Wurkkos TD04 Rechargeable Flashlight Review
The Wurkkos TD04 rechargeable flashlight uses one Cree XHP50D HI. It has great throw and other features like USB-C charging and dual switches. Read for testing!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Wurkkos TD04 rechargeable flashlight product page.
Versions
There’s only one version. You can buy the Wurkkos TD04 rechargeable flashlight with or without the 21700 seen in this review, though.
Price
Wurkkos has the MSRP of the TD04 rechargeable flashlight listed at $44.14, but the street price is $33.99.
What’s Included
- Wurkkos TD04 rechargeable flashlight
- Wurkos 5000mAh 21700
- Charging cable
- Lanyard
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Manual, etc.
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The TD04 is very similar to other recent Wurkkos lights, in that it offers great build quality. It’s specifically very much like the TD01, which I’ve also tested.
Build quality is great. There are no real concerns here.
The tailcap does not seem to come off.
Size and Comps
Dimension: 137mm (length) x 25mm (head diameter)
Weight: 80±1 gram (without battery)
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll also show that (usually in the fourth photo).
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. The version you see below is a custom Convoy S2+ host that’s been laser engraved by GadgetConnections.com. I did a full post on an engraved orange host right here! Or go straight to GadgetConnections.com to buy your Convoy S2+ now!
Also above is the light beside a TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats. I also reviewed that specific edition, the “Oveready BOSS FT Collector Vintage Brass” 35. I love it!
Retention and Carry
Wurkkos includes a pocket clip. It’s a friction-fit one-way clip and is sufficient.
A lanyard is included for carrying the Wurkkos TD04 rechargeable flashlight. This lanyard attaches through the tailcap loops, which you can see above.
Power and Runtime
The Wurkkos TD04 rechargeable flashlight is powered by a single 21700 lithium-ion cell. If you buy the kit (which you should), you’ll get this 5000mAh seen below.
This is a standard 21700 cell. With the internal setup of the TD04 (dual springs), any 21700 should work fine. The cell is installed in the normal direction – positive terminal toward the head.
Below you can see a few runtimes. I was impressed by the output… Even the claim of 3000 lumens isn’t SO far off. The measured output of around 2300 lumens is quite frankly, pretty amazing.
The light does have low voltage protection.
An indicating switch also gives the power level, as follows:
Green: 75-100% power
Orange: 50-75% power
Red: About 25% power
Red flashing: <25% power
Charging
The Wurkkos TD04 rechargeable flashlight has built-in USB-C charging. This charging port is opposite to the e-switch and fairly easy to notice by feel – the charge port cover is grippy, while the switch is hard-edged.
I am very pleased with this charging port cover – it sits very securely but is also easy to open when needed.
An appropriate cable is included for charging: USB to USB-C.
Charging looks okayish but has a bunch of dropouts. Charge time is still acceptable though, at around 4 hours. So really it’s nothing to worry about.
Modes and Currents of the Wurkkos TD04 rechargeable flashlight
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 3000 | 4.3h | 2328 (0s) 2285 (30s) |
6.91 |
| High | 1200 | 5h | 934 | 2.00 |
| Medium | 400 | 7h | 270 | 0.62 |
| Low | 150 | 18h | 108 | 0.32 |
| Eco | 20 | 120h | 15 | 0.04 |
| Moon | 1 | 2160h | 1.2 | [low] |
Pulse Width Modulation
There is PWM on all modes except Moon. It’s not PWM that I can call “noticeable.” It’s plenty fast PWM.
Here you can see a “baseline” – a chart with almost no light hitting the sensor. Then there’s the Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight, which has some of the worst PWM I’ve seen. It’s so bad that I used a post about it to explain PWM! Here are multiple timescales (10ms, 5ms, 2ms, 1ms, 0.5ms, 0.2ms) to make comparing this “worst” PWM light to the test light easier. That post also explains why I didn’t test the WF-602C at the usual 50us scale.
User Interface and Operation
The Wurkkos TD04 rechargeable flashlight uses two switches. First, and most important, is the mechanical tail switch.
This switch has a lot of extra room and might be considered a bit too big. There’s even a bit of play side-to-side, and the switch cover doesn’t seem set into the body properly. That doesn’t affect functionality, but I can’t fix it (because the tailcap doesn’t unscrew off.)
The switch is not proud, but accessible from two sides, even if you’re wearing gloves. It does stick past the metal part and does prevent tailstanding.
This mechanical switch controls only on/off. Next is the e-switch on the head, which controls the modes. The switch is just a little proud and has a hard cover with an indicator right in the center.
The action is low, and not incredibly quiet. It’s also an indicating switch!
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click Tail Switch | On (Mode Memory, excluding Moon) |
| On | Click Tail Switch | Off |
| On | Click Side Switch | In Group 1: Mode advance (Eco, Low, Med, High) In Group 2: Mode advance (Med, Turbo) |
| On | Hold Side Switch | Iterate between Group 1 and Group 2 (The manual states the light will flash 2x in either Turbo (for Group 2) or Eco (for Group 1) but that’s carry-over text from a previous manual. This light doesn’t flash, it just enters the output of that group.) |
| Off | Tap Tail Switch | In Group 1: Momentary (Mode Memory) In Group2: Turbo |
| On | Double Click | Turbo |
| Turbo | Click | Return to the previous output level |
| On | Triple Click | Strobe |
| Strobe | Double Click | Strobe advance (Strobe> SOS> Beacon) |
| Off | Hold Side Switch, Click Tail Switch | Moonlight (notably this means moonlight is also available in the Tactical group, which is nice!) (The manual says you get “Eco” by doing this, but it’s Moon, not Eco.) |
LED and Beam
Wurkkos has used a Cree XHP50D HI (domeless) emitter in the TD04 rechargeable flashlight. I don’t see where they say it otherwise, but the box says it’s a 5700K-6000K emitter.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
Wurkkos claims 5700K to 6000K, and that’s approximately true. The light ranges from around 5800K up to around 6500K, which is very cool white. CRI is also low.
Beamshots
These beamshots always have the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure. These photos are taken at floor level, and the beam hits the ceiling around 9 feet away.
Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)
I keep the test flashlight on the left and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Summary and Conclusion
The Wurkkos TD04 is certainly a solid entry into the 21700 rechargeable flashlight realm at $34. It’s really amazing, in fact, how such a light can be produced so inexpensively. It’s nice quality, though, and I appreciate many aspects of the light. In particular, the user interface is nice, offering access to Moon, as well as six discrete modes. The second group is nice, too.
The Big Table
| Wurkkos TD04 rechargeable flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Cree XHP50D-HI |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $33.99 |
| Cell: | 1×21700 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | Both |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | – |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | with or without cell or body: one lowish mode |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 3000 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 2285 (76.2% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 10.21 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 295 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 1164lux @ 4.629m = 24942cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 315.9 (107.1% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | 5700-6000 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5800-6500 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Wurkkos |
| All my Wurkkos reviews! | |
^ Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.
Conclusion
What I like
- Good build quality
- Great throw
- Two groups with a fairly sensible tactical group
- Moon is available in tactical
- Moon is accessible directly from off
What I don’t like
- It doesn’t quite hit the output specification
- user interface is not complicated with a ramping group
Notes
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