Excellent multi-purpose bike light

Smonks

I recently purchased a Klarus XT10 flashlight from Taclight.co.uk

I already have some Lumicycle halogen twins for the Mountain bike but was looking for a helmet light and came across the Klarus which I thought was really versatile as it will be good on the road bike but I can also use it on my cycling helmet or climbing helmet when mountaineering - a good back up to my head torch, and it can just be used as a hand torch so serves multiple purposes which I thought made it excellent value for money.

Very powerful beam and good performance and re-chargeable batteries. I found it through this review and then spoke to a chap called Tony at Taclight - certainly knows his stuff and happy to help discuss all the technical aspects and different types of LED available - very good customer service too.

I can highly recommend it but has anyone else got one?

Neal_

Read the below thread, you could have got virtually the same torch plus 2x 18650 batteries and a charger for about £25

viewtopic.php?f=20005&t=12807034

Smonks

Maybe so, but the klarus is bomb proof (they are tactical torches so extremely strong and resilient to vibration and being dropped) and it's the versatility I like so much - it's not just a bike light and it doesn't have a separate battery pack. The quality of construction is second to none and the performance is very very impressive.

I'm more than happy to pay that bit extra for quality and performance.

cooldad

You don't work for them, do you?

The Rookie

cooldad wrote:

You don't work for them, do you?

+1 Sure sounds like an advert!

Simon

Smonks

:shock: Oh yee of little faith!

No, I do not work for them or have any affiliation with them, as far as I'm aware they're a chinese based company anyway - and I don't live in China

Just expressing an opinion is all, I'm happy with the product and letting others know who may be interested.

I could go on about how good my SC Blur is.....would that mean I work for SC? (Wish I did )

The Rookie

OK, but starting a review thread with 'advertising speak' ("they are tactical torches so extremely strong and resilient to vibration and being dropped") in a BUYING advice (which you weren't asking for) forum is more suspicious than a suspicious thing......

Simon

supersonic

Many of the torches in our links are 'tactical' torches, with assault crowns.

supersonic

And having looked at the Klarus it is EXACTLY the same as one of the torches you get from dx for ten quid, just rebranded.

Neal_

supersonic wrote:

And having looked at the Klarus it is EXACTLY the same as one of the torches you get from dx for ten quid, just rebranded.

Indeed which is what I based my £25 all in estimate on...the DX torch mount also gave it away.

Smonks

The Beginner wrote:

OK, but starting a review thread with 'advertising speak' ("they are tactical torches so extremely strong and resilient to vibration and being dropped") in a BUYING advice (which you weren't asking for) forum is more suspicious than a suspicious thing......

Simon

Fair comment Simon, was looking for a 'reviews' thread but couldn't see one so thought this was the most suitable place to make the comment.

Smonks

supersonic wrote:

And having looked at the Klarus it is EXACTLY the same as one of the torches you get from dx for ten quid, just rebranded.

I'd be extremely surprised if that was the case Supersonic. Having spoken in depth to the guy at taclight, he's been working with Klarus on design features and requirements specific to the UK market - I believe they design, develop and manufacture all their own torches and are not simply re-branding a torch, but I can't be 100% sure on that.

diy

as others have said - there is nothing special about that kit. The mount is the cheapo rubbish mount that you can get for a couple of quid. I have some of them and they are OK, but you cannot adjust them which limits where you can put them on your bars. The trigger tail switch serves no purpose on a bike light. The pouch is also unnecessary. CR123As should not be used with XM-ls, though this torch is looking like a 1A unit, so probably just about ok

There are better lights available for 1/4 of the cost. There are similar lights available for 1/10th of the cost.

Plus the sellers address is the very definition of one man and his dog (or should I say whippet) being run from his bedroom a 2up and 2 down in Yorkshire.

amans

I had to sign-up just to join this discussion!

