Review: New Thorfire C8s from Amazon, Updated with 3+ Amps on new driver.

Great review. Thanks for all the effort you put into it. Good pics. Informative teardown.

Thanks.

Thanks for the review! I was hoping for a pill design though…

Thanks for the review.
This seems to be at least the 2nd version of C8s. I got one C8s in the beginning of this year which much looks like the old one (tail-part without knurling and opening for thumbs), with non removable pill and screws for the MCPCB (maybe they only printed C8s onto an old C8). I got 2 more C8s a few weeks ago, same as the one you tested. And there seems to be a 3rd version, where the pictures indicate the removable pill is back:

But perhaps Thorfire used old pictures for the current amazon sale.

Thanks for posting this excellent review. I like the new design, wish they’d sell the host only.

I’d like a NW XPL-HI in this, I wonder if the KD XPL-HI drop-in would fit this. http://www.kaidomain.com/product/details.S024912

If you can’t remove the pill, obviously not.

soldering the star down inside the non-pill head? looks like a pain in the tookus… but, i agree with the better heatsinking idea…

i solder from the SIDE onto a flat surface, like a drummer holding a drumstick on a snare, lol… this is more like playing “operation” game, lol…

Nice review!
Moonlight by default cool, Convoy needs to update or Thorfire will be the stock C8 of choice.

It gets tough soldering inside the reflector housing. I have a special solder iron tip that I use just for this. I took an old worn out tip and sanded it flat starting from the point until I had about a 2mm diameter flat circle. It works great for this stuff.

Thanks for the good reception on the review! It does look like Thorfire has a couple of different C8s “models” but I believe this is the newest one. The shelf looks tight and I would not solder down in the head, but attach the wires to the LED and then thread the wires through. Soldering the wires to the driver is much easier than to the MCPCB down in the head…

@MRsSNF- it does not seem anyone but the shop on Amazon has these yet. I am sure Banggood will get them soon, they have a great relationship with Thorfire.

As a stock C8, the C8s is the one to get in my opinion…

Oops, yeah obviously. Saw that but it didn’t register. I should have been in bed instead of on BLF lol :weary:

I guess I could just swap out the LED/MCPCB. The main difference I like better is the knurled/scalloped tail cap.

I destroyed the LED on my BLF X6 by being impatient but at least for me it’s not hard to solder with the LED in the head as long as I use a wood coffee stirrer to hold the wire down right by the contacts and take my time.

I put LED’s into 2 new version Convoy M1’s and my BLF X6 last week and it didn’t take any more time that with the pill models.

Wow, no removable pill after all. :weary:

Updated OP with Amp meter readings and new pics. The driver is over 3A on high now.

Thanks for reading!

Nice! I was just about to put together a review as well, but you pretty much covered everything! Another perspective couldn’t hurt I suppose, so I’ll probably add an “addendum” review a bit later. Good work!

Very thoughtful review. I can see a big difference between the old and new versions now.

Nice review reman, :beer:
you seem to be in contact with thorfire, could you please ask them if they offer remote pressure switch for this flashlight!
thanks

Dang, ReManG!! Your review is too good!

I’m in the process of building SWMBO a C8 for this Summer, at a net parts cost of $15. Newegg has this one for $25 net. Meaning this one (factoring in labor) is almost as cheap budget as full-on DIY! The only real advantage (other than labor) that $10 buys me is a specific LED color.

It’s a nice color. It’s not worth $10, but it’s a nice color.

I think this might even make a darned good 1st-timer’s Mod Host. ROI will be ‘C8 Great’ just to R&R the emitter with a choice of color. (Not saying this one is “bad” since I have no idea what bin they’re using, just that NW works better for me outdoors around here at night & YMMV with the tint lottery.)

Thanks for taking the time to put this together!! Nicely done!

Mine just arrived and I love it.
I was going to slowly move my boys up to the next level (from zoomies q5) to a floody (eg. S3, S2+) but after seeing this baby in action, they want me to skip them straight to this !

Fell into the trap of sounding like my late dad again:
Me: (preaching) “listen boys, you have to be careful not to shine it in each others eyes, I don’t think you’re ready for this one just yet, you want a gentler torch, one with a mix of flood and throw to begin with.”
Boys: (hearing) “blah blah blah BOYS blah blah”
Boys: (thinking) “man, look how far this goes ….my school mates are gonna love this……wish dad would just shut up and log back on and order another 2, tight arse”

This review and all the other reviews of the C8S recently, gave me all the info I needed before buying, so thanks to all.

(credit to Gary Larson for the blah blah blah bit)

Wish they offered a HI led option on this then they really would be head to head v convoy.

I’ve been looking at a c8 but don’t fancy ordering from China unless there’s no other option.

I got a couple of these earlier this year because they were a screaming deal, and I figured they would be nice bike lights, even if they aren’t my favorite tint and UI.

We were using them in our cabin overnight every night in moonlight mode. One worked fine and the battery was down to 3.7 volts after a week of that, and the other one died after 4 days. We’ll see what Thorfire CS has to say about my dead one. It’s not the switch and I’m not going to take the head apart unless Thorfire won’t do anything.