I feel I should add these photos were taken with 3x SenyBor High Drain 18650s 2800mah in the torch. Havenāt had a chance to test the runtime in high mode (not sure if I want to because there is a lot of heat) but in the other modes it seems good (think 50% = 100% on the regular TR-J12 perhaps). Iād be keen to know which 26650s work best - A123s?
Thanks for your kind words
-ME
the black plastic element that is shown on dx has to be removed before you install the driver i guess?
Thanks for sharing this. And no worries about the solder skills. We are NOT all electronic whizzez. In fact a lot of us just do it because it means more lumens or less flashy modes or another emitter type or tint.
One quick question though. Just before you drilled through that driver the first time, did you stop to think something along the line of
āWhoa boy - what am I getting in to?ā I know I would.
I love what you have done to this light. It really takes it to a new level.
Another question is this. Would you say that high mode with the old driver is ~ the same as 50% on the new one?
Just asking because then it seems you can have a nice long runtime with nice cool temperature at 50% and then still have the WHAM! effect of going full tilt. And THAT is close to having your cake and eating it too 
Iād say 50% on the modded TR-J12 is about equal to 100% on the old one, and yes it runs nice and cool on this setting. The modes are actually 100, 75, 50, 35, 5% and there is absolutely NO visible flicker (PWM) at all or flashy modes - something custom added for this driver by someone elsewhere on this site (if I find I will credit!) The 5% mode is even lower than the low mode on the original torch, so the beast driver really is better in every way.
And yesā¦ it was a bit of a vertigo-type experience starting out blind but hey, someoneās gotta do it!
-ME
Niceā¦.
Canāt wait for the 9 XM-L version to come out and someone tries the 9-LED KD driver. But i think even for the 7-LEDs the components were overheating and power was throttling down by 30 seconds or so.
mate i say well done thats what the manufactured suppose to do before the rated china lumens!!. i am waiting for my tr-j12 from allied express i got it for 45 $ lol!! + 20$ driver so 64$ = 4000 lumens !! THIS HAS GOTTA BE THE BEST BANG FOR BUCK RIGHT ?!!!
excuseme mister glow in the dark signature rings ? if i may size 37mm x 1mm or 36 x 1.5mm?? thanks for my J12 
WOW!!! thats just NUTS. I love my TR-J12, such a great light. This mod takes it to BEAST MODEā¦ Vernon Davis BEAST MODE ON!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7dGWLkk5YI
Oh also one more thingā¦ I melted+annealed my springs with the stock ~29W driver. A solder braid mod is a MUST with this ~55W driver.
Nice job and thanks for posting this!
Thatās cheap. Cheapest i have seen on aliexpress was 50 bucks.
I got the X100 for $119. Charger (useless but well iāll keep it), 4 x Trustfire 26650 protected which is a $44 dollar value and so the light is $75. Not too bad.
I can use the 26650 for my J12, JM05 and JM07. I feel safer than using the KKs.
The X100 should be able to do 3800L OTF stock with 2 cells. (assisted by 1 dummy via PVC 18650 sleeve stuffed w foil). The J12 tube does not fit the X100, confirmed by bro dong of thaicpf/flaslightmania.
I got my X100 from them, and their J12 is 50 bucks shipped.
http://www.aliexpress.com/product-fm/548149376-1PC-Trustfire-TR-J12-Flashlight-5-Mode-4500-Lumens-5-X-CREE-XM-L-T6-LED-wholesalers.html
That is insane! Whatās the heat management like on high? The output is mind blowing, but the body doesnāt look like itās made to handle such high temperatures and looks like it could do a bit of cooking!
Oh! I see you already answered that while I was typing. But then you answered it - Again.
Thank you for the answers. Just what I was hoping for. And what a deal some of you guys have made on this light. Sweet!
I hate you all, lol. I was the first to order the custom no blinky 5-mode but mine is still sitting in customs in New York 
Thanks for posting this mod!
It made me finally order the similar 7-led beast driver for my Keygos. Let's see how it performs.. J)
Be careful. Its 70W for the initial 30s or some before kickdown on the driver due to thermals. Might just burn the LEDs ont he J18 and similar. As you can see the X100 is much chunkier. Usually dongās temp starts at 30 deg C or so. (Bangkok)
http://www.flashlightmania.com/read.php?tid-664.html
Slewflash - on high it heats up pretty fast, becoming very hot to the touch at around 5-6 minutes. The fins around the driver section get hot first, but pretty quickly the heat travels down the handle. The reflector is a huge chunk of aluminium screwed into the body, so Iād have to say the torch handles heat pretty well. Iām yet to experience the driver throttling back due to being too hot.
-ME
Theres some OUTSTANDING thermal and power analysis on this driver in the TR-J12 in this thread hereā¦
It starts out drawing 88W (!!) at 12.5Vin for the first ~60 seconds, then power consumption drops to 25-32W for the rest of the run.
News: Some direct comparison shots coming between the Modded TR-J12 and my other lights (none strictly comparable but a good guide nonetheless)
- Xtar WK21
- Warm White 5-Mode P60 Drop-in (from KaiDomain)
Shots up in a few daysā¦
-ME
I'm looking forward to your photos. Just remember that anything that burns up or blows up is replaceable (in the flashlight that is). I have just built a JM05 running 5 amps and keep a fire extinguisher handy. Seriously though very interesting.
It does that for the 5-LED driver too?!
I wonder why these drivers do such a thing, and the drop is it due to thermal regulation. Maybe someone can do that IR thermal scan on the components. 
88W is not good for 5 LEDs definitely, it is worse than the DRY plus the immediate thermal mass is still in the DRY league. Luckily there is no strobe functionā¦ā¦ If there is then the LEDs could fail very fast. I killed 3 this way. (the one which started it all, Sky Ray SR3800, which in my copy with the DRY driver it has much lower resistance so can quite a bit more current than the DRY).
In the DRY, you might measure 4A at the tail in steady state modes, but in strobe it goes much higher. Seems like the batteries are not taxed and can provide much more current during the ON state. Of coz thatās the early 3-mode driver. Luckily this new 5-LED driver excluded the strobe mode, else it might be the same.
I am 99% sure all discussion and analysis in that thread was regarding the 5-LED driver in a modded TRJ12ā¦ at least no one indicated anything otherwise.
whats your run time on that mode or say even 75% mode ?