Fenix LD01 Flashlight

by Buck
(Oklahoma)

The tiny Fenix LD01 flashlight had me thinking, "I have got to get me one of those!" At one time the "cool factor" was enough to sell me on some products; not today. This flashlight is "cool", but it's much more than that.

When the first LED lights appeared some years ago I quickly realized they would be a more dependable, longer lasting, light source. I have two inexpensive LED flashlights, and one LED headlamp. The batteries last a long time, the bulbs don't burn out; they are very serviceable.

I'm going to use these three lights for an unscientific "eyeball" comparison to my Fenix LD01. Let me say first that the little Fenix can easily replace all three and is a big improvement in each case.

Many flashlight makers increase the output of their LED lights by adding more of the same bulbs. One of mine has eight bulbs, and uses three AAA cells for power. It is a decent light with a reasonably bright beam. It has a push button switch, three cells, and all the inside contacts necessary for this arrangment. I sometimes need to shake it to get it to work.

The Fenix is only a fraction of this fairly compact light's size, it uses one AAA cell, and one Cree XP-E (R2) bulb. The quality of the light is much better, and it appears to put out at least three times more light on it's highest setting. The high setting is said to be 85 Lumens, and the battery is said to last for 1 hour.

My small LED headlamp also uses three AAA cells with the necessary contacts. It has a sliding switch for one red LED bulb or two white ones. I was disappointed that it doesn't have a strong enough light beam for following a blood trail. The light is small, but with the strap it fills up most of a pocket. I would need to carry three extra batteries to have backup power. I don't like wearing the strap around my head.

I always wear a cap while hunting, and the Fenix has a clip to attach to a cap. I like this better than the bulky, uncomfortable strap. Its output is considerably better on the normal setting of 28 Lumens which is said to have 3.5 hours of battery life. I believe it has enough light to follow a blood trail on this setting, and carrying a couple of extra batteries would not be difficult.

My third light is also a tiny single AAA powered light with a simple twist on switch like the LD01. It is small enough that I often held it in my mouth to free both hands for work. This light was my favorite, and the most useful, but it only has enough output for close work, or basic navigation in the dark.

The Fenix LD01 is even smaller than the light I just mentioned. It is brighter on its low setting at 9 Lumens with a battery life of 11 hours. It can do what that light does and much more.

When added together I paid about $40 for the three lights mentioned above. The LD01 cost that much alone, but I now feel I paid too much for the other lights.

The Fenix has a reliable twist switch, you twist it on (tighten) and off (loosen) and it starts at the mid-level setting, then the low, then the high output. It is made of aircraft-grade aluminum and has an o-ring seal which makes it waterproof to IPX-8 standard. I would simply say it is light weight, strong, dunk-able, and cool.