PowerTac M5-G3 2030 Lumens Rechargeable Tactical Flashlight, 330M Throw with Magnetic Charging and Dual Switch, LED Flashlight for Outdoor Emergency

I have to give it 5 stars because they are great lights but I have a major issue. I EDC a flashlight because I can carry it anywhere. I’m every job I’ve ever worked I needed a flashlight and I started my adult life with an aluminum AA type most famous for colors then it was O- some-other light then I found this. I’ve bought 5 or 6 over the years. I either loose it or some jack wad decides they need it more than me. This one I bought because while they make great flashlights the lens does not withstand an impact if you drop it 25’ face down on an anchor bolt. It still worked but lacks the weather resistance I need. I’m pretty sure it serves as a truck light for my son because it vanished the day the new one arrived. Honestly I’d recommend this light to anyone who needs a reliable EDC flashlight. I’m a building inspector and several contractors have ordered one while I was inspecting. For the price it is that impressive. It’s bright enough for the worst of places, lasts a long time, fits in my pocket just right, weighs next to nothing, and it recharges so easily, I generally get quite a long time out of it, but that’s my problem. WHY DID YOU CHANGE THE CHARGER. I have a charger in my office, one in the shop, and one on my nightstand. None of them fit the new light. Of course I can’t find the damn box and have no clue where I put the new cable. I want to be mad but I can’t. I’m mad at myself for losing the cable but if the old ones worked I’d have at least 3.

What a great flashlight. Highly recommend. We have always been a MAG Lite user… but this exceeds them and the size and ‘power’ of the light is amazing. I like that it’s rechargeable. It has different degrees of brightness. I had one then had to buy another and I may buy another for out in my workroom. It’s just too good not to. I think the price point is perfect. I will use it also in the car just to have. Always put one in the glove compartment . I may not leave it in there.. but it will for sure be going with me in the car. I just cannot say enough about this flashlight. It’s the perfect size too.

This is my second Powertac light and I will probably be a customer for life. I will say, I just got the new light so if there are issues I will be updating this review. The good: The build quality is solid. They both feel sturdy in the hand and as you can see from the pictures the E5 (purchased 2017), has taken a pretty heavy beating. I carry it every day at work and have tested in a lake under water and it still works just fine. I like that the M5 has the magnetic charging option, but only time will tell how long that will last. Both came with rechargeable batteries and extra o-rings as well as the wrist lanyard I've never used. The price IMHO is amazing for such a powerful light. E5 (980 lumens) cost me $89 and had less features. The bad: The black finish on the old light has worn almost completely off taking away from the stealthy look. My guess is the same will happen over time to the new light, but functionaly it's solid. The bezel on the M5 is much less aggressive than the E5. Some might see this as a plus as they carry in the pocket, and although I've never had to use it for self defense, I much prefer the aggressive bezel. The ugly: Not much to say that's super negative. One thing that comes to mind, the E5 came with a carry case. Perhaps due to the aggressive bezel. I wish the M5 came with one as well. However, the Velcro closure 7 years later is pretty useless as it barely stays closed but the case still comes in handy as it helps to keep my pockets from getting shredded by the bezel. Overall, I'm very pleased with the E5 and feel confident that I'll be pleased with this purchase as well. Nothing operationally wrong with the old light, I just like flashlights and wanted one to keep in the car for emergencies. So, I'll probably keep the old one in the car and carry the new one to work in the old case. Thanks for making a solid product that can last the rest of time.

