Is a Solarforce Fake a Worthy Substitute?
Nope.
Immediately after ordering an L2m tube from solarforce-sales to make use of an extra head/tail cap I had, someone put up a link to Kaidomain for an XM-L powered "Solarforce" L2m. The $19.97 asking price was not much more than I would expect to pay for a T6 drop-in so I didn't think I had much to lose by having my new XM-L shipped to me safely inside a flashlight. And, what a perfect opportunity to see how one of these popular Solarforce wannabes stack up against the real thing. Is a Solarforce flashlight worth the extra coin? In a word, yes.
The bottom line: This fake Solarforce L2m functions as it should but it is not a good flashlight as delivered from Kaidomain. The o-rings made almost no contact with either the head or the tail cap and there was nothing between the stainless steel bezel and the lens. Several dimensions are different, the threads feel awful (there are less of them on the tail) and the anodizing looks suspiciously like paint. Also, you cannot lego an extension to use an 18650 because the inside tube diameter is too small. For free I guess it's okay but there is no way I would intentionally purchase a "Solarforce" from Kaidomain. It is not a Solarforce and it's a poor imitation of one. The drop-in however is pretty darn awesome. It's bright as hell, draws nearly 3 amps and has a very nice white tint that I like. I hate the 5-mode flashy garbage but other than that, it is a drop-in worthy of being used in a real L2m, which is exactly where it is going.
What I like:
- the drop-in
- tint
- performance
- the low low (.10 amp)
- the real L2m
What I do not like:
- wrong size o-rings
- poor/less threads
- anodizing
- 16340 or CR123 only (no lego)
- the fake L2m
"Solarforce" L2m 3.7v Mini Cree XM-L T6 5-Mode from Kaidomain http://kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=11189
emitter: Cree XM-L/T6
modes: 5-mode - hign, medium, low, fast strobe, SOS
battery: single 16340 or CR123
switch: tail-cap, reverse clickie (will tail stand)
lens: glass
ordered: 5-7-11
received: 5-25-11
price: $19.97 (currently $19.68)
Specs do not include an IPX rating but a shower with Foy did not result in any ingress. (after an o-ring overhaul)
nominal amps draw at battery base:
high >> 2.60
medium >> 1.05
low >> .10
maximum measured amps on high: 2.90
maximum measured surface temperature of flashlight on high: (fahrenheit)
124° at head
117° at tail cap
Features/Value
The wanabe Solarforce came with a superb T6 drop-in that sports a slick, trouble free UI with good spacing between high, medium and low and no long wait for mode retention. The strobe and SOS is stupid but at least . . . well, at least nothing - I don't like it. That's it; outside of the drop-in, I don't like this light. One "feature" that makes P60 flashlights so compelling is the ability to screw tubes together to make a different torch. The real Solarforce L2m is easily converted for 18650 use by simply adding an extension tube to make an instant L2. This is not possible with the fake L2m because the tube will not accommodate anything larger than a 16340/CR123. The slightly thicker tube wall is nice I suppose but the lack of interchangeability is a huge demerit for the fake Solarforce.
(extra o-rings and orange tail cap boot did not come with light)
Design/Build Quality
The fake L2m from Kaidomain is probably not the worst assembled light in the world but it is far from authentic Solarforce standards. The threads have a rough, loose feel and the finish lacks the tactile quality of a true Solarforce. There are slightly less tail cap threads on the fake and the o-rings that came with the light hardly touched the inside of either the head or tail cap. As received from Kaidomain, any moisture at all will quickly enter the flashlight past these very loose (and useless) gaskets. Basically; the design is stolen from Solarforce and the build quality/execution sucks.
Fake L2m.
(fake L2m)
Back of switch.
Fake L2m.
Fake L2m.
(fake on left, real L2m on right)
Note the chamfering difference and how smooth the real L2m is inside compared to the fake.
Fake L2m.
(real L2m)
Not only are there more threads on the real L2m but the last thread on the fake does not seem to engage at all. The lube I put on (light came bone dry) is still fresh and clean because the threads inside the tail cap have not touched the last thread on the tube.
(fake on left, real L2m on right)
Few threads on the tube and even fewer inside the tail cap.
16340 fits nice and snug in the fake L2m. Too bad no other battery will fit, making legobility impossible.
Real Solarforce will accept a CR123/16340 as well as an 18650 making the the real L2m much more versatile. The simple addition of an extension tube turns an L2m into an L2.
Inside measurements on fake (left) and real L2m. (right)
Tube thickness measurement for fake (left) and real L2m. (right)
Real L2m tail cap switch.
Real L2m button.
Real L2m tail cap switch.
Fake L2m on left, (real) L2 center and real L2m on right.
Okay; how 'bout some beam shots . . .
We're at Foybezel's Uglywall test facility where the cactus plant is 55 feet away, shutter speed is 1/4 second @ f2.8.
First up is the real L2m which tonight, features a 3-mode Ultra Fire XM-L drop-in with SMO and 16340 battery.
Next is the fake L2m with the 5-mode XM-L/OP reflector it came with. (same 16340 battery)
Next, I swapped out the OP on the fake (5-mode XM-L) to see how this drop-in would do with a smooth reflector.
And finally, for comparison, here's an L2P with an XM-L U2 drop-in.
As you can see, the fake holds its own by virture of a top performing XM-L drop-in. The only surprise for me was how much I liked the OP reflector. At the end of the day (and this review) all I can say is there will not be any more fake Solarforce lights joining Foy's collection. I'm glad I discovered this with an inexpensive L2m instead of something more pricey.
Read my lips: no fake Solarforces.
overandoutFoy