After having had a great experience shopping KR4 flashlight with the Nichia 519A domed LED from Hank’s site, I would like to have a thrower and good amount of light flashlight and still maintains the size of an EDC. I had thought about the KR1 model, and after asking Hank for advice, he has offered me the SFT40 LED 5000k.
Of course, I fully trust his advice, but I would like to hear your opinion on other possible configurations. I have seen videos with the SBT90.2 LED, and it’s incredible, but the price is very high. What about XHP70.3 HI LED? .
None of the larger, more power-hungry LEDs will throw nearly as well as the SFT40, especially when small battery life and thermal mass are considered. The SFT40 is IMO the best choice for a light of this size.
The SFT40 is the most practical throwy emitter.
The SBT90.2 is brighter, and throws further, but it overheats quickly and has low runtime (at a high number of lumens.)
The XHP70.3 HI is brighter than the SFT40, and it is very efficient, but it doesn’t throw nearly as far–it’s mostly floody.
If you get a flashlight with an XHP70.3 HI emitter, you need a large diameter reflector to get somewhat decent throw.
The SBT90 is extremely bright and very intense, but only for a moment, as it will quickly overheat.
The XHP70.3 is limited by the driver, as it is only 24W (6V 4A), and it really needs over 6-7A to make full use of it.
I also recommend getting the SFT40, and asking Hank to use the 11A driver.
I have a KR1 with the SFT40 5000K. I really like the tint of the 5000K vs the greenish 6500K.
The KR1 is a great light. I enjoy modding lights but there’s really nothing for me to do with this one (well the pocket clip needs a little sanding). Almost takes the fun out of it, ha.
The XHP70 is a bit underdriven in the KR1 due to the boost driver. I’d suggest W1 for maximum throw, SFT40 for balanced, or SBT90 for a massively fun hotrod. SFN55 500k is the budget version of the SBT90, slightly brighter but not as much throw.
