Sofirn SF36: Action Test, Hard Use, Real Value

How much stress can a tactical style light with a solid aluminum body take? Does it hold up to the manufacturer specs? Will it easily fail you and leave you standing in dark? I am action testing the Sofirn SF36 in my video, a 25 USD light that comes with all the accesssories needed to get started.

+ Beauty test: How beautiful is the light?

+ Runtime test: Does the light endure as the manufacturer claims?

+ Explosion test: Does the light survive minor explosions?

+ Extreme mechanical stress: If you drop it again and again really hard will it no longer stay with you?

+ Deep dive with predatory fish: Will the light go where no light has boldy gone before and survive?

All the answers:

Nice video m8 :+1: i have 3x sf36w and i love them :heart_eyes:

Yes, I like the SF36 too. Good output, nice allround-beam , simple, robust. Very unlike some of the lights who compete for the highest output, smallest size and most sophisticateded UI:

I tip my hat to you for doing fair review of a good light, unlike some people here just take advantage of the generosity of the sellers.

Thank you! I will work for flashlights :wink: I am aware that I need to put in work for a company that gives me free stuff for my channel. They donā€™t buy my judgement but they do deserve a good review. Besides that the Sofirn is a good light. It is also possible to fit an O-ring on the bezel outside and between bezel and glass (after removing the original one. With that tweak the light is 110% waterproof.

I have the SF36W 3000k version and although I love the UI, the 3000k is a little too yellow for my taste. Would be perfect if it was 4000k. But it has the best rear clicky UI I have ever used.

Nice review! Wish I could do videos like thatā€¦ :smiley:

Interestingly, the VG10/VG10S have the same issues with the front O-rings, or lack thereof. If I wanted to make them truly waterproof, Iā€™d have to seal them with additional O-rings as well. And the front bezel does have that groove for an O-ring.

If I wanted to go crazy with that, Iā€™d take some RTV and lightly coat the O-ring before attaching it to the glass and bezel, to make it a semi-permanent assembly. Of course, let it outgas sufficiently before reassembling.

It can later be scraped off the glass with a razor if needed.

ā€”

Iā€™ve first felt the ā€™36W was a bit warm, but I grew to like it a lot very quickly.

Only when compared to a cooler CT does it seem to show up as ā€œyellowā€.

Nope, shining it around right nowā€¦ quite nice! :smiley:

Iā€™ve been considering the SF36W 3000k, Iā€™ve been wanting to try a warm tint.
My warmest lights are a Convoy S2+ 4C (4300-4500K) and the U-torch UT01 NW (3789K measured by komeko) Iā€™m really beginning to like those two more & more.

Both tint versions of the SF36 are on sale right now for $17-$18 Expires in about 8 hours, so I need to make up my mind tonight. And lightbringer youā€™re comments about it are pushing me off the fence :smiley: ā€¦ā€¦ā€¦. Cā€™mon keep goingā€¦. just need a little shove nowā€¦. :stuck_out_tongue:

Wellp, itā€™s got a really nice OP reflector, NO hint of a ā€œfried eggā€ beam, nice diffuse hotspot, perfect for medium range (ie, not a wide flood but not overly throwy, either). No rings or other artifacts.

Itā€™s an all-around great general-purpose light.

And at night, that nice warrrrm beam doesnā€™t jar you awake like a bucket of icewater, but just lets you see what you
need to, then doze right back off to dreamland.

Whups, hang on a sec. Iā€™m referring to my SF31W, which ainā€™t available anymore. Damn.

Anyhoo, I got my ā€™36W around here somewhere. Same nice warm beam, but Iā€™d have to get my ā€™36W again to see how the SMO reflector looks. I think I put it away for safe keeping (ie, make sure no cellā€™s in it, make sure if doesnā€™t get lost, etc.), so would have to dig it up again.

I donā€™t recall have any issues with it. But yeah, youā€™ll get used to the warm beam very quickly.

And of course, itā€™ll look yellow when next to a NW or especially CW, but reds and browns just pop under a warmer beam.

18bux for a VG10- or M2-class light? In WW??

Go for itā€¦

Trust me on this, youā€™ll be kicking yourself if you miss it.

Many thanks for the interests about Sofirn SF36, this link include SF36 5350-5700K and 3000K to chose.

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Sofirn-SF36-High-power-LED-Flashlight-18650-Cree-XPL2-1000LM-Tactical-LED-Flashlight-5-Mode-LED/3145031_32837045078.html?spm=2114.12010615.0.0.68baa0bdXwDy2e

I purchased Sofirn SF36W and absolutely love it. Very well-made and great attention to detail. I would recommend without any reservation! :smiley:

Had been trying to hold out on the SF36W, but this bump did me in. Looks like 9 left at $15.43 with batt and charger on Amazon after my order updates.

Nice review! Thoroughly enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek dry humor, as well as the completeness of the review.

By the way, you have an amazing English accent that I simply couldnā€™t place. At times I had you anywhere from the southern USA all the way up to Scandinavia. Had to Google Ɩsterreich. :sunglasses: