeks of charging even if the battery is not in the torch.

I hope you have more luck with your HID.


----------



## olebob (Oct 19, 2010)

I've had my 50w for a couple of weeks now. ($170 including ship.)
Run through a full discharge/recharge cycle and no problems.
The thing gets Really hot with longer runs(15 mins).

The artifact rings are pretty/really bad.

Only real complaint so far is the plastic neckstrap ring.
(the only black parts on the silver unit pictured above)
One of them is split at the bottom away from the screw clamp at the top.
It appears to be 2 halves glued together.
Once it splits you can forget carrying it by the strap.
Just be advised if you try to remove the ring and spread it too much, you'll pop it in half. Mine was split right out of the case.
Super glue was a joke but it appears Gorilla glue is working well.
If I was to fully tighten the clamp now, it would pop it in half again.
If that fails I may resort to a wire band to hold it together?


----------



## romteb (Oct 21, 2010)

Just did a runtime test today.(with a fan for cooling)

I got 75min on the 50W setting.


----------



## scotty59 (Oct 24, 2010)

i had problems with my second battery. It didnt fit into the flashlight. I had to use my dremel and a fine sanding sponge to remove some material from the battery tube. Now it is not looking very nice, but it slides into the flashlight like the other one (which came with the flashlight).


----------



## romteb (Oct 25, 2010)

Did another runtime test today on the 38W setting.

I got 92 minutes.


----------

