I’m interested in a new 26650 flashlight to replace my Brinyte WT01 Apollo that failed earlier this month. Brinyte says they are willing to fix it, but only if I ship it back to China which will cost about $30. Since this flashlight has failed for no apparent reason, I question the wisdom of paying $30 to ship it back to them, and then to possibly receive a “fixed” flashlight that may contain the same failure-prone electronics as the original.
It would be a different story if they would pay for return shipping, or if they would simply send me a replacement flashlight — or at least the head which contains the defective electronics so I could fix it myself. But at the moment I’m still trying to negotiate this with them, and even if they ship me a new head I may not get it for weeks or possibly months with all the shipping delays I’ve been hearing about on the news these days.
So here’s the bottom line:
If I have to spend $30 anyways I would rather put this money toward a different brand of new flashlight, perhaps one that has some features I may like even better than the Apollo, such as a programmable UI for example, or even better color rendering than the Apollo.
I love the form factor of the Apollo. It is very well-balanced, and it fits my hands perfectly. Its diameter is the main reason I enjoyed using it daily. I really love a flashlight that’s big enough around for me to get a good grip on, without feeling like I’m trying to hold onto something too skinny like most 18650 flashlights. This is one big reason for me to consider a new 26650 flashlight. The other is because I like the idea of saving a few bucks by re-using the Brinyte battery.
I’ve been considering Convoy flashlights. Apparently most people like them because of the high quality manufacturing, no-frills designs, etc. And most of them have clicky tail switches which I like better than electronic body/head switches. But no matter what new flashlight I end up with, I definitely want beautiful color rendering, and I want a floody light.
I have a Teslacom 4x18650 flashlight that is very floody, but the color rendering is horrendous, and it’s just too fat for me to get a comfortable grip on. I understand that most people here consider the Teslacom to be a piece of crap flashlight, but it was affordable to me when I bought it, and it has always worked reliably — and it dumps a TON of floody light into the backyard and woods where I walk every night, trying to see wild animals before they see me. But using the Teslacom almost gives me a headache because of its harsh cold light, and natural colors seem practically non-existent with this light.
As far as color rendering is concerned, I’ve been reading a lot about the GT-FC40 bead and its seemingly great color performance, so I think this may be a good choice for me. And it seems I can get this bead in either the Convoy S11 or the Convoy M26C, both of which are reasonably priced and fit into my budget.
Since I like my old Apollo form factor with the comfortable body diameter and larger head diameter, I’m leaning toward the M26C even though it costs about $40 whereas the Sll is only about $30. I will definitely be able to convince myself to spend the extra $10 for the M26C if you all think that it may be the best budget flashlight for me. But I am not adverse to the S11 or any other flashlight that you think might be better for me. So now it’s time to ask:
What do you think I should do?
Should I get the S11 or the M26C?
Or should I consider another Convoy flashlight?
Or should I consider another brand and model entirely? And if so, which ones?
Please keep in mind that I do not want to spend more than $30-40 for a new flashlight at this time, and I do not want to do any modifications. It is possible that Brinyte may eventually send me a free replacement head for my broken Apollo flashlight, and if this happens I can continue using it without spending any money at all. But this may or may not happen, and now that I have done enough research to get interested in a new flashlight again, I feel like I should just buy one …
So I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions. After all, you all know a lot more about decent flashlights than me. I’m just trying to spend a little bit of money, one time, to upgrade to a flashlight that ends up being a bit (or a lot) better than my earlier flashlights.
Thank you.