Review: ThorFire TK4A XP-L 4AA Flashlight (Pic Heavy) - * TF Coupon Added *

Thank you strayz. I still have that C-cell Maglite 2 pack and it's still unopened. Been hoping someone would post a review or mod to help me decide whether to return or open it.

LOL I am still eyeing the same lights…

I bought an unlabeled from aliexpress. Only visual difference is small “cut-outs” on the head(same as Sofirn on ebay). I write this because I am not 100% they look exactly the same on the inside(even if its the same UI). I also have the Thorfire version but have not opened that one yet. This light is up to date the most well glued light I have opened. Hugsby is easy compared to this one…. There are many theads and every single one was covered with glue.




Now mine has a XP-L hi

Thanks for the perfect review ImA4Wheelr

Very good info and pics Intracloud. Thank you for sharing.

I imagine ThorFire is similar/same. It should be ok to use more heat than I did if that is the case. I think I will now take the risk and make another attempt.

I did not use heat. I know that many do that with glued lights, but I allways tries to avoid it. I clamped the head in the wise betwen wood and used strapwrench on the body. In my case I got little better grip on the head because of the cut-outs, compared to the Thorfire…

Let me know how it goes.

Will do. I cranked on mine until the strap wretches started slipping both without heat and with heat (300F). Guessing mine has a generous amount of high-temp thread locker. No that I have some sense of what is likely going on in there, I feel more confident removing the bezel. Not so sure about the battery tube though. Did the contact plate at the head have retaining screws or something?

Did your sample have thread locker? If yes, you you recall what color was it?

Ok I have a couple of more pictures on my computer, will check tomorrow. By glue i ment thread locker. If I remember correct the color was white. Ok threadlock usually is blue, green and red so I am a little puzzeled… I will take it apart and check if I missed some in the cleaning prosess. This light only have one joint. First the driver goes in and stops on a ledge, then the pill which pushes on the groundring. So no retainer ring. In other words the head/bezel holds everything in place.

edit: Just checked my pictures… Totally forgot that there is also one screw securing the driver to the body. You see the hole in the driver on my pictures.

Ok why wait. Just checked and unfortunately I cleaned to good… But my best bet is blue, definitely not red. Possibly some kind of glue, similar to what was used in the first eagle eye x6.

But I do remeber that I first tried strap wrench around the head but it slipped. That is why I clamped the head in the wise tighten really hard. It slipped so I tighten more and was pretty sure I would damage the head, but it is very solid. Ended up with zero scratches.

Excellent info. Just what I needed. Man, I was really cranking on the tube and lower head. Ha, Ha. You should have seen me. Too funny. I was trying to open a joint that didn't exist.

You're good Intracloud. Thanks again. You solved the puzzle for me.

Let me know if you get it open. I tried heating mine up with a propane torch, but didn’t go too extreme on the heat. Didn’t budge. I need to finish up a review, but wanted to take amp readings at the led first.

^

No luck here. Turns out I was positioning the strap wrenches properly for removing the bezel. The side switch pretty much forces one to put a strap on the bezel. I increased the temp to 175C, but only achieved busting my last unbroken strap wretch in the process. Been wanting to make some new strap wrenches out of an old automotive timing belt anyway.

Best of luch WillyD. Thank again Intracloud for sharing your findings. I would love to open mine and piggy back a new MCU and make the side switch always illuminated to assist locating it in the dark.

Added one picture showing the screw hole securing the driver. Also edited my older post. Correct information is that there is one screw holding the driver down, and also the force from reflector/pill/bezel. (memory failure…). And if I earlier was unclear, the joint nearest the lens(just above the switch) is the one.

ImA4Wheelr, did you ever get yours open? I just made another attempt at it, but went a little longer with the torch. Also used rubber coated gloves and a strap wrench. This is some crazy strong glue they have. My dad is a retired machine repairman and could probably do this in his sleep. I’ll see if he has any tricks up his sleeve.

^

Mine is still sealed tight. Intracloud PM's me a great idea I would like to try out. It involves using two pieces of wood with v-shaped notches to old the head in a bench vice and then using a flat bar put down into the battery tube and a crescent wretch to turn the flat bar. Hope that suggesting helps.

Thank you for the update Intracloud. Do you have a picture that could help show what I tried to explain above?

Sure.

Dont have a picture of the wood with the v-shaped notches, just made a quick mockup showing the flat bar technique.

Instead of using strap wrenches use two power drill handles that tighten around the body behind the chuck. I had one from a Makita that fit and found a second one in a local used parts bin. They have semi rigid round clamping surfaces and evenly apply pressure. Separate bands of masking tape around the body and bezel to protect the ano and take up the slack then go for it with the bezel clamp low on the threads rather than high near the lens as the body is much stronger and backs up the bezel there. No vice just full body weight. Counter clockwise to loosen(normal right hand threads).

Finally got mine opened using the torch, rubber gloves, and gerbil technique. I’ll have my review up this weekend. Was able to take amp readings at the led. This really is a nice AA light.

Nice review ImA4Wheelr. :smiley:

Nice, creative thinking there. Gotta try that.

Congrats WillyD. Not sure what the "gerbil" technique is, but looking forward to reading about it in your review. Also looking forward to what you find out about what's going on in this mystery light.

Thank you firedome :)

Even with ordinary strap wrenches wrapping the parts with tape can improve grip. Especially if you use double stick tape.