Review: TrustFire Z2

Hi, I win this light from DX

Size - 9cm x 2cm

Finish – Grey, Nice, but look like painted, easy to scrash

Beam – Spot with some flood, you can remove the head to a full flood beam

Modes – Hi > Mid > Low > Fast Strobe > SOS

Cons - PMW Noticiable
Magnet no strong enought to hold it horizontally

Pros - Belt/vest clip
AA powered
Bright, no bluish tint
Small
Easy to use
Work with li-ion as well

Brand: TrustFire
Model: Z2
Emitter Brand: Cree
LED Type: XPE
BIN: R3
Color: White
Number of Emitters: 1
Voltage Input: 0.8~4.2V
Battery Configuration: 1 x 14500 (not included)
Circuitry: Digital regulated 1200mA
Brightness: 280LM
Runtime: 60 minutes
Number of Modes: 5
Mode Arrangement: Hi > Mid > Low > Fast Strobe > SOS
Mode Memory: Yes
Switch Type: Clicky
Switch Location: Head
Lens: Glass Lens
Reflector: Aluminum Smooth/SMO
Strap Included: No
Clip Included: Yes
Accessories/Spare parts: -
Others Features: With magnet on bottom

Some pics:










Control shoot, 4 meters to wall

Low setting

Medium setting

High setting

I like the light, I can recomend it.

Thanks for the review. How much did you pay for it and do you have a link?

He win it.

You can buy it on DX for $16,60

Kaidomain price: $20,46 , Manafont and Dino don’t sell it (or I couldn’t find it with the search function).

Is the Z2 as bright with a 14500 as the Z1 with a 16340?

Hi, I dont have any 14500 to test it, but must be brighter with it, I can take a shoot of both lights…

My magnet is strong. My biggest (only?) con with it is the protruding switch. That wouldn't be so bad if it had a lock out tail cap. I like this light though. I have two and may buy a couple more. I use a 14500 in one light and a nimh AA in the other.

Thanks very much! Sticky’d.

Thanks, what a honor…

A secondary flood lens would perfectly complement this light

The optics would be easy since flood is available just by removing the head. There just needs to be something to protect the LED without blocking too much light.

ok,I like it;

For the DIY gang: the light is nice as is (although horrible low PWM), but it is a pain to mod: led on flimsy 8mm PCB, bad mounting of the board to the body and no easy way to improve that, tiny reflector is only just screwed tight so no space for thicker led-pcb, driver PITA to remove, and because the clicky is above the driver there is a separate contact board and the actual driver has no negative contact ring around, the clicky is unremovable, . The only straightforward mod would be reflowing a different led on the tiny board.

I still have plans with mine, but I need some courage to start.

djozz, if you go through with modding your Z2, please do a thread about it. Or please start a thread and start off for now by posting some clues and pictures about disassembly I have a couple Z2's because I wanted to mod it, but I can't even figure out how to take it apart without feeling like I'm going to break it.

I was 'lucky' to receive a Z2 with a faulty switch from dx last year, and I received another one without having to send in the broken light. So I had one spare to do some brute research on .

I will do a thread on it, but beware: it may turn into a resultless martyrdom you may not want to be witness of...

It's either me or you, and sorry friend, I'd rather it be you. :D

I like the Z1 and have a Z2 coming — specifically to carry as a pedestrian. I like turning the strobe on when I’m crossing — any — street at any time (after several nearby deaths from drivers who just didn’t see a pedestrian, or skateboarder, or bicyclist, or other car).

I’ve found the strobe really does get drivers’ attention. A couple times it’s done that for a speeder at enough distance they manage to skid to a smoking halt short of running into the crosswalk.

Yeah, I’m young enough I can still panic and skitter away. But not all of my neighbors are that spry. Gotta keep these drivers paying attention.

they issued me a return ticket to a US address……after endless emails, with no response, I threw the 3 dead ones away…… I’m done with this model…

$13.30 with the BLF code on FT if anyone is interested. I’ve been looking into the Z2 for a while because I thought the magnetic base would be useful for my line of work. I enjoyed reading your review!

Damn.

You should not have chucked them. You could have auctioned ‘a bucket of broken Z2’. I would have happily paid for broken ones.

As it stands I have to buy new ones to get spares to experiment with modding the optics.

I rate the Z2 quite highly. It is the light I keep in my pocket every day. It is a properly cheap flashlight, not one of these +$30 ‘kings’.

I really like head torches but they are inconvenient as pocket lights. I feel this form factor bridges the gap nicely. The angled head, magnetic base and clip provide a variety of ways the light can be held/positioned for a task. While not as good as a headband it certainly beats chomping a piece of knurled aluminum.

The only other choice for this form factor in a budget price range is the UF-Hx series. Unfortunately the UF-Hx series is just too expensive for a budget almost disposable pocket light. (by disposable I mean I would be annoyed if I lost it but not properly riled that I had lost an appreciable chunk of change.)

My only complaints about the Z2 are:

1. The reflector is to big, gimme more flood!
2. The screws holding the clip are not beefy enough.
3. The so called anodising chips VERY easily.
4. Low is not low enough.
5. Flashing modes.

From my observations I think there are 2 possibilities to making the reflector more to my liking.

1. Dismantle the reflector, chuck it away and glue the little lens to the LED aperture.
2. Dismantle the reflector and file down the outside threads on the reflector by ~5-7mm. File a corresponding amount of the reflector housing. It will still stick out a little but it will not be so bad, also more flood!

To make it more floody there is also the possibility to change the xp-e led to xp-g, it will broaden the hotspot quite a bit (2.2 times the surface area of the hotspot to be precise).

(I still have not modded my Z2, sometime....)

i agree that i would rather have more flood! the magnet in the tail makes it nice for close-up work where you have a surface to put the magnetic tail to. but the throwy beam ruins this use.
so if someone has successfully modded a z2 for more flood (not mule style) i’d be interested to know how!