3W Cree LED Flashlight from Lowe's

The Task Force 3 Watt LED Flashlight from Lowe's, Model FT-NS-2C-3W Item
# 225285, SKU 6937481300067, has been discussed a lot on the Candlepower
forums regarding its use as a bicycle light but I don't think it's been
mentioned here.

This is the best priced 3W Cree LED flashlight on the market, selling
for $30 at the Lowe's chain of hardware stores. Be very careful as there
are two flashlights from Lowe's with the same model, item, and SKU
number. You do not want the model that says "Luxeon" on the packaging,
and that lacks the "60X Brighter" statement on the packaging. Many
Lowe's stores have only the Luxeon version, some Lowe's stores have
both, and some have only the Cree version.

This beam is so bright that there is sufficient spill for peripheral
illumination off to the sides and up far enough to illuminate street signs.

While it is definitely a spot beam as opposed to a flood beam, you don't
really have the problem of the cheaper battery powered lights, and of
most dynamo lights, of insufficient peripheral illumination as the
amount of spill solves this problem. The spill of a spot beam is
actually a positive for bicycle lights that use a spot beam because
without sufficient spill you are not able to sufficiently illuminate off
to the sides or up to road signs.

Compared to the cost of dedicated 3W Cree bicycle lights, this
flashlight is a real bargain. Use it with a TwoFish mounting block (get
the reinforced one which is $10).

You can see it in the package at
"http://nordicgroup.us/s78/images/IMG_0715.JPG".

SMS said:

The Task Force 3 Watt LED Flashlight from Lowe's, Model FT-NS-2C-3W Item
# 225285, SKU 6937481300067, has been discussed a lot on the Candlepower
forums regarding its use as a bicycle light but I don't think it's been
mentioned here.
......
Compared to the cost of dedicated 3W Cree bicycle lights, this
flashlight is a real bargain. Use it with a TwoFish mounting block (get
the reinforced one which is $10).

.....

It's a bummer we have no flashlightreviews for viewing tests anymore.

The problem with a lot of the higher-output LED flashlights is that
(like the earlier incandescents) they have a peak brightness for the
first couple minutes and then get considerably dimmer.

With incandescent flashlights this was due to the battery
voltage/current dropping off, with LEDs it's due to the LED heating up
and the driver circuit throttling its output down somewhat. You
especially see this with the no-name Chinese stuff, but others do it
too. I recall the Mag-LED conversion "bulbs" suffered it too.
~

DougC said:

SMS said:

The Task Force 3 Watt LED Flashlight from Lowe's, Model FT-NS-2C-3W Item
# 225285, SKU 6937481300067, has been discussed a lot on the Candlepower
forums regarding its use as a bicycle light but I don't think it's been
mentioned here.
......
Compared to the cost of dedicated 3W Cree bicycle lights, this
flashlight is a real bargain. Use it with a TwoFish mounting block (get
the reinforced one which is $10).

....

It's a bummer we have no flashlightreviews for viewing tests anymore.

The problem with a lot of the higher-output LED flashlights is that
(like the earlier incandescents) they have a peak brightness for the
first couple minutes and then get considerably dimmer.

With incandescent flashlights this was due to the battery
voltage/current dropping off, with LEDs it's due to the LED heating up
and the driver circuit throttling its output down somewhat. You
especially see this with the no-name Chinese stuff, but others do it
too. I recall the Mag-LED conversion "bulbs" suffered it too.
~

I considered this light as well as the CREE L2DCE, and have not pulled
the trigger on either yet. My concern with the L2DCE is inadequate
light, especially off road. Still, this has been my leading
contender.

I liked the thought of the Task Force, until I read about the
batteries rattling in the housing and the light flickering on and off
on bumpy roads. Since I can just bring the TF back to Lowe's if I am
not happy with it, I'll still probably try one if I can get my hands
on one. My local Lowe's does not have the CREE one yet.

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

The Task Force 3 Watt LED Flashlight from Lowe's, Model FT-NS-2C-3W Item
# 225285, SKU 6937481300067, has been discussed a lot on the Candlepower
forums regarding its use as a bicycle light but I don't think it's been
mentioned here.

