| Maxtoch Xsword L3K | |
|---|---|
| LEP class | N/A |
| Distance / intensity | 3km / 1.8 miles |
| Lumens | 650 lumens |
| Modes | 3 |
| Avg. Price | $349 |
The Maxtoch Xsword L3K should be able to reach 3000 meters?!
Maxtoch is one of the few flashlight manufacturers that focuses on bringing the best flashlights for hunters. Almost all of their current lineup are long-range flashlights, including the famous Maxtoch Xsword L2K, which was also able to reach 3,000 meters. Keep in mind, at that distance you can just see some dim light shining on an object, enough to see the shape.
The L3K was announced in Q2 of 2021 and sparked my interest. Especially since I reviewed the L2Kd and at that point the farthest-reaching LEP flashlight under $2000. Right now it is the Maxtoch Owleyes W PRO
In terms of design, it looks the same as the L2K. Although the Maxtoch L2K looks fine, it doesn’t look like a high-end flashlight. That’s not a problem, as long as it performs well. I
One thing I found out, is the change in LEP module. Instead of using the classical mirror setup, they changed it to a shine-through setup, which is probably cheaper and easier to produce. It’s just a combination of a silicone dome, a transparent layer of phosphor, and a laser beam at a certain distance. And I’m not sure how important the distance of the laser to the phosphor is. One thing we also don’t really know is how long this type of translucent phosphor is going to hold up. The same can be said for the traditional mirror setup.
Batteries and Charging
Maxtoch gives you the option to choose an extra charging kit that includes 2* 21700 batteries, a charger, and a USB adapter. The batteries are button tops, of course, otherwise, they wouldn’t make contact. They are 5000mAh, which is kind of a basic capacity of a 21700 battery these days.
Performance
One of the most important aspects of LEP flashlights is intensity. In terms of lumens, these outputs are laughable, because they are not meant to produce many lumens. They are meant to throw very, very, very far. Farther than your eyes can make up the difference between a man and a bear. Unless, of course, you use binoculars.
Here we go:
Lumens:
| Mode | Manufacturer | After 30 seconds | First few seconds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 105 | 125 lm | 131 lm |
| Mid | 310 | 296 lm | 306 lm |
| High | 650 | 484 lm | 513 lm |
As you can see it doesn’t come close to specs, but that’s not the point here.
Performance in terms of intensity/reach. Measured at 20 meters distance.
| Mode | measured candelas | meters | yards | miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 504,000 cd | 1420 | 1552.78 | 0.88 |
| Med | 1,160,000 cd | 2154 | 2355.72 | 1.34 |
| High | 1,856,000 cd | 2725 | 2979.77 | 1.69 |
| High (30 meters) | 1,908,000 cd | 2763 | 3021.22 | 1.72 |
