Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R Flashlight Review

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R Flashlight Review

The Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight offers high output as well as an excellent (Skilhunt-standard) user interface. It can run AA, too! Read on!


Official Specs and Features

Here’s a referral link to the Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight product page.

Versions

There’s quite a bit to mention here. First, there are four body colors: black, coyote, orange, and blue (seen here). Next, there are emitter options, of which there are two: Nichia 519a and Luminus SFT25R (seen here).

Price

As shown here, the Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight sells for $49.80. Here’s a referral link to the Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight product page.


What’s Included

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight what's included

  • Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight
  • Skilhunt 920mAh 14500 cell
  • Charge cable
  • Lanyard
  • Pocket clip
  • Manual
  • Nylon mesh pouch
  • Spare o-rings (2)

Package and Manual

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight box

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight manual

Build Quality and Disassembly

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight

Skilhunt alights are usually well-built, and the EC150 Luminus SFT25R is no exception. Maybe more importantly, the design language between this and the other Skilhunt lights is very consistent!

The threads are square-cut and lubed an appropriate amount. That spring is also removable so that the magnet can be removed, too.

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight tailcap off showing threads

The head end has a spring, too, so the EC150 is very “cell-friendly.”

Size and Comps

49.5mm x 22.5mm x 18mm and 35.5g (without cell).

If the flashlight can headstand, I’ll show it here. If it can tailstand, I’ll also show that here!

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight in hand

Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. The version below is a custom laser-engraved Convoy S2+ host 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 in the photo above, my Standard Reference Material (SRM) flashlight is the Hanko Machine Works Trident, an 18350 light. While I have not reviewed or tested the Gunner Grip version seen here, I have tested a Hanko Machine Works Trident Total Tesseract in brass. I love the Trident, and it’s a striking contrast to the inexpensive Convoy S2+, another great SRM.

Below you can see the Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight compared to what’s probably its nearest competitor, the Emisar D3AA. By most accounts, these are very similar lights! The Skilhunt has USB-C charging but lacks secondary emitters. I find the Skilhunt to have a much higher build quality.

Retention and Carry

A pocket clip is included. It’s a pretty nice friction-fit two-way clip.

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight pocket clip

The pocket clip can be installed on the head or tail end. Each shoulder of the clip has a lanyard hole, too!

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight pocket clip

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight pocket clip

Also included is a lanyard, which attaches either through the pocket clip (less recommended) or the tailcap, where there is a hole for this express purpose.

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight lanyard hole

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight lanyard installed

The tailcap has a magnet, too, which is plenty strong to hold the light.

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight magnet in use

Above, you may note a new holder for my magnetic-tailcap items. That’s the Exceed Designs Hyzer Titanium Mini Hatchet D2 axe. The handle (as the name suggests) is titanium. But the blade is D2 steel and perfect for retaining magnetic tailcap flashlights! The Hyzer is available in a bunch of cerakote body colors as well as different thickness D2 heads.

Power and Runtime

The Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight is sized for a 14500, and an appropriate cell is included. My package was the combo that includes this 920mAh 14500 seen below. It’s possible to buy two cells – I think the only (or at least “main”) difference is capacity.

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight with included 14500 cell

The 14500 fits into the EC150 with the positive terminal toward the head, as seen below.

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight with included 14500 cell installed

In case you forget that bit of information, there’s a sticker just inside the tube to help.

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight cell sticker

Here are a few runtime tests. I wouldn’t say there’s anything super surprising here. Output is very stable once a stepdown has happened, and low voltage protection is observed. There’s also a low voltage warning in the indicating e-switch. The switch also indicates the power level upon turning the H300R on. The indication it gives indicates the power level as follows:

Blue constant: 100-80% power
Blue blinking: 80-50% power
Red constant: 50-20% power
Red blinking: 20-0% power

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight runtime chart

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight runtime chart

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight runtime chart

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight runtime chart

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight runtime chart

A bonus feature in Skilhunt products that run one 14500 cell is that running one AA cell is also an option!

Charging

The Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight has built-in charging. One huge bonus here is that charging isn’t Skilhunt’s proprietary magnetic connector, but a standard USB-C port!

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight charging port

I am not sure that Skilhunt says this in any of their marketing, but this style of charging port looks similar to others that are the waterproof variety. Either way, this one has a press-fit silicone cover.

A cable is included – USB to USB-C.

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight charging cable

Charging works just great – around 1A and takes just over an hour. Termination is around 4.19V, but it seems to drift off if you leave the light on the charging cable.

