ThruNite TN31 XM-L2 U2 & ThruNite TN30 XM-L U2 Review.
First of all I would like to say a gracious Thank You to ThruNite for the opportunity to review these lights on their behalf. Both of these lights were supplied by ThruNite for review.
This is my very first review of any flashlight products. It will be far from perfect and lacking any detailed analysis which can be found in some of the elite reviews. I will however, try to give an honest opinion and try to be as professional as possible with my limited equipment and experience.
I apologise in advance for my pictures and camera quality. It was difficult at best to convey the images the way I wanted you to see them. My goal in the near future is to acquire a manual focus camera system for ease of use and quality.
Thank you for your understanding.
Mfr: specifications
ThruNite TN30 XM-L U2
· LED: Three Cree XM-L U2 LEDs with a lifespan of 20+years of run time.
· Max 3000 lumen output using 3 * 18650 batteries.
· Level 1: 1 lm. 1200 hours; Level 2: 38 lm. 75 hours; Level 3: 352 lm. 10 hours; Level 4: 932 lm. 3.5 hours.
· Level 5: 1580 lm. 2.5 hours; Level 6: 2780 lm. 1.2 hours; Standby: 67 uA; Strobe: 2780 lm. 2hours.
· Working voltage: 8V to 13V.
· Max runtime: 1200 hours.
· Max beam distance: 370 meters.
· Peak beam intensity: 35000cd.
· Impact resistant: 1.2 meters.
· Waterproof to IPX-8 standard, 2M.
· 178.00mm length, 64.50mm bezel diameter.
· Weight: 559.80g without battery.
· Aircraft grade aluminum body structure.
· Premium type III hard anodized anti-abrasive finish.
· Ultra-clear tempered glass lens with anti-reflective coating.
· Momentary forward click tactical switch.
· Strobe mode for tactical and emergency use.
· Smooth reflector for max light output.
· Highly focused beam for maximum distance.
· Tactical knurling for firm grip.
· Streamlined body design.
· Mechanical reversed polarity protection design for battery carrier.
· Intelligent highly efficient circuit board design for max performance and long run time.
· Specially designed for Military, Law Enforcement, Self-defense, Hunting, Search & Rescue and Outdoor activities.
· Intelligent temperature controlled light output for user safety.
ThruNite TN31 XM-L2 U2
· LED: Cree XM-L2 LED with a lifespan of 20+years of run time.
· Max 1376 lumen output using 3 * 18650 batteries.
· Level 1: 0.6 lm. 2000 hours; Level 2: 23 lm. 140 hours; Level 3: 175 lm. 22 hours; Level 4: 439 lm. 9 hours.
· Level 5: 744 lm. 5 hours; Level 6: 1376lm. 2 hours; Standby: 65 uA; Strobe: 1376 lm. 4 hours.
· Working voltage: 4V to 13V.
· Max runtime: 2000 hours.
· Max beam distance: 840 meters.
· Peak beam intensity: 90000cd.
· Impact resistant: 1.2 meters.
· Waterproof to IPX-8 standard, 2M.
· 201.70mm length, 79.00mm bezel diameter.
· Weight: 452.80g without battery.
· Aircraft grade aluminum body structure.
· Premium type III hard anodized anti-abrasive finish.
· Ultra-clear tempered glass lens with anti-reflective coating.
· Momentary forward click tactical switch.
· Strobe mode for tactical and emergency use.
· Smooth reflector for max light output.
· Highly focused beam for maximum distance.
· Tactical knurling for firm grip.
· Streamlined body design.
· Mechanical reversed polarity protection design for battery carrier.
· Intelligent highly efficient circuit board design for max performance and long run time.
· Specially designed for Military, Law Enforcement, Self-defense, Hunting, Search & Rescue and Outdoor activities.
· Intelligent temperature controlled light output for user safety.
Initial impressions
The lights arrived very speedily from ThruNite, they were well packaged and undamaged. This is what I found when I opened the box.
Two very well presented and professional looking cases. Upon inspecting the cases, they appear to be well built and very sturdy.
The lights themselves inside were a nice snug fit with plenty of soft padding to protect them incase of the unforseen ground magnets.
Here is what was inside each case
ThruNite TN30
ThruNite TN31
Supplied as standard accessories with each light were
1x Belt Holster
1x High quality lanyard
2x Spare rubber O-rings
ThruNite TN30
ThruNite TN31
Here are the two lights out of their boxes and sat side by side for a direct size comparison. As you can see, the TN31 is substantially larger than the TN30.
In this next image, you will see why the TN31 is larger than the TN30, This is due to the rather large diameter and very deep reflector fitted to the TN31.
This allows for a very tight beam and hotspot for the maximum throw possible with minimal losses.
In fact, the ThruNite TN31 XM-L2 is one of the longest throwing Standard Production Single LED Flashlights available on the market today.
Styling & Features
Both the TN30 and the TN31 share the same design rear body, rear clicky master on/off switch and battery carrier. They also share the same User Interface for mode/brightness selection.
