Lowe's Taskforce 2C Cree Flashlight: Bright, cheap and available.
Whilst out scavaging for some small parts for my latest project I happened up this light at my local home improvement store, Lowes. There has been quite a bit of buzz about this particular model for some time on Candlepowerforums, apparently it is quite the hot thrower and is currently one of the only lights in the 2C form factor that features a Cree LED. Happenstance dictated that after buying my supplies I was awarded with a random 10 dollar off coupon from my less-than-helpful cashier. With this small discount I could not help but acquire the new light and see how it stacked up against my regular fare. The in-store price for this light is 29.97$ without tax, included in the package are 2 Duracell brand "C" size batteries. The batteries registered 100% on my ZTS meter out of the package. The packaging contains the numerous features of the light and states that the Cree X-Lamp is 60X brighter than a regular LED. Now, take this as mere marketing since it has no practical meaning, it may be 60X brighter than a 5mm Nichia LED but it will only be two or three times brighter than a decent Luxeon LED.
The body, bezel and tailcap are milled out of aluminum and feature O-rings are each connecting point. Water resistence should be fair, rainstorms and such should be no problem but I would recommend against taking this light diving since there does not seem to be a very tight seal against the lens and bezel, the clickie tailcap may also allow water egress if submerged. The overall maching in rough and is fairly typical of mid-low grade Chinese lights. The threads are on the tailcap are rough and have a fair bit of slop and the soldering on the circuit board is goopy and unrefined. None of this is a major issue, just be aware that this light is not going to be high-end Chinese fare like Fenix or Lumapower. The main body of the light is covered with a textured rubber sleeve, this adds grip to the otherwise slippery body but the sleeve on my example rotated freely and felt loose so I applied some duct tape to the body and this added some friction and helped stop the rotation.
Unscrewing the tailcap allows the user to insert the batteries positive end first, I am unsure if this light is reverse polarity protected so save the reciept and be prepared to return it if you insert the batteries the wrong way and the LED gets fried. Turning on the light is accomplished by the ubiquitous reverse clickie, the light will not illuminate until after the switch has clicked, no true momentary is available since one must click on the light and then slightly depress the switch to turn it off again to act as a momentary. I prefer the reverse clickie on lights like this since no lock-out feature is implemented, with a reverse clickie there is less chance of draining the batteries through accidental activation since the light does not illuminate if the switch is only partially depressed from the OFF position. Ergonomically the light approaches the maximum comfortable size for a rear switch, it's just barely comfortable for my hands but if the light were any larger it would be unwiedy to use.
Moving to the other end, the LED sits behind a recessed plastic window (lens to some) and a plastic collimating optic. The optic focuses the beam into very narrow area, creating a light-cannon that throws very well. At 3 feet the hotspot measures 5 inches across, this is a very very tight beam. The tint of the LED on my example is a very pure white, no other tints are present, even when compared to other light sources. Brightness is excellent, it compares favorably in a ceiling bounce photo test to my D-Mini and seems on par with my W-Bin 5 Watt Pentagonlight. The packaging states 150 Lumens but realistically it should fall somewhere between 70-90 lumens, an excellent rating for a big box light. The bezel features Six raised ridges that serve as an anti-roll system, they work well and are pointy enough to work even on very smooth surfaces such as a car hood.
The light is not fully-regulated and appears to feature a DC-DC boost circuit. Runtime should be on the order of 2-3 hours until 50% with several hours of dim light after it drops to @10% or so. Considering C-cells can be had for less than 0.50$ each in some cases this light rates fairly well in the Lumens/Dollars/Runtime department.
Included in the pacakging is a typical Chinese "ballistic nylon" sheath we are all pretty familiar with. It only offers vertical orientation and closes with a velcro closure. The sheath works but I would not rate it for long-life and durability.
Usefulness to the MT.O User
Alright, we have a pretty good explanation of what the light is and how it works, let's see how it applies to the multi-tool user. With the brightness and throw this light pretty much outclasses every other 2C light on the market, it's a better light than the new Mag-lite LED models and is much better than the old Mag-lite incadescents. This light would serve well in any capacity other than pocket EveryDay Carry due to it's size. Toss it in the tool bag or glovebox or even drop it in your EDC bag, it's a good light that has a very useful beam that won't bust your wallet if you lose it or damage it.
Speaking of which how does the beam work while using a multi-tool? Although the light is a good thrower because of the optic there is also a fair amount of spill that helps illuminate the overall work area. The light works well in the maintenance and repair role, being bright enough to see into dark spaces while standing in a well-lit areas and small enough to tote around on the belt without adding too much bulk.
Outdoors the long throw of the light makes it an excellent choice of use in dense woods or general night hikes where you need to pick a trail through rough ground. I feel the beam is a little too tight to make it a good walking or biking light, but this is typical of lights with optics. However, if you need to see way back into the backyard this is the light for you.
Pro:
+ Very bright.
+ Excellent beam profile.
+ Super-throw.
Con:
- Machining is typical Chinese mid-grade fare.
- Rubber sleeve tends to catch if carrying in the pockets but the light is slippery without it.
- Included sheath is low quality.
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