This review is a comparison of the UltraFire 2000LM Cree XM-L T6 LED flashlight to the Utilitech Model LWF1402 LED flashlight.  The UltraFire was bought off the internet while the Utilitech was bought at Lowes.  The UltraFire cost me $5.46 plus $1.42 shipping for a total of $6.88.  The Utilitech cost $9.97.  The UltraFire is listed at 2000 lumens while the Utilitech is 150.  Both are made in China.

The UltraFire has three modes, bright, dim, and strobe, with a focusable beam.  It also has an adjustable lanyard.  The Utilitech is only one mode with a fixed beam.  Both lights have a pocket clip.  The on/off switch for both is a push button in the end cap.  On the UltraFire the same switch also switches between the three modes.  The beam is focused by rotating the green ring near the front of the Ultrafire.  The UltraFire can use either three AAA batteries or one 18650.  Batteries were not included.  The Utilitech uses three AAA’s which were included.

For purposes of this comparison both lights were given three new alkaline AAA batteries.  This comparison was not completely apples to apples because of different operating characteristics of the two lights.

The Utilitech’s fixed beam is significantly wider than the UltraFire’s beam when focused to its widest.  When projecting the beam from both lights on a wall from seven feet away, the Utilitech beam was eight feet wide.  The UltraFire beam was five feet wide when focused to its widest.  So it was not possible to project the same size beam from both lights and say one was brighter than the other.  The UltraFire beam is uniform across its width.  The Utilitech beam has a brighter spot in its center.

In this picture the UltraFire is on top with its beam focused to its widest.  You can see the Utilitech beam on the bottom is wider than the UltraFire.  The Ultrafire beam is brighter than the Utilitech beam but the Utilitech spot is brighter than the UltraFire beam.

In this picture the UltraFire beam is focused to its narrowest.  At this setting you can see that the UltraFire beam is brighter than the Utilitech spot.

I also tested both lights walking to and from my deer stand in the dark.  That confirmed in the field what these two pictures showed.  If you want the brightest overall beam and focusable, the Ultrafire is the way to go.  Also the UltraFire has the strobe and is dimmable.  When focused to its narrowest, the UltraFire beam gives you a brighter spot farther than the Utilitech.  If you want a wider beam with a pretty good bright spot in the center, go with the Utilitech.

Now I will tell you which I will be using to light my way into and out of the deer woods in the dark.  But first let me say this.  I am not concerned about close encounters of the third kind.  There are skunks where I hunt.  I am concerned about close encounters of the skunk kind!  I want a light that will help me avoid that.  A few years ago I walked to within three feet of a skunk before I saw it.  Fortunately for me he was backed into a hole and could not spray me.  Since then I have always had a flashlight with me.  I have determined that the Utilitech with its wider beam and bright spot in the center will do a better job of helping me avoid future contacts.  And in fact it did just this past Monday morning.  I was walking to my deer stand in the dark and spotted a skunk about thirty feet away and was able to avoid it.  I would have shot it but I would have been shooting in the direction of cattle so couldn’t.

I think overall the UltraFire is brighter than the Utilitech.  But either it puts out less than the claimed 2000 lumens or the Utilitech puts out more than the 150.  I think 2000 should just wipe out 150.

Before I close I want to say one kinda cool thing about the UltraFire.  When focused just right its beam projects the image of the LED.  Here is a picture of it projected on the wall.  I tried but couldn’t get the picture to come out as sharp as the image actually was.