| Maxtoch LA40 | |
|---|---|
| LEP type / class | shine through |
| Max. beam intensity (candelas) | 810,000 cd |
| Max. beam distance (meters) | 1,800 meters |
| Max. output (lumens) | 420 lm |
| Modes | 2 |
| Avg. Price | $250 |
Maxtoch Xsword LA40
There aren’t many zoomable LEP flashlights around, with previous reviews including the bigger brother LA60, Acebeam W35, Loop SK01S, Acebeam Terminator M1, and Natfire SF2. The LA40 is a simple flashlight with a forward clicky switch that cycles between low and high with each press, making it less suitable for Morse coding. The body has thin redding across the battery tube with a black, slightly glossy coating that looks low-quality, but like other Maxtoch flashlights, they aren’t built to impress with looks but with performance – designed for hunting and rifle attachment rather than aesthetics. The mechanical rear switch is easy to operate even with gloves, though the zoom mechanism requires both hands as it’s too tight for single-handed operation, which prevents unintentional zooming when attached to weapons.
The package includes a lanyard, holster, and cigar grip ring for carrying options, and the flashlight can tailstand. The focusable beam widens when twisted counter-clockwise and tightens when twisted clockwise, with perfect focus achieved at the end position. The LA40 uses a shine-through LEP module and includes a protective glass lens in front of the convex lens, plus red, green, and yellow filters for different hunting applications, though these filters significantly reduce lumen output. The UI is basic with only two modes accessed through the forward clicky switch – half-press for momentary operation and cycling between modes, full click for constant activation.
The kit includes a protected 18650 battery and Maxtoch C1 charger that charges at 2 amps and fits various battery sizes. The charger shows red during charging and green when nearly complete at 4.11V, but requires additional time to reach full charge at 4.19V. With a beam distance of up to 1800 meters, the LA40 offers impressive throw for its size, though flood mode produces the typical ugly zoom beam with weak center and bright outer rings. Despite the price, it remains an interesting choice among LEP flashlights, offering much better throw than smaller LEP flashlights with only 1cm larger head diameter.
Performance
Lumen
| Mode | Specified | At turn on | 30 sec | 10 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (spot) | 120 lm | 113 lm | 111 lm | 112 lm |
| High (spot) | 420 lm | 336 lm | 328 lm | 212 lm |
| Low (flood) | 120 lm | 118 lm | 116 lm | – |
| High (flood) | 420 lm | 352 lm | 344 lm | – |
Runtime
| Mode | Specified | Runtime (ANSI FL1) | Time till shut off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low (22.9°C) | 3h 40min | 3h 55min | 3h 55min |
| High (21.3°C) | 1h 30min | 2h 32min | 2h 33min |
Throw measurements
Measurements were taken outdoors at 20 meters with a Hagner E4-X Lux Meter. The measurements were taken 30 seconds after turn on.
| Mode | Specified | Candela measured | Meters | Yards | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | – | 320,000 | 1131 | 1237 | 0.7 |
| High | 1800 meters | 876,000 | 1872 | 2047 | 1.16 |
