I bought two TK10 a week after my last posting. I haven’t mounted them, just use one as a back up light to my carbines and the other as a glove box light. They are pretty durable and I like the flexibility of changing the intensity of the lumens if the situation warrants it, without draining the battery.
Respectfully disagree. Plenty of Surefires out there that don’t even have a HA III finish. As of the durability of Fenix lights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WvhJWE3_Oc
To sonrider657 : I couldn’t disagree more… First of all I’m not confusing high output and multiple functions with quality… the fact is, the Fenix and the Olights are just as well constructed if not more so than that of a Streamlight or a Surefire imho.
My EDC is an Olight M20 Warrior Premium, I put this thing through hell and back. Before that, I EDC a Surefire 6P and I put it through equally as much suffering. Though I had to change the bulbs much more often.
I can’t see where the Olight is not a better light in every aspect than that of the Surefire even when considering the construction quality, the ‘fit and finish’, the level of anodizing, etc. On top of all of that it is a much brighter light with multiple modes and functions with a lifetime warranty.
On top of all of that to boot, the Fenix and Olights LED emitters are going to hold up to much more battering and abuse (as well as thousands of hours of burn time) without ever needing replacement and it is much more conservative on battery life.
Imho this is to be ruled a no contest, the Olight and the Fenix win hands down.
Sorry I will not comment on Fenix but I will comment on Surefire they are very reliable and rugged. I have been running surefire weapon lights for the last 9 years with great results. They are far better than anything else I have tried like Streamlight products. For you to bash Surefire shows you don’t have any real experience with them.
Pat
I’ve got the Olight warrior on my rifle 3,000 rounds, no problems. This is a duty/SWAT rifle. For the price you cant beat it.
One of our shooters showed me a Fenix last night. I was unimpressed actually with the myriad number of modes ia ppeared to have, but liked the brightness.
I think I’m going to get a TK-11 and see what’s what. I also like that they’re doing some very bright lights with AA batteries.
What’s the best place to order these things from in terms of price?
Go with https://www.fenix-store.com/
Good prices, free shipping, great people. If anything goes wrong with the unit at any time, they will make it right by you.
If you are a member over at CandlePowerForums there is a standing coupon code as well. I forget it at the moment but you should be able to find it at www.cpfmarketplace.com in the Dealers Corner
Talk to Daniel @ Fenix Outfitters
800-616-1326 / daniel@fenixoutfitters.com
Good guy. Fast shipping. Based in California, IIRC.
ETA: I have a TK10 but haven’t run it through a class yet. It has a textured reflector for better spill which I appreciate more in-doors. If you’re planning on running it outdoors, the TK11 has a polished reflector for better, more focused throw which I think would come in-handy for hunting or longer-range target ID.
My TK11 finally showed up yesterday and I like it. I checked it out last night while taking the dog for a walk and it is pretty bright without the turbo mode.
I found this deal here. I wish I had seen this before I ordered mine. A friend ordered one from them last night.
http://www.lapolicegear.com/fenix-light-flashlights.html
LA Police Gear sell them too.
The 4 STG-556’s in my gunsafe all mount Fenix TK-11’s, been that way for a couple of months at least. Last week two of them were put through a local 2-day carbine course w/appx 1K rds fired per rifle. Both rifles were dropped, dragged, bumped and not pampered in the least. The only casualty was a TK-11 that popped out of its mount due to me failing to loctite the mount screw. :o
Should any of the TK-11’s fail I’ll be the first to post about it and drop them like a hot potato but until then they serve my needs well at an affordable price (YMMV).
Tomac
STG’s & TK-11’s after 2 days of abuse:
That’s why I decided to leave the “wing nut” on instead of installing the round piece. With the wing nut on it can’t slide out of my mount. I got mine last week and I picked up one for a friend from the link I posted.
Mine has the Q5 head on it, the one that came today has the R2 head on it. I am not sure which one I like better.
A little off the subject…
Has anyone found a good belt holster (for a duty belt) for these lights?
The TK10 and 11 are sort of similar to the Blackhawk Gladius (they both have the wing nuts) so I was looking at their pouches. I am not sure if you need a leather one though.
Has anyone used the rechargeable 18650 battery at all?
And this comment just shows that you really didn’t read my post. First of all, I wasn’t comparing Surefire to Streamlight, so that comment doesn’t even make sense. Surefire AND Streamlight are overpriced and overhyped. Second, your anecdotal experience doesn’t equal a trend, and means little to me. But since we’re talking anecdotes, here is mine:
I have seen so many Surefire weapon lights (that cost hundreds of dollars) go down during trainings, it would be crazy to NOT think they were an incredible waste of money. To be fair, those were all incan systems, but that is still nuts. Reliable and rugged my ass.
And as far as LEDs go, Surefire is still behind the curve. Meanwhile, companies like Fenix, Eagle-Tac, and Malkoff Devices are putting out superior products at lower prices because they aren’t wasting time on money on magazine advertisements and other marketing nonsense.
To answer some other questions: 4sevens.com is a good place to buy Fenix gear, and the ridiculous amount of modes isn’t present on the “tactical” lights. Much simpler, more intuitive operation on those.
I have heard you can use the Surefire V70 with the Fenix TK series, but I haven’t actually tried it myself… And I think I heard it only works with the light facing up.
Never had a problem with Surefire or seen one. Yes bulps go bad from time to time on the incandesent systems. Duh. Try the LED’s and you will never see a problem. I am not too keen on dumping a good system to try some Chinese crap.
Pat
I almost ordered it when I ordered the light but the retailer told me it had something like a 1 week warranty on battery and charger and I passed. It was only $10 for the battery and charger (added on to the light order) but I just figured I already have a ton of batteries floating all over the place and skipped it.
Hey, if you want to stick with higher priced inferior product, go right ahead. But just because you haven’t had a problem doesn’t mean they haven’t happened, and I’m not just talking about bulbs. I’ve seen enough of those high dollar shotgun and and AR forends fall apart to know that I will never spend my own money on one.
And saying you want to stay with Surefire because you don’t want to buy Chinese doesn’t make sense either, as there are plenty of AMERICAN products better than Surefire. By the way, where do you think Surefire gets their LEDs? Are you really so deluded as to think Surefire is really 100% American?
I’m glad Surefire is working for you, and I wouldn’t suggest someone toss a working, paid for Surefire to get something else. But that said, none of Surefire’s current products are worth the mark-up when you look at all the offerings from other companies with superior performance and lower prices. If someone were in the market for something new, buying a Surefire would be a total waste.
Its been awhile since I bought a light. But it is pretty hard to screw up a tube that holds batteries and the head. No the important things to me seems to be the lamp or diode and the switch assembly. I cannot speak for Fenix but I know that much of Surefire lamps and parts were made in Mexico. On with the debate of who to trust your life too! But depending on the model of SF light you have, the debate will involve the Mexicans as well as the Chinese.