Thorfire PF02S Review

Hey all, it’s been a while since Thorfire sent me this light for review (school’s been busy), but here are my thoughts about it.

Specs
LED: Cree XP-G2
Rated Lumens: 240lm
Batteries: 2x AAA
5 Modes: High (240lm), Mid (100lm), Low (15lm), Moonlight (1lm), Hidden Strobe (240lm)

The box

Simple and plain cardboard box. Makes a nice gift.

What’s in the box

The manual

Single sided and surprisingly well written.

Size comparison

From the top, Maglite 2x AA, Thorfire PF02S 2x AAA, CQG S2 2x AAA, BLF A6 1x 18650.
Compared to the CQG S2, the light is noticeably thicker. The PF02S sits between the Maglite and the CQG S2 in terms of thickness, and I wish it had been thinner, considering it’s a 2x AAA light.

Weight

Weighs 46g without 2x AAA cells.


Slightly heavier than the CQG S2.


70g with batteries.


The clip is moderately stiff, and should provide a secure grip in the pocket.


The tailcap sticks out, meaning that the light won’t be able to tail stand, although it’s easily operable while wearing gloves.
The reverse clicky switch is also slightly spongy for my taste. The rubber boot will collect lint and dust after a bit of use.


The reflector is smooth, which causes some artifacts, but it’s not too bad at all. This is a pen light, meaning that the head isn’t bigger than the battery tube.
The reflector is therefore very small, providing a lot of spill. Great for indoors, but doesn’t throw so far outdoors.


The bezel allows light to shine through so you know if it’s on.


The XP-G2 was not perfectly centered, but didn’t affect the beam profile too much.


The beam profile is floody, as expected with a light with a small reflector. The beam has very minor artifacts that the camera doesn’t pick up well, but it’s not noticeable in day to day use.


The driver is friction fit into the head of the light.
The light always starts from high (no memory) and goes to med, low, moonlight, and back to high.
Double tap to go into strobe mode, and tap once more to return to the previous mode.
No observable PWM. Awesome!


The manual says to insert the cells by removing the tailcap, but on my light the tailcap seems to be glued to the battery tube, and the head unscrews instead. Weird.


Some manufacturing imperfections. The light has a slightly glossy anodized finish. I’m personally not a fan of the slippery texture, makes the light feel cheap.

Pros:

  • The form factor makes it portable.
  • Good beam profile; great for indoors.
  • No PWM; constant current dimming.
  • Hidden strobe.
  • Runs on 2x AAA; makes a good gift for non-flashaholics.
  • Cheap: $16.20 on Amazon.

Cons:

  • Mediocre fit and finish.
  • Can’t tailstand.
  • Switch feels mushy.
  • Always starts from high. May blind you in the dark.

Summary: This is a nice pen light with most of the features you need and none that you don’t.

Here is another review I found on YouTube:

This one’s from our own Abqjohnny:

The original PF02 was my gateway flashlight. It was my first non-Maglight or Sipik clone flashlight. I loved that little light.

I had thought that a 2 AAA light would be too heavy to carry in my shirt pocket, but I have been carrying a Hugsby unbranded clone for a week or so, and it is not too heavy if placed at the edge of the pocket so that the shirt adds supports along with the pocket. It is single mode which I prefer for EDC.
If I want multiple modes Hi, Mid, and Lo are enough. I hate the strobes and SOS unless I wold be hiking, of which I am not capable anymore.
Jerry