For a couple of years now I have been a big fan of Fenix flashlights, so when I was asked to test the new PD32 for Fenix, I jumped at the chance.
Why Fenix? Well, at first it was the price. As with anything else, the price compared to other flashlights was the most important factor to me. I was way off on this as I found that many of the leading competitors had much more impressive lights, at a much higher price. After buying a few of the higher priced lights, I decided to give Fenix a try, and boy was I surprised. My first light, and still among my favorites is the PD20. Lightweight, small, and very powerful. I was hooked. Now, the PD32.
The PD32 is a 315 lumen powerhouse that runs on two, CR123A Lithium, or one 18650 Li-ion rechargeable batteries. It throws a very impressive beam up to about 450 feet. All in a small, lightweight, tough package.
Now for the testing. I loaded my PD32 with 2 good quality CR123A batteries and set out testing the light. The first thing I noticed, was kind of a shocker to me. One of the down sides of any powerful torch is they tend to heat up in turbo mode, or the highest setting. The PD32 was different. My first thought was that because the CR123A is smaller than the 18650, that the small gap between the battery and the side of the case acted as a heat barrier, so I tried my theory out on the 18650 battery, and much to my surprise, there was very little heat, even after 10 to 15 minutes of use. It seams Fenix did their homework when designing the housing encasing the Cree XP-G LED, and their homework paid off.
Now I am not one to crunch numbers, and testing this light was no different. I am looking at real world, real time results, and this little light delivers. As I stated, I have owned many of the higher priced competitors on the market, and when I tried to compare them to the Fenix, it was really an unfair comparison, the Fenix beat the competitors in every single category, from battery life, to heat dispersion, to beam brightness and distance. The PD32 fits perfectly in my big hands, and has a great grip to it. One thing I really liked about the light is the ease of access to the multi modes of the light. Fenix decided to put a second push button on the side of the light to access the 4 brightness modes and the two flash modes, one being the same S.O.S. feature found in many of the other Fenix lights.
My favorite, the low power 9 lumen setting. This one I had to put to the test as the numbers just didnt sound feasible. Fenix touted 200 hours at 9 lumens, my test, with a fresh set of CR123A batteries, an incredible 204 hours and 12 minutes before the light ran out. I was amazed. I then tested the light at the full 315 lumens on the 18650 and it worked as Fenix describes, after 28 minutes on turbo, the light switched to high output, 130 lumens, and the light remained lit for another 3 hours and 18 minutes. Very impressive in my book. Now the next test was a crude but very simple durability test, I ran the light over with my Jeep, not something I would advise, but the light kept on working. The glass held up without so much as a chip. After that, I decided to try something I dont think anyone would try in real world situations and I tied the light to my fishing pole, turned it on turbo, and at 11:00pm, tossed it overboard, another test I wouldnt recommend. The depth finder was showing 45 feet and I could see the light all the way to the bottom, before it sunk into the Oklahoma mud. I reeled it up, tuned it off, and proceeded to take the battery out and check for water damage inside, again, another test passed with flying colors.
My conclusion? Hands down one of the best lights I have ever owned. I tried as hard as I could to make this light fail with no luck. Not only did the PD32 meet or exceed all of the claims made by Fenix, it even passed some crazy world tests that I threw at it. The Fenix PD32 adds to another of a great line of lights produced by what I consider one of the finest flashlights manufacturers in the market. Good job Fenix, great little light.
Why Fenix? Well, at first it was the price. As with anything else, the price compared to other flashlights was the most important factor to me. I was way off on this as I found that many of the leading competitors had much more impressive lights, at a much higher price. After buying a few of the higher priced lights, I decided to give Fenix a try, and boy was I surprised. My first light, and still among my favorites is the PD20. Lightweight, small, and very powerful. I was hooked. Now, the PD32.
The PD32 is a 315 lumen powerhouse that runs on two, CR123A Lithium, or one 18650 Li-ion rechargeable batteries. It throws a very impressive beam up to about 450 feet. All in a small, lightweight, tough package.
Now for the testing. I loaded my PD32 with 2 good quality CR123A batteries and set out testing the light. The first thing I noticed, was kind of a shocker to me. One of the down sides of any powerful torch is they tend to heat up in turbo mode, or the highest setting. The PD32 was different. My first thought was that because the CR123A is smaller than the 18650, that the small gap between the battery and the side of the case acted as a heat barrier, so I tried my theory out on the 18650 battery, and much to my surprise, there was very little heat, even after 10 to 15 minutes of use. It seams Fenix did their homework when designing the housing encasing the Cree XP-G LED, and their homework paid off.
Now I am not one to crunch numbers, and testing this light was no different. I am looking at real world, real time results, and this little light delivers. As I stated, I have owned many of the higher priced competitors on the market, and when I tried to compare them to the Fenix, it was really an unfair comparison, the Fenix beat the competitors in every single category, from battery life, to heat dispersion, to beam brightness and distance. The PD32 fits perfectly in my big hands, and has a great grip to it. One thing I really liked about the light is the ease of access to the multi modes of the light. Fenix decided to put a second push button on the side of the light to access the 4 brightness modes and the two flash modes, one being the same S.O.S. feature found in many of the other Fenix lights.
My favorite, the low power 9 lumen setting. This one I had to put to the test as the numbers just didnt sound feasible. Fenix touted 200 hours at 9 lumens, my test, with a fresh set of CR123A batteries, an incredible 204 hours and 12 minutes before the light ran out. I was amazed. I then tested the light at the full 315 lumens on the 18650 and it worked as Fenix describes, after 28 minutes on turbo, the light switched to high output, 130 lumens, and the light remained lit for another 3 hours and 18 minutes. Very impressive in my book. Now the next test was a crude but very simple durability test, I ran the light over with my Jeep, not something I would advise, but the light kept on working. The glass held up without so much as a chip. After that, I decided to try something I dont think anyone would try in real world situations and I tied the light to my fishing pole, turned it on turbo, and at 11:00pm, tossed it overboard, another test I wouldnt recommend. The depth finder was showing 45 feet and I could see the light all the way to the bottom, before it sunk into the Oklahoma mud. I reeled it up, tuned it off, and proceeded to take the battery out and check for water damage inside, again, another test passed with flying colors.
My conclusion? Hands down one of the best lights I have ever owned. I tried as hard as I could to make this light fail with no luck. Not only did the PD32 meet or exceed all of the claims made by Fenix, it even passed some crazy world tests that I threw at it. The Fenix PD32 adds to another of a great line of lights produced by what I consider one of the finest flashlights manufacturers in the market. Good job Fenix, great little light.
