Uniquefire UF-X8 (Trustfire X8 clone) first impressions

Hi everyone,

I had some Manafont points to use up, so I bought a Uniquefire UF-X8, which is a clone of the Trustfire X8 for $10 less. It arrived today, and I'm testing it out.

I don't own the "original" (is there such a thing?) Trustfire X8 for comparison, but from all the reviews and pictures it does seem to be 100% identical. I'd say it's a great alternative to the well respected Trustfire X8.

Here's what I like so far:

  • Nice and bright. Compared side by side, it is brighter than my L2P with the Manafont Ultrafire 3-mode P60 XM-L drop-in. It is painfully bright to look at the hotspot close up against a white wall. I'm still seeing spots. Pretty impressive for a single XM-L.
  • Looks like regulation is good. The brightness seems about the same with 1 or 2 cells. (I am using XTAR 18700 cells.) I really like the option to use one or two batteries. I will mainly use one. I've been running it for about 30 minutes on high with no noticeable change is brightness.
  • Heat sinking is very good. Huge, long aluminum drop-in with extremely long winded threads, the internal part is brass. After 25 minutes on high sitting on top of an ironing board in ~26°C heat, it is comfortably warm to the touch, about like the temperature of a hot bath. When I pick it up and walk around swinging it briskly, it cools off even more. It's running on one cell, so I imagine the driver is working a lot harder to maintain brightness, and it's probably producing more heat than in the 2x18650 configuration.
  • Seems well made.
  • Hotspot is a lot tighter than a P60 XM-L drop-in. There's an irritating glowing orange ball in the sky right now that prevents me from testing the throw of this yet. :)
  • Mode memory works well after about 1 second.

What I don't like:

  • Doesn't tailstand. In practical terms, a thrower like this really isn't the sort of light you would normally use to illuminate a room, but even so there's no good reason why they couldn't pay more attention and make sure the tailswitch doesn't protrude.
  • I don't like the crenelated bezel. I'm not a thief or a rescuer, so I don't frequently need to break glass with my flashlights.
  • Noticeable 2mm scratch on the body.
  • All threads came completely unlubricated
  • Pocket clip has to be removed in shorty mode. This is quite a dumb design. I don't think I would use a pocket clip in the 2x cell configuration, but in the shorty mode I would. Unfortunately the clip is too long in shorty mode.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with this light. I'll do a full review later on.

nice review boss xD

ok you miss photos beams etc but u r a busy boss xD

btw in photos it looks like can tailstand ...maybe not in a stable way, if is for the silicon tailcap maybe you can fix it with a fat o-ring on the base(dismounting the switch) like I done in all my Uf 502b

Thanks for posting. I'm still on the lookout for my first big torch, and this might have been a contender, but not without steady tailstand. Pity.

What's your biggest at present? And are you looking for 1 or 2 x 18650?

Thank you boss

I have my Trustfire X8 but I don't like It's beam profile (clearly spot corona and spill).

Biggest so far, apart from an old 2D Maglite, are just single 18650s, UF 504b sort of size.

What I'm looking for is almost this UF X8: 2 X 18650 with a splittable battery tube, bright, budget, multi-mode, good build, mode memory. It also has what looks like a modest anti-roll design which is essential to me, and I like the crenellated bezel (though better if it was black). This light looks great for the price. If it could tailstand, and had a sideswitch for mode change, I'd buy it and pay a bit more.

I look forward to your full review sb; if the anti-roll is effective, and if you find you can make the tailstand work, I might yet pull the trigger..

Yes, the anti-roll head design is quite effective in single cell mode, and even more so in 2x mode with the clip, which also prevents rolling.

As for tailstanding, it is possible to mod with washers or O-rings, and it's easy enough that even a 10-thumbed fool like myself can do it. I already did so with my Tank TK-737 thanks to a lot of hand-holding by patient BLF members.

I received a Uniquefire X8 from DD today and was going to compare it side-by-side to my TF X8s, but unfortunately the UF is DOA. I'll have to see how they handle this.

Based on the outward appearance, there don't seem to be too many differences though. The Trustfire X8s came in a cardboard box, whereas the UF X8 clone came in bubble wrap and without the small bag of replacement parts (o-rings; a lanyard with no obvious way to attach it to the light because they got rid of the attachment ring; a spare switch) that ships with the TF.

Fit and finish appear to be almost identical. The markings on the Trustfire are a just tad nicer, it has double o-rings in a couple of places and the Uniquefire is missing the by-now almost obligatory "Caution: Hot surface" marking on the head.

Small details I really wouldn't worry about, apart from the fact that one works and the other doesn't. :D

Got my Uniquefire from DD, very nice light for $27.

It pulls 1.55Amps on 2x 18650

It pulls 2.25Amps on 1x18650.