Just got my 189 of 400 yesterday. Box arrived in perfect shape. These lights are amazing - taking dogs for another walk tonight just to use them. Now, waiting for my aluminum set. Thanks again team KRONOS - amazing lights! I truly appreciate all your hard work, but now my family thinks I’m even more of a flashlight geek (ok, I’ve been drooling over my lights all day). Well, I cannot wait for the next GB.
^That^
Rufus - That is not being critical. Some foam wrap would have helped.My point is that only the egregious should be mentioned and not fine flaws. This complete set sold for less than the cost of a modern Mag-lite and to hear people say that the future value of the set is affected and want compensation for faint scratches is ridiculous. (FYI - some people are actually doing just that...trying to get compensation)
TK - Thank you for that post!
Are the actual people in this thread that has asked for compensation?
The hurting value thing was sure from me.
No. You were not the only one.
Yes, some people are trying to get compensated for things that should not be a big deal given the nature of this group buy. A couple people should get new tailcaps from the heavy damage but faint scratches are silly.
A comparison if anyone cares
Kronos X6 vs EE X6 xpl hi with BLF A6 driver
EEx6 is 1A tint. Kronos is 3B.
I got a SS/Cu set and an Al set in the mail today, so I’m seeing the aluminum production units for the first time.
The copper X5 and aluminum X5 apparently have different clips. This is disappointing, since the copper X5 clip is quite nice while the aluminum X5 clip seems too narrow. I was also a bit disappointed that they both arrived with the clip already attached. The wooden box set had all clips set aside, but the cardboard box sets had the X5 clip attached. Perhaps there wasn’t enough room in the box to leave it off.
To get the X5 clip off, the easiest way I’ve found is to take the thick part of the lanyard (or a shoelace), loop it under the clip from the tailcap end so it rests right next to the clip arms, and pull very very hard. It will probably scratch the host.
I took some quick pics to show the clip difference. Sorry, I was in a hurry and forgot to set a white balance… but these still show the differences in shape and material:
Dunno, but there's a space gap above the X5 light, not so much for the X6. The X5 is small enough to pop out of it's place in the foam. In mine, the X5 was about 1/2 in, 1/2 out of the notched out place, out of position to the right, when I opened it. You can repeat this -- take X5 out, and slide it to the right til the tailcap is at or near the edge of the box, then close the box - it should close fine. This should not cause X5 bezel issues but may cause tailcap issues.
The screw-in reflectors are simply awesome! Quite a hunk of aluminum I've never seen before in a light of this size. I think it may be worth adding some thermal grease on the threads to to take thermal advantage of this chunky reflector. There's no protection of the reflector on the MCPCB, so the MCPCB does get scratched but it really doesn't matter - it's ground anyway - no chance of electrical short. The scratch's may be better thermally 
.
I think its likely that Vinh, Sinner and even McGizmo could mod/make and sell lights for less and still have pretty decent margins. I’m sure at one time they did. Supply and demand has worked against us, not them. I think its possible better more honest accurate examples for comparison can be found. At least I hope so.
I’m not a big fan of the X6 clip either, but a lot of people wanted exactly the same clip as the EE X6… so that’s what it has. It was a community-driven decision.
Sorry, can't agree with that, no way, no how. Those are honest examples, probably the best ones to use.
ah I see. I was trying to account for both bezel and tailcap at the same time. It does seem like it could pop up and backwards, sliding the tailcap towards the near side wall of the box. With further tossing about it could potentially give the SS x6 some love taps. It's a lot of worst case scenarios happening in succession... Which is probably why so few have seen the issues.
A little loose foam insert inside above the Cu X5 would fix this issue.
Rephrased. Because McGizmo is one guy, he can only make so much. His large customer base has caused the cost of his time to skyrocket. His work is excellent, his product highly desired. McGizmo could very easily “sell out” to a large manufacturer, and identical lights could be produced and sold for far less, with slimmer margins. Flooding the market with McGizmos won’t help McGizmo, so why would he do that? He and others like him are boutique producers. I joked earlier in the thread about a McGizmo group buy. Such a thing could never occur. It is absurd and intellectually dishonest to try say these group buy lights are worth as much as a light produced by any of the three mentioned. The cost of manufacture of their lights is unrelated to the prices. The prices are determined by supply and demand, not the cost of manufacture, which is what someone interested in heading up a group buy would be concerned with, and I would think what we should all be interested in, decent lights for sane prices that make sense for a light that is budget and nice, not a light that is rare and so highly desired that its intrinsic value is masssively exaggerated by the demand, compared to its actual manufacturing cost plus a reasonable profit for the maker. Many items in the world sell and the business operates on razor thin margins. Not McGizmo, Sinner, et. al… those margins must be great or they’d still have their old day jobs.
