FW3 was my favorite light when I got it.
Then my Fire Flies E01 showed up.
I really love this light
only 1” longer, lit side switch, the throw on it is great. Rivals an L6. Not in total lumens of course, but the narrow beam penetrates like crazy. AND it can stay on turbo for a long time, handles heat very well.’
Too bad they stripped down the UI. Have an E07 on order, I know it does not throw that well, but smaller and 6900 Lumens.
I may have a new favorite light.
Isn’t that light much larger? It’s 21700 sized.
The Lumintop EDC18 should be the side switch version of the FW3A. Same size, but can use protected cells, same UI, same Leds, lighted side switch, deep carry pocket clip, magnet in tail, etc…
I don’t pocket carry - pockets are full of guns, shield case and so on.
In a small belt holster, the difference in size is negligible, and the weight is about the same.
The E01 will run way longer on high, the FW3 quickly becomes too hot to hold.
The E01 has a narrow well focused beam, which has a throw that rivals an L6, while the FW3 is totally flood.
That being said, I have like 5 of the FW3 lights and they are great, the copper is stunning.
But I find the E01 more useful.
I’ve always liked the large hotspot in good single TIR lights. We will have to wait and see. I wonder which LED will be used, and how bright it will be.
Those are all way too big to replace the pocket clip/inner tube o-ring. According to my measurements I think they are around 18mm x .5mm. I have no idea where to source them, but now I need two. And any bigger, the light won’t work. :person_facepalming:
So I just got a second OG gray FW3A from Amazon because the deal with a coupon code was too good to pass up. As soon as I picked it up I noticed it felt different in the hand. The anodizing is noticeably smoother and slick on the new unit. The knurling pattern on the head and tail is also much shallower and feels smoother to the touch. The tail button in the new unit is slightly less tactile when both are pressed dead center but when pressed off center, the older one gives a slightly mushy feedback while the newer one retains its click.
Nothing bad about the changes, though I think I do slightly prefer the more matte hand feel of the older unit.
Click the photo for higher resolution (8067x5472).