This is the best priced 3W Cree LED flashlight on the market, selling
for $30 at the Lowe's chain of hardware stores. Be very careful as there
are two flashlights from Lowe's with the same model, item, and SKU
number. You do not want the model that says "Luxeon" on the packaging,
and that lacks the "60X Brighter" statement on the packaging. Many
Lowe's stores have only the Luxeon version, some Lowe's stores have
both, and some have only the Cree version.

This beam is so bright that there is sufficient spill for peripheral
illumination off to the sides and up far enough to illuminate street signs.

While it is definitely a spot beam as opposed to a flood beam, you don't
really have the problem of the cheaper battery powered lights, and of
most dynamo lights, of insufficient peripheral illumination as the
amount of spill solves this problem. The spill of a spot beam is
actually a positive for bicycle lights that use a spot beam because
without sufficient spill you are not able to sufficiently illuminate off
to the sides or up to road signs.

Compared to the cost of dedicated 3W Cree bicycle lights, this
flashlight is a real bargain. Use it with a TwoFish mounting block (get
the reinforced one which is $10).

You can see it in the package at
"http://nordicgroup.us/s78/images/IMG_0715.JPG".

I wonder how many hours?

RBrickston said:

I wonder how many hours?

As many hours as batteries you carry along.

Two 2500mAH AA cells in C adapters would give you about two hours of
illumination. You have to make a slight mod to get AA size batteries to
work with this flashlight as the positive contact is a spring type
contact that doesn't make contact with the small tip of some AA
batteries such as the Sanyo eneloop.

SMS said:

RBrickston said:

I wonder how many hours?

As many hours as batteries you carry along.

Two 2500mAH AA cells in C adapters would give you about two hours of
illumination. You have to make a slight mod to get AA size batteries to
work with this flashlight as the positive contact is a spring type
contact that doesn't make contact with the small tip of some AA
batteries such as the Sanyo eneloop.

Note that you can buy 5000 mAH C cells from
"http://www.zbattery.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1509/.f?sc=2&category=1941" for
$4.50 each. However most people don't have chargers for C cells.

SMS said:

RBrickston said:

I wonder how many hours?

As many hours as batteries you carry along.

Two 2500mAH AA cells in C adapters would give you about two hours of
illumination. You have to make a slight mod to get AA size batteries
to work with this flashlight as the positive contact is a spring type
contact that doesn't make contact with the small tip of some AA
batteries such as the Sanyo eneloop.

The adapters referred to can be found here:
http://www.thomasdistributing.com/batteryadapter-index.htm

--
Mike Kruger
Give no quarter to the paradigm people.

Mike Kruger said:

SMS said:

RBrickston said:

I wonder how many hours?

As many hours as batteries you carry along.

Two 2500mAH AA cells in C adapters would give you about two hours of
illumination. You have to make a slight mod to get AA size batteries
to work with this flashlight as the positive contact is a spring type
contact that doesn't make contact with the small tip of some AA
batteries such as the Sanyo eneloop.

The adapters referred to can be found here:
http://www.thomasdistributing.com/batteryadapter-index.htm

Also, two D adapters and two C adapters come with the Sanyo eneloop kit
sold at Costco.

Quoted message said:

This is the best priced 3W Cree LED flashlight on the market, selling
for $30 at the Lowe's chain of hardware stores. Be very careful as there
are two flashlights from Lowe's with the same model, item, and SKU
number. You do not want the model that says "Luxeon" on the packaging,
and that lacks the "60X Brighter" statement on the packaging. Many
Lowe's stores have only the Luxeon version, some Lowe's stores have
both, and some have only the Cree version.

This beam is so bright that there is sufficient spill for peripheral
illumination off to the sides and up far enough to illuminate street signs.

Thanks for posting this--very useful info!

