I will probably never put myself a situation where I will actually need tactical flashlights. That said, I do appreciate a quality, heavy-duty flashlight. And this is exactly what I get with the Cossatot 1000 XL tactical flashlights by Factor.
After dealing with junk products, Factor Equipment started to produce quality products with outstanding performance. They know that cheap, faulty gear just won’t cut it for the hunters, athletes, and outdoorsmen and women who expect gear that will hold up to their hard-core demands and their high expectations.
When I received the Cossatot 1000 XL in the mail, I noticed the quality packaging. Factor smartly provides key information on the box that quickly lets me know that the output of this tactical flashlight is 1000 lumens, its runtime is 130 hours, it shines a distance of 228 meters, its impact guarantee is one meter, and it is water-resistant to a depth of two meters. All this in 5 small hexagonal icons. Cool.
I open the box and see the flashlight and holster enclosed in high-density foam formed to precisely protect the contents. Also found within the box are the user manual, the rechargeable Li-ion battery, the USB charging cable, and a tiny Ziploc bag holding two spare o-rings and a replacement rubber tail cap.
The Cossatot 1000 XL provides four modes plus strobe, weighs 4.7 oz. excluding batteries, has a length of just shy of six inches, and a diameter of one inch.
Key features include:
- LED with a life of 50,000 hours
- Glass lens with double-sided anti-reflective coating
- Corrosion resistant body made of military-grade anodized aluminum alloy
- Removable coated steel pocket clip
- Waterproof to 2 meters for 30 minutes
- Tactical rear switch operation provides momentary activation, on/off, and mode switch capabilities in single tail switch
- Blast operation ensures that light turns on highest 1000 mode output every start to support tactical operations
- Digitally regulated output maintains constant brightness
First of all, we like that Factor has incorporated four levels of light intensity (high, mid, low, and ultra low) and a strobe function into their tactical flashlights. Another great feature is its power indicator: when the remaining power is less than 50% a blue light will flash slowly; when power falls below 10%, the blue light flashes rapidly. The flashing blue light is a great reminder to recharge the battery. Simply plug the recharging cable into the flashlight and plug it into a USB slot. And, while hopefully never needed, we do appreciate the strike face bezel for self-defense and lens protection.
It took me some minutes to figure out how to select the mode. This is not because the directions were complicated – they weren’t – but because the tail cap (on-off button) is rather finicky. The directions say to “half press the rear switch within half a second to cycle through the different brightness levels.” My sense of “half press” and “half a second” might be a bit off. After a bit of practice, I could manage this well enough if not consistently.
So, yes, I hope to never use my Cossatot 1000 XL in a true tactical, life-altering situation. Rather, I do take it along with me on camping, hiking, and hunting trips and it resides in my bedside table when I’m home. Look at the entire line of tactical flashlights by Factor at www.factorequipment.com.
