Review: Black Shadow Terminator 4*U3/4*18650

welcome to blf denbuc!!!

Welcome Deunbuc!
You may not know this now (I certainly didn’t when I first got into torches), but do you prefer more flood, or throw in a light? The terminator with the 3k lumens (measure of total output) has ~60k cd (candela, which is a measure of intensity), and a Z5 would have around 35k cd if I recall correctly.
However if you favored throw, you might want to look at something with a larger diameter head such as a Fenix TK75 (2600lumens, approx. 75k cd), Fenix TK70 (2200 lumens, approx. 120k cd) or BTU Shocker (3000 lumens, approx. 130k cd).

I have been using 2 lights simultaneously - one on each hand for my forest trails - the Dry at high mode (1500 lumens) and the TN30 at turbo (2500 lumens). The numbers add up to about 4000 lumens. It lits up a bigger area, as I like to have a wider perimeter of light.
Lately, I’m beginning to hanker for a 2-light added up 5000 lumen beam.

Because the 2 lights are side by side, it is inevitable that I pit them against one another.
This is not a good thing to do. It then becomes apparent that the DRY is underperforming. With the same number of lumens approx. TN30 is quite a bit brighter than the DRY, no matter what.
Of course I’d like to push the envelope for the DRY, like using thicker wires, etc. but I don’t have the skills.

Lol - if I hammer a nail to the wall, the nail will run crooked - 9 out of 10 times. I have bend many nails.
I put a screw in place, I destroy the threads. My bike exhaust pipe had to be rethreaded twice.
Once I kill a hair dryer by trying to shrink wrap some audio wires.
When it comes to hand skills, better for me not to touch anything.

This has more or less reinforced my attitude that I am better of with well made, branded light as I do not have to meddle with anything and they generally perform better and last longer.

So I will bide my time and wait for a suitable, high powered multi-emitter light upwards of 2500 lumens to come along. Short bursts of (2 - 3 mins turbo) will not be useful in my context.
I am actually contemplating getting another TN30 as I really like the magnetic interface and the looks.
But I will keep my options open for another multi emitter light. TK75 is another option. Any light above 3000 lumens with a decent throw and a middle mode of 1600 lumens will be a good contender.

Hi everyone, new guy here. I just signed up, hope I’m welcome. :slight_smile:

How great is this light? I’ve been reading a whole lot about the BS Terminator and would want to pick up one or two but is not real sure about which emitter I should choose. How bright is it going from U2 to U3? Only place I can find them U3 is goinggear and they charge $63 to ship the light to me vs. free shipping from intnl-outdoors for the U2 version. That’s a huge difference in the unit price.

Would the keeppower 3400 18650s from cnqualitygoods and xtar SP2 charger be a perfect match for this light?

Thanks for the welcome Slewflash and jmpaul320! :slight_smile:

Slewflash, I use my torches going camping/walking/hiking and for drunken walks home lol, not really any more than that, so I suppose when I think about it flood is more important to me for close-quarters vision. But honestly, apart from the time I use them, I really just like to know that I have an arse-kicker of a torch close-by for any eventuality. Bit sad maybe and a bit pointless lol. Thanks for the advice/info/tips! Every day’s a school day! This one seems to be a great mix of looks, build quality, power and price.

the difference between those two emitter bins is 7%

a bin has a range, so a U2 that almost made it to U3, compared to a U3 that almost didn’t make the cut, could be ~1% difference.

in other words, buy the one that is significantly cheaper.

You might want to consider either this, an Apex 5T6 or a skyray king. The King has 3 XML emitters, roughly 2200lumens for the coolwhite tint and approx. 23k cd. It’s got the perfect output for what you’re after, but bear in mind the King can’t be turned on high for more than around 5-7 minutes because the entire body will actually heat up like a frying pan and it will hurt to actually hold it, so maybe you want something with a handle such as the BS Terminator or the Apex 5T6. The Apex 5T6 has similar output to the king, has less throw and more flood and allows for longer periods of use due to the handle.

Welcome to the family, Denbuc!! Thanks for the kind words.

I'm sure you will love your Terminator and you purchased from a great seller. Hank is great to deal with and if something is not right he is sure to set things straight and do what it takes. He is a stand up guy. Be sure to stick around and post often. Let us know how you like your light once you have it as well as any other lights you get in the future. ;)

Will-do JohnnyMac, thank you. :slight_smile:

Welcome to the family, arjay!! You won’t see a difference between bins with the naked eye and even side-by-side it’s hard to tell a difference. Get it based on the best price and you will be happy. I truly believe the machining and craftsmanship on this light are second to none. You will love it!

Your battery and charger choice is fantastic. ;)

Thank you for the welcome. Sorry for all the silly questions, Li-ions are new to me.

I now see that there is a neutral white and a cool white version, which one should I get? I know that neutral white would be easier on the eyes but I’m afraid that the drop in lumens would be significant plus the added cost.

I’m also debating between the SP2 and WP2 II. Not sure if SP2 is worth the price for the 2A current which I think I’ll never use. Is there a big difference in performance that I should get the SP2?

I did a 5m measurement last night, can’t find a proper location for 10m or 20m yet. My TK70 was measured 4.26k lux, so that is 106.5kcd. While 2xTerminator was measured 3.8k lux, that is 95kcd. Only have these two thrower with me last night.

i vote that a member puts one of these up for the next give away… my budget is shot for the next month

Though 95kcd is lower than 106.5kcd about 10%, imagine 2xTerminator did it with 5000+ lumens.

Welcome Kabayan!

I have bought one thru Sulit.com.ph and I got the U2 version. I don’t have a lux meter so I can’t give you readings. However based on my actual tests, the beam of my Terminator, set at high, easily outshines the headlights of a Toyota Innova, an Isuzu Fuego and a Hyundai Starex, all set at high also :wink:

Thank you for the Welcome Kabayan!

How do you like your terminator? I saw a dead ad in sulit yesterday, I guess that’s where you got yours. I have no doubt that they will be brighter than stock headlights as they are pretty weak. I highly doubt they’d be brighter than my car’s headlights on high though.

I like my Terminator very much. I work in a Geothermal Production Field - 7400 hectares of hilly terrain surrounded by thick vegetation/forest - and its just what I need.

Yes that’s where I got my Terminator - from Juandajuan.

Yes the headlights of the Innova & the Fuego are all stock 55w/60w H4s. The headlights of the Starex were 90w/110w but its still beaten by the terminator. If your headlights are HID then no doubt your car should be brighter. :slight_smile:

Wow! I like your job. I bet your lights gets tons of use everyday. click lights up the entire face of a mountain!

Figured…I doubt he’s getting more though so I’ll have to import a couple for myself.

Yeah! Being a true flashaholic that I am, I had my car custom fitted with projector HID headlights with 55 watts ballast each + projector HID fogs also with 55 watts ballast each. That together with the halogen high bulb gives out over 10000 lumens I think. :bigsmile:

Hmm it appears that the handle is not detachable?

Technically it is but you would lose the ability to turn off and on or change modes. Only an issue if that’s important to you. :stuck_out_tongue:

I really much prefer the handle being on it. Really easy to carry and easy to put in/out of a holster with it, too. If you need to warm your hands you can always hold it by the body like a normal light and work the switch with your index finger.