On a side note, I've read some of the discussions about people
securing these flashlights to helmets and handlebars, but I was
wondering if anyone has any ideas about attaching them to the fork (on
a leg, or up by the crown)? I've been thinking about this because of
some claims I've read here by advocates of dynamo lights, saying that
it's better to have the light mounted lower down to better illuminate
the road surface. Any thoughts?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

This is the best priced 3W Cree LED flashlight on the market, selling
for $30 at the Lowe's chain of hardware stores. Be very careful as there
are two flashlights from Lowe's with the same model, item, and SKU
number. You do not want the model that says "Luxeon" on the packaging,
and that lacks the "60X Brighter" statement on the packaging. Many
Lowe's stores have only the Luxeon version, some Lowe's stores have
both, and some have only the Cree version.
This beam is so bright that there is sufficient spill for peripheral
illumination off to the sides and up far enough to illuminate street signs.

autopi said:

Thanks for posting this--very useful info!
On a side note, I've read some of the discussions about people
securing these flashlights to helmets and handlebars, but I was
wondering if anyone has any ideas about attaching them to the fork (on
a leg, or up by the crown)? I've been thinking about this because of
some claims I've read here by advocates of dynamo lights, saying that
it's better to have the light mounted lower down to better illuminate
the road surface. Any thoughts?

Get a _secure_ mounting. A light in a front wheel is a mess. And dangerous.
'Secure' means resistant to vibration, water and passersby who may ditz
with your equipment when it's parked. The stakes are high. Very high.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

autopi said:

Thanks for posting this--very useful info!

On a side note, I've read some of the discussions about people
securing these flashlights to helmets and handlebars, but I was
wondering if anyone has any ideas about attaching them to the fork (on
a leg, or up by the crown)? I've been thinking about this because of
some claims I've read here by advocates of dynamo lights, saying that
it's better to have the light mounted lower down to better illuminate
the road surface. Any thoughts?

With most dynamo lights it helps to mount them lower because of the
limited illumination they provide.

With more powerful lights, such as the Cree LED lights (including the
dynamo powered Solidlights 1203D which uses Cree LEDs) you don't have to
worry about getting the light that low. The Solidlights 1203D has
handlebar and helmet mounts, but no fork mount. There are disadvanatges
to mounting the light lower as well.

Here is how someone mounted this flashlight to their front rack:
"http://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2006/03/flashlight-bracket.html"

Also remember that the lights that mount to the fork are the light only,
not the power source as in this case. Mounting a light plastic case lamp
to a fork is a lot easier than mounting a metal flashlight with two
batteries in it.

On Mon, 15 Oct 2007 22:22:31 GMT, RBrickston <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

The Task Force 3 Watt LED Flashlight from Lowe's, Model FT-NS-2C-3W Item
# 225285, SKU 6937481300067, has been discussed a lot on the Candlepower
forums regarding its use as a bicycle light but I don't think it's been
mentioned here.

This is the best priced 3W Cree LED flashlight on the market, selling
for $30 at the Lowe's chain of hardware stores. Be very careful as there
are two flashlights from Lowe's with the same model, item, and SKU
number. You do not want the model that says "Luxeon" on the packaging,
and that lacks the "60X Brighter" statement on the packaging. Many
Lowe's stores have only the Luxeon version, some Lowe's stores have
both, and some have only the Cree version.

This beam is so bright that there is sufficient spill for peripheral
illumination off to the sides and up far enough to illuminate street signs.

While it is definitely a spot beam as opposed to a flood beam, you don't
really have the problem of the cheaper battery powered lights, and of
most dynamo lights, of insufficient peripheral illumination as the
amount of spill solves this problem. The spill of a spot beam is
actually a positive for bicycle lights that use a spot beam because
without sufficient spill you are not able to sufficiently illuminate off
to the sides or up to road signs.

Compared to the cost of dedicated 3W Cree bicycle lights, this
flashlight is a real bargain. Use it with a TwoFish mounting block (get
the reinforced one which is $10).

You can see it in the package at
"http://nordicgroup.us/s78/images/IMG_0715.JPG".

I wonder how many hours?

Any idea of how it compares to some of the stuff from DealExtreme.com?
They have some similar items for about 1/3 the price. I've had good
luck ordering from them in the past.

A Muzi said:

autopi said:

I've been thinking about this because of
some claims I've read here by advocates of dynamo lights, saying that
it's better to have the light mounted lower down to better illuminate
the road surface. Any thoughts?

Get a _secure_ mounting. A light in a front wheel is a mess. And dangerous.
'Secure' means resistant to vibration, water and passersby who may ditz
with your equipment when it's parked. The stakes are high. Very high.

I agree. I know a person whose badly mounted flashlight went into the
front spokes. The result was a header and a broken rib.

- Frank Krygowski

SMS said:

With most dynamo lights it helps to mount them lower because of the
limited illumination they provide.

<Sigh> Mr. Scharf never misses a chance to denigrate dynamo lights,
and he never misses a chance to make a mistake!

The reason for mounting _any_ light "lower" (that is, at about the
height of the fork crown) is that when mounted that way, road
irregularities become much more visible. Potholes or other
depressions look dark in the beam, because of the shadow of their
closer edge. Speed bumps or other lumps in the road look bright in
the beam.

That's true no matter how bright your light is. A light mounted near
eye level doesn't generate the shadows and other indications of road
roughness and relief, even if it's as bright as a searchlight.
Everything looks "flat."

In this regard, handlebar mounts are better than head mounts; but fork
crown mounts, front fender mounts, or front rack mounts seem to work
best of all...

Quoted message said:

Here is how someone mounted this flashlight to their front rack:
"http://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2006/03/flashlight-bracket.html"

.... which is probably why this person chose not to mount that light on
his handlebars.

I suggest a trial of the three different mounting heights - head,
handlebar and "low" mount. A ride around the block should demonstrate
the difference.

- Frank Krygowski

[email hidden] wrote:
A ride around the block should demonstrate

Quoted message said:

the difference.

It did for me. And I saw with my own eyeballs that shadows do matter.

Jim wrote:
\

Quoted message said:

Any idea of how it compares to some of the stuff from DealExtreme.com?
They have some similar items for about 1/3 the price. I've had good
luck ordering from them in the past.

I didn't see any C cell powered 3W Cree LED flashlights at DealExtreme,
or any 3W Cree LED flashlights for 1/3 the price for that matter. Most
of their better models use the 18650 Li-Ion battery. In one way this is
an advantage, since the Li-Ion batteries are denser and lighter per wH,
but just as with cameras, there are pros and cons of using standard size
batteries versus Li-Ion batteries.

autopi said:

Quoted message said:

This is the best priced 3W Cree LED flashlight on the market, selling
for $30 at the Lowe's chain of hardware stores. Be very careful as there
are two flashlights from Lowe's with the same model, item, and SKU
number. You do not want the model that says "Luxeon" on the packaging,
and that lacks the "60X Brighter" statement on the packaging. Many
Lowe's stores have only the Luxeon version, some Lowe's stores have
both, and some have only the Cree version.

Quoted message said:

This beam is so bright that there is sufficient spill for peripheral
illumination off to the sides and up far enough to illuminate street signs.

Thanks for posting this--very useful info!

On a side note, I've read some of the discussions about people
securing these flashlights to helmets and handlebars, but I was
wondering if anyone has any ideas about attaching them to the fork (on
a leg, or up by the crown)? I've been thinking about this because of
some claims I've read here by advocates of dynamo lights, saying that
it's better to have the light mounted lower down to better illuminate
the road surface. Any thoughts?

You can use the cheaper TwoFish Lockblock ($5.99) (not the $9.99
reinforced TwoFsh CyclopBlock) to mount the Fenix L2DCE two AA battery
light to a Minoura Besso fork mount. The TwoFish mount is secure.
The Fenix light is light and small. For road riding this would work
well. I have my Fenix mounted on the handlebars with the TwoFish
$5.99 mount block. Works well. But the light throws a huge pattern.
Too wide to be optimal for bike lighting. Still good, but a much
narrower beam would be better for biking. But the Fenix is a
flashlight, not a bike light, and a wide beam probably makes sense for
a flashlight. I use the Minoura Besso fork mounts to put my two
Schmidt E6 generator lights down by the front hub.

