M6 Mod 2 is still very new. Richard only got the M6's 15 days ago. I'd already have that driver in my M6, but I'm waiting for the version of this driver that fits those components onto a new board instead of piggybacking off the existing board. Last time I checked, the BLF driver gurus almost had all the kinks worked out. I can't wait. It'll be the SRK I've wanted for a long time.
Wow I see. I’ve only just started posting on this forum and there was lots of talk about it, thought it had been around for a while. That’s quite cutting edge then!
The reason only a few people have the SupFire M6 is because almost every single on of us has a SkyRay King (SRK), which is the predecessor before the M6 ever existed. The M6 is like a refined, well thought out, beautifully crafted, SkyRay King 2.0... that being said, even though I have a SRK, I plan to get the M6 just because i like the look, and I love the output, I might go stock, but I especially like the Upgrade 2 4000+ lumen one! I really like the zebralight headlamps too, but I really just like it for its driver, which seems to be one of the most efficient drivers out there, pushing 1000+ lumens off 1x18650 for like 2 hours.
As for your Loan-a-Light program, ha!!!
You know you want to join my program. I can loan you my 7 lumen torch in Midday Sun colour.
And that’s it I’m buying this bloody M6!!!
A lot of reason the the M6 is regarded so well, is testament to the faith people have in the builder, and that at least some of those that have it already are also well respected as are their reviews and opinions of it.
Dont know if you saw the comment before as I edited in after you made a comment, but the Dolphin comes in an LED form too now. About $25 if you look around. SuperCheap Auto had them at that price. Looks pretty much like the one you posted.
I should correct myself. There were a couple earlier M6's with the Mod 2 package, but those M6's had to have been bought elsewhere and sent to Richard. The ability to do these high current drivers with great modes is pretty new too. The only way I know of to get more lumens in a soda can light is with MT-G2 emitters and a budget over 3x bigger.
It's almost funny how Richard's lights are getting a cold reception elsewhere. It's like all those people really don't want to accept that they spent a lot more money on brand name lights that puts out far less light. You definitely came to the right place since you want to get more lumens for your money.
Thankyou *ejected *I did see your post. I was in his car and we were going to a bike pickup. He said he brought a torch.
“Oh you brought a torch? Show me”
He takes out his Dolphin LED and turns it on.
“Turn it on man.”
“It is on!”
“THAT’s not a torch. THIS is a torch”. Then I turned on my 3T6 which isn’t even that big a deal on BLF and he just hung his head in shame :_(
I know the branded (Fenix Nitecore) etc do make some terrific torches no doubt but they are just beyond budget. It’s the diminishing returns notion and the Chinese manufacturers are definitely in the value spot. Can’t see why you spend double triple the money for a torch that is not 2-3x the money. Of course it’s all relative to what you value $100 at. To me that’s a lot of money 
Probably one of the best fishing lights though. It will float, and keep on keeping on. Stands, sits flat on a pier/deck and floods light, has that bracket to adjust flood angle, could even occy through the handle to hang it. Im told runtime, with an Energizer 6v is around 40 hours (claimed nearly 48), they only have on and off.
You have to understand that its not always "just about lumens". These lights that cost 2x-3x the money will probably last 10-15x longer than the cheap chinese lights, and these 2x-3x lights almost always have a really good warranty should anything ever happen to the light. But until you get one of these lights that cost 2x-3x the cheapy lights, you will never understand that the Fenix and Nitecore lights build quality is utterly supreme to any of those cheap lights that cost 2x-3x less.
So when you really think about it, the name brand lights usually cost alot more than their cheap chinese counterparts for a reason.
There are a few gems out there though, like when a company that makes a brand of flashlight, then sells a no name clone of that light for 3x less. Those are pretty good deals! My Blackshadow Terminator clone is a perfect example. Has the exact host of the terminator, but no name on it. One of the best host I have ever seen! There is no pill, the whole flashlight is the heatsink!
