Layman’s Flashlight Reviews

EagleTac is kind of the New Kid on the Block flashlight manufacturer that is somewhat taking the flashlight community by surprise.  They currently offer a lineup of lights utilizing your choice of 1 or 2 cells in either AA or CR123A format.  The P10A2 is their 2xAA light sporting a narrower, presumably more general use head.

EagleTac P10A2

When I first received the EagleTac, I have to admit I was somewhat skeptical.  While I cannot state outright that the aesthetics of the light are an exact copy of any one thing in particular, it definitely bears a striking resemblance to several other brands on the market currently.

Where this light sets itself apart from those whence it borrowed it’s design cues, is that it bucks the trend of increasingly complex user interfaces and massive amounts of outputs in favor of better establishing itself as a general use tool, skipping the extreme lows or questionable usefulness strobing modes.  The P10A2 has 2 levels and 2 levels only.  There is the “Lo” mode claiming 60 lumens and the “Hi” searing forth a supposed 220 lumens.

I immediately dropped a fresh pair of store branded AA alkaline cells into the light (the only AA cells I had available) and proceeded to drop my jaw in amazement.  The output from this little beast clearly rivals the brightest of my current lights.

Switching then to the low level, I found myself equally impressed for the 60 lumen output does not register to the eyes nearly as dramatic a drop as the numerical values would indicate.  This is due mostly to the logarithmic perceptions of the human eye.  What this translates to is the light maintains a very useful output for general purpose lighting while bolstering the runtime to copious lengths.  More than you would expect from this form factor, allowing you to save the high mode for those times when you desperately need to turn off the dark and can allow the battery life to become a secondary concern.  EagleTac claims an 8 hour battery life in low mode and I am inclined to believe them, at least with NiMH rechargeable batteries.

Another area of note on this item is the quality of the machining.  From stem to stern, nary a rough edge can be found.  The threads are smooth and solid feeling and the stainless steel bezel is a beautiful touch that is tastefully done.  The anodizing is smooth and uniform and appears quite durable.  I cannot tell yet how well it will hold up against the tests of time and use, but I can and will say that I intend to find out.

EagleTac P10A2

Constructive Criticism

Often times people express concern as to whether the LED is perfectly centered in the reflector of a particular light.  This light has that end covered quite adequately however it does have a very surprising occurrence.  The switch is not perfectly centered in the tailcap.  It appears that the hole drilled through the end of the light is actually canted off the bulls-eye slightly giving the switch a very cam-like appearance.  Since I only have one unit to scrutinize, I am not certain whether this is a design flaw through the entire run, a short term manufacturing concern, or merely a single unit fluke.  What it does bespeak however is the fact that no matter how good your process is, you can never let your guard down for an instant when reviewing the quality of your widgets.

In an attempt to be all things for all people, EagleTac includes in the package 3 flashlight retaining methods to provide other options than just the trusty pocket.  The secondary methods proposed are a fairly high quality holster, a removable spring tension belt clip and a breakaway wrist lanyard.  Both the holster and the clip are well implemented, however the lanyard really feels like an afterthought.  The holes that were drilled for the attachment points are far too small to be useful and really appear ineffective. It is interesting to note that the holster has been designed such that it can be used simultaneously with the pocket clip, however I believe most users will choose one or the other as it proves to be more effort than I feel is necessary to use them in conjuncture.

This light has been designed with the ability to tailstand to provide hands free lighting.  I believe however that the tailcap leaves a little to be desired in this area.  The contact patch designed to rest on a flat surface is quite narrow and has been further reduced by slight scalloping to allow for easier access to the switch.  This leaves the light wobbly and unstable at best and more often than not, leaves it laying on it’s side.  I feel that this is another area that EagleTac should pick one thing or another and do it well, rather than trying for everything at once.

Conclusions

When all has been said, my opinions of this torch are extremely high indeed.  It has surprised me from the moment I removed it from it’s packaging.  Suffice it to say that all of my initial trepidation has been laid to rest and that I am extremely pleased with the outcome.  This feels, looks, and acts like a quality light in a much higher price bracket.  If EagleTac pushes itself to not be drawn into the desire to be everything for everyone, it stands to really make a name for itself.  This light may not be ideal for tiptoeing down to check the thermostat in the middle of the night or peeking in on the baby, but for it’s intended purpose it is a quality tool that I am not afraid to use.

EagleTac P10A2

Update: I have been using this light now for around a month of daily carry and two notable things have happened in that time.  First my mention of the off center switch was noticed by the kind folks at EagleTac and they immediately shipped out to me a new switch and circuit board.  Apparently, though it looked like the milling of the tailcap was at fault, it was actually poorly centered soldering of the internal components.  The new switch has been replaced (a simple affair using a needle nose pliers) and now appears perfectly centered.

The second occasion of note was that after dropping this light one or two times, I began to hear a rattle that didn’t belong in the battery tube.  Opening the light to check it out revealed that the anti-reverse polarity bumpers had both broken off from the circuit board in the head of the light.  I also discussed this with the EagleTac representative and was provided with two available options.  First they offered to have me send the light in for repair and they would take care of it (I believe shipping would be my only out of pocket cost), or I could actually attempt to re-attach the bumpers myself using a drop of epoxy, since there was absolutely no electrical path that involved them.  They are merely physical restraints protecting the cathode of the cells from touching the positive contact of the light, thus preventing an unsightly poof and the premature death of your torch.

I chose the latter method and merely re-attached the bumpers myself.  This relieved me of the necessity to send the light in for repair and I was able to resume use the very next day.   The best lesson learned here is that though there may be some slight bugs in the implementation of these lights, those faults are minor and they provide excellent customer service to rectify the problems.

Provided for review by the kind folks at: