Kind of falling in line with mapache , its taken me way too fucking long to finish and post this. I actually had my review finished like, 6 weeks ago but wanted to take some pictures comparing the light with the 14500 protected cell it came with, a sanyo ur14500, and a enanergizer lithium AA, because my brother in law and my dad both bought lights with the coupon code. but with a full time job, a farm to run, and a 2 year old I just never could get the stars to line up for me to get all three lights with all three batteries together for the picture and I feel guilty for not posting my review so here ya flipping go internet, heres what i got (for the record I typed all this about 6 weeks ago and honestly nothing has changed, i still use this light almost daily and its still hanging in there).
A Not Overly Technical but Hopefully Helpful and Practical Review of the Thorfire TG06S Flashlight for People Who May or May Not Flashlight Geeks Based on My Own Real World Use and Abuse
And 14500/AA Battery Comparison (Sanyo UR14500P 8400mAh, Thorfire 750 mAh BRC14500 Protected, and Energizer Advanced Lithium AA)
Purpose and Perspective of Review
My intention is to do a review for regular Joes, outdoorsman, working people, and the EDC community. I should also say, I’m a guy with a family and a pretty tight budget, for me to spend $30-$40 for a flashlight + the price of decent rechargeable li ion cells is a pretty big deal, so bear in mind that my opinions come from this mind set.
Also I’m really hard on gear… For perspective, I have to replace my lifeproof/otterbox phone cases 3-4x a year because I wear them out. So any piece of gear that is able to hold up to my regular use over an extended period of time is pretty well made, because I’m really good at tearing stuff up.
What I’m trying to convey here is that things aren’t always black and white and what works for me may or may not work best for you. For the folks out there who are coming from a different viewpoint who reach a different opinion than I do that’s totally cool :).
If you are a light geek seeking a review that was written with light geeks as the intended audience there are several outstanding examples on Budget Light Forum, Candlepower Forums, and Reddit where you can find all the technical stuff. For my review I wont be going any more in depth than lumens, throw, tint, reflector, and a slightly less than lab grade battery comparison. I also plan to cover build quality, features and my overall conclusions after carrying and using this light in my everyday outdoor activities as well as farming and as a professional mechanic.
Disclaimer: I received an amazon discount code from the manufacturer for this light at the request i make a review. i told them the same thing that i’m telling you. That this review will be totally honest and unbiased in any way. If you think I won’t give thorfire a bad review just because they send me discounts on lights, stay tuned for my Thorfire Headlamp review I’ll be posting in the next few weeks.
Overview and Construction
This is a good little light. It does not feel cheap at all. The materials, machining, and overall construction feels good… the threads aren’t as good as some of the better lights I’ve handled but are better than most and definitely passable. The anodizing has held up to my exceptional standard of abuse. The switch itself has a kinda cheaper but robust feel to it.
Illumination and User Interface.
I really like this beam pattern. It’s solid hotspot is just the right width for mid range work and gives this little light some throw. A more subtle transition to the spill which is bright enough to keep the TG06S from suffering from the “laser pointer” effect that you get from zoomies of comparable size and price range. This light is more than enough to light up a search in any regular sized room or smaller yard or a near area around a campsite or tailgate.
There’s no mode memory. First click is wide open. Remember this light is compact and budget friendly. Thorfire went with a no frills driver that would have a lot of universal appeal. Truth be told I like this UI. Sometimes I configure my c8 and my s3 to this set up. The only complaint I’ve been able to come up with concerning the UI is sometimes I clip this light on the strap of my messenger bag, and will want to turn it on to look for something in my bag and the first setting is a little too bright for that task and reflection/glare at that short range will throw me off.
Thoughts After A Month of Testing
I’ve mainly been using new genuine Sanyo UR14500s which the internet claims are the best out there but I’ve also used the Thorfire protected cell that came with the light and an old cheaper 14500 I had laying around. I also tested with energizer lithium AAs just for kicks. I plan on posting some battery comparison photos soon, my brother in law and my dad ordered themselves each one when I had the coupon code, so I’ll be able to show side by side. But if you don’t mind the spoiler, the Sanyo URs outperform anything else. A little bit better output than the protected cell and a lot better run time. Even a lithium AA produced laughable output compared to the rechargeables.
The clip…… Aah the dreaded clip. Thorfire is really trying to listen to the people because they made the clip reversible which excited me at first. See with a clip in the “muzzle up” position one can clip onto the bill of a cap.
Now, personally, I’ve always rolled my eyes at guys who wanted lights that did this because my response was always “just get a headlamp dude” …… I’ve always been a headlamp guy because clipping a light onto a cap bill has always been dumb. Any light that put out enough light to be of any use was to heavy/bulky to clip onto a cap bill …… that is, until lights with xml-2 and, even better, xpl-hi emitters that ran efficiently off a single 18650, or even better a 14500 came along. I still feel like bill clipping an 18650 light in any other situation than a pinch, is not very practical…. but I’ll be damned if the Thorfire TG06s doesn’t just practically jump up there and hang on like a dove on a power line. The light output beats the old bulky T6 double 18650 lights that were once my personal trademark. Beyond output, way more carryable when not being used, and way more resilient. And with both 14500a I’ve tried so far, the run time has been competitive, and a single 14500 spare in my pocket is nicer than x2 18650s. It takes a real man to admit that while my argument in favor of headlamps and against bill clipping may have held water 3-4 years ago, today, the right clip light can replace my dear old faithful strap ons.
Thorfire came so very close by putting the reversible clip. Put the rings where the clip clicks onto the light closer to the ends to enable deep pocket carry (or use a deep pocket carry clip like the one I robbed off my Astrolux s3) and by Golly you’re really on to something.
Finally and one of the most important things to me, THIS LIGHT CONTINUES TO WORK DESPITE BEING CARRIED BY ME .
For those who don’t know me personally or have not read any of my reviews before, you should know that not only do I walk around with an Indian curse, but I’m really really hard on shit. Ask any of the vehicles sitting in the auto graveyard behind the hay barn at my parents farm. Ask any of my previous cell phones. I go through a lifeproof phone case every 4-6 months. I’ve worn out carhartt bibs in less than a year. Most wallets I’ve owned have fallen apart in less than a year. I’ve unintentionally broken Kabars, maglights, USGI entrenching tools, and Snap-On ratchets through normal use.
I’m really hard on shit.
And so far, I’ve been using this light at work and in my adventures beyond, and it is still functioning. (It’s only been on 1 river trip though so, time will tell).
IN CONCLUSION
This is a badass little light. Buy it. Cough up the money for a few quality batteries to serve as back ups. You won’t be disappointed.