Convoy M3 Long Term Review

Specs:

LED: 1x Cree XHP 70.2 4000k (note that Lumens for this sample will be lower than the 6500K rating of 4300L)
Battery: 1x 26650 (not included)
Also compatible with 18650 (rubber ring adapters included), 21700, and 26800 (adapters not included, see Convoy's aliexpress store, or links below)
Driver: Convoy Boost Driver with temp and voltage step down
UI: 4 Mode with shortcuts to Low, High, and strobe handled by single side switch

First impressions:
This is a hefty light. Convoy is known for making some well built, solid flashlights with very good sustained lumen output for an excellent price. This is no "Hot Rod", as it can sustain Turbo (3501 Lumens) for a good 5 minutes before stepping down to High, and High can run till the battery is effectively empty.

Build:
Some of the thickest threads on this model and pretty smooth too.
Bypassed springs on both ends, good for high current applications (Diver is rated for 10Amps I believe.
One of the best feeling flashlights in hand in my opinion

Long Term Usage notes:
One thing that kept annoying me about this light is that the temperature stepdown is set too low (in my opinion), it barely even gets warm before it steps down to high. Many other flashlights I have have temp regulation set to around 55-60C which is about the limit of bare handed holding, but this is more like 35-40C. The updated M3-C fixes this (and also has USB charging), but I didn't want to buy another light to have these "issues" fixed. Thankfully, Convoy flashlights are very easy to work on, modify, and replace parts. I took the driver out and added some thermal pads to an inductor that wasn't making good contact with the body, and I also removed the NTC resistor that handles the "temperature stepdown" functionality. For these fairly simple mods, all I needed were some thermal pads from Amazon, and a soldering iron.
Now, it can sustain Turbo until the battery drops below 3.7 at which point the driver will blink at you effectively saying "Voltage is too low to run on Turbo" because the driver requires a higher voltage for good regulation. The flashlight now gets pretty hot now, but I was still able to hold it after 10 mins of turbo, so it should be fine for regular use while walking.
Another thing I like about this light is how well it can tailstand. being a 26650 light, tailstanding works very well for a single cell light.

Battery:
Doesn't include a battery, but after owning this light for a few years, I will say that buying 26650 batteries was a mistake. They are hard to come by, and more expensive than 21700 batteries. At the time, I didn't know 21700 batteries would work or even be more popular than 26650's. This light did come with 18650 adapters and they do work well, although you have to physically put them on the battery and then insert it in the flashlight, I would prefer plastic inserts instead. I recently ordered 21700 adapters for the M3 as I have acquired several 21700 batteries and I don't see myself buying 26650's ever again.
I will still keep 26650 flashlights on my radar as most of them CAN be compatible with 21700s will some effort.

UPDATE: Molicel P42A 21700's are noticably brighter with this light. I recommend using 21700 cells with this light as 21700's are more consistent in QC and are higher performing cells, not to mention cheaper and more widely available.

Brightness Perf:

Low: 51
Med: 486
High: 1,510
Turbo: 3,501
Max Lumens @30s: 3430
Max Sustained Lumens: 1434 (steps down to high)

Tested with Hohm "4203mah" 26650.

Verdict:
Don't buy the original M3, Buy the M3-C, it adds a higher temp stepdown and USB charging.
One of the best all around camping lights in my opinion, can take abuse, and can sustain high output for hours unlike popular "hot rod" lights.
If you are a flashlight collector, The M3-C is a must, and if you are a CRI snob, then get it with the GT-FC40!
Convoy M3-C with XHP 70.2/70.3 (Link to Aliexpress)
Convoy M3-C with GT-FC40 (Link to Aliexpress)

Pros: