The CREE XM-L T6 LED Zoomable Flashlight is available under a couple of brands, so you might find it for sale branded as an UltraFire product, and also suffers from a few lower-quality copycat versions. This flashlight gets mixed reviews and as a result it scores 3.7/5 from Amazon customers.
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Review of the CREE XM-L T6 LED Zoomable Flashlight
Available for under $10, this CREE model uses LED technology that is claimed to last 100,000 hours. The flashlight has three modes; High, Low, and Strobe. It has one white LED bulb and has a claimed maximum beam distance of 250 yards at high power.
There are two battery options available: you can use three AAA batteries or use one 18650 rechargeable battery. Expect the batteries to last between 2-4hours when operating on high beam. (Some vendors sell the flashlight complete with batteries, charging more). Based on customer feedback, there are this flashlight can suffer from charging problem if you go for the rechargeable 3.7v battery option. The batteries are fitted to the flashlight either using a cartridge for the AAA batteries or a plastic case for the rechargeable battery (which is attached to the flashlight).
The body of this flashlight is black aluminium, is compact in design and has a good grip – with the craftsmanship and casing materials used of a very good quality.
One feature of this model is the zoom – but this also can cause problems; some customers have resorted to applying WD-40 light oil to get it to turn smoothly.
Although badged as producing 1600 lumens, it’s hard to see how it can do this with the battery power used, so 1000 lumens is a more realistic output – though still very bright. According to flashlight experts, with the triple AAA batteries, it would only be possible to achieve a maximum of about 1000 lumens if it is powered by 10 watts.
Summary
This is a good-looking flashlight that gets a lot of mixed user feedback. The 1600LM Lumen Zoomable Flashlight has some extreme feedback on Amazon and this averages to a rating of 3.7/5 stars (but do take a look at the comments posted to make sure that a feature you need is not causing problems). Although a low price, you’ll find many other models that do a better job.
Top 5 Main Features
- 1600 lumens although expect output equivalent to 1000 lumens
- Zoom function
- 3 mode: High, Low, and Strobe
- Two battery options: AAA and 3.7 rechargeable
- Good price, but make extra certain it isn’t an inferior copycat version
Physical Features
- Size: 6 inches (length) x 1 inch x 1.5 inches
- Weight: 5.7 ounces, shipping weight is 14.7 ounces
- Battery Type: 8 watt battery, three AAA batteries which are not normally included. The 3.7 volt rechargeable battery is a second option and the package comes with a sleeve to fit this type of battery
- Power/Lumens: 1600 lumens on high mode
- Body Material: Black aluminum
- Mount: None
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