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight charging chart

Modes and Currents

Mode Mode Claimed Output (lm) Claimed Runtime Measured Lumens Tailcap Amps
T1 1350-380 1m+70m 1396 (0s)
1296 (30s)
3.25
T2 790-380-255 3m+55m+20m 694 (0s)
680 (30s)
1.46
H1 380-135 65m+40m 338 0.63
M1 135-45 180m+70m 119 0.21
M2 24 18h 25 0.03
L1 1 90h 3.5 [low]
L2 0.2 / 0.1 [low]

Pulse Width Modulation

There’s no PWM on any mode. Yay!

Click here to 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

There’s a single switch on the Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight. It’s a side e-switch, with an indicator in the center. It’s a big, secure switch with a very positive but quiet click. I very much like this switch. The switch seems unchanged from the previous iterations of the EC-series. The user interface has been updated, but is the same as other new Skilhunts. That’s a very good thing – it’s a great user interface.

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight e-switch detail

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight e-switch profile

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight e-switch actuation

The user interface could be a bit daunting, but it’s very straightforward when you get used to it. It’s also very logical and provides access to low from off, which is as close to a requirement from a user interface as I have.

Here’s a user interface table!

State Action Result
Off Hold Low (Memory between L1 and L2)
L1 or L2 Hold Iterate between L1 and L2
Off Click 4x Lockout (Three blinks of the emitter to confirm)
Lockout Click 4x Unlock to Low group (memory, can be L1/L2)
Lockout Click 2x Iterate lockout indicator^
Lockout Hold Momentary Low group (memory, can be L1/L2)
L1/L2 Click Off
L1/L2 Click Release, Click and hold M2
Off Click On in “Main Group” (Mode memory M2/M1/H)
Main Group Hold Mode advance (M2 > M1 > H)
Main Group Click Off
Main Group, Off, or Low group Click 2x Turbo Group (T1/T2)
T1/T2 Hold Iterate between T1 (higher) and T2 (lower) output
T1/T2 Click Off
T1/T2 Click 2x Main Group (memory output)
Main Group, Off, or Low group Click 3x Strobe Group (with memory)
Strobe Group Click 3x Previous Group (T1/T2 or M2/M1/H, depending on how you accessed Strobe Group)^^
Strobe Group Hold Strobe Advance (S1 > S2 > S3)
Strobe Group Click Off

LED and Beam

This is the Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight, so it uses Luminus SFT25R emitters – three of them. This emitter is a great choice for high output. Other options are available for high CRI!

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight emitter detail

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight emitters on

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight emitters on

LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)

Skilhunt states that the Luminus SFT25R used in this EC150 are “cool white 5700-6500K” emitters. They test a bit warmer than that, which is great! The CRI is low, of course.

CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) refers to the measurement of the color appearance of light, expressed in Kelvins (K), which indicates whether the light is warm (yellowish) or cool (bluish). A lower CCT (below 3000K) is considered warm light, while a higher CCT (above 5000K) gives cooler, bluish light.

CRI (Color Rendering Index) is a measure of how accurately a light source renders colors in comparison to natural sunlight. Scored on a scale from 0 to 100, higher CRI values indicate that colors appear more true to life and vibrant, similar to how they would look under the sun.

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. These photos are taken around 18 inches from the door.

I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!

Summary and Conclusion

It should come as no surprise that the Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight is good. But it’s not just good – it’s great. The feature set is robust – multiple body colors, multiple emitters (which hit different targets), USB-C charging, and Skilhunt’s great user interface.

The Big Table

Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R flashlight
Emitter: Luminus SFT25R (Triple)
Price in USD at publication time: $49.80
Cell: 1×14500
Runtime Graphs
LVP? Yes
Switch Type: E-Switch
Quiescent Current (mA): ?
On-Board Charging? Yes
Charge Port Type: USB-C
Charge Graph
Power off Charge Port With cell: all modes
Without cell and/or tailcap: no modes
Claimed Lumens (lm) 1350
Measured Lumens (at 30s) 1296 (96% of claim)^
Candela per Lumen 5.77
Claimed Throw (m) 169
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) 350lux @ 4.708m = 7758cd
Throw (Calculated) (m) 176.2 (104.3% of claim)^
Claimed CCT 5700-6500
Measured CCT Range (K) 5500-5800 Kelvin
Item provided for review by: Skilhunt
All my Skilhunt 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.

What I like

  • Great build quality
  • Emitter options
  • Can run 1.5V and 4.2V cells
  • Great user interface
  • Available in orange body!

What I don’t like

  • [This space intentionally left blank.]

Notes

2 thoughts on “Skilhunt EC150 Luminus SFT25R Flashlight Review”

  1. Just wanted to throw this information in here after reading your review. The other battery option through skilhunt is the BL-113C which has a USB C charging port installed on it with more Mah power for longer run times. Great review.

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