Q8, PMS SEND TO THOSE WITH ISSUES BLF soda can light

Shone my 2 x Q8”s around my garden for half an hour last night whilst ramping them up & down then left them overnight with the side switches illuminated.
No problems with the side switch leds so far & boy is the tint from the main leds nice.
I have a genuine Ultra Fire SRK, 4 led configuration & genuine measured a little over 3000 lumens on start up.
This UF cost nearly $40 dollars (it is the one with the battery power display & built in USB charging, this one Flashlight, Batteries, Tactical Gears - UltraFire Official Store & cost me $38 when I purchased it ) & the Q8”s literally blow it out of the water in terms of power, beam tint/pattern, UI & build quality for only a couple of dollars more :+1:

The Q8”S next to my 2 UF”s :wink:

Err - matched pairs, you’re not by any chance trying to breed them are you?
If so, can I put my name down for first choice from the BLF litter?

When I bought the one UF, end of last year I think, they were considered probably the best budget SRK style light available at the time (not counting Richards modded ones).
I then received another as a gift :slight_smile:
The idea was to give me an SRK style light, as I didn”t already have one, to play around with untill the Q8 appeared & my intention was to mod one.
However I never got round to modding it & now that I have the 2 x Q8”s don”t see the point :wink:
Maybe I can breed them as I do still quite like the UF”s although they will now probably become “beater” lights since I have the Q8”s.
Maybe a sort of “Franken” SRK hybrid can be bred from them, a Q8UF or UFQ8 .
I will put them together tonight with soft lights, soft music & a glass of wine & see if anything comes of it :slight_smile:
You can have pick of the litter :+1:

I got my Q8s today

a few minor things that I have to criticize

1. driver screws should be flat head like laptop screws or the holes in the driver need to be countersunk same as the screws are

2. driver holes need to be drilled out for 3mm screws, I used 3.2mm drill

3. the threads of the driver and tail board were not clean, so I cut em again and a lot dirt came out, now the scres screw in with no resistance

4. Plese give your employees at Torfire the right screwdriver sizes and teach em not to ruin the screw heads

- one of my sample had exemplary screws without physical damage

  • the other had the screw heads damaged, even the big one holding the reflector

5. the brass ring on both my samples were dirty with some black stuff, I cleaned em with steel wool now they are shiny

4. when the reflector is tightened on the MCPCB please check if the LEDs are centered or if its twisted a bit

- one came here with almost perfectly centered LEDs the other was twisted clockwise, but easily fixable

  • not sure why the centering rings are bigger tan the LEDs there is some play

Yes, all that is pretty much known now, accept for 5, about the brass ring being dirty - don't think I've noticed that in my samples. For 6, we know they aren't perfectly centered but don't think I've seen blatant twisting in production Q8's.

LOL, and apart from the minor critic…. how do you like them?

There’s two levels at which the Q8 can perform:

1) as a stock light out of the box. This is the toughest one: someone without solder iron and with two left hands should have a well performing flashlight without having to check, adjust, clean or even solder things. It is especially tough because Thorfire is not really a brand that makes lights like this, whenever I got a Thorfire light I had to check if everything was tight and a centered led was a bonus.

2) as a light with potential: all the structural features are well thought out and well made, but out of the box you may have to tweak stuff. But there’s nothing so wrong that it is not corrected with some minor modding skills. And with medium modding skills a lot of different mods can be done.

I think that the Q8 as it is now almost meets 1) but not quite, and I hope that number 500-2000 do meet it. But every Q8 reported thusfar meets 2) which was the initial drive for BLF to start the project. And I am very pleased that even level 1) is almost there :slight_smile:

Lexel, you didn’t say anything about the top edge of the tube or lube, does that mean these two things were OK in yours?

And Djozz, it seems for the most people who have gotten theirs 1) is achieved :slight_smile:

The UI of narsil is great

The machining of the light and the design is great

Definately lots of lumens out of the box

for a non modder or non reviewer this light can be used as it is out of the box with good performance

just on some samples there are some points that can reduce the turbo current a bit
if the screw heads are damaged who cares they were tight
if a few % less throw from lightly uncentered LEDs who cares

I guess the M3 screws for the driver were a mistake when they machined the heads someone placed there a M3 thread instead M2.5, miscommunication?

I will do a full review with a lot pictures later today

Nice! Your reviews are merciless. :smiling_imp:

Well,

ive just been told that banggood wont ship my 30q’s to australia, :frowning:

Looks like im looking for another source. at least i still have time. my Q8 hasnt shipped yet.

Scorpia

Were they the 30Q’s in the plastic box?

I am sorry for thread discrepancy.
That UF is cool :+1:
Is it safe to purchase at the link destination?
Is DX better?

Scorpia, When did you order the batteries? I ordered 4 of the 30Q for US$18.69 shipped a few days ago, and it was literally shipped a day after.

Shipping Info

I had no problems purchasing from the link in my thread (fast delivery as well) & I know another member purchased a couple from that link with no problems :+1:
Prices are cheaper than from DX as well I think.
I must admit though that although the UF”s are nice for what they are (genuine Cree leds as well not fake Latticebrights & just over 3000 lumens on start up measured in my light tube which seems fairly accurate) they are not a patch on the Q8”s :wink:
The Q8”s totally blow them away in every respect :+1:

:slight_smile: Advertisment :slight_smile:
Everybody who likes the UI of the Q8 should look at this Lamp: FW3A

As the Q8 is a bit big for EDC and you know how compact a SK68 is?
This 18650 light is within millimetres the same size. Has a tail switch (not lighted), triple LED AND based on the same UI as the Q8. I expect a newer version of NarsilM

It is another Group Buy here on BLF, lamps should happen next year.

FW3A

TM have you had anything in the way of news from thorfire.

Thank you for reply :slight_smile:
I do not seem to be able to purchase Q8 right now, I read the thread, but is the quality okay?
Because I want to get on the car, the size is best for UF and Q8.

There should also be a tracking number somewhere on your order, copy paste that for example in 17track and voila, you got a more detailed status

Isn’t it, though?

There are several ways the Q8 goes beyond what big-name companies offer, but I think Tom’s firmware is probably the part which should embarrass them the most.