A solid 4.5 stars! See below. I don't spend money on Whiskey, women, or song. Instead, I have to admit, that I am one of those flashlight geeks that have been collecting,using and testing flashlights for over twenty years. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds in my collection. Many are shelf queens that rarely get used, only a few rise up to the level of daily service. This Powertac M5 has become one of my favorite everyday use flashlights. Folks often ask me; “What's the best flashlight?“ I usually reply by asking them what is the best tool? After a long pause, I usually get; “tool for what?” this is when the enlightenment begins. Flashlights, like tools, are designed for specific tasks. For example, some are designed for long-range searchlight duty which make them a terrible choice for medium and close range use. Some are designed for close-range use and others for exceptionally long run time and others for flood lighting a wide area. Think about it, a screwdriver designed for long reach does not work well in close-quarters work. It's the same with a flashlight. A tool usually excels in one particular area, not all, there are always trade-offs. The reason the Powertac M5 has become one of my every day use flashlights is because this design strikes a reasonable balance between everything one would want out of a single flashlight. It is kind of my crescent wrench of flashlights. RECHARGEABLE BATTERY: I have the equipment to measure and test the true capacity of lithium ion batteries. The included battery is labeled at 2600 mAh. In my experience I have found that MOST lithium ion batteries are GROSSLY exaggerated and mislabeled. I put this battery through two complete capacity test cycles. I was very impressed with the test results because the battery measured an average of 2848 mAh. Folks, understand, to purchase a battery with this true capacity one would have to spend nearly $20. Kudos to Powertac for including a high-end lithium battery with true rated capacity in the flashlight. BEAM: The LED choice combined with this particular depth of reflector produces a moderate hotspot with a smooth transition to a very usable side spill. I believe that this is a key point which makes this a jack of all trades flashlight. There is enough throw when you need to reach out for some distance on the other hand there is ample side spill for closed and medium-range use. LUMENS: I like the fact that the flashlight remembers the brightness setting last used when you turn it off. Each brightness level is functionally spaced apart. I do a lot of camping and hiking therefore I especially appreciate the Firefly mode at .5 lumens with a run time of 25 days. Once your eyes are adjusted for low light conditions you will appreciate this Firefly mode which does not disturb your night vision. Personally, with my older eyes I would prefer if the Firefly mode were set at 1-2 lumens. I use the Firefly mode and bounce the light off the ceiling while camping in the RV and while staying at hotels as a night light. Low, at 50 lumens, I find, well suited for household tasks. If I need a little more I'll kick it up to medium at 180 lumens with a run time of 10.5 hours. On the box and in the owner's manual high power is listed at 480 lumens with a run time of 2.97 hours. Being well experienced with flashlights this did not look right so I ran a run time test on high. I did not bring out my light meters but I got a good four and a half hours of runtime on high before any dimming. Turbo is listed as 1300 lumens with a run time of 2.6 hours. The flashlight performed reasonably well while testing long distance throw. COLOR: The color of the LED is not specified. My sample appears to be fairly neutral. My preference leans towards a slightly warmer color because rendering correctly; reds, oranges and browns is important to me while working on electrical wiring and while hiking and nature. LUMENS LIE: while some manufacturers spout extremely high Lumen output numbers, in reality, how useful is that light output if it will only run for 30 seconds at that high level? The M5 put out a respectable 1300 lumens for 2.6 hours. MAGNETIC CHARGING PORT: This is a fantastic idea for folks that do not have dedicated lithium ion charging systems, however, I have some serious issues how this is being currently implemented with this flashlight and across the industry. FIRST, A magnetic charge port and protocol needs to be established throughout the industry. Charge port adapters and sizes vary throughout the industry and they even very within a single manufacturer. SECOND: Charging should begin as soon as the magnetic charging port is attached to the flashlight. With the M5, a separate step is needed to initiate the charge cycle. THIRD: I have tested the included magnetic charging system with several high end USB power supplies. I find the system to be finicky in that the charge cycle will be initiated on some power supplies but not others. All power supplies are capable of 2 amps output. For instance my two Anker 40W USB power supplies will not initiate a charge cycle with this flashlight while a Sony 1.5 amp adapter will. -Minus 0.5 stars. DESIGN AND ERGONOMICS: The knurling on the body is quite aggressive and it is quite effective in gripping your hand. This baby is not going to slip out of my hands. I was surprised to see that both the positive and the negative battery contacts have springs. Kudos for this excellent design element. I live near Buffalo New York where several months out of the year it is cold and snowing. The large tail switch allows me to turn the flashlight on and off while wearing thick gloves with ease. The mode switch takes some effort to find but because it is opposite of the charging port it makes it easier to located by feel. The tight gripping pocket clip allows me to put it in a position to be used as a guide to locate the mode switch. CONCLUSION: This is a great jack-of-all-trades flashlight especially considering the price point with the high value of the battery included. I give this a solid 4.5 Stars with the nits explained above. de K2LED

Updated review for the Gen 3. Two advantages of this light are a) price point, and b) battery well diameter of 18.85mm (vs 18.4 for Fenix). The price point being 30% lower than competing brands is a plus. And, newer batteries, especially those coming from US manufacturers are over 18.4mm in diameter. They won't fit in older competing lights. So, with this light battery well at 18.85mm, all batteries will fit. That's a huge bonus. Overall, I do like this light. The quality is as good as my Fenix tactical, but not quite, mostly at the rear button. Brightness is excellent with a nice even spread, but certainly nowhere near the 2K CD advertised (closer to 1K); but that's fine, as 1K is generally sufficient. Front button function has been improved to include being able to go into "Strobe" by holding the button, rather than cycling with brightness levels. That's a major improvement. There is still no way to "lock" it into maximum brightness. Yes, turning off then back on goes to where you left it last, which is a good 2nd choice. So, a bit adequate for a tactical light, when you must be absolutely sure it's going to be in maximum brightness. Still comes with their 2600 mAH battery, which is a bit lower than needed for tactical. A slight ding for that. Looks well made inside and out, sturdy soldering, etc. means it likely will last a very long time. And they still have a lifetime warranty.

