Tactical 35W HID Laser Flashlight

Ok...I know this isn't a laser but I thought many of you may be interested in a review of the Tactical HID 35 watt Torch.

The light arrived in about 3 days from California to Alabama  It was well packed and I am pretty sure it would be hard to damage through the USPS mail system.  Unless my mail lady ran over it in her crappy pick up truck (rural mailman) ;D

Pros:
1.  Flashlight is very solid and built well.  It is all aluminum including the reflector.
2.  It is lighter than I imagined and very easy to hold in one hand.
3.  The case is a nice touch and it has places for all the pieces to fit (cut outs).
4.  The light arrived fully charged and it reaches full brightness in about 3 to 5 seconds.
5.  Extremely Bright and a nice white color.  I would definitely say it is around 6000K.
6.  The focus ring is smooth and allows you to easily go from a spot light to Full in about 1 minute ( it takes around 10 revolutions of the ring).
7.  The threads were all clean and nicely cut, no left over metal dust.  The threads are also lubricated with an o-ring for water resistance.
8.  The accessories are well made and all work as described; amber filter, battery charger both AC/DC, shoulder strap.
9.  The battery has 3 bright LEDs for emergency use.
10. Excellent customer service. Replacement parts sent ASAP and emails answered quickly...thanks Tactical HID!

Cons:
1.  It is only on/off.  It would be nice to have a middle power setting for longevity of the battery. (Not really a con as was pointed out)
2.  One of the shoulder strap plastic rings that goes around the Flashlights body is split. It should be easy to replace, (see picture). FIXED!
3.  The foam in the case was torn where the battery goes, the foam in general seems a little brittle.
4.  You must remove the battery to recharge it.

Overall, I think the flashlight is a great deal considering any other similar lights cost at least $100.00 more.  Of course I am not an expert so I can't say how it would stack up against other brands but for $199.00 plus shipping it appears to be a worthwhile purchase.  Only time will tell on the life expectancy of the ballast, lightbulb and battery.  If I can get the strap ring replaced then I'll be a happy customer.  So for now...I give it 4 out of 5 stars!!!

Lots of beamshots and pictures


Battery with the protective cover off

Amber filter cover and shoulder strap

Flashlight bulb and aluminum reflector

Inside of battery tube, the contacts are circular so the battery always is in contact

Battery being inserted into tube with end cap, notice hole for on/off button in end cap

Beam comparison, 35w HID on right, SSC P7 LED 900 Lumens on left

Inside of the flashlight head and bottom of reflector

Stress crack in plastic shoulder strap connector (Fixed in 4 days!)

Outdoor BeamShot

Shot across golf course ~150 feet

Another shot to trees ~200 feet away

Shot across the backyard, you can see the yellow halogen landscape lights for color comparison

The light with the Amber lens filter cover attached

Photo of light in hand for size comparison

Next to a CREE XR-E, Aurora SSC P7, and a SuperFire C1

New parts sent in 4 days to fix the strap ring!

More to follow :-X

nice review where did you get it and how much

The seller is listed in the B/S/T section under the title "24W HID Aluminum Alloy Tactical Flashlight! BRIGHT". Their website is http://tacticalhid.info/ I paid $199.00 plus $40.00 for shipping.

Hi, thanks for the Review! I'm glad your happy with it overall!

I'm sorry about the little broken plastic strap holder, but thats a relativily minor defect, and we'll get you a replacement part sent out ASAP!

i want one

Hey WackBag,

Would you please stop buying and reviewing cool gadgets? You're causing serious grief to my bank account! Every time you review something I find myself going out to buy one too. My wife is starting to hate you!

just kidding...  ;D ;D ;D

jasonck08 said:

Hi, thanks for the Review!  I'm glad your happy with it overall!  

I'm sorry about the little broken plastic strap holder, but thats a relativily minor defect, and we'll get you a replacement part sent out ASAP!

Click to expand...

Thanks that would be awesome!