Anyone that has posted what can be construed as constructive criticism, cool. Anyone that is complaining, just sell your lights and move on! Your complaints are only hurting the resale value you seem to think is so important.
These lights were not easy to get together. I took the time to actually read most of the 4000+ posts on this thread. It’s an incredible amount of work to get something like this done. I’m looking forward to getting mine just like I was when I saw the pictures for the first time.
There is nothing preventing anyone from doing something like this themselves but their own lack of motivation. I’m happy that I get to enjoy the product of others’ hard work for what I think is an incredibly reasonable price.
As a side note, I think it’s wise when upset or offended to take a minute or an hour or a day to calm down and think before posting something on a forum or Facebook or whatever.
I just got my mismatched SS/Cu. Would like to sell the SS version, as I’d like to keep my CU, and get the AL. PM me if interested. Thx.
I got my AL set, my SS/Cu set is still in limbo.
Sorry for the crappy cell phone pic shouldn’t be in the same thread as Dale’s photos.
I like the EE X6 clip when you use it with a EE A6 head, or on a convoy S2 with a grove cut for it. I don’t find it all that useful on a X6 though.
I don’t even know where to begin… I actually almost had chills reading that. 
I heard it in my head like a moving speech from someone filled with passion about what they do. Okay, maybe I’m a little weird and I don’t even know exactly what you were intending but I for one am astounded at the lights I received. I don’t have my aluminum set yet but I have two SS/Cu sets in gorgeous wooden boxes.
I am one of these non-modders you speak of and I offer my sincere thanks to the whole team that made this possible and specifically to you ToyKeeper for the UI that takes these lights so far beyond anything I have owned before.
Each time I press that switch and I see the smooth transition into the next mode I smile.
Each time I open the wooden box and see that blue glow that makes me envision a dog flying a fighter jet… I smile.
I don’t want to try to list all the names of the contributors here because I do not want to slight anyone that played the smallest part that I am unaware of but I offer sincere thanks to you all. If the A6 was big step one and this is big step two, other flashlight companies should be trembling in fear at what step three may bring…
There are two things to consider that sort of work hand in hand:
- If this is a gift to someone from you, it should be free of blems. A chipped box corner is an obvious blem.
- Compensation should be a replacement to make one whole. If diminished value is perceived and cash compensation will do, then the blem is obviously something someone can live with.
With all the effort of the team, manufacturer, and host, bringing issues to the forefront may help in the future. Packing has been a long-time issue with nearly everything China.
Regardless, it will take a little time for all the dust to settle. I can live with the wrong tint, but since this was a gift to myself, I would like the box replaced. Since the damage is on the bottom, I can replace the top to salvage the serial number. That too I am willing to do. And I have another order to place that includes free shipping. If I can organize that with Neal, then great. I’m in no hurry to get issues resolved, but as a long time engineer in high tech, I know the only wheels that get fixed are squeaky ones. If shipping damage hits the bottom line, it will get the attention of someone to solve it next time.
While I am at it, anyone else having trouble putting protected cells in the SS/CU X6? I have 3400 and 3500mah EVVA cells from mtn electronics. 1 fits with a little help and one doesn’t fit at all. I know these are big, this is the first of my 18650 lights that the diameter is a problem.
I don’t know much about McGizmo, but I know at least Sinner and Vinh are stand-up guys who do honest work for honest pay. However, making a living in the US or UAE is a very different matter than making a living in China. But, that said, RMM builds similar lights for lower prices. I don’t know how he manages to get by on the prices he charges.
In any case, the main difference is mass-produced-cheaply versus custom-built-individually. These big BLF group buys are mainly getting modded (ish) lights to a wider audience. … which is a complex matter of its own right, and I’m not sure what to think about it. Lots of tradeoffs involved in expanding the community like that.
for Centering on the X6, it didn’t work for me. Not enough slop. Will likely need to desolder and do a little filing of the board to get better Centering.