Ok, so I'm a bit of a flashlight junkie.... I'll admit. I've tried a half dozen different Cree LED flashlights over the years. FINALLY, a great Super Bright light, in a tiny package, with the comfort, feel and operation of super high end models. I liked this so much, I bought a 2nd one for the wife (or a backup when she's not looking). Best things I like about this: 1. It has a super grip feel to it, with the super tactile cut finish all around the entire flashlight. 2. The main on/off button is on the end! Yes! I can tell you after buying other models, each time I reach for a flashlight, I always look/feel to turn it on/off from the end, not the side anymore (those were your grand dads flashlights!) 3. Of course, the light is super freakish BRIGHT! With 5 levels of brightness (the brightest, you can even really feel the heat coming out of that beam) plus a strobe feature for a 6th settings. 4. Which ever brightness setting you set it at (from the button on the side), it'll always stay at that setting when you turn it off/on again... it remembers! 5. You can charge it externally, via a magnet connector! No more having to unscrew the end-cap, pull the battery out, search around in a drawer for the stupid charger, that you can never find when you need it. Screw all that. Just 'click' on to the side its magnetically attached charger, and let it charge inside the flashlight itself! Super convenient! 6. And did I mention how compact this thing is? It's not much bigger/wider than the 18650 battery that powers it. 7. Oh, and a cool feature I like to use sometimes, is set it on the strobe setting, and use the temporary switch on the back to momentarily turn it on (without clicking the button all the way down). Kind of makes it strobe like a police strobe light. lol. ;-) If you really want to get someone's attention, this will do it for ya! ........ you'll definitely have a lot of fun w/this flashlight! It's also small enough to carry in your pocket for around the house little jobs, but yet, not too big where it gets uncomfortable in your pocket, like a cell phone, if you know what I mean. This flashlight is well built, and definitely worth it's price!! The only thing I'd say this flashlight doesn't have, is a movable/sliding head, like some flashlights have, where you can zoom in/make wide the beam. HOWEVER, the beam on this is already quasi zoomed in, and a freakish brightness halo affect on it, which also means you don't need to zoom anything out. So it's already at such a good zoomed in level now, that I don't need to adjust anything on the beam anyways... so I don't miss it! ;-) ...... I've enjoyed having this around the house for about the past 2 months now. And its now the only flashlight I go to, when I need extra light anywhere!

This is a very well made flashlight than go from a little bit of light to eye-blindingly bright. The push button switch at the bottom has two positions, the first one lights while you hold the button down, and the second position (push down further) holds the light on. The push button switch on the barrel cycles through the brightness levels. Easy to use, and reliable. A great addition to your tool closet or your shooting belt. Powertac has a strong reputation among shooting enthusiasts, and is often recommended by instructors. The company also has a reputation for good customer service.

Was a little skeptical because I could not find a whole lot of info on this item prior to purchasing. It also seemed like a lot of reputable self defense flashlights with high lumens and candela were $150+ and this boasted very close lumens and candela for a fraction of the price. $60 at the time of purchasing. But I gave it a try and was not disappointed. The device itself is very sturdy and has a very solid and satisfying aluminum body. The pocket clip is tight and secure. The threads on the parts that screw off are very smooth and share the same quality black anodization which is a big sign of effort and quality to me. The threaded caps also have o-rings to keep water out. The rubber on both the power button and the mode switching button is robust and has withstood my constant fidgeting very well. Overall it is dense but still lightweight and doesn't bother me at all to carry it as an EDC item. The charging method is probably the most contentions part of the device as its a propriety magnetic charger. So you are probably SoL if you break the port or lose the cable but they do sell it separately on their website so I am fine with that. You can buy an extra to keep around. I actually really do like the magnetic charger. I keep this charging on my night stand next to my bed so if I need it for a bump in the night I can just just rip it right off the charger without having to worry about damaging the device, the port, or anything on my desk. The performance is GREAT. Seriously. I can't say how it stacks up against the big names but this thing is bright! It has 5 settings and settings 4-5 are absolutely bright enough to blind someone temporarily, check under and in your car from a safe distance and light up an entire room. Setting 1 is super dim and is great for using the light in a more practical sense in the dark without blinding yourself. All in all, I think this device is really fantastic and has a lot of quality, features, and performance built in to an inexpensive package. 9/10 device for me.