Being a bit of a flashaholic, I own a lot of lights - top brand, cheapo and ones I've made myself. I can see some wild assumptions being made here, so wanted to depart some knowledge. Firstly, there are some good lights on DX for little money. But I have received some terrible products from DX, which I have had to mod - not a big issue for me, but perhaps so for the average torch user. Secondly, you cannot compare a cheap light from DX with a Klarus flashlight and here's why:

- Few people know this, but the former chief engineer from Fenix and the senior designer from Jetbeam work for Klarus. They are the best in the industry as far as I (and a lot of flashaholics) are concerned

- Klarus develop their own circuitry and regulate all of their lights. Many lights on DX are P60 hosts and were designed years ago. So you go and put a high power modern led drop-in into a host that wasn't made for it and you will have heat dissipation problems. The XT10 has been specifically designed to dissipate the amount of heat from the XM-L LED. Had it been an R5, or R2 LED, then perhaps the design would have been different to accommodate the heat dissipation requirements.

- Klarus (and many other good flashlight brands) use ANSI (American National Standards Standards Institute) lumens when they rate their lights. The lights on DX are emitter lumens at best. You will not be getting the stated amount of light from it. It's basically a scam for you to buy it. I have bought high powered drop-ins from there and in many cases, the lumen output has been half of that stated. However, many people are very impressed by DX lights because their only reference point is a maglite or something similar.

- You won't find the same UIs (user interfaces) on DX lights. The two buttons on the back of the XT10 are ingenious and I don't know why it wasn't done before. Gladius tried a rotary switch (which ThruNite recently copied), but it wasn't as easy as the XT10, which is a dream to use.

- Klarus offers a 2 year warranty on all lights and, according to my manual, will continue with any repairs after that period. DX will not do this, unfortunately.

Supersonic, please direct us to the torch that looks "EXACTLY" the same as the Klarus. If one does exist, then perhaps the design has been copied, but I'll bet all the money in my account (not a lot since my latest torch binge!) that the circuitry won't be the same. It'll be like sticking a Porsche body onto an old Cortina.

I like all lights. But please guys, don't make assumptions about lights until you have actually used them and don't compare emitter lumens to ANSI lumens - it can't be done. Now, in terms of the Klarus products, they are streets ahead than the DX stuff. And yes, as a bike light the XT10 is great. Medium mode for road, High for off-road and strobe for the hell of it!

diy

So its not a p60 based unit then?
and Klarus are not based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China?

amans

diy wrote:

So its not a p60 based unit then?

The XT10? Not at all

supersonic

You are correct is not exactly the same now I have zoomed in on it. Of course there are many DX and chinese torches out there. But just where Taclight get the bodies from? Almost undoubtedly same factories unless you can tell me otherwise. Do they make their own circuits? And Fenix are not infallible, seen plenty of problems with those! Klarus are based in China!!!!

The P60 host is not a problem with the XML LEDs driven at 1.4amp and 450OTF lumens. I have lab measurements of this output in the 501b, so your figures are a little off. In some cases the outputs may be half claimed, I have seen it myself, but by no means all! So again, depends on the actual torch, and the ones I and DIY link to are tried and tested models. I have access to a lot of test data as this is part of my job.

If you think it is worth paying 70 quid more for a switch and 2 year warranty, that is fair enough ;-). But I'd rather take 7 torches that just work fine anyway, and have none of these problems you are suggesting.

Streets ahead, no way. IMHO ;-) One 470 lumen XML torch is not enough for me offroad, I'd want at least three, then we are talking 250 quid, absurd for less than 1500 lumen output.

amans

diy wrote:

and Klarus are not based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China?

Yes, they are. Same as Fenix, Jetbeam and Olight - three other great brands.

I own a Surefire, which is essentially a p60 host. It's made in the USA. It's only as good as the drop-in I use and heat dissipation is a problem with the higher power LEDs. Plus, I can't use a rechargeable 18650 cell because the tube isn't wide enough - I would need to bore it out to use one. The lights from Klarus, Fenix, Olight, Jetbeam are much better and they have kept up with technology. China makes some incredible lights and also some terrible cheapo ones. Good and bad, you will see it the world over. Not just in China.

diy

independent review:
http://lygte-info.dk/review/Review%20Kl ... %20UK.html

Its a 1A light not much use at 350 lumen.

supersonic

Thread locked due to suspicious users.