The flashlight is really cool, its like carrying around a club that will fire a torch on command! Last night my neighbors down the way thought the sheriff was searching for escaped convicts ;D

The one thing I don't like about HID lights is that you can't just turn them on and off because it's bad for the bulb/ballast to start with the bulb still hot. Whenever I start my Microfire HID I like to let it run for at least 2 minutes. Other than that HID flashlights are awesome. It's like holding a small searchlight in your hand. They're also good for freaking out kids messing around in the street at 1AM ;D

Nice review WackBag. I don't know if I would list not having a brightness selector as a con as most HID lights are designed for situations where maximum output is required. I have a cheaper $400 AE 25w Xenide and the $2400 Polarion PH50 and neither are adjustable. Right off the top of my head I can't actually think of any HID light that has an output selector due to the ballast style drive systems in HID lights.

It does look like a pretty solid light, keep us up to date on how it holds up over the next six months.

CajunJosh said:

Nice review WackBag.  I don't know if I would list not having a brightness selector as a con as most HID lights are designed for situations where maximum output is required.  I have a cheaper $400 AE 25w Xenide and the $2400 Polarion PH50 and neither are adjustable.  Right off the top of my head I can't actually think of any HID light that has an output selector due to the ballast style drive systems in HID lights.  

It does look like a pretty solid light, keep us up to date on how it holds up over the next six months.

Click to expand...

Thanks for pointing that out.  I just assumed the more expensive models would have this feature...my bad (updated first post).  I will keep everyone posted.  I plan on using it quite abit as I walk my dog at night

CajunJosh said:

Nice review WackBag. I don't know if I would list not having a brightness selector as a con as most HID lights are designed for situations where maximum output is required. I have a cheaper $400 AE 25w Xenide and the $2400 Polarion PH50 and neither are adjustable. Right off the top of my head I can't actually think of any HID light that has an output selector due to the ballast style drive systems in HID lights.

It does look like a pretty solid light, keep us up to date on how it holds up over the next six months.

Click to expand...

You have a PH50 I've always wanted one of those and never been able to justify spending the money on it.

wow it looks beefy : ) i like it i cant wait for mine its going to be black tho : )
but for some reason my shipping says

Service Type: First-Class Packages Delivery Confirmation with Insurance > $200

Shipment Activity Location Date & Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electronic Shipping Info Received HAWTHORNE CA 90250
01/11/09 8:42pm
Electronic Shipping

u would think it would be out by the 13 but i am guessing that is just an error with usps or they are kinda slow shippers

f22warzone said:

wow it looks beefy : ) i like it i cant wait for mine its going to be black tho : )
but for some reason my shipping says

Service Type: First-Class Packages Delivery Confirmation with Insurance > $200

Shipment Activity  Location Date & Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electronic Shipping Info Received  HAWTHORNE CA 90250  
01/11/09  8:42pm
Electronic Shipping

u would think it would be out by the 13 but i am guessing that is just an error with usps or they are kinda slow shippers

Click to expand...

USPS has a terrible tracking service. It hardly ever gets updated in a timely manner. But with priority shipping items can get across the US (door to door) in about 3 days...simply amazes me You'll love the light, I was using it tonight and the amount of lumens it produces is awesome. I was lighting the inside of our garage, I was surprised at all the bugs and dirt you normally don't see. I felt like one of the CSI agents investigating a crime scene ;D

I remember I took a 35W HID to the lake at night. I was on a row boat in the middle of the lake and I turned on the HID. I literally saw millions of bugs on the surface of the water. If I left it on for more than 5-10 seconds or so I'd have a swarm of bugs in my face. ;D

Yes it sometimes can take 48hrs or more for the tracking number to even appear valid on USPS's site. The delivery confirmation number is not really a tracking number, it just shows when it was delivered, so the shipper can make sure it arrived. It can also be used to track down a lost package. Let us know how you like your light!

Ok so i have received it today and it is a great light solid build and will do a complete review of it when i get home but  i do have problems

my black hid 35W flashlight, has 3 problems
1st their is no adapter from the European or Austrian plug to American plug so i can not charge the battery except by truck
2nd the led lights on the battery do not work but the hid flashlight does
3rd their is no o-ring on the tail cap where it looks to have a grove for one

other then that it is a solid light and very very bright even in the day time.... cant wait till night time... or to see how their customer service is :|