What's the best carry-able HOT ROD?

Well thnx, now I need one :wink:

Very interesting! thanks for all the replies!

As far as the Wuben E05, I’ve asked for the GB price on the T050R which just began today so that’s definitely a contender! Although, a 21700 light is definitely a jacket pocket able light only IMO.

I’ve read a TON about Convoy lights on BLF and they seem to be VERY popular. I’ve done some searches and can’t find an actual website for Convoy? Does anyone know if they have one? I’m assuming based on the frequency they’re talked about on BLF that they’re very high quality products?

That Jaxman E2L looks great, in fact it looks like a direct competitor to my current EDC the Olight S1R. Being that I love my S1R I can vouch that a light that’s nearly identical and probably much cheaper would be a GREAT pocket hotrod!

I’ve never heard of the Maxtoch E1+ which seems at first glance to be a direct competitor with the Emisar D4? Does anyone know more about this light? What’s the verdict on it in comparison with the Emisar D4/D4S?

I appreciate the Olight suggestions and I’m a big fan, but Olight is in the class of Acebeam for me. I currently EDC an S1R and have for 2+ years but Olight is overpriced compared to all the quality manufacturers coming up. Plus, I don’t ever get real results from their Turbo/Turbo S runtime. My S1R Turbo (600lm) runs for the stated 1:30 but the Turbo S (900lm) runs for 10s. I’ve tried unscrewing/re screwing the tailcap, fully charging the battery (even externally) and it’s always the same result. Amazing EDC but their $200-$400 lights just can’t compete when I can get four other decent-good quality lights instead.

Now for the biggie that I figured would be the most recommended light in this thread: the Emisar D4/D4S! So far I’ve seen that the poll results showed the D4 was the single most popular light on BLF for 2018 and secretly one of my main reasons for starting this thread was to see if there was anything out there that can rival either product. Looks like the answer is not really. So that being said, given that I would have a very hard time choosing between the D4 and the D4S, I can say that I want them both! lol but from my searching I can’t seem to find anything in the way of discount codes! I know they’re only available from a couple of sellers so I’m thinking this would be why. Intl-outdoor does have the D4 on sale right now for $35.00 which isn’t really much of a savings. Does that sound like a Great price or just decent. Anyone ever come across any bigger or deeper discounts? lol of course I’ve missed all the GB’s and now I’m just a beggar looking for a deal!

Jacket pocket? I’m surprised nobody mentioned Fireflies E07 yet.

Though it surely deserves some modding - beveling the MCPCB so it sits flat on the shelf.

Funny you should mention that! lol I have a different idea of what is “jacket-pocket able” than most people:

I’m currently waiting/hoping my BG order is actually filled for the Fireflies ROT66 with the 219B Nichias.

A triple 18650 is something I still consider jacket-pocket able!

This is Convoy Store (on Aliexpress).
https://convoy.aliexpress.com/store/330416

$35 for the D4 is the cheapest price so far.

Does also the FW3A count as pocket hot rod too? At the moment Im considering it together with D4 and D4S. Just not a big fan of any frosted floody lenses. If you had to choose between D4 and D4S, which one would you go for?

I just got my FW3A and it was immediately clear that my D4 will now have to leave my pocket after 8 months of daily EDC use. The FW3A has a better switch (tail), easy lockout (4 clicks instead of 6), is a bit safer to use in pocket, slides better in and out of pocket, almost as bright and the clip is better.

I will probably from now on only use my D4 with short-tube only. With 18350 tube it is super-tiny and still #1 pocket rocket. Only need to find a good clip for the D4 for hat lamp use.

For EDC, the FW3A takes the throne.

The only downside for me is the frosted lens with FW3A, as I dont need another BLF A6 beam profile. If there was chance to choose other optics, It would be a no brainer.

I daily carry a D4S or a FF E07. All my D4S lights are green ano but the aux are either blue, green, red, or orange, and the E07 is purple. All the lights have Cree emitters HI or HD and different tints except one with the SST20 3000k. The SST20 was the least expensive and my favorite tint and has the most throw off all of them.
I also picked up a D18 SST20 3000k and love it. I’ve carried it a few times as well. Even though it’s slightly longer than a M43 it feels much smaller since it is 3 cells and is way brighter and more throw.

Optic replacement is very easy. The bezel unscrews easily, and you can pop the old optic out easily and pop a new one in. Should take two minutes, and at most you might need a pair of tweezers to grab the old optic.

There are also a optics that have been drilled for trit tubes :smiley:

I wouldn’t call the FW3A a hot rod ,it does get hot but it don’t like it.

The Nitecore TM10K Tiny Monster 10K lumen light would be my definition of a pocket hot rod.

Wellp, I’ve been EDCing a Nitecore MH20 (get the MH20GT if you prefer Greater Throw vs a more general-purpose beam). Great little light.

It kicks ass as far as its UI. 2-stage sideswitch, press’n’hold halfway for moonlight, press’n’hold all the way for turbo, simple click for last-memorised level, selectable on/off “beacon” LED in the switch for finding it at night, battery-level indicator, blinks out the voltage when first powered up (unscrew then rescrew anytime to see it). It displaced my UT20 as my EDC.

And it’s hella small, about the same exact physical size as a Wuben i332 which is a 16340 light, and the MH20 takes an 18650!

Oh, did I mention the MH20 is usb-chargeable as well?

I get the feeling my ’20 is going to be my EDC for a loooooong time. (And there are assloads of new codes bringing it down from 80bux to 50.)

Oh, and fwiw, yesterday poking around outside, I was pocketing a DC7 (Q8 lookalike) in shorts. Was halfway expecting my shorts to end up around my ankles doing so, but they held up. So it depends what you consider “carryable”.

I’d stick with a tubelight at any rate, at least a light that doesn’t have an outsized head (C8, VG10, etc.). A decent 21700 or even 26650 light would do nicely.

Some kids around here appear to be carrying one in each pocket……baggyass seems a trend

and then the other trend with the pants shoehorned on…no edc unless in their earlobes

FW3A is a good, small, bright light - for a minute or so before it gets too hot to hold

I don’t think the FW3A should take the throne for anything. It comes on entirely too easy when carrying it and it’s wickedly slippery with anything but super dry hands. Yes you can lock out the FW3A but why should I have to? I don’t take the blades off my knives and put them on only when I need them. My FW3A’s are relegated to house duty. I do have a holster I am thinking about trying to use with it though. Guess I will see how that goes. Other than those two deal breakers it’s a mighty fine light. UI is fine and the design is on point. It’s a great value for what you get but, A D4 or a DQG will keep finding a way into my pocket everyday.

I have the earlier mentioned MH20GT and agree that it is a great light. The downside for me is that it has cold white tint, which I no longer prefer. And I would not call it a hot-rod, with 1000 lumens it is quite conservative for todays standards.

BTW which D4 LED type and which DQG model do you use?

I have 5000K XP-G3’s in the D4 and the DQG is the tiny 18650 in NW. Love that little light. I carry ZebraLights around too, kinda of have a rotation of my favorites.