MONCh Gear Box Product Review
Rechargeable flashlights are the way to go, but Coast’s recent focus on lithium/alkaline hybrid lights is a breath of fresh air, eliminating the need to have spare batteries on hand and allowing the user to keep a much cheaper set of alkalines as a backup plan. The lightest of a batch recently tested (see one review here), is the Coast POLYSTEEL 600R hybrid flashlight, powered by the company’s lithium battery pack.
Every Coast light I have received to far comes with an abundance of extras: AC adapter designed for 12V outlets, equipped with a USB insert that is compatible with both of Coast’s Pro-Flex Charging Cable and USB Flex Charge Cable; an Alkaline Pack, i.e. a battery cartridge that holds four AAA alkaline batteries (compatible with the HP7R, HP8R, A25R, TX9R, and TX7R rechargeable LED torches); the Lithium Ion battery pack that comes with a built-in USB connection and cables. It’s hard to beat this!
Using a micro USB, you can recharge the battery outside of the light; the battery also features a USB out port, which allows for the charging of external USB devices; it also able to take four AA batteries.
The POLYSTEEL 600R is impact resistant, IPX8 waterproof at 3m and its LED is virtually unbreakable…believe us, we have tried!
The POLYSTEEL 600R is encased in a stainless steel core and features a deep crosshatch polymer body, Coast’s patented Pure Beam Optics System, Twist Focus, impact resistance rating of 2m, anti-roll tail cap, tactical style rear switch and a simple partial depression to cycle among three light outputs: 710lm on high (runtime 2.15 hours with a 247m beam), 245lm on medium (5.15h, 142m) and 73lm on low (40h, 78 metres) at 19.98cm long weighing 340 grams.
The POLYSTEEL 600R is a powerful torch. When the focus is fixed at spot, it has the prefect balance of brightness between the hot spot, beam and the light area arout the hot spot. Meaning: Ultra View Flood Beam has a consistent circle of light up to 3.5m in diameter at 1.8m in distance and by the twist of the head you get a Bulls-Eye Spot Beam, 234m downrange with a transition halo around the spot to increase the effective viewing area.
Great light and a keeper in MONCh’s Gear Box.
