Hi,
I have been reading numerous posts on this site for days and was after some opinions. I am a police officer and recently bought a UltraFire C8 CREE XM-L XML T6 1300LM from an ebay seller from China. I received it but it won’t stay on high. From what I have seen it would be a good light and around the right size. I have heard about these drop ins you can get, would one help? any links?
Also any suggestions for any better lights?
thanks
Dan
Hi Dan welcome to BLF
What brand battery are you using with the C8?
I would look at P60 type lights from here
or if you like the c8 size try here
they also sell a good holster with a spot for a spare battery (previous page)
Hi Dan, welcome to the forum!
I’ve had a couple of flaky lights before, and the first thing I test is usually for a bad switch in the tailcap.
Easy way to test is to unscrew the tailcap and short the - end of the battery to the body.
If it’s the switch, you’ll probably need to replace it (edit: the switch, not the light!).
Most c8-style lights won’t take drop-ins. Usually you’ll need a p60 style host for something like that.
It's nice to meet you, gothebroncos!
Welcome aboard.
DON…
thanks for the comments guys… especially from Denver…I am from Brisbane Australia… Brisbane Broncos NRL…happens all the time on US forums
I had a new tail switch sent from the seller in china but it didn’t fix the problem so I am starting to think that the problem is with the “pill”
I now think that the 5 mode is no good with blinking etc. What is the pck of the bunch for 2 or 3 mode around that 1300 lumens?
thumbsup raccoon city
I would get a Keygos M10 because it seems to fit the size your looking for.
Here’s a link from a good seller.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1600-Lum-26650-18650-CREE-XM-L-XML-T6-LED-Flashlight-Torch-Lamp-KEYGOS-M10-/300682325805?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item46021
Then you can “Book um Danno”
I was going to ask if you were from OZ. You won’t get 1300 lumens from a single led/ single cell light but it will be bright enough anyway. Check that the c8 pill is screwed in tight as they can come loose. I would carry a small light as a backup as well.
Welcome Gothebroncos
The best C8 style light is the one edc linked to, the XinTD V3. $29.95 shipped.
I have one with the Neutral White option and it’s great.
G’day mate, but who are the Bonkos? 
Have you thought about an Ultrafire UF-980L Small, nicely made and very bright with 3 modes. The Keygos M10 is a good light too but somewhat thicker and heavier.
Also, quality cells do matter in these lights, some are quite fussy about what you run them on.
There's the National Football League in the U.S. FIFA (The International Federation of Association Football) can be found worldwide. And according to Wikipedia, there's professional rugby league football club in Australia. Man, "football" covers a lot of sports!
The m10 is a great light, but still comes with the blinkies, a driver swap is no problem though. Good thing is you do seem to get much better run time on the 26650 cells.
My first thought, since you like the c8, was to recommend the xintd c8 linked about. That really does seem to be the jewel in the crown of c8 sized lights.
Welcome, hope you have fun here, I do sense though that your utility belt may become somewhat heavier soon though…. :bigsmile:
RC, we also have Australian Rules Football, of which the Collingwood magpies is the greatest proponent and by far the most legendary team of all time. Just my unbiased opinion 
*edit Oh, and a few guys play soccer when no one is looking too.
LoL, I thought the rules said “no religion”
carn tha pies
Welcome gothebroncos, I agree with Suncoaster I also ordered one yesterday from here:
http://www.intl-outdoor.com/xintd-c8-v3-xml-u2-910lumens-flashlight-p-308.html
Beamshots:
And I recommend (yesterday ordered one) Manafont Ultrafire 502b here:
I loved the beamshots of Ultrafire 502B (very small flashlight easy to carry) from Manafont in this link:
These beamshots for comparison with other flashlights made me order one:)
Well, if it’s not the battery or the switch and the other measures don’t work, you can get a complete replacement pill like this one:
http://www.intl-outdoor.com/c8-module-xml-t6-led-amc17358-driver-p-261.html
I can’t guarantee that it fits, though most of the C8-style lights use the same pill.
I hope you get your light to work, it’s always very frustrating when you get a lemon. Happens from time to time, don’t let it spoil the budget flashlight fun.
Shiningbeam Blaze is a nice, solid light for $30 with a forward clicky.
Blf has a 5% discount too. Have one myself.
Solarforce L2t from $16.99, also a forward clicky and a drop-in from DinoDirect now $7.55 with a1
0% discount. Haven’t got one, yet…. :) So many nice flashlights, so little money…;)
Hi, Dan. Welcome!
Have you made sure the battery is good? Because an XM-L with a wanting or weak battery will drop out of high mode and into a lower mode if the cell is bad. If you bought a battery/charger/light combo, most of the batteries included are recycled laptop batteries and are weak, if not total duds. Cheap batteries are a no-no from the start, trust me. If you’re sure that isn’t it and the tailcap is screwed in, it may be a more serious issue.
The C8 I got from Manafont.com was my first XM-L and it still rocks out at 690+ lumens out the front (otf). But as you are learning, it matters who you order from. Beware of no-name Chinese sellers who can have deals, but quality control is an issue. This is why most of us have our preferred seller’s list (and we tend to agree and stick to the good ones!) Anytime you buy one, you need to put in the Paypal notes to make sure the light is inspected before sending. And sometimes, that doesn’t always work.
Another thing you will learn is that Chinese lumens (aka usually made up lumens for advertising purposes) aren’t the same as real-world lumens. The references here will be a guide on what amount of light you are actually getting out the front of that glass.
Might I suggest something even smaller and throwier than the C8, the UF-V3 with U2-bin emitter—800 otf lumens. I ordered from this very same company, China Quality Goods. All I had to do was tighten the tailcap screw, which was sent too loose by mistake, and I have a crazy useful light with a belt clip and rugged form-factor…
The Intl. Outdoors C8 is great, as is the KD C8, but the V3 is now my everyday carry (edc).
In security, we work closely with law enforcement and the good XM-Ls we use always outshine the XR-Es the cops are still using. But you can get some great deals and have a huge advantage in the work you do with great budget stuff as you’ll find here.
>>>>>>Have you made sure the battery is good?
>>>>>Because an XM-L with a wanting or weak battery
>>>>>will drop out of high mode and into a lower mode if the cell is bad.
Rusty Joe is 100% correct. Please try an unprotected known good battery like a panasonic fully charged. Some of these T6 lights won’t work with a cheap Chinese battery. Some won’t work with even an okay protected Chinese battery like the so-called Trustfire flame batteries. I have at least 5 lights that are VERY picky about batteries and won’t work with just about any protected battery. But they work just fine with an unprotected battery.
And welcome!!