Skilhunt M200 V4 Review – Solid EDC Workhorse

1. Pricing & Availability
2. What comes in the box?
3. Design & Construction
4. Size & Measurements
5. User Interface
6. Emitter & Beam
7. Mode Chart
8. Runtime
9. Driver & Regulation
10. Batteries & Charging
11. Switch
12. Carry & Ergonomics
13. Competition
14. Conclusion

Pricing & Availability

Skilhunt/Eskte sent me this light in exchange for an honest review. Here is the official product page where you can see current pricing. At the time of writing it’s ~$50 USD without a battery, or ~$60 with a battery.

What comes in the box?

M200 V4 comes in Skilhunt/ESKTE’s standard retail box. A window shows the light inside and a sticker specifies the LED. Inside is:

• The light itself
• Battery (inside the light)
• User manual
• Magnetic USB charging cable
• Wrist lanyard
• Spare O-Rings
• Pocket clip
• Tailcap spacer (replaces magnet)

Design & Construction

I’m delighted that Skilhunt has dropped the blue accents and gone with black. I like the aesthetic much better, and it doesn’t give “Olight knockoff” vibes like the blue did.

Build quality is good. Both my samples have nice machining and finishing with no sharp edges or issues.

Size & Measurements

Mini Maglite | Skilhunt MiX-7 Gen 2 Plus | Skilhunt M200 V4 | Nitecore MT2C Pro | Surefire G2X Pro

Measurement	Measured (mm)
Bezel Diameter	23.6
Maximum Head Diameter	27.9
Length	104.3
Switch Diameter	9.5
Lens Thickness	1.5
Lens Diameter	20.0
Reflector Hole Diameter	7.0
Reflector Diameter	17.6
Reflector Height	9.9
MCPCB Size	Custom
LED Footprint	3535
Body Tube Diameter	21.6
Pocket Clip Slot Width	20.6
Pocket Clip Slot Diameter	4.2
Tailcap Diameter	23.5
Tailcap Length	13.3
Included Battery Length	69.2
Weight with included battery (g)	106

User Interface

This UI works like most other e-switch UIs with a couple changes. The adjustable Moonlight and Turbo modes cause some problems, but aren’t problematic enough to make me stop carrying it.

The actions are # of presses followed by a hold (H) or a release (C). So, “1C” is one click and release. “2H” is two clicks but you hold down the last one.

State	Action	Result
Off	1C	On (main group)
Off	1H	Moonlight
Off	4C	Lockout (indicator on)
Lockout	1H	Moonlight (momentary)
Lockout	2C	Toggle indicator off/on
Lockout	4C	Moonlight
Moonlight	1H	Cycle Moonlight brightness (L2-L1)
Moonlight	2H	M2
On (main mode group)	1H	Cycle mode (M2-M1-H1)
On (main mode group)	2H	Moonlight
Any (except off & lockout)	1C	Off
Any (except off, lockout, Moonlight)	3C	Blinkies
Any (except Moonlight & blinkies)	2C	Turbo
Blinkies	2C	Cycle mode (strobe, SOS, beacon)
Turbo	1H	Cycle Turbo brightness (T2-T1)
Turbo	2C	Return to memorized main mode

Basic E-switch UI Checklist: 11/12

• 1C on/off✅
• 1H to change brightness✅
• Stepped levels✅
• Main rotation is Low-Med-High✅
• Moonlight shortcut: 1H from off✅
• Low shortcut: 1H from Moonlight❌
  • 1H from the Moonlight (L1-L2) group just adjusts the brightness within that group. You have to do 2H from the Moonlight to jump to Low mode (M2).
• Turbo shortcut: 2C from anywhere✅
• Strobe shortcut: 3C from anywhere✅
• Mode memory for Low, Medium, and High✅
• No mode memory for Moonlight, Turbo, and Strobe✅
  • To clarify: The purpose of this checkpoint is to see if 1C from off will go to Moonlight, Turbo, or Strobe if you used them last. This light does not do that, which is good. It does memorize Moonlight, Turbo, and Strobe within their mode group. So if you memorized the lower Turbo mode, higher Moonlight mode, or Beacon instead of Strobe, it will return to those if you use their shortcut.
• 4C to lock/unlock✅
• Does something when you click the switch in Lockout mode✅

Notes:

• The adjustable Moonlight and Turbo modes over-complicate the UI unnecessarily and cramp the mode spacing. The brighter Moonlight and lower Turbo should be eliminated and the middle mode should be spread out a bit. That would also free up 1H from Moonlight and Turbo to jump to Low, as it should be.

Emitter & Beam

Skilhunt offers three emitter options: Luminus SFT25R cool white (not shown here), Nichia 519A 5000K (below left), and “TN Ultra Bright” in cool white (below right).

The MCPCB has a couple of extra wires and an unknown SMD component on it.

The beam is balanced with plenty of spill and flood for EDC tasks, but it can reach out a bit when needed. The SFT25R LED option will provide significantly more throw.

In the beamshots below, camera settings are fixed and the wall is 2.8M away.

In the beamshots below, camera settings are fixed, the basketball goal to the right of the hotspot is 39M away, and the power pole in the center is 185M away.

Mode Chart

Disclaimer: All of my measurements are taken at turn-on. Lumen measurements were taken on a Texas Ace 3.5″ Lumen Tube. A candela measurement was taken at 10 meters with an Opple Light Master III on the highest brightness, and other candela figures were calculated relative to that. CRI, CCT, & DUV data were taken for each mode from a few feet away at the center of the hotspot with the Opple Light Master and Waveform DUV Calculator. Runtime tests were performed with the Ceilingbounce app on my smartphone. These tests were performed with a fully charged included battery unless otherwise specified. I cannot measure moonlight directly, so moonlight readings are calculated based on the brightness relative to the next-lowest mode. None of this is professional equipment, so take these measurements with a grain of salt.

The official specs are above, followed by my own measurements below.

Level	Lumens	Candela	Throw (Meters)	CRI (Ra)	Color Temp. (K)	DUV (Tint)
T1	1200	8500	180	97	4670	0.0009
T2	520	3700	120	97	4690	0.0009
H1	290	2100	92	98	4620	0.0018
M1	120	850	58	99	4590	0.0020
M2	20	140	24	99	4520	0.0013
L1	2	16	8	99	4500	0.0007
L2	0.1	01	02	too dim	too dim	too dim

Level	Lumens	Candela	Throw (Meters)	CRI (Ra)	Color Temp. (K)	DUV (Tint)
T1	1600	12000	220	64	5430	0.0101
T2	750	5600	150	64	5420	0.0102
H1	400	3000	110	64	5390	0.0109
M1	170	1300	72	63	5380	0.0114
M2	27	200	28	64	5430	0.0112
L1	3	25	10	64	5410	0.0111
L2	0.2	02	03	too dim	too dim	too dim

Runtime

Performance is good and on-par. The “TN” led is brighter overall, has more Turbo time, and sustains higher brightness. Total runtime on either LED is respectable.

Thermal regulation: My T1 and T1 Cooled tests are very similar, so I don’t think there’s any active thermal regulation here, just timed stepdowns. That means performance will be consistent, but not optimized for ambient temperature.

LVP (Low Voltage Protection) is present and works well. It doesn’t rely on the battery having a protection circuit. The light will shut off when the battery is practically empty, but it can be temporarily re-activated in an emergency.

Driver & Regulation

The driver must be a Buck circuit because it’s a single ~3V LED and the light accepts up to 2xCR123A (6V) input. That’s good news because Buck drivers tend to be more efficient.

Regulation performance is slightly below average. It maintains most of the Turbo brightness down to ~50% charge, then starts to drop off more noticeably. I would have liked it to have near-full Turbo output down to ~25% charge, but this isn’t bad. It should have better regulation performance running on two CR123As.

PWM: No PWM is visible to my eyes, ears, camera, nor Opple Light master.

Parasitic Drain: 16 microamps when unlocked, or locked with indicator off. That will take ~25 years to drain the included battery. With the lockout indicator on (as it is by default every time you turn on lockout), parasitic drain jumps between ~20 and ~1000 microamps, which should take ~6-9 months to drain the battery. Loosening the tail cap for mechanical lockout works great and is faster than mechanical lockout on this model.

Batteries & Charging

The battery included is a 3500mAh protected button top 18650 cell that does a fine job powering M200. Unprotected button top cells fit too without any rattling or cutting out. Alternatively, it can accept two CR123A batteries instead, but cannot charge them.

Charging is facilitated by a magnetic charging port on the side of the head, directly opposite the button. It’s easy to confuse the two in the dark. The magnetic system works, but I really wish it were a USB-C port so I didn’t need yet another special charging cable. Charging takes 2.5hrs and it works while charging, but available modes are affected by charge level. The more charged it is, the more/brighter modes are available while charging. The magnetic pick will glow blue when disconnected, red when charging, or blue and red when charging is complete.

The battery indicator is located under the switch and glows for a few seconds after you turn the light on. I prefer four discrete LEDs, but this four-color/pattern setup works ok. Here’s what the colors mean:

• Constant blue: >80% charge
• Blinking blue: 50-80% charge
• Constant red: 20-50% charge
• Blinking red: <20% charge

Switch

The switch is satisfactory. It’s Skilhunt’s plastic side e-switch they use in a few other models. It’s tactile, somewhat audible, and recessed below the retaining ring. In my experience, it doesn’t turn on by accident. The switch and charge ports are indistinguishable in the dark, so having the clip installed can help with orientation.

Carry & Ergonomics

Ergonomics are good. It’s a compact light but still comfortable to hold. A forward grip works best but a pencil grip or reverse grip (with pinky on the button) also work.

Magnets: There are two magnets: one in the tailcap and one in the charging port. The charging port magnet isn’t strong enough to hold the light securely, and it may get filled with grit if you work around metal shavings. The tailcap magnet can be removed (a non-magnetic spacer is included) or flipped around by removing the tail spring with some needle nose pliers. It’s strong enough to hold the light securely on a vertical surface.

Competition

Here are some lights in the same class and how they compare.

Skilhunt EC200: same but a triple with USB-C

• same size, shape, weight, layout, UI, and clip
• silicone switch cover instead of plastic
• USB-C charging port instead of magnetic
• three LEDs behind TIR optic instead of one in a reflector
• more brightness, less throw
• also available in dual-channel EC200S version with two main LEDs and one secondary LED all in separate optics or reflectors

Olight Baton 3 Pro: a bit more premium and a bit more proprietary

• a bit more expensive
• similar brightness (in cool white)
• a bit less throw
• fewer LED options
• exposed TIR optic instead of reflector with glass lens
• wider, even hotspot with less spill
• better / more standard UI
• similar magnetic charging system
• worse clip (attaches at the head, bezel-up carry only)
• feels a bit higher quality
• requires proprietary Olight battery

Wurkkos FC11C: budget alternative

• about half the price
• very similar size, shape, and layout
• worse clip
• USB-C charging
• A couple more color options
• Available on Amazon in the US

This section is not comprehensive. If I didn’t include a particular light here, it doesn’t mean it’s bad or doesn’t deserve to be here. I simply cannot list every possible competitor.

Conclusion

The clip, size, light weight, and LED options are excellent. Pricing, build quality, beam, runtime, battery options, and switch are all good. Brightness, throw, regulation, and UI are ok. Charging is sub-par (it’s not USB-C). This isn’t an exciting light with lots of bells and whistles, but it works and does everything well. The only complaints I have are the proprietary charging port and UI quirk, which aren’t deal breakers because I happily carried it for ~3 weeks. Overall it’s a good choice for a no-frills EDC light.

Thanks to Skilhunt for sending me these lights for review!