I have the W2/ss2700/4000 combo and I like it. Means it’s good to use around home but really kicks like a mule when you need it. Can take photos/video if you like.
Dude! I just saw a video that really showed some good perspective of how portable the D18 is. I really want one now. It’s honestly a little bit of a bummer that it doesn’t use flat tops like everything else, but oh well. I am so close to adding one to my ever-increasing order.
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Also, everyone else may have already known thjs, but I didn’t:
Hank emailed me back in response to my question about adding a backlit button to the regular aluminum D4S2 and said that it is still an option.
I also inquired if it was an option in the D4SV2’s, and he said that it is not an option.
Just FYI.
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Yeah, man! I’d love to see some pics. Thank you for offering! There’s a good video I found on Reddit/YouTube. Is that configuration as voracious for battery life as I hear?
Pulled the trigger on a D4SV2 with 4x W2, and a D18 with 18x SST-20 4000k. But on Hank’s site, the only option for D18 optics is “floods optics instead of default type $1.99”. There’s not a way to select default optics. Does anyone know anything about this? I emailed Hank, but I figured I’d ask here too. I’m hoping it’s just an error on the site. I ordered the light anyway and emailed Hank requesting default optics.
I now have the following five lights headed my way:
•D4V2 w/ 4x 219b sw45k (full copper with amber switch backlight)
•DT8 w/ 8x 229b sw35 (dark gray with warm white switch backlight)
•KR1 w/ SST-20 4000k [FD2 bin] (dark gray w/ SS bezel)
•D4SV2 w/ 4x W2 (green w/ SS bezel)
•D18 w/ 18 SST-20 4000k (Black w/ hopefully default optics)
I’m in the 5x Hanklight club!
I think I made some good, diverse choices. Just don’t judge me on my obsessiveness. It’s a little embarrassing I went all in so fast and bought 5x lights before even having the first one in my possession. With that said, I’ve done my research, and there’s so many people that vouch for these lights and so many posts and YouTube videos and stuff about them I feel like I’ve made a pretty safe bet.
I wonder how much longer Hank‘s supply of 219Bs will last, lol. Following those many enthusiastic posts here and on Reddit we can only hope he‘s got a whole reel on stock. :D
Hank messaged me the follow a few days ago:
“…currently, there is only the floody optics for D18 in stock…”
I replied asking when the default narrow optics would be back in stock. No reply to this question in the last few days although he as been on BLF as recently as 5 hours ago.
That is all I know.
Well crap. I figured it was an error on the site. I figured wrong. Do y’all think it’s a bad move to go with the floody optic for this light? Should I just cancel the order and wait for the default optic to get back in stock? I guess I could also just keep the order and ask him to just wait to make it and ship it until it came back in stock if it was going to be sometime real soon.
Would the floody optic be cool, or nah?
Edit: Btw, thanks for the heads up, Nite Shadow. I appreciate it!
I bought replacements in 2019 for mine (D18) and it wasn’t cheap. Now the price of these has gone up 2-3x and they are OOS most places. Hopefully he has a different source.
That’s a bummer. I tried to search for a review of the floody optics, but no one seems to have them and everyone suggests default because it already has a lot of flood. I searched with confirmation bias, hoping I’d find something that would say it would be a desirable setup, but no luck. I might just see if Hank will refund that part of my order. Shame, because I wanted to get a D18 while I was sure his SST-20’s had good tint
What do y’all think about a D18 in SST-20 4000K with floody optic? Should I just stick with it? Do you think I’ll like it and find good use for it? Or would I just be settling? I can’t find anything online about the floody version. Doesn’t seem like anyone has one, and if they do, they haven’t put forth any reviews or opinions on it.
It’s hard for us to answer a question about what you will like. Don’t pull the trigger on something just cos you want it now. Only you can answer these questions really and see how they match up to your use case for the light.
I have floody optics in mine on the 2700/4000K emitters and the middle W2’s have normal optics. This way at low ramp i get a nice light tint that fills out in front of me but when I ramp up the W2’s take over and can throw as far as possible.
I understand. Context matters. I just don’t know what to expect of a D18 with default optics, so I can’t extrapolate what I don’t know about it to make a reasonable assumption of what to expect from different optics. I just wish there was like, one review, or one video, or even one beam shot photo I could find that would give me some indication. It’s not that I’m certain I will inherently prefer a non-floody optic, I just really don’t know. I wish I knew what kind of throw it would still have.
Thank you for the feedback. And your setup/configuration sounds really cool.
Anyone have any 26650 suggestions for my new D4SV2 with 4x W2’s? I assume a continuous discharge rate of 20A is probably a safe number. I can’t go with the trusty name brand Japanese companies like I would for 18650’s because, well, they don’t make 26650’s. Looking on Parametrek (which is an amazing resource if there happens to be anyone out there that’s not familiar with it), it seems like my only good options are this Vapcell 5300mAh 20A cell at Liion Wholesale, or this Shockli 5500mAh 20A cell from Mountain Electronics, or this Orbtronic 5750mAh 22A cell from Orbtronic . I’m worried the Shockli will be too wide, and I can’t find a “maximum cell diameter” spec on any Hanklights (maybe y’all can point me in the right direction to find those specs), and “Orbtronic” isn’t in my trusted group of battery supply stores (18650BatteryStore, Illumn, LiionWholesale, and Mtn Electronics), so I’m less inclined to order from there.
So I guess I’ve more or less answered my own question, or at least narrowed it down, but I would still like y’alls blessing/assurance that the “Vapcell G53” 5300mAh 20A 26650 is an appropriate cell for this light. And I still want to know what y’all personally use, because that could very likely sway my decision.
Edit: After reading more, I believe the Shockli will fit, and I might be better off with it or the Orbtronic (which could very well be the same cell as the Shockli, with a different wrap) rather than the Vapcell.
Great news!! Hank just said the clear optics should be arriving and back in stock in one week! I asked him if he would wait to make my D18 until those come in. I was afraid it was going to be a lot longer than that.
Sorry, I haven't read all the responses to this -
I did message Hank the other day and he said themregular optic will be back In stock ASAP. He did not indicate if it was a week, two weeks , a month.. but Im Waiting for that to be in stock before I order my first d18.. I think I would not like to be limited to a flood set of optics on a throw-ey light..
i run a molicel p26a 18650 in mine a lot of the time,with an adapter. The rest of the time I run the efest purple 4200mah 26650. They both work well.
https://www.18650batterystore.com/collections/26650-batteries/products/efest-26650-4200mah
I've read a lot of people hating on efest, but I've been vaping there batteries for 7-8 years and I've used these 26650's for over a year and have had no issues, and I feel they work very well.
And you’re still alive?! 
I could not agree more with Lojik. The bad thing is that these are a generation old now and when they are gone, they will be gone! My personal stock started at around 75 of the sw-45k’s years ago, now I am down to 7 or 8, they only went in to special builds and someday, depending upon tech, they may get moved to another light host. They really are that special.
i think so?
I’ve heard the gasses from lithium batteries is pretty nasty! :disappointed: