I’m getting different reports form the X1S (maybe it’s how all new lights to market are) that there some folks are saying the lights sounds like maracas when shaken and are loud and others seem to have issues with tail caps that still spin even when screwed down.
I’m interested in the X1S still but it’s stories like this that shy me away since they cost a lot for a premium product but they don’t sound like it.
My question is that, is it common for them (FFL) to have build issues and does it decrease as more lights of one model are made? Is this similar to other light brands or unique to FFL?
I’m asking since my other lights from Convoy, Armytek and Wurkkos seem fine when I buy it from Ali, Amazon or any other place. From what I’ve heard, they do give coupon codes for issues but I don’t plan to buy more lights from them and getting a wrong light or bad build would probably turn me away…
Mine is built well. The only issue I’ve got is the body and tail cap need to be screwed on very tight to get continuity between them. I haven’t tried lubing them yet.
It doesn’t rattle at all.
I actually think it’s built really nicely - easily up there (or better than) my other lights. I’ve got Emisars, Convoys, Astrolux, Wurkkos, Sofirn etc.
My recent NOV-MUs have been OK, but same as @smurcod … have to be tightened down, almost with all my might. I had one I could not easily tighten enough no matter how hard I tried, and it would simply turn off randomly.
Mine rattles very little if you shake it hard. Sound comes from the switch moving a bit. I don’t think it’s a problem, because I hadn’t noticed it before I specifically tried shaking.
Pocket clip turns but not easily with the magnetic tailcap. I don’t think it turned at all with the stock tailcap.
All my Fireflies lights have had some form of quality ‘difficulties’ including the newer ones but nothing major like some have reported. Those horror stories were from prior releaaes and Fireflies is forthright about it. My issues are mainly off-color parts or improperly sized o-ring grooves (that make the tailcap or head or both really hard to tighten). I wouldn’t dissuade some from buying one. They’re good flashlights with premium features and excellent performance for cheap (ish).
With the tight tail cap (and body to head), I did read one review that said lubricating the example they were testing fixed it. I need to look into it further, at the moment I just make sure it’s TIGHT.
An o-ring the wrong size (or wrong sized groove) could explain it?
I lubed mine and it helped, but didn’t totally fix it. I th8 k the o-ring groove was improperly milled (too shallow) for the o-ring they installed. You might be able to use a thinner o-ring, but it might compromise the water tightness.
Thanks for confirming that’s the problem. I’d been meaning to pull mine apart to investigate it further, but hadn’t got around to it. Last night I remembered, so pulled the (very thick) o-rings off. One was distorted from the amount of force that was being applied to it!
I had some 24x1.5mm o-rings (not the perfect or correct size) but decided to give them a go. They’re great. You now feel when the o-rings meets the body but it doesn’t turn into a fight to screw the body/ tail cap on. You can also now feel the reassuring bottoming out of the body/ tail cap as they make contact- perfect.
So that’s the fix and well worth doing. It’s now the same as every other flashlight to do up.
It’s the first thing I do, at both ends of the tube. 2 of my 6 FireflyLites wouldn’t even turn on out of the box due the head side also not being tight enough. Rather than gorilla-force it, just use a suitable o-ring.
Everything else is great, provide the right o-rings, FireflyLite!
Mine rattles very little if you shake it hard. Sound comes from the switch moving a bit. I don’t think it’s a problem, because I hadn’t noticed it before I specifically tried shaking.
Pocket clip turns but not easily with the magnetic tailcap. I don’t think it turned at all with the stock tailcap.
I assume you would not hear that normally if you’re EDCing the light on yourself or in a bag? When did you get yours?
There are plenty of sellers of o-rings on AliExpress. I’ve got “stock” of a few different sizes from buying them for other flashlight projects, the 24x1.5mm work fine. (Technically both ends should have different size o-rings as the body is a different diameter at each end. Firefly use the same oversized o-rings both ends. The 24x1.5mm stretched onto both ends fine and I could feel the contact with head/ tail cap as they were screwed on, so it should be waterproof.)
