Which 26650 light should I get

I’m interested in acquiring a 26650 flashlight and would like some advice. Normally I prefer a small EDC like the Solarforce L2M XM-L2 or my recently acquired Trustfire L2M XP-L in aluminum. But I think I have to own at least one monster to truly call my self a flashaholic.

My criteria are simple, first it has to be cheap, under $50. At first I thought getting a monster for less than $50 was an impossibility, but then as I looked around it turns out there are quite a few available. Second, if it is a monster then it should be powered by 26650’s. It could also use 18650’s like the Trustfire TR-J12, and it should take, with use of extensions if necessary, 2 - 26650’s. Third, it should be really bright, no hard numbers here just make people say wow when it is on high. Lastly, if it isn’t ready to go at purchase it has to be easily modded to take something brighter. I had been looking at a Yezl Y3 with the thought I could switch out the LED and put in a XHP50 or 70.

Is there some minimum size reflector to get the most out of a MT-G2 or XHP50? Are there other flashlights that meet the criteria people would like to recommend? I like multi LED flashlights but I am not sure that more than 3 or 5 LED’s is really worth while. So it could have one XHP50 or 70, or 3 XM-L2 or MT-G2’s I like the look of the Trustfire TR-J12, the Yezl Y3 and the Shadow JM30 MT-G2.

OK so what would you recommend? Are any of these easy to mod to take a XHP50 or 70? Thanks for the help.

Unless a cool white tint is absolutely necessary I don’t see any advantages of using XHP50 or even XHP70 over the MT-G2. At this point any light that is pocketable can’t contain a reflector large enough to smooth out the beam, I’ve been looking for possible XHP70 hosts but then realized the MT-G2 is a better performer in terms of usefulness.

So I think a JM35 would probably suit you best and it comes in XHP50 too, and if you’re willing to mod, Shadow JM26 with DGQ 26650 boost driver and a XHP50, I believe Dale said somewhere he’s getting very nice results with it.

I have the Yezl Y3 modded with ressitor and MT-G2, it puts out lots of light but somehow it doesn’t feel very well built, maybe because it lacks weight at the head? and the main problem with it is that the led shelf in in the body so all the fins in the head are pretty useless.