Tractor Supply ATAK (SK68 clone)

First ever I’ve seen an SK68 clone at a retail store.

3-mode (H/L/S)

!!

Almost bought one but had a bit of sticker shock since they can be had for around $4 - $6 but now thinking I’m going to go back and try to get one tomorrow if they have one left. I really didn’t like the switch it was very stiff, also not sure if it will run on 14500 but if I get one I’ll give it a try.

The nice thing about getting one of these at a store like this is the return policy :bigsmile:

They were in the Bargain Bins section up near the checkouts, and wasn’t any in the flashlights section, so they probably aren’t going to be a regular stock item.

my local one had them too, just like you said, up ini the clearance aisle by checkout.

i couldnt resist. I picked one up.

i dont have any meters or anything, and really i didnt expect much from a single AA nimh… like you? i am WONDERING what a aa-sized lithy will do… make it decent or kill it, LMAO (have to get one to find out)

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it seems fairly well made, although i really am no expert. I mean, its not like it has casting marks all over it or anything.

my BIGGEST COMPLAINT ?? its nowhere NEAR able to focus the die, like i want a zoomie to do when pulled out.

i accidentally found a workaround? i took the little lens out, and screwed the bezel BACK IN WITHOUT the lens… then the lens (plastic) “clicked” down in the crennelations of the bezel and STAYED THERE.

THEN it focuses like it should, andi find it moderately useful… i am just figuring the plastic lens will FALL OUT and wont stay in like i have it clicked in on the outside of the bezel.

if the dang thing would just FOCUS UP with the lens where it should be? i would EDC it and be happy…

it has a “pee yellow” nichia in it, if you turn it on, and hold the lens with your fingers to “focus it” to see the die when whitewall hunting…

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i level this complaint at a LOT of inexpensive zoomies i run across… and i even hate my 2 “coast” flashlights which arent cheap and are well made because they wont focus.

i STILL cant get either of my coast flashlights apart…

=

for me, it just defeats the purpose of what i use a little zoomie for, to have it fail to come to die focus…

Thanks sedstar…

Yes it was quite unimpressive on AA primary (you can test through the package) I’m only interested if it will support Li-Ion.
I know my TomTop SK68 is way brighter on 14500 than on AA, the difference is night and day, and it does focus well when zoomed out to “spot”

Maybe you could glue the lens in the front of the bezel? I’ll have to try that lens trick although I would probably use it mostly in flood mode.

Now I’m on the fence because of the LED. Don’t remember the tint being too yellowish when I tried it in the store but I’ll have to look again.

Also been wanting to try this newer model budget zoomie so I may just save the money and order it instead: ($5 China warehouse / $7 USA warehouse)
Ultrafire CREE XPE-Q5 Zoomable 3Modes Mini LED Flashlight AA

focused up?

it rather resembles a “dice” face, on #5

5 yellow DOTS in the right locations to be rolling five on a dice…

gluing mine on the outside of the bezel doesnt sound attractive an option, as its leaving the little plastic lens to get scratched if i pocket carry or clip on EDC it…

I just noticed fasttech has SK68 clones with an added ring of transparent colored plastic between the body and the bezel — several different colors.

https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10008176/1730001-sk-68-1-cree-xp-e-q5-300lm-3-mode-cool-white

I’d bet that’s put on as an added spacer —- to get the lens far enough from the emitter to focus.

That would mean there’s some huge batch of bodies in the pipeline that were all cut a little short, or had the emitter shelf cut a bit too shallow, putting the emitter too close to the lens.

I think there’s just one guy with a lathe turning out all the Chinese flashlights, and every now and then he has a really bad day. Last month it was the ZeusRay pills cut wrong ….

Someone said a while back there was no way they could make the SK68clones any cheaper or any worse.
I’ve seen several dis-improvements since then.

I have this one, it zooms in till you can see the emitter lines in a rectangles, and has a nice clip, the only problems were that it doesn’t take 14500, and the led wasn’t seated directly in the center and the reflector at full zoom rattles and wobbles around, otherwise a great SK68 alternative

Hmm… mine takes both regular AA and 14500.

Kind regards

that sk68 was the ones that comes with cheap 1w led in it

Hm, the FT thing with the red or green plastic claims: ” Light Source Model XP-E ” but their picture’s pretty vague
through the lens, can’t really see what it’s got in it.

The “cheap 1-watt” would look like this:

BeamO, you said that bargain bin light has a Nichia — is it for real?
A real emitter on a star, not the cheap “1 watt” thing showing up in other clones lately?

Pretty sure the green one in ft shows 1w

Hank, it was Sedstar that said it has a Nichia (in the first reply, post #2)

I haven’t been able to make it back to the store to look again and decided not to buy it due to the zoom/lens issue he reported. I decided to get that Ultrafire XPE-Q5 from Banggood instead.

Just wondering how you confirmed it doesn’t run on 14500? Thats a dealbreaker for me.

I was getting it because several others have reported it runs on 14500.

i am not a emitter expert, lol, far from it…

the PACKAGE says “nichia”… and when you take the bezel off, and get the lens to focus just to see the die on the white wall? there cant be THAT many emitters out there that make a perfect “i just rolled a FIVE with a dice” look to them.

i might try glueing the lens on the top of the bezel where it clicks down in? and maybe glue a round protector just around it so the oens doesnt get fubar-ed being exposed to abuse…

but really, its a lot of trouble to go thru for a little zoomie thats only 8 bucks… regardless of how well made it looks and feels on first impression? i’d just as soon get one with a CREE emitter in it, and that actually focuses up like it should, out of the box.

i figure, i might as well play with it, as i already impulse-bought it, lol…

My keeppower 14500 800mAH is too wide to fit in, if i stripped the plastic it might fit, my eneloop slots in perfectly almost no give or wiggle room. I guess it depends on from light to light, minor chamber differences will happen in cheap lights like this

https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/32943

hey beam0?

i’m from PA too…. im in southwestern PA…

Sounds like you’re pretty near, I’m just outside of Pittsburgh.

yeah, small world…

I’m about 45 minutes or so south of pittsburgh…

I live in a burned-out “steel town”, lol…

“My keeppower 14500 800mAH is too wide to fit in, if i stripped the plastic it might fit, my eneloop slots in perfectly almost no give or wiggle room.”

.

Yeah - Some of the 14500s are pretty big.

If you want a 14500 that is the same size as an Eneloop, try a Xtar 800mah.

Never a problem, with the battery or the Dealer:-)

Thanks,
-Chuck

I just spotted this light in my local TSC too (didn't buy it). I also saw some decent LED flashlights in the main flashlight aisle too, even a 3AA XM-L2 for $12.99.

Lots of us in SW PA. Even though I'm in the Johnstown area my job has me frequently traveling around SW PA and so I've probably driven/worked in your area. Over the past week I spent three days on a site between Centerville and Vestaburg.

-Garry