Hi Guys, I’m looking to get my first decent flashlight. I would mainly like to use it when I take my dog for a walk…so I’m thinking it should be decently floody. But I’d also like it to have decent throw as well because it would be nice to be able to survey the darker areas in the bushes because my dog has gotten in 2 scraps with skunks.
So I would basically like a light that is good at everything. I’ve been reading a lot of the reviews and the Convoys seems really nice. I’d like to get a XM-L2 with a 3C or 4C tint. Any recommendations where I should get the light from? Any other lights I should consider? I’m trying to keep it under $25 and 18650 compatible.
I am currently using a cheap Ultrafire SK98 XM-L clone. It does the job decently well, but after joining this forum, I’d like to get a better light. Any guidance would be much appreciated, thanks!
of the 3 convoys you mentioned M2 is the one that you are looking for (it is the most compact of them and has decent spill i use it on max with 2.8A driver on a mountain biking and the air circulation is sufficient for cooling it however if you hand held it maybe 2.1A driver will be better, or you can go for M1 as it has more mass and handles heat better and it has just a slight throwier beam, the C8 is the thrower especially if you get smooth reflector…i have 5 convoys (C8, M1, M2, S2 all with 3C tint and i love them all and few days ago i received L4 with 4C and i already love that one too, it is a thrower like C8 so i would say you will not be wrong getting any of those but as answer to your question i would vote for M2 and second choice will be M1
Of the lights mentioned by the OP, I only have the M1 and C8. Between those two lights, I think the M1 would be better suited to dog walks. My C8 has a tighter hotspot with less spill light than my M1. The C8 throws further, but the M1 still throws well. I wouldn’t call the M1’s beam floody, but rather it is balanced between being a tight throwy beam and a floody beam.
I run both of my lights at 2.1 amps. They handle the heat well at that level.
I’ve gotten my lights from Mountain Electronics. I’ve also had him build an S2 for me. In my opinion, the S2 is a good choice for a dog walking light. The store’s owner is member RMM, and he runs a top notch business. I’d suggest the OP could order a custom build from Mountain Electronics. He could then choose the tint, driver power level, and flashlight host that suits his fancy.
I like the size, it looks good and is of excellent quality. It can easily handle a led at 3+ amps if you are into that. It has a good flood and clearly more throw than any of the tube-style 18650 lights, but a C8 is way throwier.
For the stated purpose of walking the dog (and no doubt other general duties) it’s pretty hard to go wrong with an M2. They have a very nice balance of flood & throw, and they’re compact enough to be very pocketable. Build quality is outstanding.
Don’t hesitate to get the 3 amp driver - I’m betting you’ll run it on lower settings 90% of the time anyway. It you do run it ‘full blast’, your hand will remind you when it’s time to ease off the throttle, as will oncoming pedestrians and motorists as they shake their fists and shout epithets at you. You don’t realize how much light these modern flashlights pump out until you face one.
The M2s are very, very good lights, and excellent value - as are almost all of the Convoy lights, for that matter. I’d also suggest a 3C or 4C tint - the ‘cool’ emitters are pretty harsh on the eyes. Neutral or slightly warm is much more pleasant.
As mentioned above, the M1 would be my second choice if you don’t mind the slightly greater bulk and prefer to trade a bit of flood for more throw. In my perception the M1 is just enough bigger to make it feel ‘lumpy’ in my coat pocket, while I don’t even notice the M2.
I would go M1 or M2, balance of flood/throw, i like the aesthetics of the M1 better but from what i’ve read either one is perfectly good so whichever looks better to you should be fine
I’d choose M1. It’s just slightly throwier than M2, still very versatile, better looking, cheaper and 2,1A will give you plenty of light with better runtime and less heat. You can get one here with XM-L2 T6 4C emitter:
Thank you for all your replies guys…I really value all your advice. I think I’m going to go with the M2. I had a feeling that it was the right light for me, but I was a bit worried that it was a pure flooder and would not have enough throw for me. But thanks to you guys, I will give it a try.
