Rofis KR10 Review

Rofis KR10 Pocket Thrower Review

!

!

Hey folks today in my hands I have the Rofis KR10. Not to long ago I done the review of the Rofis KR20. These are in the same family of flashlight models by Rofis I like being able to review the KR10. I have done a comparison with the TR20 and the TR18. This time we will compare the KR10 and KR20 and see how they go against each other. Both the KR10 and KR20 are the same specs except for the size and total throw measurements which is the same for the TR18 and the TR20.

I should mention as I forgot to in my last video that this flashlight the KR10 was sent to me by Rofis for review. I am going to test the KR10 like crazy because I expect top quality from Rofis. I have taken a while to get this review out. Thanks Rofis for always being patience. I am writing this on NYE 2016 and its already 5pm instead of being out I want to get this review done.

!

!

Both these flashlights are marketed as a tactical style flashlight I like the feel of both these lights being able to use the rear tail switch and the side switch is cool. Being a tactical style flashlight you can beat some one up with it if you wish to I do not condone or recommend that be done. Unless your a hero lol . Overall as a tactical style flashlight the KR10 is missing the stainless steel bezel that is a bit of a bummer. Yet the KR10 is a lot smaller then the KR20 but still incorporates an inbuilt charging circuit. And all the other goodies you get on the Rofis KR20. Specification wise both the KR10 and KR20 are the same in output with the exception of the KR10 will not throw as far seeing as the reflector is half the width. The beam patterns are the main difference on the both the flashlights. The KR10 and the KR20 use AR coasted glass. Both flashlights also use an SMO type reflector system just the lens and reflector on the KR10 is a lot smaller then on the KR20.
Seeing as I am already talking about size lets weight them and measure them up and see how they do. The KR10 weights a nice and tidy 75.5 grams without the battery. While the KR20 weight in at 118 grams with out the battery. Now this isn’t a huge difference but depending on the application you will be using either the KR10 or KR20 for it may come in handy. If Rifle mounted depending on how far you need to shoot the KR10 may give you just enough distance. The KR10 is 134.5mm (13.45cm) long which is just shorter then the KR20 that is 136.5mm (13.65cm long) not to much difference there. I think its the added stainless steel bezel on the KR20 that makes it the tad longer then the KR10.

!

!

The KR10 head diameter is 25mm (2.5cm) and the body diameter is 24.2mm (2.42cm). Compared to the KR20 which the head diameter is 34.8mm (3.48cm) and the body diameter is almost the same on both 25.4mm (2.45cm) on the KR20. Plus the KR20 has the option to add a tactical ring to the tail cap which will make it a lot wider. The tactical ring gives you a more aggressive holding grip on the KR20. I use these tactical rings a lot. I constantly use them on the Thorfire S70 and the Convoy L6. I like griping a flashlight that way. It makes changing modes so much easier when you have a rear tail switch. I will do a quick comparison to the Rofis TR20.

!

!

The KR10 may offer a good alternative to the TR20 if you are looking for a little more throw then what an average flooder can offer in an 18650 flashlight. The KR10 is lighter and smaller then the TR20 but you are missing the magnet and the angling head. Besides that the output is the same. The KR10 is a little more aggressive compared to the TR20 but they both offer an inbuilt chargers. The TR18 is smaller and lighter then all these flashlight so I can not compare them to much. The TR18 is my favorite even thought it is missing the inbuilt charger its an awesome flashlight. Also the beam on the TR18 is much more floodier then all these flashlight I have mentioned.

KR10 left and TR20 right
!

!

Okay now I feel lost what Rofis flashlight am I talking about again? I have tested so many Rofis lights its easy to compare these flashlights to each other. They are all made for a different purpose they variate ever so slightly compared to each other. I really hope Rofis decide to make a fully dedicated thrower series for hunters and fishermen.

Lets talk output and specs! In this department the Rofis KR10 is much smaller in diameter compared to the KR20 which makes it much lighter as I have already said. Cooling is handled a bit different on both flashlights. Generally speaking the KR10 has lower output setting on all modes compared to the KR20 which is probably better for EDC use. The only mode that is actually the same is the turbo mode so the driver is slightly modded in that sense. They use the same driver so the UI is similar well actually the same I believe. We will talk more about that later. The threads on the KR10 are anodized which makes manual lock out possible the threads on the KR20 are not anodized. Even thought they are both almost the same size the tail cap of the KR10 is much smaller and doesn’t fit on the KR20. Please make sure when you charge the KR10 that the tail cap is turned on to the on position. The KR10 doesn’t like being charged while the tail cap is locked out. It will not charge unless the tail cap is unlocked its the same for both drivers.
The KR10 seems to be using the came charging circuit as the KR20. Charging rate is the same on the KR10 as with the KR20 I measured mine around 700mah charging rate when the cells is below 4 volts. When I started charging the cells above 4 volts the charging rate was reduced to about 350mah. This is good for the cells and shows us the USB charger is charging by using the CC/CV method.
I done the measurements with my multimeter in loop so I am not sure how accurate that is. If it is charging at this level a full charge cycle from a flat cell would take about 4-5 hours with the inbuilt charger using the supplied battery. The charging circuit does seem to lower then the current with the more voltage in the cell I will do more testing on this to confirm. Rofis say to only charge protected cells in the KR10 so keep that in mind. A Rofis 18650 3400mah is included with the KR10 so you can just stick to using that if you like.

!

!

The KR10 is using the same setup as the KR20 it is running a Cree XPLHI V3 for a maximum output of 1100 lumens. The tint is a cold white tint but its not to to bad. It appears to be a 1A bin so about 6000k tint. The main difference is the actual beam pattern. The KR10 is a tad more floody. The KR10 has a peak beam intensity of 16528 which is 257 meters. Compared to the KR20s peak beam intensity of 28360cd which is equal to 336m. Not a massive difference overall but it may be substantial in your decision. Seeing as all the Rofis flashlights I have reviewed run a Cree XPLHI they all have a little bit of throw for there sizes the reflectors on all the flashlights I have tested are not big by any means. Even the reflector on the KR20 is smaller then the eagle eye X6. So for these flashlights to get a decent throw is impressive.

!

!

Like the KR20 the KR10 is able to use a 3 different cells types. You can either use the included 18650 which I would use that seeing as its 3400mah. Or you can run of the shelf CR123s or the rechargeable variants the 16340s. Is that actually 3 different types I would call 16340s the same as CR123s? 16340’s are some times called RCR123 depending on what brand you buy. Of course the 18650 will give you the best run times overall and 18650s are the only cells that will charge in the KR10. I hear you can buy 1700mah CR123s so I guess they will give you a similar run time to the included 18650. You can not buy CR123s here in Australia unless you go to a specialty shop.

All the Rofis flashlights i have tested offer reverse polarity protection and low voltage protection you will know when the battery is low you can not miss the red blinking side switch unless your sitting at a red traffic light. Then you have a good excuse lol.

Now we will go through the run times and output modes on the KR10. These outputs and run times are done to ANSI FL1 standards using the included 18650. The KR10 has 5 standard modes and 4 hidden modes.

Standard modes

  • Ultra Low mode: 14 lumens @ 112 hours
  • Low mode: 65 lumens @ 31 hours
  • Medium mode: 160 lumens @ 11.5 hours
  • High mode: 350 lumens @ 4.5 hours
  • Turbo mode: 1100 lumens @ 1.5 hours

Hidden modes

  • Moon light mode: 5 lumens @ 192 hours
  • Strobe:1100 lumens @ Unknown run time.
  • Beacon:1100 lumens @ Unknown run time.
  • SOS: 1100 lumens @ Unknown run time.

!

!

The KR10 does differ in output selection compared to the KR20 all modes are lower except turbo and turbo doesn’t seem to have a visible step down from what I can see. I would of liked to see a 600 lumen high mode the same as the KR20. Just so you have a medium in between the 350-1100 lumen gap. That is just what modes I like its not necessary 350 lumens is more then enough light for a EDC flashlight. I am currently carrying the Nitecore TIP as my EDC. I have never EDC an 1865 flashlight yet but the extra run time is great. Also if you EDC a flashlight this size its about the same weight as an S2+ and about 1.5cm longer and it will out throw most flashlights the same size. I actually have a BLF A6 that is modded with a SMO reflector so I will compare these two together and see what one does better. I think it will be close but the reflector is bigger in the KR10.

!

!

The UI on the Rofis KR10 is easy just like the KR20 you have your tail cap mechanical lockout and side switch. The side switch is where all the work is done. Once the KR10 is unlocked from the back lockout you simply push the side switch to turn the KR10 on. The KR10 like the KR20 does have memory mode so it will turn on with your last used mode. Then to cycle modes you push the side switch once to get to the next mode and then again to get to the mode after that.

To access the hidden strobes you when the KR10 is on you simply push and hold the side switch till strobe activates. Then you can can push and hold the side switch to cycle through the blinky modes. You can also access strobe from off mode. Simply by pushing half way down twice on the tail cap the same way you access monetary from the tail switch except you push twice.

Moonlight mode is hidden you have to hold the sides witch while the tail cap is in the off position. Then activate the tail cap while holding the side switch to get into moonlight mode I think this is a great feature seeing as I do not use moonlight mode to often.

The real question is why so much dust still? Its the surface it attracts dust i am going to change the bench top. I scratched it any ways when i was building some shelves. Its to glossy for photos.
!

!

The KR10 like the KR20 comes with a momentary switch another great features for hunters and outdoors enthusiast. This means you can momentarily turn the KR10 and the KR20 on without fully activating the flashlight. Using the momentary switch the KR10 will turn on last used memory mode you can cycle through modes while holding the momentary switch by using the side switch. When you go to use the KR10 the next time it will turn on your last used memory mode from the momentary settings.

The KR10 as with all the Rofis flashlights I have tested comes with a location mode where the side switch will blink twice every three seconds. This is so you know where to find the KR10 to access this mode simply cycle through all modes on the standard till you are in standby mode.

The KR10 also has the same battery capacity indication features as the KR20. It will blink green for 3 seconds if the battery is over 50% on start up. It will blink red for 3 seconds if the battery is under 50%. The KR10 will also blink red really fast when the battery is almost completely drained.

Threads had no lube. That is a first for a Rofis light.
!

!

Now lets talk about build quality of the KR10 it is top notch. Not one thing is out of place on the KR10 every thing works good. The KR10 has an in built USB charger which work good mines cuts of charging at 4.21 volts. Seeing as the KR10 has a USB charger it also comes with a USB port cover (Take note Nitecore). That gives the KR10 an IPX8 rating which is waterproof to 2 meters. The KR10 also comes with an impact resistance of 1.5 meters which makes the KR10 great for all situations.
There are no marks or scratches on my KR10 out of the box I have been EDC the KR10 for over a week now. Its stayed clean besides the dust lol. The KR10 uses hard anodizing type 3 and is made out of the usual aircraft grade aluminum alloy and has a dark black finish. The threads are all well cut surprisingly the rear tail threads are anodized that is changed from the KR20. The head can be unscrewed on the KR10 while it couldn’t be unscrewed on the KR20. The KR10 is now using mineral glass to go along with the AR coating. The KR10 also has a stainless steel titanium coated clip. The clip holds the KR10 firm and solid and offers a lot of grip. It can be removed if you wish it kind of makes the KR10 look sleeker i forgot to taker a photo without the clip!

What is included in the package? Every thing you need to run the KR10 out of the box.

  • Rofis KR10
  • Rofis 18650 cell
  • Shealth/Holster
  • Lanyard
  • Clip
  • USB cable
  • Spare USB port cover
  • Spare O-rings

!

!

Overall the KR10 is a great flashlight it is well made with quality and care. Rofis backs there flashlights with a 5 year warranty. So you know they mean business. If your looking for a pocket thrower with an in built charger look no further then the KR10.

All these photos are taken with ISO 800

Moonlight Mode 5 lumens 192 Hours (2 meters distance)
!

!

Ultra low Mode 14 lumens 112 hours (4 meters distance)
!

!

Low Mode 65 lumens 31 Hours (8 meters distance)
!

!

Medium mode 160 lumens 11.5 hours (15 meters distance)
!

!

High mode 350 lumens 4.5 hours (15 meters distance)
!

!

Turbo mode 1100 lumens 1.5 hours (15 meters distance)
!

!

Big tree is 100 meters distance
!

!

KR10 Left and TR20 Right
!

!

KR10 Left and KR20 right
!

!

KR10 Left and S2+ right
!

!

KR10 Left and BLF A6 with SMO reflector Right (KR10 still out throws the BLF A6 even with the SMo reflector)
!

!

This was a very long review but i thought id do a comparison. Its always good to mix it up from a straight review. Also the wood bench i am using is creating to much glare so i will change that up ASAP. Also it attracts dust like crazy so back to the drawing board to find a new bench top!

Thanks for taking the time to read!

Regards Chris

Thanks!

Thanks for reading the review mate!

Great review! The flashlight looks great!

Thanks for the review.

Thanks lads!

Any one looking to buy one i have a discount coupon. The discount is almost 30 USD off!
Rofis KR10
PM me for details please!