Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $35.00
Sale Price: $12.98
Today's Bonus: 63% Off
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): This is an amazingly powerful flashlight with a well focused central beam, good clean spillover illumination, great value, and a pain in the butt control interface. I was impressed enough to buy 4 lights to keep around my AZ ranch.
Details: I am an Electronics Engineer and a flashlight "nerd" owning generations of lights from many manufacturers including Streamlight, Pelican, Dorsey, Fenix, MagLite, Surefire, etc. Although I lack the test equipment to confirm the MXDL CREE's 300 lumen claim, I've compared it to "brand name" flashlights costing many times more and it clearly holds its own.
The light is marked "Waterproof" and "USA" although I highly doubt this is made in the United States. I've not tested the waterproof claim, but the unit has O-ring seals, well fitting threads, and appears very well made. While it might not survive a SCUBA diving adventure to 50' depths, it should not be bothered by a heavy rain or getting dropped in a puddle. It has a good gripping surface (non-slip), a solid feel (not cheap), and a semi roll-resistant tail cap.
This light is amazing bright, with a well focused central beam transitioning quickly (with minimal ringing or donuts) to a consistent side "spillover" beam having a radius approximately 4.5 times that of the center beam diameter. The spillover beam is very clean with minimal spots, shadows, defects, or reflections. The light's color is very white, especially when compared to older tungsten and LED emitters.
I've not conducted a "run down" test to verify battery life under continuous ON conditions, but I have been using the light a lot around my ranch for over a month with the original 18650 3000 mAH battery charged only once when the light arrived. I've noticed no decrease in light output. Before writing this review, I swapped back and forth between the used and a freshly charged battery without perceptible difference.
This unit's only significant weakness is the 4-mode rear button control. The modes are: OFF HIGH LOW STROBE. You switch between the three powered modes by either partially or fully depressing the tail-cap switch (as in turning the light off). Fully depressing the switch always turns the unit on or off.
The MXDL CREE lacks "memory" to return to the last mode it was in. Thus, if using the light in HIGH mode and you press the control fully to turn it off, the next time you turn it on, it will come up in LOW mode. If you turn off the light while in LOW, the next power on cycle will come up in STROBE mode, etc. I've developed a habit of always quickly partially pressing the button twice before fully clicking it fully to turn off that way it returns to the mode I was last using on the next power up cycle.
Another lesser weakness is the lack of a "momentary on" feature as recommended and taught by many tactical firearm academies. In other words, you cannot partially depress the switch to turn on the light only while pressure is applied and turn it off by releasing said pressure.
Pros:
Small single cell (18650) light the same size as typical 2 cell CR-123 lights.
Extremely bright, very white, well focused center beam with no significant defects, hot spots, or shadows. Tested against $135 240 lumen lights and meets or beats them.
Center beam carries well over 125 yards with enough light to clearly spot coyote-sized targets on a moonless desert night.
A "perfect" amount of spillover illuminates the area surrounding the central beam with enough light to identify a target and allow you to direct the central beam to it. The spillover illumination at 35 yards against white garage doors on a moonless night appeared as bright as the center of a 75 lumen narrow-beam light.
Rotating the light along it long axis shows a few minor shadows in the spillover pattern, but nothing distracting or bad enough to allow a target to go unseen.
Decent wrist strap and case provided.
Battery life is very impressive with good cells.
Incredible value!
Cons:
The rear button control interface is frustrating as described above.
No instructions or warranty paperwork. Remove the tail cap, insert the positive end of the battery toward the LED, replace the tail cap.
Note: Another reviewer states this light unscrews in the middle. That is not correct for the 4 lights I purchased from Amazon.com; they open at the tail cap.
In summary, this is the most flashlight I've ever purchased for the money. While I dislike the idiotic tail-cap control, for $16 plus the cost of good batteries, this light is without equal so far (but I'm always looking).
