Utorch UT02 Review

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Utorch UT02 Review

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Hey folks almost Christmas and all the crazies are out shopping and I am here writing a review when i shpuld be hanging with them lol. But some how this review writing sounds more enticing lol. I actually want to try and buy some Christmas lights later today I will see what I can find. I seriously hate Christmas shopping i worked in retail when i was younger and it sucks.
Speaking of lights today we will be reviewing the Utorch UT02 I actually asked to review this light after an interesting conversation was had in a thread that made me angry! This is my first XHP35HI flashlight so I am not sure what to expect. I have used a standard XHP35 in a build and I then lost the LED because I took it out and placed in a safe spot. This is also new flashlight company Utorch so no one knows what to expect they where registered on the 25.10.2016 so very new.

The UT02 was sent to me by Gearbest for review I will leave a link here. Gearbest is the only store that is currently selling the Utorch range. There is currently only two models on offer this flashlight the UT02 which is run on a 26650 or an 18650 with the adapter. Or there is the UT01 which is a 14500/ AA flashlight. I just checked they also added a desk lamp into the mix that is not in out category.

Purchase link: UT02
Coupon: UTORCH Price: 42.99

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When looking at the specifications of the Utorch UT02 I was a bit underwhelmed I guess the output is good but is not crazy coming in at 1300 lumens. This is more then then most stock flashlight that use a XP dies size footprint. The throw is about average for a thrower and a little above a flashlight that would be a mix between flood and throw some thing like the C8. I am not sure if in 2016 you can call this a fully fledged thrower Now days a dedicated throwers are pushing about 700-1000+ meters? Beam pattern wise it is super throw heavy but does still have some usable spill. I mean no doubt 700 meters is good but a stock C8 with a XPLHI should be able to do around 500-550 meters?
I have a modded C8 that does 700+ meters but it doesn’t work as well as the UT02 if you want more throw with the UT02 it would be easy to achieve it. Where as the C8 is at its limits. Once receiving the UT02 my mind changed this light is what I expected from the stock L2. I wanted this kind of performance to be happy. The UT02 is smaller then the Convoy L2 and it can out throw a stock L2 the difference will not be huge but it is there. The beam is still a tad tighter on the L2 and there is less spill.

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You get a lot of extra features on the UT02 like a built in USB charging port that is able to charge at 2 amps. This 2amp charging feature is made for a 26650 you can charge an 18650 at this rate but its starting to get a tad high. I want to say one thing before we start the review. If Utorch would have gone with a worked XPL-HI running at a higher amperage they could have gotten the same result and it would be a simpler build. This is no stab at Utorch at all. If you follow Crees instructions they limit the amperage well below what the LED can actually handle. How many of us are running XPL-HI at 5.5amps on direct drive and have no issues? What output are we making at that amperage around 1500-1600 lumens? This is all companies not just one. Upon further thinking this still uses less power for almost the same performance while sticking to Cree recommendations. So I can also see it from that side. I am not sure how workable this driver is.

I rebuilt some of my computer desk and the sander blew dust all round the room as you can see on the UT02 i had the catcher on and it still happen.
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The UT02 is a good looking flashlight its stylish and well balanced. It is big but yet small for what it can offer. The build quality on mine is second to none there are no marks on the anodizing no scratches or scuffs. The lens was clean when it arrived the reflector was perfect. I have pulled the UT02 apart to have a look at what is inside it. The USB port cover fits very snug and proper the USB has a little grove around it where you can fit your finger to pull the port cover out. Even thought the UT02 has built in charging capability it still manages to be IPX 7 rated which comes in handy seeing as the UT02 will be used for hunting or fishing a sport where you need a tad more distance. Is bird watching a legit reason for me to use my flashlights? Lol.
Utorch claims the UT02 is drop resistant to 1.5 meters first flashlight I have seen that uses a boost driver and is still so drop resistant. It is 309 grams so it will be a fairly heavy fall. Maybe wear steel cap boots to be on the safe side.

