Hi everyone!
I happened to notice a posting here last month advertising a flash sale on Banggood offering the XANES WT518 for $3.99 USD and, well, I just had to have this. Today, about three weeks later, it is now in my hands and I was giddy with excitement. It came wrapped in bubble wrap, inside a little white box, inside a China E-Packet tyvek baggie. A USB charging cord was included. I popped in one of my premium UltraFire 3000mah 18650 to check this bad boy out.
It is a nice size and has a good feel. The lens is a glass bubble that sticks out and will probably get scratched rather quickly. It has a little metal pocket clip, and a flippy rubber cover for the USB charging port.
Successive presses of the button cycle through this lights incredible three modes: First is the nowhere near 1000 lumens HIGH setting, followed by the flickery and about half of what it was before LOW setting, and finally the seizure inducing STROBE setting. A fourth press of the button turns it OFF. Each button press cycles through the modes. It does not remember the last setting and always starts at high. You have to cycle through all the modes to turn it off; waiting for a while before pressing the button just takes you to the next mode.
It has an adjustible focus by sliding the head in and out, going from a brilliant square thingy that shows the conductive traces on the LED emitter chip, to a wide well defined circle wash. My cat is intrigued by the light it emits, but he much prefers my laser pointer over this light.
I did not try the USB charging feature. It might work. Might not. I don’t know if I want to gamble with one of my precious UltraFire’s. 
My conclusion? Undoubtedly, the XANES WT518 is quite possibly the finest 18650 flashlight that $3.99 USD can buy.
EDIT: here’s the images I wanted to put inline in this post… I haven’t figured out how to do that in this forum yet….
There ya go.
“quote” my post, and you can see what I did to show the pictures.
I must say it’s actually quite a handsome light, especially for the price! Too bad UI is horrible… but that’s what you get with a budget light…
Ok Ok… I confess. I thought this was SPAM, but the cat got me! Save that light as a loaner to neighbours that run to you when the electricity goes out. lol. Spend more on your own lights
My gratitude to those who are willing and able to help others (in whatever way you can)! Being human is more than just existing for yourself.
Hey thanks, hIKARInoob!
I thought I was doing what you did, but perhaps since I am a new member I am not able to embed graphics yet?
Pfff… Honestly I’m not familiar if there is such a rule. You copy pasted the exact thing before and after the address?
Yeah, the picture of the focused light with the cat is absolutely heart warming….
Precisely! I meant this to be a bit tongue-in-cheek. I wasn’t expecting much for my $3.99. But it does USB chanrging which is kind of cool. I will probably leave it in my car.
I actually got it because I bought a 532nm green Laser 303 just to fool around with and it shipped with a couple craptastic UltraFire batteries. I didn’t actually have any 18650 flashlights yet. So I ordered this up on a lark since I saw how cheep it was, just to have something to put the other UltraFire into.
Don’t worry. I ordered a Convoy C2+ too.
A little help to post the images
http://budgetlightforum.com/comment/1239164#comment-1239164
And no rule for new members about that
Oh, and for the cat, I prefer a laser to driver them crazy ! Nice you enjoyed the light
MY REVIEWS THREAD /// My Flashlight Collection ///
Mods: 1 / 2 // TIR: 1 / 2 // Others: Biscotti 3 + 1*7135 / Triple TIR w/ XP-G2 /// My Review's Blog (PT) /// OL Contest 2019 /// GIVEAWAYs: 1 / 2
Thanks for the review carmbola!
I’m sometimes tempted by lights like this, thinking I might discover a previously unknown budget gem. Your review is a nice reminder that in most cases you do indeed get what you pay for.
Thanks for posting about this light!
Can you please check and let me know can the battery tube be removed? (threaded on both ends?)
Normal tube and A6 tube variant for 18350 batt.
All parts very easy to remove/replace.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.( Gen.1:3)
So it’s the A6/S1 tube, and it threads on OK? This one:
https://www.banggood.com/BLF-A6-Astrolux-S1-Flashlight-18350-Body-Extens...