Fenix and Nitecore are manufactured in China, along with Jetbeam, Sunwayman, Olight, Thru-nite, Zebralight and Armytek.
What data do you have to support this? Sure some of the lights are sloppily assembled, but most are assembled well enough, and I don't see why the design and components would have such a big difference in life. I'd like to see some data sheet comparisons if you've looked into it.
Yes perhaps I did not articulate well enough. I shouldn’t really compare the cost difference to the quality difference directly, it’s much more than that. I understand brand torches are like many other premium quality manufactured goods. I would definitely take the Fenix and Nitecore range over others if they were given to me. I’m in the position now though where I’m happy to take a punt on the cheaper torches that can do most of what I want but perhaps lack the luxury of the premium stuff.
My TR3T6 is great for $30! But yes the PWM on low bothers me as does the strobe and SOS being in the same array as Low-High. BUt I could live with these things for the cost. When I stop spending money on motorcycles I will have more money for better torches. Too many hobbies! Good thing I don’t have any offspring that I know of.
leaftye, I have had numerous cheapy chinese lights die on me over the years, from clicky switches rusting out, to led flickering, to losing 90% output from led, to many other things. I have yet to have any name brand light that I have fail on me in the last 9 years. So personal experience with cheap chinese ultrafire, sipik, and many other cheap lights support this data!
Cheaps lights, usually have the thinnest wiring possible in there light, the crappiest soldering, cheapest, thinnest mcpcb, and the most unfinished aluminum I have ever seen. Name brand lights "almost" never have any of these crappy quality, at least none of the brand name lights I own.
I have to agree with this. If you have that big fat lead acid battery waiting to be tapped why not use it. A headlight like the HC52fw for EDC would light your way once away from the truck and is small enough to take with you on the trail.
Although I agree that there are few lousy cheap lights out there, I am more than happy to compare my convoy C8 to my Fenix E50, and say that I can see no reason to buy the Fenix over the Convoy… The Convoy even has 2 mode groups…. And if the convoy ever breaks, I can still buy another 3 with the same money I spent on the Fenix E50….
(Sorry to use you as a foil, Demigod) YOU ALL need to understand that Fenix (I haven’t seen a Nitecore) is nothing but a “cheap Chinese light” (as you haters love to put it) with the French word for a mythical bird silk-screened on the outside and a stupid price tag on the box. They’re listed on Alibaba (sans silk-screening and with MOQs in the thousands) for pennies on the dollar — go look!
“Warranty”?? When I spent a stupid amount of money on my brace of Fenix EDC lights, the switch failed on the one I used most. (This is after one of the two $55.00 P1s had ~1/3 the output of the other — “quality”?? Not likely!!) … I ended up in an E-mail shouting match with Fenix’s customer “support” so bad that I ended up finding someone who sold them then browbeating them into sending me a new switch, which I installed myself!
OTOH, I have spent less than what two of those “name brand” lights cost me, on my entire collection of “cheap Chinese” EDC and household lights, NOT ONE OF WHICH HAS FAILED except when I broke it (by turning it on and throwing it at the floor to show how solid it is, which I do frequently). Even the throwing at the floor trick didn’t cause the light to fail, it just broke a couple of solder joints that held the driver in place and led to intermittent flickering. The busted Fenix switch STOPPED WORK and required me to go get an incandescent Mag light to finish out the day.
I understand everyone’s need to trust some “Brand” or another. “Brand Loyalty” is the old “Look For The Union Label” fallacy in a new disguise. It’s still fallacious.
That also explains the POWER of BLF. Many of us will “take the hit” FOR you and report our findings here, as I have just done. Even then, as you will see as you delve deeper into the Platinum Mine of Information herein contained, your “pants-a-fire 110 Special” may be entirely different than the ones they’re selling when I buy mine based on your recommendation.