My $9.99 TwoFish CyclopBlock is on order so I can try the Lowes 3W
CREE two C cell flashlight on the handlebars. Its beam is bright, and
narrow. But with enough spill to probably work very well for a
bicycle.

autopi said:

On a side note, I've read some of the discussions about people
securing these flashlights to helmets and handlebars, but I was
wondering if anyone has any ideas about attaching them to the fork (on
a leg, or up by the crown)? I've been thinking about this because of
some claims I've read here by advocates of dynamo lights, saying that
it's better to have the light mounted lower down to better illuminate
the road surface. Any thoughts?

A bit more on this...

Even the U.S. distributor of most of the dynamo lights sold in the U.S.,
Peter White, advises on his web site, "For the most secure mounting, I
always recommend the handlebar mount for any headlight." This is for a
plastic housing lamp with no batteries inside, just think about a metal
flashlight with two C cells inside!

The sole reason for the fork mounting is to maximize the usable light
from a relatively low power dynamo light. This is a trade-off that many
dynamo users are willing to make in order to be self-sufficient without
the hassle of batteries that a more powerful light requires. Besides
being a less secure mount, the light is subjected to a lot more abuse
when it's mounted that low, including more shock and more dirt and water.

If your fork has the braze-on for low-rider panniers (found on touring
bicycles only) then it would be fairly easy to fabricate a secure
mounting method for a flashlight type light on the fork, but unless
that's the case, or unless you want to install a front luggage rack,
follow Peter White's advice regarding the most secure place to mount a
light, and keep it on the handlebars.

A simple TwoFish Cycle Block
("http://www.boomerdirect.shoppingcartsplus.com/catalog/item/1719053/1226129.htm"😉
is a minimalist approach to mounting a 2C flashlight that works very well.

I've added the Task Force FT-NS-2C-3W to the bicycle lighting web site
at "http://bicyclelighting.com" under the flashlight section. Type
"bicycle flashlight" into Google, then click "I'm Feeling Lucky" and
it'll take you right there.

Steve
"http://bicyclelighting.com"
Or type "bicycle lighting" into Google, then click "I'm Feeling Lucky"

Quoted message said:

You can use the cheaper TwoFish Lockblock ($5.99) (not the $9.99
reinforced TwoFsh CyclopBlock) to mount the Fenix L2DCE two AA battery
light to a Minoura Besso fork mount. The TwoFish mount is secure.
The Fenix light is light and small. For road riding this would work
well. I have my Fenix mounted on the handlebars with the TwoFish
$5.99 mount block. Works well. But the light throws a huge pattern.
Too wide to be optimal for bike lighting. Still good, but a much
narrower beam would be better for biking. But the Fenix is a
flashlight, not a bike light, and a wide beam probably makes sense for
a flashlight. I use the Minoura Besso fork mounts to put my two
Schmidt E6 generator lights down by the front hub.

Very good point. The Minoura Besso
("http://harriscyclery.net/itemdetails.cfm?ID=2389"😉 is very secure,
much more so than the Cronometro NOB that is sold by some stores. Still
not a good systems for a 2C flashlight, but for a 2AA it'd work, so it'd
be a decent mount for the Fenix L2DCE, though unnecessary IMVAIO, and
still subject to the other disadvantages of a fork mount light.

I have the Fenix L2DCE and find it just fine for night riding. Which
reflector do you have in yours? I read that there are two reflectors for
this. Mine has more of spot beam, but with sufficient spill for
peripheral illumination.

I like the Fenix L2DCE, but I want to equip four bicycles with powerful
self-contained lights (no external power source with wires) and the
Fenix L2DCE is too expensive. I was lucky to find the Cree version of
the Taskforce flashlight at a Lowe's in Florida when I was there this
past weekend, as the stores near me in Silicon Valley don't have them.

Quoted message said:

My $9.99 TwoFish CyclopBlock is on order so I can try the Lowes 3W
CREE two C cell flashlight on the handlebars. Its beam is bright, and
narrow. But with enough spill to probably work very well for a
bicycle.