What are your favorite drop ins?

[ledbetter]

So many have been made and I’ve only had or tried a handful so I’d like to hear other opinions. Here are my top 3 not in any order:

M30-versatility of using any single battery and the optics make it a pretty good thrower. Currently a favorite travel light in a vme head and an aa mdc body running a 14500(capacity now rivals 18350s which isn’t great but works for me) with the option of using a single aa if needed.

M61w LLLL - favorite camp light and chore light. Really nice beam and tint doesn’t freak you out for close work. Currently in a surefire g2 with a malkoff tail cap so it can tail stand for a night light, and use silicone toe shields to convert it into a useful lantern.

M91b N v.1 - ok, maybe this is my favorite. Really nice tint and beam and versatility. Currently in md2 with hi/lo running either 18350s or single 18650. Have oveready extender to run two 18650s but really haven’t used this set up much.

 

[archimedes]

M30WF • Excellent general purpose beam, and very useful working voltage range.

M60W-MCE • Always liked this emitter, and having one in a tough and reliable Malkoff shell is a bonus.

M60LL • Versatile output options when powered with different battery choices.

Honorable mention ... M361N-LMH • Best tint of any of my Malkoff dropins, I'd say.

 

[thermal guy]

M91BN from first run 5000K and my M60N. Both see a lot of action and both have great tints. The fact that the 91 will run off of just about any battery setup is a plus.

M361W. First GB. Fantastic tint and very versatile.

 

[troutpool]

M61N LLLL is the one I use the most.

 

[ledbetter]

M30WF • Excellent general purpose beam, and very useful working voltage range.

M60W-MCE • Always liked this emitter, and having one in a tough and reliable Malkoff shell is a bonus.

M60LL • Versatile output options when powered with different battery choices.

Honorable mention ... M361N-LMH • Best tint of any of my Malkoff dropins, I'd say.

Is the 361N with the current sst20 led?

 

[dotCPF]

My W M61 LLLL probably sees the most use in a C3 w/ tripcap.

I'm a huge M361N fan, I have a current SST-20 version and it is stellar, true neutral. Might swap over to a RCR123 setup, or go to 16650 as it's currently on an 18650 E body.

Honorable mention to my new M61W, though I wish it were the L or LL version with the same tint, it's spectacular!

 

[bykfixer]

M61NL
M61WLL
M61N4L sst.
In that order.

I've tried a bunch and those are my favorites.

 

[archimedes]

Is the 361N with the current sst20 led?

No, mine is a 4000K XP-G2

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Complete respect for Malkoff. (I did not initially see this was in the Malkoff section)

 

[PoliceScannerMan]

M91BN First run
M61N (SST)
M61 LLLL (SST)

 

[greatscoot]

M91BN both 4000K and 5000K (especially the 5000K) 1st run
M61 HiCRI2
M60WF

 

[Jose Marin]

M61HOT 1st gen with a very light diffuser to smooth out beam
M61LLL 219b v3 from illumn

 

[5S8Zh5]

4K M61 NLLLL V2 SST-20 95 CRI

5K M61 NLLLL Cree XP-G2

 

[etc]

I seem to be using M61T in MD2 as my EDC.

As a backup, I keep MD3 with M61LLL

 

[Owen]

M61HOT with Lee 206 filter.
Surprising, considering it was my first cool white LED since ~2008, but with the filter it has a very pleasing tint. Still a bit cool alongside a 4500K(and very much so compared to a 4000K), but in some situations I actually prefer it.

Love the big spot, and the fact that it's made for running off 1xli-ion a la M30, which makes it a bit of a unicorn in the lineup, and something I'd like to see more of from Malkoff.
Much better beam quality than the M30/M60 variants, with triple the output, and just a fantastic user.

This thing comes out of my pocket dozens of times per night, and I still get tickled about the beam almost every time...unless I've just been using my neutral Hound Dog:ironic:

 

[ledbetter]

I wonder why the M61hot has such a narrow voltage range? The same as the multi mode lights. Is it a typo? Why would a change in the lens change voltage?

 

[thermal guy]

They have different drivers

 

[ledbetter]

They have different drivers

Whoops! I guess I forgot to consider the HO part or of the HOT drop in.

 

[Owen]

I wonder why the M61hot has such a narrow voltage range? The same as the multi mode lights. Is it a typo? Why would a change in the lens change voltage?

The optic doesn't have anything to do with it.
The M61HOT's circuit is made for a single li-ion, so you get constant brightness instead of dwindling output as the battery voltage drops.
Look at the runtime chart of the standard M61 with a buck circuit on a 3500mAh 18650:

Now look at the M61HOT with the same battery:

The M61HOT has twice the regulated runtime at much higher output(and the current version is brighter than the generation shown in this test, at ~740 lumens OTF), because it makes better use of the available power. It is far superior for running off an 18650, which is, in turn, a far superior power source to the CR123As the M61 and previous M60 dropins were designed for multiples of.

There's a lot of performance being left on the table here.
You could bump the current of that M61HOT up another amp, be knocking down 900+ lumens OTF like a M91, and STILL have more regulated runtime from an 18650 than a standard M61, not to mention long, rock solid regulation for the lower output modules.
Is it a narrow voltage range? Sure, but it's an optimized one.

I put that on the "wish list" some time ago, and would still like to see more Malkoffs designed around single li-ions. It's not like there's any question about them being here to stay.

 

[Robot Mania FU]

M61WLL (SST) is hands down my favorite. I have an m61w with xp g2 in my md2, but I find myself carrying the M61WLL with the sst20 in a VME head on a shrouded 123 body running on 16340's. It is such a perfect little light for every day use.