This is achieved by rotating the magnetic ring located just under the head of the lights.
Here you can see the mode selection ring which has six brightness levels, ranging from moonlight mode (1 lumen) all the way up to level six (maximum output).
Turning this ring allows for full control of output brightness in real time, thus no need for 'Stepping' through modes with partial clicks on the rear switch.
This is a very well thought out design, especially as these lights are a fairly large carry in the hand.
Attempting to change modes with the rear clicky, although possible would be very cumbersome
indeed.
What I particularly liked about this design is that you're able to easily change brightness levels comfortably one handed as the hand rests naturally with the thumb and fore-finger perfectly seated to twist the control ring.
Unfortunately the levels 1-6 are not marked under the control ring as are Standby and Strobe. Just personal preference I realise, but it would have been something I would have appreciated.
Both the TN30 and the TN31 have what I would call very sleek styling.
The TN31 is less aggressive looking around the head, but this is mainly due to the fact that the TN30 pulls a lot more power and needs to dissipate much more generated internal heat.
Here you can see the difference in the head design around the heatsink fins. Both are machined to an exacting standard with very deep grooves to allow adequate airflow between the grooves.
Thrunite TN30 (notice the more aggressive heatsinking potential)
ThruNite TN31
Both lights share the same tailcap design shown below. It's worth noting that the lights will tailstand with no problems since the switch itself is nicely recessed.
You will notice that there are cutout indents in the tailcap itself which enables the lights to be easily activated if being used in a 'Overhand' grip.
This also makes using the forward clicky tactical partial press activation much less cumbersome.
I will note though at this point that my wife was unable to activate the switch with an overhand grip without losing grip of the light itself.
You will need 'fairly' large hands to accomplish this easily without fear of dropping the light.
Another difference worth mentioning is the business end of these lights. The TN30 has a discreet bezel which is anodized Aluminium and integral to the head itself.
Whereas the TN31 has a very shiny Stainless steel bezel with prominent styling.
This offers a touch of class to the overall look of light and somehow gives the impression that the diameter of the light is larger than it really is. Just a small design touch that impressed me personally.
TN30 Bezel
TN31 Bezel
You may have noticed the discreet cutout indentations on the bezels of both lights, this allows light to escape if the lights are accidently left running and are face down.
Below shows the lights both left on facing down in a darkened room.
Design, Workmanship & Build Quality
Overall, the design and workmanship on the these ThruNite lights are exemplary with very few negative points to mention, however there are a few.. I will get to those a little further on.
As far as the exterior goes, there are no noticeble imperfections on either of the lights.
The Hard HAIII anodizing is absolutely perfect on both lights with none missing between grooves and no light spots of thin anodize anywhere to be seen.
I have checked them both thoroughly and honestly, they're perfect.
When removing the tube to access the battery carrier, it feels very tight and concise on the threads and with a very positive feel on the O-ring.
It grips nicely and was perfectly lubricated as were the threads on both lights.
The threads themselves are very course with a Trapezoidal cut with absolutely zero grittiness.
Below you can see the quality of the threads, these are identical on both the TN30 and the TN31
The knurling on the battery tube provides excellent grip without offering any discomfort.
I found this to be a very important detail as it allows the lights to be carried over long distances without causing muscle fatigue in the forearms.
I was able to carry the TN31 (the heavier of the two) on a 5 mile round trip with surprising ease.
An important factor for prolonged use due to not having to use excessive force to 'keep the light safe' from dropping.
Below you can see the depth of the knurling which offers precisely the correct abbrasion.
Once the battery carrier is removed, it's immediately noticeable how well it is constructed.
I've read several reviews of the TN30 and TN31 and each one has Aluminium ends. Mine both had thick solid brass ends, not only on the battery carrier (both ends) but also on the bottoms of the pill (on both lights)
The design of the battery carrier is clearly well thought out with sturdy contruction and what looks like Carbon Fibre supporting struts.
On the lights I received, all the screws were fully tightened and the contacts were all clean.
There are no flickering issues and neither of the lights dim or turn off when the side is tapped.
I know this has been an issue in the past and it looks like ThruNite has managed to rectify this issue with the current production of their lights.
Below are pictures of the battery carrier and the bottom of the pill. The pill battery connection is identical on both lights.
The reflectors in these lights are clear with a highly polished look. Both lights have the SMO reflectors.
The TN30 triple reflector is much more shallow in depth when compared with the TN31 but is still fairly noticeably deep when compared to most other Triple LED style lights.
As a result of this, the TN30 although being primarily designed for Flood, offers surprisingly exceptional throw for a light in it's class.
The LED's were perfectly centered within the reflectors on both the TN30 and the TN31
ThruNite TN30
ThruNite TN31
Finally, before I mention the minor issues and offer the beamshots, I would like to give you an idea of the head size difference between the TN30 and the TN31
ThruNite TN30
ThruNite TN31
Well that's all for now folks! Thanks for reading. Further comments and beamshots to follow.
To Be Continued....
