[TL;DR - just start reading at the “~”]
[Note: pics of light and mentioned faults coming after I get home. I hope to get some beamshots in as well sometime. I know the BTU has been reviewed to death, but it’s my first expensive light and I’m excited!]
Hello BLFers,
Recently I’ve ponied up the cash for the legendary BTU shocker! I used a coupon posted in our Deals area, and snagged it for $90 USD, shipped. Below are my experiences and thoughts on my purchase.
Before buying, I read every major review on the light. I read mod threads. I read all posts on original announcement thread. I was quickly convinced that this light would be the perfect throw light for the collection.
I read about it’s size, seen photos and seen videos. But it was still a Shocker when I actually opened the box and first held the light. The thing is HUGE! It makes my SRK look like a toy now, it’s hard to take it seriously after seeing the BTU. As for weight, I find it acceptable. Would I go hiking with it? No. (who uses a throw-y light for hiking anyways…). Would I be able to manage it on 30/45 minute walk? Definitely. It’s not THAT bad. And I’m a small, weak guy.
The light came very very very well packaged. Best yet. It came in an envelope (don’t remember if bubble wrapped or not). Inside the envelope was a (very large) box, wrapped in plenty of foam padding. The box itself had that plastic foamy material we’re all used to with Chinese light boxes, with a cutout for the SRK and 3 batteries. Again, the fit was very snug and light very safe. I’d have no problem with the light being shipped in the box alone, thought the box would likely get damaged.
The light itself was in very good condition. One part of the flat side of the reflector had a small non-shiny (possibly chipped) bit, though this did not concern me as it was right near the edge of the glass, therefore not causing any alterations in the beam.
I had the same issues others had with the battery carrier. I used the electrical tape hack to keep batteries in place better, and that seemed to fix issues I was having. Banggood also was kind enough to solder copper disks to the positive end of each slot, so that magnets are not required for unprotected batteries. Kudos for that!
Now for the real problems (and where I require your input):
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The light came with the following two issues:
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First issue: One of my LEDs has a significantly different tint than the other 2. The odd-one-out seems to be a NW tint, while the others are CW. The tint difference is very visible, and, to be honest, quite ugly! I have emailed BG about this, and am hoping they either offer me a replacement LED I can change myself, or a discount on the light, so that I may purchase the LED I want.
Should I spend the extra $$ on some XM-L2’s on Noctigons if I am swapping a LED anyways? Is the extra work worth the result? I am planning to add thicker silicone wires, as well as adding copper braid to the springs.
Second issue: The driver came with a DRY driver instead of the BTU driver! “DRY” was written on the side of the box, and timeout for turbo also happens around the 90 second mark (vs 3 minutes for the BTU driver). I asked BG for BTU driver if available. Again, is it worth the hassle of switching? I was going to leave the light stock, but seems that won’t be possible anymore.
Overall, I’m still happy with the light. BG seems a bit slow to respond, but I’ve had good experiences with them in the past. I’m hoping I’ll be compensated in some way for their mistake.
PS: Shipping & handling time was excellent. I ordered it May 24th (Saturday), it was shipped on the 26th, and it arrived June 6th. Value was declared to be $10-20 IIRC.