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The knurling on the UT02 is nice and smooth and matching the UT02 differs from the U21 in this area it has the Knurling all the around the flashlight in two strips. The knurling still offers an ample amount of grip but the head of the UT02 is a tad slippery. I have an Xperia Z5 so I get this heaps where my phone just slips out of my hand or slides itself onto the floor while charging.

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The Threads on the UT02 are anodized and all cut perfect and no anodizing is missing on mine which is actually a surprise. The threads are thick cut so you should have no issue there and they came lubed. I will add it is easier to undo the head then the tail cap on my UT02. I am not sure why. I do think the tail cap threads are a bit tighter fitting then the driver side threads. The UT02 has a dedicated lanyard loop on the tail cap it is cut out on the side so it does not interfere with tail standing the UT02. This features comes in handy in case you need to call on batman. The anodizing on the UT02 is a nice finish and is smooth and clean i have honestly bought name brand flashlight that where not this good. The Utorch UT02 uses hard anodizing type 3 and is made out of the usual Aircraft grade aluminum alloy. The UT02 also offer a double coated AR lens so let out all those extra stuck lumens. My lens came perfect no marks or scratches as I have already said.

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The side switch has what appears to be a stainless steel retaining ring around it. The button on my UT02 is a tad squeaky I think its because they are using a hard plastic instead of soft rubber it may be rubbing against the sides. So overall the build quality is perfect no complaints from me. It probably wont last that long once I start using the UT02 properly. I did have dirty fingers and I got dirt inside the knurling as you do lol.
Now I would call the UT02 a small to medium sized flashlight its a lot smaller then a lot of other throwers and it lighter in weight. The UT02 weights a mild 309 grams without the battery. So with a 26650 the UT02 would come in at about 400 grams I think? About twice as heavy as a Convoy C8?
Size wise the Utorch UT02 is good it is 148mm (14.8cm) long and the head diameter is 59mm (5.9cm) and the battery tube is 35mm (3.5cm) in width and where the charging port is the UT02 is 43mm 4.3cm in width.

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Extra dimensions for you modifiers enjoy!

  • Battery tube 75mm
  • Lens 55mm in width
  • Lens is 2mm in thickness
  • Reflector 52.5mm in width
  • Driver 30mm
  • MCPB 30mm

The Utorch UT02 uses a XHP35HI the HI is Cree saying hello! Nah the HI stands for high intensity for the most part this means it is a Dedomed LED but it still has what could be called a dome because the LED die is still protected its just flat not a round dome. So yea I guess it is dome-less lol. Basically the XHP35 continues on with the XHP family ways it is 4 single small LEDs joined together extra tight for extra goodness. This means running at Cree specifications the XHP35HI can do almost 1500 lumens. This is a good effort considering how small the LED is. You would have no problem getting 2200+ plus lumens from the XHP35HI if you wanted to up the current. If you find a way to mod the driver let me know please!

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The Utorch UT02 achieves a good output of 1300 lumens rated by Utorch I think mine is a tad higher then there specs. Mine is more like 1400 lumens but I did have a higher stock amperage reading then most of the other members on BLF. My tail cap reading yielded me a nice 3.6 amps. Running a Samsung 18650 25r using the included 18650 adapter. Using my UNI-T UT139c with the stock leads I tried the meter again with a thicker gauge wire and the numbers stayed the same. Most other people are not getting these number so I am not sure what is going on with the driver. If we calculate the numbers mine is running well over 1amp at the driver. So my output numbers are close to being true. The driver in the UT02 is marked Manker I am not sure why they didn’t change that lol. So it would be the final driver that is being used in the U21.

