Yezl Y6-X XM-L T6 800-Lumen Flashlight
Reviewer's Overall Rating: ★★★★★
Summary:
Battery: 18650 |
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Switch: Reverse clicky |
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Modes: Hi-Med-Lo with memory |
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LED Type: Cree XM-L |
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Lens: Glass |
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Tailstands: Yes w/o lanyard |
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Price Payed: USD 29.00 + 4.43 shipping |
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From: www.cnqualitygoods.com |
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Date Ordered: 15-12-2010 |
Pros:
- Good build quality
- Bright
- Efficient heat sinking
- No flashing modes
- Rather floody beam pattern
Cons:
- Fingerprints inside on lens
- Can't lock out tailcap
- Rather floody beam pattern
Features / Value: ★★★★
This is my first XM-L light and of course I am impressed. Apart from a brief discussion here I have never heard from Yezl or cnqualitygoods before but decided to give it a try because I wanted a multi mode, single cell XM-L light without flashing modes and with better heat sinking than a P60-drop in and this seemed to be a good offer.
I received an order confirmation two days after I had placed the order and the light shipped out registered 21-12-2010 and arrived 03-12-2010 (only mentioning this because I had expected worse).
The cardboard box inside the typical yellow envelope was worryingly deformed but the light itself shows no marks or dents.
It has like promised 3 modes going Hi -> Med -> Lo -> cycle and features mode memory. Breaking the circuit for less than ca. 0,5s is switching to the next mode otherwise it comes back on in the same mode as before. The difference between Hi and Med is IMO well spaced, Lo could be a little lower.
The light has a GID switch cover in natural alpha zink sulfide colour which feels a bit flabby but is easily accessed yet without an obviously big risk of accidental operation.
It tailstands rather firmly on flat surfaces but only after removing the lanyard.
I took off one star mostly because of some fingerprints on the inside of the lens. It was no problem to clean it, though.
Ugly prints inside the lens:
Build Quality: ★★★★★
Very tough built light. This is the largest single 18650 light I have, the numbers for size and weight on cnqualitygoods are accurate. All the parts have rather thick walls and I am sure they can take some abuse.
Apart from the fingerprints on the lens the hole light came unusually clean. The threads are all smooth and lightly lubricated. Well fitting O-rings on all the right places. Anodisation is even on all the parts both in visual and haptic appearance.
The pill is brass and quite solid at the emitter end. It nearly completly screws into the body tube and the threads for the head are in the same height so heat sinking should be good. The base of the emitter is not glued on to the pill but "swims" in a thick heat sinking paste. I briefly thought about glueing it on but the reflector is pushing the emitter against the pill (with the usual piece of white carboard in between) so I left it for now. I haven't tried for any extended period of time yet but running it on Hi for 20 min the hole light gets pleasently warm after 5 min and is not noticeably getting much warmer thereafter.
There is no knurling on this light which worried me a little when I ordered it but the shape makes that it does not feel slippery.
Yezl Y6-X "exploded":
Quite solid brass pill
Tailcap contents:
Battery Life:
I can't comment much about battery life as I don't have the knowledge or the equipment to do so. Tailcap readings with a freshly charged "flaming" Trustfire and my simple DMM are
Hi 2.07A
Med 0.63A
Lo 0.21A
I noticed that the current draw i dropping with declining voltages so probably no constant current regulation despite cnqualitygoods' description. Well, I did not believe this anyway. :p
Light Output: ★★★★★
Having no equipment to measure light output I made some beamshots instead.
This is my first flashlight review and I consider myself not a true flashaholic (although most people who know me would not agree) so I have no experience at all with taking beamshots but just chose the camera settings by eye. Indoor shots are taken with ISO 200, F 5,6 and 1/125 exposure and are underexposed to show the beam profile; outdoor shots are ISO 200, F 2,8 and 0"5 exposure and show approximately what I saw by eye.
The hotspot i big and bright with a gradually diminishing corona. This light is definitely not a thrower and I am grateful for that because the beam pattern is much more useful this way IMO (if I need to point at distant objects I use a laser pointer).
No donut hole irrespective of the distance.
There is no visible PWM flicker.
Indoor-shots: The light is 1 m from the wall. The corona is not as green as it looks here, more yellowish in reality.
High:
Med:
Low:
Outdoor-shots: The chopping block on the right is about 5m away, the white fence post behind the rocks on the left ca 15m. The big tree in the in the middle where I aimed at the centre is about 45m away.
Yezl Y6-X Hi:
Yezl Y6-X Med:
Yezl Y6-X Lo:
For comparison:
DX Ultrafire 502B with 5-mode XPG-R5 on Hi:
Uniquefire L2 with 5-mode XR-E R2 on Hi (from DX Ultrafire 501B, changed with SMO reflector for extra throw):
Mag 3D with MC-E and shiningbeam's 8x7135 driver on Hi (it has the original reflector and therefore an ugly beam with lots of diffuse side spill):
Summary: ★★★★★
I have to say even if the XM-L is not driven at its max I am very impressed. Suddenly all my other lights look dim. :D
I still have to find out whether there is some sort of low battery warning implemented in the driver and will report later.
Until now I am very happy with this light although it is slightly on the more expensive side for a budget light.
Definitely recommended!