Fenix PD35 TAC Flashlights - The Best EDC and Tactical Flashlight in 2018

best-tactical-flashlight.jpgToday I'm going to be doing a review on the Fenix PD35 Tactical Edition. The PD35TAC is one of the most popular everyday carry flashlights and tactical flashlights that are out there on the market. Definitely one of the most popular, one of the most well loved, and I can see why after getting my hands on it. I'm going to go over what the actual flashlight and then give you my opinion on it.

The Fenix PD35 TAC, it's the tactical edition of the Fenix PD35. Remains in the pocket size, but it's higher performance, and the focus will be on the tactical employment. It is beyond compare. It is a very, very good tactical flashlight. It measures at less than 14 centimeters long, and it features over 1,000 lumen output. This throwing distance is up to 200 meters as well. What makes this Fenix PD35 Tac so special is that it has a separate outdoor and a separate tactical mode. With the outdoor mode, it features a standard Fenix flashlight, where the tail switch will activate the light, and then with the side switch, stainless side switch, a simple click will change between the different modes. But then in tactical mode, it becomes a whole new ball game. And I'll touch on that a little bit later.

Different Outputs and Modes

The tactical mode strengthens the PD35 Tac with a simplified and very, very fast operation, and so, outdoor use, be it law enforcement, military, whatever, the Fenix PD35 TAC covers it. It really is a very well overall flashlight. It does feature a Cree LED, the XP-L LED. It has a very optimum output-to-weight ratios. Then to touch on the LED, this Cree XP-L LED provides up to 251% performance boost from the XP-G2 LED, and it is the first commercially available single die LED to achieve the breakthrough efficacy of two 200 lumens per watt. So, it's definitely a technological breakthrough with this Fenix PD35 TAC. It measures at about 13.7 centimeters by 5.4". The diameter is 1", and then the weight is only 3 ounces, so very small, perfect for EDC flashlight, or everyday carry flashlights. It's a really nice flashlight. I love it.

Then moving on, it does have the outdoor and tactical modes, as mentioned. First, I will touch on the specific tactical mode. Now, this is what makes the Fenix PD35 Tac stand out amongst the rest is that it has a separate overall mode. You have two parent modes, the outdoor and the tactical, and then in the tactical mode, you only have access to three of the actual brightness modes. You have a turbo, a strobe, and then a low. With this one, the stainless side switch is actually rendered useless. It will not do anything in this mode. With the tactical mode you can operate the flashlight from the tail switch, so a quick press of the light, it will go instantly to turbo. No matter what mode you turn it off in, as long as you have the battery power to supply it, it will go straight into the turbo mode. Then a half-press will change it to strobe, and then a full click, it should stay on that strobe mode. Then another half-press will turn you to low mode. So, all with just the one button, you go between turbo, strobe, to low, and then back to strobe. Then, even if you turn the light off in low or strobe mode, the next time you use it in tactical mode, it will go straight to turbo, as long as you have the battery power. So, this makes it very quick and easy operations for tactical and military.

tac-pd35tactical.jpgThere is no memory circuit in the tactical mode, so my guess is that it will always go straight to your turbo mode, and that's what the tactical mode is, and then you do have the momentary on function as well in tactical mode, so you just press and hold, but not all the way, click, and it'll have a momentary on, and as soon as you release your thumb, it will turn off. Then with this tactical mode, it makes it very applicable with remote switches whenever you attach it to your weapon. With this, you can operate the light in tactical mode to its entirety just by the pressure switch, so the pressure switch will basically replace your tail switch. That's going to be the same functions that you use on the actual tail switch to the remote pressure switch or button. It makes it very useful for tactical situations. The outdoor mode is just like the normal, standard Fenix flashlight, with the tail switch, the side switch, and that's how you do the dual control. You have six different output levels, and those all have the purpose for any kind of illumination that you may need. It does have the memory circuit in the outdoor mode, so it's actually going to remember which mode that you previously had the light in, so if you want to leave it in the turbo mode, you can go ahead and leave it there, and the next time you turn it on in the outdoor mode, it will turn on that mode. If you want it on the low mode, turn it off in low, and then you turn it back on in low as well. It's very functional.

Battery/Power Options

Then the power options for the Fenix PD35 TAC are the either a single 18650 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, or two non-rechargeable CR123A lithium batteries. The PD35 Tac is digitally regulated, so it's going to maintain constant brightness. The reserve polarity protection is actually going to guard against improper battery insertion. It does have the intelligent memory circuit. This applies to the outdoor mode only, though. And then the low voltage warning function is that when the light is turned on, and if the battery reaches a super low point, then the LED will actually blink three times every five minutes to remind you to replace the batteries. Then the Fenix PD35 Tac is actually waterproof, IPX-8 rated, so it's waterproof, submersible up to two meters for 30 minutes. And there's many accessories that can go on this PD35 tactical edition, as well as many other Fenix flashlights.

1000-lumens-output.jpgThen I'll go ahead and go over the actual overall modes with this Fenix PD35 Tac. To start off, you have the eco mode of 8 lumens. You have a low of 60 lumens, and medium of 200 lumens, a high of 500 lumens, and then you have your turbo of 1,000 lumens. Of course, that's all in the outdoor mode. In tactical, you have the turbo mode of 1,000, the low of 60, and then a strobe of 1,000. The max distance on beam is 200 meters, and you have a 1 meter impact resistance, and you have a 1,000. These run times are measured with using one of the Fenix batteries, the 3400 milliamp battery, so the difference in milliamps is just going to be depending on the actual run time of the light. It won't affect the output, but it'll just give you a longer run time.

To summarize, the LED use of the XP-L V5 LED, you can use an 18650, or two non-rechargeable CR123As. It's very small, but yet can produce 1,000 lumens. It has a tactical tail switch with the momentary on function. Multiple protections, and then it has a tough and ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating. Then where do you purchase a PD35 TAC? I purchase it from Fenix-Store.com. What's included in that package was the Fenix PD35 Tac, the body clips, or the pocket clip that goes on it, a holster, a spare holster, a lanyard, two spare O rings, a rubber switch boot, so a spare one, a user manual, and then a warranty card.