Okay, I apologize again for teeing off on your post instead of one of the others, but it needs to be said. The only “rule” to this game is Caveat Emptor, whether you believe that or not.
Thanks for reading.
Dim
Just guessing here, but I’d wager he has worked around someone else using a headlight and still has the scars on his retinas, like I do. This is why I invented my “HandLights”, which surround just your hands with a “ball of light” for working.
On another thread, someone recommended wearing the headlight UNDERNEATH the bill of your cap!!! I’d like to give that guy a hug!!! You can keep your head down & preserve everyone else’s night vision that way. NOW I have ONE reason to not hate headlights!
OTOH, +1 to the notion of wiring a decent cargo light to the truck’s electrical system!!! A collection of LED strip lights in a normal color across the top (if it’s enclosed) would fill the space with light AND minimize shadows…
More details help lots in Engineering Solutions…
Well, I was hoping this conversation would rise above vague anecdotal evidence, but I aimed too high. I also have a Fenix failure. It was my first and only Fenix. HP10. I bought it from 4sevens and they took care of an exchange, but I think they sent me a used one since it wasn't in the packaging and was missing parts. I had an impossible time with Nitecore support covering their 1 year warranty, but Illumination Supply stepped up and covered it. Now I refuse to buy those brands unless it's from a good vendor in my country. And I think some of Nitecore's higher end products are very overpriced if they're going to make it so difficult or impossible to get them to honor their warranty, so I'll happily go with a Supfire M6 Mod 2 or equivalent for $85 instead of a Nitecore tm26 ~$250 to $500. That gets me a thousand more lumens, I'll know the model and can view the datasheet of every electronic component in it except for the switch, and I save over $150.
I do place a lot of value on a warranty, but I just don't see where the value is. It's the vendors that are providing the support. Could you imagine if your car warranty was the same way. Buy a new BMW in Maryland, move to Oregon, and then get told that you have three choices: get your car fixed by your dealership on the other side of the country, ship your entire car to Germany, or pound sand.
Btw, Fenix and Nitecore both started in 2004, although Fenix didn't sell their first flashlight until 2005. If that nine year experience was with a chinese brand, I'd like to know which one it was.
Looks like Dimbo the Blinky could use a hug. Sounds like he had a very rough morning today. 
Don't crinkle me too hard Dumbo :^ but... There is definitely nothing cheap about my Nitecore TM26, it is actually the most solid and best built flashlight that a flashlight company can build, to be honest. I honestly don't think you can build a better quality light, craftsmanship wise that is.
I also have a Fenix TK-45 and guess what, I tore up the rubber buttons taking it apart! I contacted Fenix, and they said I could send the light back to them for repair, i told them I could fix it myself! 4 days later, a new rubber switch came in the mail by FedEx. Oh, and by the way, nothing cheap about my TK-45 either.
As a matter of fact, I can put my Nitecore TM-26 next to any flashlight, from any brand, and build quality wise and craftsmanship wise, there is no way the Nitecore will lose!
Funny thing is, last week, I was playing the the Nitecore on my balcony, and accidentally dropped it 3 stories high onto gravel. I almost had a heart-attack! Well I went downstairs and got it, thinking it was dead and would be badly scarred. Guess what, I couldn't even find a scratch on it, and everything worked perfectly fine! Now that's build quality for you!
Respectfully, I have to disagree about Nitecore and Fenix being "cheap chinese brands". Maybe their cheaper offerings under $50 are not as durable as there $100+ counterparts, but then again a $50 light is not a $100+ light. Heck not even my Niteye Eye10 is cheap, as build and quality is superb. Price wise, I only paid $40 for it!
Now about my SRK, ya, umm, now thats a cheap chinese light, and in no way comparable to any of the lights mentioned above.
I had gotten an old Pelican for christmas of 2003 for graduation, and its still going strong, albeit I have not used it in the last 5-6 years, but check on it every once in a while, to make sure it still works! Not sure if it's a chinese brand though!