Driver double springs
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The UT02 comes in two options for tints either a 1A 6500k tint or my review light the 3D 5000k tint. Choosing between these tints is hard because for a thrower you always want the best output and best amount of overall throw which would be achieved by the colder tint. I know people always say it doesn’t work like that but having a NW tint you will not lose that much output but you will have a more bearable tint. With my own eyes at distance i can see the difference i tell ya!
The UT02 is made to work with a 26650 but Utorch also include an 18650 adapter so you can use an 18650 if you want. The UT02 uses doubled springs on the back and on the front to help with extra current. I was using button top 26650 but the springs where not making proper contact at one point because they are to wide a spring Utorch could have made them a bit narrower. So you are better of using flat top 26650s or 18650s they will make better contact. So far all my cells I have tested fit and work perfect there are no cells that I have that are to long or wide they all fit even protected 26650. The battery tube is 75mm long but remember the springs are really heavy duty.

Double springs on the tail cap!
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The Utorch UT02 is rated for 700 meters of throw at 124000cd it does come close to these throw numbers. As you can see by the size of the reflector it is huge and these number are helped by the XHP35HI emitter. These numbers are the same as the Manker U21 which so they should be considering they are almost identical lights. In this price range its hard to find performance like this which helps the UT02 stand out. If you want to keep the UT02 stock it offers great performance at an unmatched price. It would cost you the same to get this performance from a C8. You could mod this with a direct drive XPL De-domed that would get you maybe double the cd. Stock performance is enough for me.

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The included USB charger charges at 2amps so it will charge an 18650 really fast in an hour and a bit depending on the cell. Or you can charge a 26650 and that will take a few hours from flat maybe 3 max. I tested the charger and it cut of charging at 4.22 volts so its more then acceptable. It does appear to use CV/CC to charge it did drop the current at the end of the charge cycle. When charging a cell the red LED in the button lights up and when the cell is finished it turns blue and in normal operation the button is purple. It looks really cool.

Charging
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Charged
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Threads are well cut and very well lubed by me lol
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The Utorch UT02 has 5 modes as standard plus 2 hidden blinky modes. These number are ANSI FL1 rated it doesn’t state what cell is used in the test.

  • Low mode: 15 lumens @ 100 hours
  • Medium mode2: 100 lumens @ 12 hours
  • Medium mode1: 300 lumens @ 5.2 hours
  • High mode: 650 lumens @ 3.1 hours
  • Turbo mode 1300 lumens @ 1.25 hours

The mode spacing on the UT02 is great it offers an ample amount of modes for every situation.
The UI is great its super easy to use simply click the side switch to turn on and keep on clicking the side switch to change modes. Push and hold to turn the UT02 of. Double click to access blinky modes these modes appear to be in medium one or high mode not turbo. You can also push and hold from of for instant turbo.

L2/ UT02/ C8 reflectors in that order
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What is included in the pack?

  • UT02 flashlight
  • USB cable
  • Lanyard
  • Spare O-ring
  • 18650 adapter
  • Instruction manual

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All in all the UT02 is a very good buy. It is a really nice looking flashligh and it offers some outstanding features at a great price. The build quality is above what I was expecting it really does feel like a much more premium quality light. Output and throw performance are great even if I did have a little whinge. What other lights offer this kind of performance for this price? Now I understand the UT02 and its reason why it is what it is. It all makes sense.

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Okay as my standard testing now days these pics are taken at ISO 800

Convoy L2 left and Utorch UT02 right both on highest outputs
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Left Convoy C8 with XPL-HI vs right Utorch UT02
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Left Eagle Eye X6 vs Utorch UT02 Right
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At 12 meters Left UT02 and right L2
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Low mode 15 lumens
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Medium 2. 100 lumens
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Medium 1. 300 lumens
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High mode 650 lumens
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Turbo mode 1300 lumens
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Turbo mode at 100 meters
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UT02 left vs Direct drive X6 XPL-HI 3000k tint
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Left UT02 vs Right L2
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UT02 left and Convoy C8 XPL-HI right the brightness of the UT02 makes the hot spot appear bigger.
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UT02 Left and C8 XPL-HI Right
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Thanks for taking the time to read!

Regards Chris

what’s with all the dust speckles :open_mouth:

saw dust from my room lol

better with fairy dusk for Xmas :smiley:

I wiped down the UT02 but left the rest

Okay i added the beam shots but i think its bed time! Been up since 5am and its 10:30 now…

I never added the video but i think most people would have seen it by now lol. Its only like a week late!

Hey Chris, how is your light holding up?

A lot of the early ones (Manker and Utorch) were getting 5 to 6 amps at the tail, but they had a habit of failing, so they adjusted the firmware settings to reduce it to about a 2.5 amp load. Yours seems to be in the middle which is odd.

Yes, the drivers can be modded for more output on turbo, but you have to be careful. There is an R050 sense resistor that can be replaced or added on to. Lights that have 2.5 amp tail readings can add another R050 and get 5 to 6 amps. Adding an R100 will get you 3.5 to 3.8 amps.

Keep in mind the ones with 5 to 6 amps tended to fail a lot. If I were you, I’d leave yours as is. Your already getting more output than the current models.

So let talk about current
My manker u21 trully can pull 5Amp
But that’s because of the boost driver
When loose contact, the voltage drop, the driver has to pull more amp
I measured with my current meter
When lightly pressed the spring. The current went up to over 5Amp, and the harder you pressed the spring, the lower the current, lowest i measured about 3.x Amp

It sounds like you have an early model.

Are you looping a heavy guage wire from battery negative to edge of battery tube and using a clamp meter?

Are you saying the amperage changes depending on how hard you push the battery against the double spring on the positive side?

Yes, i did, a heavy wire(14awg), clamp meter
And that’s what i am talking about


When lightly(almost no) press the battery

And when press harder
(Sorry for bad image, it’s really hard to do both measure and take picture)

Hey mate it’s still good. I scratched the reflector but. I think it needs a little output boost I just bought some XPL and XPG2s from fasttech so I might try one of them inside the UT02 see how it does. It sits in a weird spot in my collection it’s to big to want to grab for some job but not big enough for other jobs. I use the XT12GT more then this.

Wow, that’s interesting. I wonder if the difference is because the light pressure only touches one spring and the heavy pressure touches both?

To decide which amp draw is true, I would have to say the one that duplicates the pressure when the battery cap is tightened down normally.

This means a short battery might cause a higher amp draw than a longer battery because they compress the springs more.

Several regulars here reviewed the early production Manker and Utorch like DB Custom and Tom E and got 5 to 6 amps. Do you think they were not pressing the battery down hard enough to touch both springs?

I believe it’s because of the driver
I read somewhere that the current required by boost driver depends on the input voltage

Pushing it harder against the springs will not change the batteries voltage.

Maybe the springs are low quality and causing a voltage drop to the driver.

Then compressing them so they both touch reduces the voltage drop by half.

It’s odd. Maybe it needs a proper spring bypass on both ends to get consistent amp readings?

That’s what i am talking about
Volt drop on spring makes the driver require more current

That’s what i am talking about
Volt drop on spring makes the driver require more current

So I guess EDSG Chris’s light might measure 5+ amp if he doesn’t press the battery too hard.

I wonder if the early lights reviewed would get about 3.8 if the reviewers pushed harder to engage both springs?

I’m going to pass this information on to them and maybe they can test the theory.

so i found some interesting today
first:
when you press the spring hard(not too hard, normal press to be exact). the current will be about 3,5A, then you slowly reduce your force to spring, the current will slowly goes up to 5.8-6A
but when you press the spring hard again(like how you press at first, and not turn off the light). the current will stay remain, 5.8-6A, strange.
then you switch to low then high again, now the current will be about 3.7A
so

maybe i accidentally active “super turbo mode” :stuck_out_tongue: