The Orcatorch T20 is a new flashlight in a 1x18650 size.
Tactical design. High maximum lumen output and very well chosen modes.
Tail-cap switch+side switch.
The flashlight really worth it a look,so check out the review below.
Orange is the color they have chosen to make their brand and packages distinct and easily recognizable.
Standard box with a clear window.
Most important technical information.
Specification
-Cree XM-L2(U2) LED,max 980 lumens output
-Uses 1*18650/2*CR123A/2*16340 battery
-Dual switches design, offers a fast access to momentary-on function and
strobe mode
-High efficiency constant current circuit, constant brightness
-Reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery installation
-Intelligent memory function
-Over-heat protection function
-Over-discharge protection function
-Stainless attack head and drop resistant stainless rear design
-Anti-roll, slip-resistant body design
-Aircraft-grade high strength aluminum AL-6061-T6 with premium Type III
military hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish
-Alloy aluminum reflector with professional optical analysis
-Toughened glass with anti-reflective coating
High quality accessories-
Very good holster,Great lanyard,also Spare O-rings,User manual,Warranty card.
The holster is just the right size for this flashlight.Well made.
Very good protection for the flashlight and good for attaching it to other equipment.
Very nice camouflage paracord lanyard. Unfortunately the hook is too thick to go through the hole
in the stainless steel tail-cap bezel.
High quality machining is visible from all details.
Perfectly machined aluminum body.Stainless steel head bezel.
Stainless steel tail ring(it's glued).
Excellent anodizing.I really have no what to complain about the finish of the Orcatorch T20.
The T20 has a smart design.
You can see the flat surface on both sides with the mode selecting switch at one of them.
The flat surface is very helpful when you have to find the switch in the dark. It helps also stable pressing the switch.
3 deep cooling fins.The T20 really needs them.Will see why later in the review.
The whole flashlight is made of thick aluminum.
The T20 is heavier than average.This is very important for good heat dissipating.
Here is a comparison with other flashlights.
Battery included.
Orcatorch T20 229gr
Lumintop TD16 208gr
Olight M22 193gr
ThruNite Lynx 258gr
Klarus XT11 187gr
Thick stainless steel bezel(crown) for maximum protected glass lens.It is massive enough and could be used as a glass breaking tool.
Impressively well machined body. Take a look at the cooling fins.No sharp edges.
Type III military hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish.
Cree XM-L2 U2 LED.Toughened,Ultra-clear glass lens with excellent anti-reflective coating.
Smooth aluminum reflector.
UI
ON/OFF from the tail switch.It is a forward clicky and momentary ON is possible.
The side switch is for mode selecting.
4 brightness levels + Strobe and SOS.
Press to choose from Low-Mid-High-Turbo modes.
Press and hold for 2 sec to activate Strobe mode.
Press again to to go from Strobe to SOS. Another click will return the light to the constant mode used before.
There is a memory for the last used mode(excluding Strobe and SOS). It works instantly.
No need to wait a few seconds to be sure that the last mode is memorized. Great job here.
All modes are well chosen. Low(2Lm)-Mid(50Lm)-High(350Lm)-Turbo(980Lm)
Switching between them does not disturb my eyes and still there's a difference between each of them.Really well spaced modes.
Easy to operate electronic side switch. Good size. Works just as it should.
The flat surface on the opposite side helps a lot working with the switch.
Interesting type knurling. I found it not enough for stable grip.Has not good anti-slip effect.
The pocket clip is good size. Relatively good shape. I can't say for sure it will be comfortable for attaching or not.
IMO it is too tight.
On the good side-the clip is removable,but is securely locked by the grip ring which is threaded.
This means,it is not possible to lose the clip accidentally.
The grip ring is made of metal. It helps the grip,but it is smaller than needed,smaller compared to the used in other flashlights.
I would like to see a wider grip ring that will suit better this massive flashlight.
There's no knurling on the tail cap.
The T20 can tail-stand thanks to the deeply placed switch,but actually the switch is too deep.
This makes using the switch not so comfortable as it should be.
Another problem is the rubber boot/cap. It is too hard and thick and this interferes with pressing the button.The stainless steel ring around the switch is removable,so the access to the switch could be improved if needed.
Protected 18650 batteries fit easily.
The T20 can be disassembled on 3 main parts.
Protective spring at the head. Thick enough battery tube.
Rectangular-cut threads at the tail. Anodized. Excellent work.
Here the grip ring is removed.
The LED on my sample(actually test sample) is not quite well centered.
I hope this is an isolated incident.
It's good that this does not affect the beam shape.
The light from the Cree XM-L2 U2 LED is cool white. Clean,no greenish or bluish tint.
The beam is well focused as there still has enough spill to suit any taste.
Good balance between throw and flood. 19800cd peak beam intensity.
I measured 920 lumens 30sec after activation with fully charged battery.
This is really impressive output.
The High,Mid and Low modes are PWM controlled.
The frequency of the PWM is quite high and it is only detectable in certain situations like illuminating a cooling fan.
Could not be seen in normal use.
3.5 KHz on Low mode
3.1KHz on Mid mode
2.8KHz on High mode
Turbo mode is PWM free
Strobe frequency is 7.6Hz
This is a run time test graph.
There is a timed step down 11,4 minutes after activation (10 minutes according to the specifications).
The T20 impresses with this result,having in mind that the heat at that output is very serious.
As I mention earlier the T20 has enough mass to manage all heat from the LED,but it is still just a 1x18650 size flashlight.
According to the specifications the T20 has built in Over-heat protection.
The step down is to 35% of the initial output,which is actually the High mode.
This is a lower % compared to other flashlights.If you need again the max possible output,wait the flashlight to cool down for a minute,than restart it to get back the Turbo mode.
According to the user manual the accumulated time on Turbo mode is 1h,35min(I have no enough free time to do a test with restarting the light).
A 8cm cooling fan was used for the test. 26C ambient temperature.
Battery Keeppower 3400
Voltage at the end of the test 3,10V.
The first 15 minutes on the graph below. Only 10% output drop for 11 minutes!
Beam shots
The beam from the Orcatorch T20 is not clean of artifacts.
At close distance is visible also a circular pattern.
1meter,1/20sec
1meter, 1/250sec
1meter,1/500sec
5meters, 1/6sec
5m, 1/50sec
5m,1/200sec
Overall the Orcatorch T20 is a great flashlight with high build quality and performance. I like the late step down that gives you quite enough time to use the max output as long as possible without damaging the flashlight. The lumen output is impressive. Very well spaced modes.
Very rarely seen in a flashlight this size, 2 lumen Low mode. Easy UI with excellent response from the driver.
The only cons are in the exterior. I would like to see a wider grip ring and softer/flexible tail switch cap.
Thanks for reading!
Hope you enjoyed the review and it was helpful for you.
The T20 was provided by Orcatorch for test and review.
