Thorfire TK05 / Full review

So, two UltraFires and a cheap charger here. Not getting off to a good start.

I’m going to buy an 18650 flashlight (likely a Convoy S9) and a smaller, 14500 light to carry in my bag. It looks like I should be prepared to dump a good amount of $ in a good quality charger that does both (and good batteries, too, of course). Or just get lights that take alkalines (I know, heresy around here).

Will it say in the light’s description whether it has low-voltage protection?

Depending on what you want to start with really as to whether you spend “BIG” bucks or not………
A Nitecore D2 (will charge 1 or 2 cells) or Nitecore D4 (will charge from 1 to 4 cells) are both solid basic chargers that will handle NiMh/NiCd batteries in the – AA, AAA, AAAA, C, D sizes and also will handle the Li-ion cells from the 10340 size all the way up to 26650’s.

IMR batteries sells a lot of different chargers and they have both the above mentioned chargers , as well as a pretty big selection of batteries. Many times you can catch them having a sale and get pretty good prices on the batteries also.
The D2 is $15.00

and the D4 is $24.00

Well, I guess I can still talk to a heretic (LOL).
If you are looking for a much better than expected 1xAA light, I was quite pleasantly surprised by the Fenix E12
Real World Review Here

As to chargers, man you can go down a serious rabbit hole there and I’m sure many will be happy to give you recommendations.
Right now I’m using a pair of NiteCore D4 chargers and have been very happy with them.

If you want to talk further PM me so we don’t keep hijacking this thread :slight_smile:

Thanks.

Again I am not trying to be a smart azz …….But why go with 130 lumens for slightly more money than the TK05 and be limited to the AA only , when you can have double the lumens using AA or NiMH with the TK05 or 600 lumens with the 14500 ?

LOL, no that is a perfectly reasonable question.
In fact, things like that are EXACTLY why I do the “Real World Review” in the format I do.

First, let me be very clear that I LOVE the TK05, when used with a 14500 which it pretty much seems to have been designed to do. However run the TK05 on an AAA, and I actually like the Fenix E12 better.

Secondly, I still haven’t found anything better than AA or AAA Lithium primary batteries for a true “long storage” emergency light, especially for example one that is going into a bug-out-bag or is going to be kept in a car glove box. So running “just” an AA lithium… I’ll vote for the E12. Of course that goes out the window if someone gets around to making a “cold weather” 14500 like Nitecore just did with 18650 cells.

I am not trying to argue about it , and if you like the light just because you like it (design or what have you) then that I also understand , as I have a few that are favorites that might not have the output of others in the same class.

I can respect your reasons why you like the E12 , but the TK05 will run on those same Lithium primaries also wont it? and still give twice the lumen output of the E12.

Just trying to wrap my head around why you like the lesser output , unless it is like I said , for the design or UI or something of that nature.

It’s the beam. I can understand why you wouldn’t “get it” and I don’t blame you but if you actually held the two lights side by side running AA batteries, I think you might be surprised that the TK05 sure doesn’t seem twice as bright.

Again, it’s one of those real world things that is super hard to show in photos and graphs. Sometimes a specific light is just far better in actual use than any of the numbers would indicate.

I got ya……

Yea I wanted a little different beam in the TK05 myself , so I took the XP-G3 out of it and put a XP-L V6 3D in it. Got 111 lumens more from the 14500 and another 97 lumens from the NiMH and just a better overall beam , while keeping the dual cell use.

I liked it stock , but now I like it a lot……….lol

My buddy found this light and liked it so much he sent me one too! :smiley:

I didn’t really care for the XP-G3 either so after some testing showing it’s output I also swapped in the XP-L V6 3D emitter. This made it very nice but I really have no use for the AA capability so, at my buddy’s urging, I built an FET +1 driver for it and flashed it with Anduril. :slight_smile:

So now it is a dedicated 14500 light that is capable of 1386 lumens out the front. Anduril is ToyKeepers ramping firmware that allows floor and ceiling to be set in the ramp, so controlling normal top end is easy and a double click goes into Turbo when/if needed. Lightning and candlepower modes are the icing on the cake, making this little beauty of a light an exceptional EDC!

Thanks Rick, thanks TK, very much appreciated! :heart_eyes:

The TK05 has a vertical pcb on the main battery contact board that holds the switch, so I de-soldered this vertical board and used it on the FET+1 driver, it fit between the MCU and FET. I notched the bottom on either side to straddle a capacitor and the 7135 component, used a piece of copper sheet to solder between the ground pins of the FET and the switch ground, ran a positive side wire from the switch to the MCU through a notch cut on top of this pcb. Then, after testing it all, this morning I took the light apart again and encased the entire assembly in yellow Sugru, an uncured silicone. So now the switch board can’t move and the wire from the switch is also secured, as well as the FET being insulated as if it needs it. Essentially, potted the driver in silicone. :wink:

For those that haven’t tried it, I strongly recommend Sugru for a wide variety of uses. Check it out. :wink:

Edit: For clarification purposes I will say that I stripped all the components from the switch pcb, leaving only the switch, and cleared the lower part of the board to ensure no electrical connection could touch the MCU. :wink:

Edit II: Oh, and FWIW, after spring bypasses and a full charge on the Efest flat top 14500 cell this little light makes 1455.9 lumens out the front at start. :smiley:

Sounds like a great mod! I wonder how the same approach would work with the SP33, which also has a similar switch/driver configuration. I’d love to fit one of Lexel’s upcoming boost drivers into an SP33 and fit it out with an XPH35/50/70.

Decided to put the little TK05 on a diet, I don’t need it to have the tactical crenelations, nor will I ever put a lanyard on it, so I trimmed it down a little this morning. It’s now 87.5mm long (3.45”) and doesn’t have the wings at the tail cap that tended to hook things when in my pants pocket.

I was thinking to put 5 visible rings on the tail cap, didn’t space it out real well as I just started in the middle and cut em in by eye as I went. Oh well. With ToyKeeper’s (TK) Anduril firmware and this being my 5th iteration of same, it also stands for ToyKeeper’s 5th generation of Anduril (for me) TK-05 indeed! :smiley:

[It really is the 5th version of Anduril I have, crazy how that worked out isn’t it? ]

Just successfully inset an AR coated UCLp lens into the TK-05. These lenses are very thick, so I reduced the thickness at the edge such that it could sit up inside the bezel part way, effectively creating the same thickness on the outer edge as the original plain glass lens. So now it look as if it has no lens. :smiley:

Numbers and a couple of pics directly…

Edit II: Numbers…… Drumroll please…… with the same cell I’ve been using, an older Efest purple flat top 14500, fresh off the charger, this little TK-05 can now hit 1514.55 lumens out the front at start. :smiley:

Edit: Pics
If you look really close you can see the white line inside the bezel where the lens starts. These Acrylic lenses are 2.25mm thick, that’s a lot for an 18mm diameter! So with the lens stepped at the edge and inset into the bezel it works fine.

Thanks for the review!

Can you tell me if there is a slight draw on the battery while the light is off? (electronic switch correct?)

Yeah, all e-switch lights have a (hopefully miniscule) parasitic drain. In practice it’s negligible, unless you plan on leaving it unattended for months as a “standby” light.

I guess it’s no big deal to loosen the tail cap if it’s going to sit.

Thanks!

Yep, I do that all the time. Got 2 SP10s “in reserve” sitting here, TCLOed.

In fact, even my lights with hard-switch tailcaps, I’ll still TCLO them, just to keep an accidental bump from turning them on.

Switching to a driver with a good lockout mode greatly reduces the parasitic drain and virtually eliminates the need for the tail cap loosening method. :wink: