Posted: 9/29/2015 4:51:34 PM EDT
|
I'm seeing all kinds of Cree flashlights on Amazon with incredible output ratings, like 300-1,000 lumens. These things are like 5 bucks shipped from China. Is this legit or are these knockoffs?
http://www.slickguns.com/product/mini-cree-led-flashlight-torch-adjustable-focus-light-lamp-300-lm-344-free-shipping |
|
i need to buy more.
i had bought 8 or so 6 years ago from china and one came bad and the others were awesome. they eventually got given away or the batteries corroded in them. they were AA's they make great Christmas presents as for some reason everyone thinks their 20 year old mag light is still tits. |
|
Light in link: I got one from a friend for free and it's a handy little pocket light. The only negative is when you adjust the light for long distances. The CREE led board shows up in the beam because of the round lens. If it's a certain brand "clone" then I'd use caution. If they're knocking off brands, chances are their LEDs may be a knock off.
I used a CR14505 3.0v AA battery. Standard AA batteries are terrible with this light. 
|
In my experience it has been a real toss up. I bought surefire knock offs for a few of my gats and they work well even now. The only time they suck is when it is really cold but that is a weakness of LED tech to my understanding. Surefire basically admitted when LED was becoming a thing that the LED components for all companies basically come from the same place in China.(that has likely changed now) That the only real difference was they used the higher grade electronics which were more expenisive. So these other cree lights use the same stuff as the good ones it is just lower grade and has a higher rate of failure but it is legit as well as a knock off if that makes sense. 
|
| I bought a few of the 1,000 lumen cheapies on eBay. Great for the price, one died almost immediately. The other three work great, bought a dozen 18650 batteries, learned later that the 'ultra fire' brands are mostly recycled Chinese batteries in new cladding. They mark dark times bright times. Good enough for me. |
|
It's just a Sipik68 zoomie clone. I got my sister to buy 4 of them for $24 delivered and they work fairly well. As was stated, the LED die will show up as a black square when zoomed out I believe, but that's more of a nit. The output is closer to 150LM on an alkaleak, but perhaps closer to 300LM on a 14500 lithium-ion cell.
If you get working versions, they're good beater lights for people who aren't into lights. Chris |
|
I bought 3 at about the same price, though not the specific brand you showed, they appear identical.
They work great and are sufficiently bright, more so than any of my old school maglites, for sure. No problems with any of them yet. Considering how cheap they were, I consider them a fantastic deal for spare flash lights. I have one in both glove boxes, though admittedly I also have a Surefire in one of my cars so that in the event I need a real light, I am not trusting my late night tire change on either of them. |