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I was shocked at the brightness from this small flashlight with one super LED. I have many gimmicky flashlights with lots of LEDs and they are candlesticks compared to this light. The focused beam shines far, and the surrounding light is bright enough for wide angle viewing. It's like a floodlight and spotlight combined. I was surprised that the flashlight size was more akin to the small Maglight than the big one, but blows Maglight away. I had expected C cell size and am pleased this was smaller. The belt case is also nice. I don't mind the three click 3 mode switch. You must order special batteries for this flashlight since it does not come with any. I thought it took 2 rechargeable lithium ion batteries, so I ordered 4 batteries with 2 chargers from Amazon. The price for 2 batteries with charger was less than 2 batteries alone. Turns out, the flashlight only takes one battery. That's nice! I was so impressed, I ordered 2 more flashlights. So I have 3. After using these, I cannot stand my underpowered 4-12 LED flashlights. I ordered 2 more (to make it 5), but they were sold out. AMAZON, get some of these back in stock for the same price and I'll order more.
UPDATE: I used a flashlight in strobe mode for Halloween on my front porch. It was very effective. The flashlight was still bright after 2 hours.
AMAZON GOT THEM BACK IN STOCK SO I ORDERED 2 MORE plus more batteries. I NOW HAVE 5 (2 for the cars, 1 for the bedroom, 1 for the kitchen, and 1 for the garage. I've been giving away some of my old multi-LED disappointments. Shall I stop with 5......
Best Deals for 300 lumen 5Watt 18650 3 Mode CREE LED Flashlight with Carry Holster
This is a well constructed Q5 LED flashlight that's very bright, especially at the center of the beam. I would say that the 300 lumen listing is accurate. It has a wide beam and a tight center bright beam, unlike my Fenix and Surefire that both spread the center beam a little more. The center beam could be used to temporarily blind someone at close range IMO. The center beam on this model goes into the sky like a laser and makes up most of the light emitted from the flashlight. The Q5 LED looks exactly the same as my Fenix and throws a clean pattern except for a little ghosting on the other edge of the light that's visible indoors but not so much outdoors.
I have a Fenix LD20 and this light blows it away in brightness. I actually find the clicky switch on this to work better than my Fenix. I find that one on my LD20 to be too stiff.
This flashlight unscrews in the middle to insert batteries instead of at the end like most flashlights. Of course the batteries go in like all flashlights facing the LED. The machined threads aren't as precise as on my LD20, but that to be expected. I like my LD20 for the size, construction and the fact that it uses AA batteries. I bought a charger though and rechargeable 18650 batteries for this light. It will work with 2 CR123's as well. It also has a rubber O-ring to keep out water and moisture. It does not come with an extra one
or an extra clicky switch cover like the Fenix does.
I bought mine for about $5 less at TMart but mine came without the holster, so I can't comment on the quality
of the holster. A very nice light for the price...the one I got from TMart has a high med low strobe & SOS settings and it comes on in that sequence and is marked as a CREE on one side and UltraFire on the other.
This flashlight body is exactly the same as mine and I've found it with different company names on it on at least 3 different flashlights I've seen. Like....Typical for China where these are made.
I'm not sure if this one has all the same light modes mine does (5), but TMart only listed 3 modes for their model too. A great light for the price.
Honest reviews on 300 lumen 5Watt 18650 3 Mode CREE LED Flashlight with Carry Holster
I use this light for my night time security job. I can easily see small objects such as a cat and identify its colors at 40 yards. As for large objects such as people, I can recognize them at 80 or so yards.
The light has 3 modes full power, 1/3 power & flashing. Full power is great for outside whereas 1/3 power is good for indoors or in a car. For now, I have not used the flashing mode. However, I have read that a brightly flashing light will disorient an attacker more effectively than merely a constant bright light.
I have used the flashlight for approximately 3 hours and the lithium battery still has sufficient power to give me a full power bright light.
I lucked out this is a great light for distances of 2 feet to 150 feet. It is small light and only cost $15. I paid $13 for 2 batteries and a charger. The light only uses 1 battery.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for 300 lumen 5Watt 18650 3 Mode CREE LED Flashlight with Carry Holster
This little thing is worth what you paid for. I ordered the Fenix TA20 at the same time, this is just for the comparison. At least the 300 Lumen brightness is likely to match what the manufacturer claims. It is lighter than the Fenix, maybe not as durable. Maybe I will use the Fenix for the survival situation, but for day-to-day playing, i feel this is the best value. I uploaded the pictures of comparison.
It does take the industrial flat top 18650 battery as well as the normal pop-up positive 18650 battery.
And yes, the UI sucks. You will get used to it.
If it breaks too soon, i will modify this review to 1 star.
