Review: Solarforce L2N

(laughing)

That makes me laugh because that knife set is one of those Ronco deals on TV, from a few years ago. When they arrived it took two seconds to see that they were the worst quality junk knives I've ever seen. Chrome plated crap that bent and chipped the first time you used them. It came with a second set "absolutely free" and I gave them to my second oldest son.

He promptly threw them in the trash, they were so bad.

Being raised by depression era parents, my wife can't bring herself to throw stuff like that away. Actually, the bread knife isn't half bad.

nothalfgoodeitherFoy

Try the Showtime (#1) for bread, I like it much better because of the offset handle, also great for tomatoes.The Sportstman knife (#8) is great for skinning salmon. I also find the Carving knife (#2) excellent for whole turkeys, Hams and prime rib roasts. It’s the longest knife in the kitchen!
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:wink:

Thanks for this great review, I’m now planning on a L2N, I’ve been wanting to get into Solarforce hosts for some time now after seeing your other posts & reviews on here but just never pulled the trigger yet.

Sometime last year after seeing a post of yours I ordered an S9 tailcap (now discontinued - WHY??) because I saw it vanished from the solarforce-sales site and scrambled to find one, I think I may have got the last one to be found!

I’m planning on a L2N/S9/NW XML and possibly the a001 head. I’m also thinking about an M6 now that it’s only $38.99.

beam0bsolarforcedreamin

Even though at $20, the A001 head is certainly overpriced, but what it does to just about any black Solarforce light is magical . . .

Also, that's not a bad price on the M6. I paid $53 back in 2011 and it's been a great torch . . .

Still going strong . . .

A001foreverFoy

Just when I had finally ‘divorced’ myself for a few weeks from the SF sales site, you come out and bait the hook again…

Working on commission, eh?!

Foy, looking at your lovely pics, I feel like I need a Solarforce.

I wish . . . not sure if Solarforce knows Foy even exists. It's definitely a one-way relationship: I love their lights and they charge me full retail.

fullpopFoy

Actually I was already a fan buying the cheapest good Q lights I could from some guys in TX. Then stumbling on BLF (from the other guys) and reading a few of your threads starting 2 years ago reignited my interest in all their products…and my buying habits again.

Send those guys a thread and see & show them how many hundreds (thousands?) of lights you have ‘sold’ for them.

I always get a kick out of your passion, attention to detail, beamshots and attention to detail in your reviews. I haven’t bought 50 SF but its darn close and selling & giving away a few of them has definetely spread the fever to any number of friends.

I think, ‘thanks’?

southcove -

I hear you.

I have gifted, traded and sold so many Solarforce P60 torches I've lost count. When I began this madness in earnest (maybe 3 years ago?) the L2i was $7.99 and I bought a bunch of cheap Q4 and R5 modules from Manafont and gave over a dozen away as Christmas gifts. They cost me about $15 to spec but because of the host quality and perhaps also because an L2i loaded with 3 x AAA has a satisfying heft, the recipient thought I had spent a lot more.

There was a period about 18 months ago when every time somebody was looking in or under a car and saw my light, bought one . . . or three, and I would just cycle them through my collection. The extra L2s and L2Ps I have now are because I quickly saturated Foy's "market" (my small circle of acquaintances) and all my friends don't need any more flashlights.

The way they put it to me cracks me up. They'll say, "can you make me one like that?" Even when I explain that with a Paypal account, they can "make" one themselves and bypass the $15 Foyvig . . . didn't matter. My boss bought a 980L from me and all I did was order it from Manafont, take it out of the manila envelope in my office, walk three feet to his office and hand it to him. Worked out to $5 a foot on that one.

sorryfortherambleFoy

after graduating from CR123 zenon lights, I found the ‘way’ which was that leading edge (to me anyway) LED revolution allowed me and by extension (like you, buy and sell and pay for my own lights) friends, fellow campers, paddlers, riders and co-workers to have a proven system instead of just looking on in envy at the latest $$$ light from Surefire or Streamlight that someone higher up the corporate foodchain was showing off to the assembled murmuring horde (some murmuring in amazement, others in disgust, surely…)…

Mistakes were few and rectified w a new drop in or alternate for whatever highest purpose was intended. And occasionally a wonderous upgrade head would appear like a beauteous swan to take the new head of the class, first flashlight.

And 5 lights w attendant accessories and accompanying goodies arriving discreetly in a ratty brown envelope* didn’t raise the ire of the wife like a single flashy new goodie brought by the dude in the brown truck…

So far so good. I will have to up the ante soon with a MT-G2 or similar, maybe even the new SF.

*and damn, didn’t these things impress and were so good, compared to the old faves.

Sure wish they still made the L2i. I have one but had I known, I would have purchased a few more.

And yes, Foy is directly responsible for the 9 SF lights I’ve bought.

And I love it, iam looking for a a good drop in., currently I am using a lightmalls XML2-U2 with an OP reflector but my L2N has a tail switch not a forward any how can any one else recommend an updated P-60?

I was wondering if I could make this host tailstand. I see this reverse clicky supposedly for L2N, would it work?

I have gotten 4 of the new Tailstand forward clicky L2T and really like them compared to the older version. I ordered just the switch for one of my older L2T. I love the L2T host the most out of them all.

@rikr thanks for that.

I was basing my choice of host on Foy’s review, as the only hosts I have so far are the P1 and P1D. After reading through some of the threads, I was planning on the L2T head, the reverse clicky that can tailstand, and L2N. Do you think I’d be better off just getting the L2T instead? I see if I wanted to tailstand it they have a product SKU that includes the forward clicky SS cap so I assume that would end up being cheaper then getting the L2N and then ordering the other parts separately.

Here’s the one that I have been ordering It’s only $18.99
NEW !! Solarforce L2T TAILSTAND Forward Clicky Flashlight body

Thanks, I had just stumbled across that when your reply came in. If you’re going the L2T route and want tailstand that certainly seems like the SKU to use, almost the same price as just buying a head and tailcap separately.

That tail standing cap will work on an L2N. It actually looks pretty good but none of mine match the finish on my black L2N good enough to suit me.

itsallaboutmeFoy

Thanks,

I ended up ordering the L2N Host and the reverse clicky tailstand cap I referred to the first time. I thought about the L2T head that had been recommended as well but decided to wait and see how the stock head looks. I’m planning to try an XM-L2 T5 on a Noctigon star at 2.8A in it. I’m curious to see if this will be a better host than the Convoy M1.

I have a question: which Solarforce’s host gives the widest spill/flood with the same drop-in? They all have slightly different head/bezel design, sometimes drop-in goes deeper inside body and it really makes a difference. I had regular L2 with stock bezel and spill was very tight, it was worse than in many superthrowers.

IIRC, it's really only the bezel that makes a big difference as all the L2s are compatible with the same bezel and lenses, the amount of thread/material after the reflector stop is the same. If it makes a big difference to you, get a flat bezel.

I actually have the very old version of the stainless steel bezel which is completely flush with the head.

There are of course ways to improve spill: Anti-throwing lens.

100%, 0% hotspot. <20m of throw.