CREE XM-L T6 12OO Lights

richard36
Posts: 346
I've done a search against this light on the forum and whilst there are loads of posts I can't find any that give a straightforward answer to whether these lights are any good (suspect I'm not searching properly).
I live in the country and there is very little traffic. I'm not overly concerned about the light being too bright so what I am wondering is whether I should buy this kind of light as it seems to be very cheap.
I only need it for rides of about 1 - 2 hours and even though I doubt it will give out 1200 lumens nevertheless I'm sure they are still very bright.
Is there anything else out there that is about £25 which is better or brighter?
Thanks
I live in the country and there is very little traffic. I'm not overly concerned about the light being too bright so what I am wondering is whether I should buy this kind of light as it seems to be very cheap.
I only need it for rides of about 1 - 2 hours and even though I doubt it will give out 1200 lumens nevertheless I'm sure they are still very bright.
Is there anything else out there that is about £25 which is better or brighter?
Thanks
0
Comments
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A few of us have them for winter and night riding although we have a variety of models depending when they were bought. Experience is mixed but on the whole they work, give out loads of light.
We have had some problems with lights flickering on bumpy roads and batteries not being reliable. Personally I haven't had those problems. I have two mounted on my bars and a headtorch on my helmet.
The things to look out for are:
1. Mounts - I bought two which were described as being suitable for bars up the oversized diameter. They would not attach to oversized with the bolt provided, I ended up using zip ties. They fit mtb bars.
2. The chargers are rubbish. In fact I received an email last week telling me to return the batteries and chargers because trading standards have condemned them. Head torches seem to charge whilst in the torch. Others have to be removed and placed in the dodgy chargers.Dear customer
Product warning: UltraFire 4000mAh 18650 Li-ion Rechargeable Battery + UK Wall Travel Charger
It has been brought to our attention by the Trading Standards Authority that there are safety risks associated with the above product, which you have purchased from eBay seller Wedo-Bestdeal.
These risks may cause serious injury.
As a precaution we ask that you stop using this product immediately and return it to:
Address:
Qiong Hou,
Unit 53, Basepoint Business Centres, Shearway Business Park,
Folkestone, CT19 4RH,Kent,UK
Please write your ebay ID on the package so we can find your information. thank you !
Once the product has been returned, eBay seller Wedo-Bestdeal can arrange a full refund.0 -
Thanks for your reply
Presumably your comments relate to all the Cree lights ie. 1200, 1600 and 1800 lumens?
In relation to the charger again I assume I could use my own charger?
Is there one ebay supplier who is better than the others?
Cheers0 -
Cree XML T6 is just a make and model of LED. The chargers, batteries, driver circuits etc. all vary from one light manufaturer to another.- - - - - - - - - -
On Strava.{/url}0 -
As above Cree XML doesn't tell you much - check out this
viewtopic.php?f=20005&t=12660193
and the associated BIg Lights thread -
don't believe the lumens claimed but if you get a couple of 501b torches you would have to be amazingly unlucky to not get enough light for what you need for about £10 or so each. For what its worth I ordered from DealExtreme and got everything quick and its worked fine. I also ordered a 501 from a UK Ebay dealer and it went on the blink and they refunded my dosh so just ordered replacements from another UK based dealer.
As ohters have said there can be issues with these torches but they are super cheap and dead easy to fix, modify and upgrade IMO they are well well worth it - find a post from forum member DIY and follow the links in his signature to find out how to troublshoot these torches and other advice on where to buy ---- or if your loaded and don't care about money buy a branded bike light of similar power0 -
I run two Cree XML-T6 torches and they're great for country lanes at night or mountain biking in the dark. I also like to run a small head torch so I can look at my speedo or work on the bike if needed. Always have more than one light source front and back in case of problems.We have had some problems with lights flickering on bumpy roads
So did one of mine. If the battery rattles put a thin layer of sellotape around it until it's a snug fit. I solved my flicker by resoldering the connection inside the end cap.http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!0 -
Meant to add, www.torchythebatteryboy.com test chargers and batteries, he'll sell you the best at a good price. He's on ebay too.http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!0 -
Thanks for your replies - much appreciated0