Acebeam Terminator M2

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Acebeam Terminator M2 specifications

Brand & Model	Acebeam Terminator M2
Flashlight category	EDC
LED	Nichia 519A + others
Max. output	2000 lumens (for Nichia, 3200 for CW)
Max. beam distance	500 meters
Max. beam intensity	62,500 cd
Battery config.	1x 18650
Onboard charging	No (battery with USB-C)
Main modes	9
Blinkies	Green Signal, Red SOS
Waterproof	IP68
Review publication date	February 2024

For quite a while, I don’t feel like Acebeam got the attention they deserved. I loved the quality of their lights, even if they weren’t the most enthusiast-centric flashlights. But lately, Acebeam seems to be hitting some homeruns that have resonated with the flashlight community: the futuristic Acebeam Terminator M1 (flood+LEP), the Acebeam E75, the Pokelit, etc. The Acebeam E75 (Nichia) has been my go-to around-the-house/outdoors light since I received it. And my copper Pokelit (also Nichia) has been in my pocket most days. They just seem to be getting a lot of things right these days.

And what do you do when you’re winning? You better keep going if you want to stay towards the head of the pack. So right on the heels of the awe-inducing Terminator M1, Acebeam has released the M2 – a little brother to the popular dual-output flashlight. The changes include a smaller format (swapping in a 18650 in place of the 21700), replacing the LEP with a focused LED spotlight. But don’t worry – Acebeam didn’t just dumb things down. They also added some cool RGB aux under the floodlight optic. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s get to it, shall we?

To get started with the Acebeam Terminator M2, unscrew the battery cover and remove the isolation disc.

What’s in the package

The packaging of the Terminator M2 was surprisingly compact and flashy. The box has a really cool iridescent look that is hard to pick up with the camera. There’s a little window that lets you peek inside the box, and a few tidbits of info about the flashlight. Pop open the top flap to slide out a plastic tray that’s holding the M2 and a little interior box where the goodies are neatly tucked aside. All told, the box contained:

• Acebeam Terminator M2
• Battery (18650, USB-C chargeable)
• Lanyard
• Charging cable
• Spare o-rings
• Manual

Normally when I’m looking through specs for a flashlight, I’ll find references to a certain type of aluminum (like 6061 or 7075) and the type of hard anodization that was used (such as HA Type-III). Perhaps I’ve just missed it, but I don’t see anything like that for the Acebeam Terminator M2. I’m not concerned about that, though. Acebeam seems to use quality materials, and the M2 certainly feels that way. The machining is nicely executed, with no sharp edges anywhere. The anodizing is clean and even; it’s on the matte side of things without being chalky. The Terminator M2 appears to be really well constructed. I will say that Acebeam went a little over-the-top with the laser etching. There’s an entire caution label etched onto the front of the flashlight. I could have done without that. At the minimum, move it to the back and out of the way.

The M2 is supposed to be an EDC flashlight, and I suppose it could be. It’s a bit larger than I like to carry around on a routine basis (I’m more of a 14500 guy), but it’s not monstrous either. Imagine you took two Emisar D4V2’s and strapped them together – that’s about what you’re looking at. Or putting it another way, a bit narrower and thicker than a standard deck of playing cards. The clip is very stout and sticks out 5mm away from the body of the light, definitely not svelte by any means.

At the rear of the Acebeam Terminator M2, you’ll find two knobby protrusions. One is the battery cover / tailcap. The other is the tail e-switch. They’re almost identical in height, but not quite. Because of that, tailstanding may show a slight wobble, but seems to be generally pretty stable. The tail e-switch isn’t the only switch on the M2, there’s a slider on the front that very clearly lets you toggle between the Floodlight and Spotlight beams and is labeled as such (laser etched, of course, lest you forget). Compared to some dual-output flashlights that I’ve used before, this switch arrangement makes it crystal clear what you’re doing with the switches and how to change outputs. But due to the differing locations, it’s not very seamless to move your fingers from one switch to the other – you kind of need to move the M2 around in your hand to accomplish that. Not a big deal, as I don’t regularly sit around and continuously change output sources and levels simultaneously.

When pocketing the Terminator M2, the cuts on the sides of the flashlight (which remind me of slide cuts on a pistol) tend to catch the edge of my jeans pocket and make it a bit difficult to slide in. Making matters a bit worse, the rear e-switch is pretty easy to activate and on several occasions, I accidentally turned on the M2 while trying to get it in my pocket. If you plan on carrying this thing around, I’d recommend getting accustomed to locking it out, which is a bit annoying.

With the M2 featuring spot, flood, and combo beams, the Terminator is pretty darn handy. The spot beam can really reach out there – perhaps not as much as the pencil beam LEP on the Terminator M1, but likely more useful. And the floodlight is great for a lot of everyday tasks – around the house, reading, backyard, camping, etc. It’s not purely flood, as you see in some lights – it still produces a very usable beam.

Warranty? Yeah, Acebeam has you covered! The details are:

1. If the customer experiences any problems caused by manufacturing defects in normal use with an Acebeam product within 15 days of purchase, the dealer will replace that product.
2. If an Acebeam flashlight fails during normal use and any problem covered under warranty occurs within a period of 5 YEARS (60 months) of purchase, the dealer is responsible for warranty service.
3. Acebeam flashlights enjoy a limited lifetime warranty – after 60 months the dealer will attempt to repair the flashlight for the cost of spare parts and shipping (i.e. no charge for labour).

When you go to purchase the Acebeam Terminator M2, you have two options to pick from (at least as of the writing of this review). The first is a OD Green version with Cool White 6500K LEDs of an unspecified make/model. And then there’s the Black version with Nichia 519A 5000K 90-CRI LEDs. Acebeam was kind enough to send along the Nichia version for this review. Boy, do those 519A’s produce a beautiful beam!

The 3 LEDs of your selection sit below a standard-looking TIR optic lens. It’s clear and a bit on the throwy side for being a triple. Regardless of your LED choice, the other side of the dual-output light is occupied by an unspecified round-die LED. From what I can see by peering through the lens, it looks like a cross between a Luminus SFT40 (white substrate with a bond wire in each corner of the die) and a Yinding (rounded die). This spot LED and it’s lens makes a pretty clean spot with very minimal spill, as you’d expect from an aspheric lens.

Underneath the TIR optic are RGB LEDs, and they’re pretty cool. I like them and am glad they’re there – just don’t expect Anduril-like functionality with them. More on that later.

Spectral measurements: 

I used an Opple Light Master to measure the flashlight at 5 meters distance. 

Mode:	CCT:	CRI Ra:	duv
Turbo, Flood	4507 K	95.9	-0.0015
High, Spot	5984 K	64.2	+0.0084
Turbo, Combo	5644 K	66.5	+0.0089

Dimensions: 

Acebeam M2	Millimeters	Inches
Length	95 mm	3.8 in
Width	49 mm	1.9 in
Thickness (with clip)	29 mm	1.1 in
Thickness (without clip)	24 mm	0.9 in

Dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter and the nearest tenth of an Inch.

Weight: 

Acebeam M2	Weight in grams	Weight in oz
Without battery:	148 g	5.2 oz
With battery	201 g	7.1 oz

Weight is rounded to the nearest gram and tenth of an Oz.

Flashlight size comparison with its competition:

Group 1: Acebeam E75, Acebeam Terminator M2

Group 2: Convoy S2+, Wurkkos FC13, Acebeam Terminator M2, Nitecore EDC33

Group 3: Wurkkos TS10, Zebralight SC53c N, Acebeam Terminator M2, Olight Arkfeld UV

Group 4: deck of cards, Acebeam Terminator M2

By keeping the spot/flood selector as a separate (magnetic) control switch, Acebeam kept the operation of the Terminator M2 pretty simple. 

One thing that seems a bit confusing to me: the Acebeam website mentions that the Spot+Flood combo mode is available in both High and Turbo levels. The manual only mentions being able to turn both on at the same, and to be able to also do that as a strobe – no mention of High and Turbo.

Available modes: 

• Floodlight: Moonlight, Low, Med1, Med2, High, Turbo
• Spotlight: High
• Floodlight + Spotlight: High, Turbo (?)

Available blinky modes:

• Strobe, Green Signal, Red SOS

From OFF:

• Press and hold 0.5 sec, Floodlight mode: Moonlight
• Press and hold 1 sec: seven-color Aux mode 
• Press and hold, Aux mode: change Aux color mode
• Press and hold 3 sec: Lockout
• Single click: turn On
• Double click, Floodlight mode: Turbo
• 3 fast clicks: turn on Flood + Spot combo
• 4 fast clicks: Flood + Spot Strobe

From ON:

• Press and hold, Floodlight mode: change brightness
• 1 click: turn Off
• Double click, Floodlight mode: Turbo
• 3 fast clicks: turn on Flood + Spot combo
• 4 fast clicks: Flood + Spot Strobe

Mode memory:

• Low, Med1, Med2, and High can be memorized
• Other modes (Moonlight, Turbo, Strobe) are not memorized
• Aux color selection is not memorized; it always starts out in seven color mode
• Having Aux enabled is also not memorized – Aux never turns on automatically; you must manually enable it whenever you want it

Shortcuts:

• To Moonlight: press and hold 0.5 sec from Off
• To Turbo: double click
• Flood + Spot Combo: 3 fast clicks
• To Strobe: 4 fast clicks

Low voltage warning/protection:

• There is an LED window on the side of the M2, near where the tail switch is. It lights up according to the battery level:
  • Green: >20%
  • Red: 20-10%
  • Red flash: <10%
• To me, it seems like 20% is a bit low to start to give a warning, but at least there is some visual indication

Strobe/blinkies

• Strobe: 4 fast click from Off or On
• Green Signal (beacon): 5th option in Aux modes
• Red SOS: 6th option in Aux modes 

Lock-out mode: 

• Press and hold the button for 3 seconds to Lockout
• Repeat to Unlock

PWM

• No PWM was detected

Additional/summary info on the UI: 

• Spotlight has only one brightness level
• Aux needs to be manually activated whenever you want it
• Aux order is: Seven color, red, green, blue, green signal, red SOS

The Acebeam Terminator M2 comes with a 18650 battery with a built-in USB-C charging circuit. The capacity of the cell is 3100 mAh. The charge rate clocked in at 1.17 A at 5.08 V for 5.95 W. The charge cycle transferred 12.73 Wh of power.

While the button-top battery with built-in charging is a bit longer than usual, I had no problems with any other 18650’s that I tried. Even the flat-top 30Q worked without a hitch, thanks to the driver and tailcap both having springs, though the battery did rattle ever so slightly.

Charge type	Fits	No fit	Charge time
Battery with USB-C charging, flashlight itself has none	All 18650 sizes, including a flat-top Samsung 30Q and button-top Sofirn battery	none	2h 4min

Lumen measurements

How Lumens are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards How Lumens are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards: The ANSI FL1 standards specify that output in lumens should be measured 30 seconds after turning on, as this is the standardized time for measuring brightness according to the industry standard. This is why we focus on this part in our measurements. The ANSI FL1 standards require an ambient temperature of 22 ± 3°C. We record the ambient the ambient temperature to identify potential reasons for any observed discrepancies.

Lux was measured by a UNI-T UT383 BT at 5 meters. Lumens were measured in a homemade lumen tube using a VEML7700 sensor, calibrated with a calibration light provided by 1Lumen. The included Acebeam battery was used in the tests.

Mode	Amps	Specified	Turn on	30 sec.	10 min.
Moonlight	70 mA	1 lm	1	1	–
Low	137 mA	35 lm	34	34	–
Med1	355 mA	150 lm	116	115	114
Med2	783 mA	350 lm	371	367	359
High	2.0 A	800 lm	886	862	813
Turbo	7.2 A	2000 lm	2295	2069	807
Turbo at 3.6V	2.7 A		430	416	–
Spotlight	4.2 A	900 lm	891	859	381
Spot+Flood	9.3 A	2200 lm	2481	2358	699

Ambient temperature during testing:

• 20 °C 

Parasitic drain:

• No Aux: 76 µA
• Seven color Aux: ~10 mA average
• Red Aux: 8 mA
• Green Aux: 8 mA
• Blue Aux: 6 mA

Acebeam did a great job with these specs. My numbers line up really well with what they provided. And kudos to them for providing separate specs for the CW and Nichia versions. As to be expected, the Cool White version is said to be brighter, topping out at 3200 lumens in Floodlight.

Acebeam Terminator M2 Battery Life: Runtime graphs

How Runtimes are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards About ANSI FL1 runtime standards: The runtime is measured until the light drops to 10% of its initial output (30 seconds after turning on). This does not mean that the flashlight is not usable anymore. The last column shows how long the light actually works till it shuts off. If there is a + symbol, it means that the test was stopped at that particular point, but the light was actually still running. This happens on certain occasions, with certain drivers, firmware, or batteries.

Mode	Specified	Runtime (ANSI FL1)	Time till shut off
Moonlight	38h	–	–
Low	18h 30min	–	–
Med1	7h 25min	7h 40min	7h 40min
Med2	3h 25min	3h 20min	3h 43min
High	1h 40min	1h 25min	1h 48min
Turbo	1h 37min	1h 13min	1h 39min
Spotlight	1h 51min	1h 55min	1h 59min
Spot+Flood	1h 16min	1h 14min	1h 21min

Just like the output numbers, my measurements line up really well with Acebeam’s specs. A few of my runtimes are just a hair short, but to be fair, Acebeam didn’t provide just a single runtime number. Their actual details for Turbo are 2000 lm (110sec) > 800 lm (1h 10min) > 35 lm (25min). So they actually describe when and how far down the output drops – I just added up the total runtime.

Peak beam intensity and beam distance measurements

About Peak beam intensity: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards About peak beam intensity The calculated value of distance in meters at which the flashlight produces a light intensity of 0.25 lux. (0.25 lux is about the brightness of a full moon shining on an object). This means that the intensity has decreased so much, it becomes difficult to see darker objects, or objects that don’t reflect light. The columns ‘Meters’ and ‘Yards’ use rounded numbers.

Intensity was measured at 5 meters after being turned on for 30 seconds. A UNI-T UT383 BT lux meter was used.

Mode	Specified	Candela measured	Meters	Yards
Low	–	200 cd	28 m	31 yd
Med1	576 cd	450 cd	42 m	46 yd
Med2	1190 cd	950 cd	62 m	67 yd
High	2601 cd	2150 cd	93 m	101 yd
Turbo	6724 cd	5500 cd	148 m	162 yd
Spotlight	62500 cd	62875 cd	501 m	548 yd
Spot+Flood	52900 cd	53000 cd	460 m	504 yd

Ambient temperature:

• 20 °C 

Once again, these numbers are right inline with spec… for the most part. My Flood measurements were hitting a bit low, but I’m not terribly concerned with the exact intensity of a floodlight. And the Spotlight was spot on.

Camera settings and distance: 

Beam shots of the building are taken at 30 m (33 yd) using a Pixel 7 set to ISO 800 with 1/10 second exposure time

Beamshots of the following flashlights compared:

• Acebeam Terminator M2 – Floodlight
• Acebeam Terminator M2 – Spotlight
• Acebeam Terminator M2 – Spot + Flood
• Nitecore EDC33 – LUMINSHIELD™ 
• Nitecore EDC33 – Search
• Acebeam-Maratac Defender P16

Please note that the following beamshots are mainly intended to showcase the beam pattern and beam quality, rather than overall performance. These images are typically taken directly after activation, and in different seasons or weather conditions, and therefore do not fully represent its overall performance. For accurate performance metrics, such as output, beam distance, and runtimes, you need to look at the performance section of this review.

Disclaimer: This flashlight was sent to us for review at no cost by Acebeam. We have not been paid to review, nor have we been holding back on problems or defects.