Impostor! That is not a 504b if you ask me! That is a totally different flashlight! How can they call that a 504b?! Why not just create a new model for it?!! If that is genuinely from Ultrafire, with all the touting I've done of them lately, I'm very disappointed.
The main point of the Solarforce L2 (originally) was Surefire 6P compatibility. Then it became about cheap price + quality + 18650 compatibility. Then the ('old') 504b was considered basically almost as compatible as the L2, though not quite as much. With this new thing, I see no further point.
Not sure if you're in the USA, but Lighthound.com is a very respected and low-priced US seller with a reputation for good service, and since your order isn't shipped overseas from Hong Kong, it arrives in days, versus weeks. I just bought an L2p from him and I think it was $20. I think their shipping fees start at around a very modest $3, and free shipping over $75. Sometimes you do actually get better deals at lighthound, regardless support, selection or ease of returns. You can buy in smaller quantities and save. For instance, you can buy a single tailcap boot at lighthound for 29 cents with your order, or get a package of them at DX for $2.19. Same deal with coin cell batteries--he sells them individually and cheap, and you can also get interesting batteries like the AW 18350 LiMn/LMR ("imr") which AW had resisted making for so long, or a generic LiMn 14500 for $4, or a real Li-ion CR2 cheap (impossible for me to find on DX-like sites). I end up picking up other things when I go there, so with combined shipping I don't pay significantly more than the very far away hong kong sellers (though I have used ITC too just fine).
When you factor in that you'll probably need to pay another $3 for a smooth bezel ring if you get the L2, and at that price an L2p is only $4 away, and has a supposedly more robust switch, it probably makes sense to get the L2p (has a less obnoxious bezel), but it's a slippery slope.
Having done both options, if you don't want to end up with a lot of mediocre flashlights, I don't recommend playing the DX lottery on drop-in/host combos. Then again, some people enjoy that. I've done it, and my experience is I had much more satisfaction when I had a better idea of what I was getting, mainly because I did indeed get a better item. The price of a good host + a good XM-L drop-in is going to cost you at least in the mid-20's USD[$], probably closer to 30 or more. At that point, other nice purpose-built XM-L lights come on the radar, but will generally be bigger, and not as upgradeable nor have as many options. Personally, I find anything larger than a P60 host unsuitable for carry 'out and about', and even then, a P60 host is only carryable if I have a jacket.
Don't confuse the 'lens' with the reflector. The "lens" is just a disk of glass (or sometimes clear plastic) which gets screwed down on the FRONT of the head, held in by that bezel ring (IMO an easy way to know a bad P60 host design is: no removable bezel). The actual reflector is pushed backward from the inside of the front of the head. The pill (brass piece which the driver, 'star' and emitter are affixed to) screws into the reflector, and the battery pushes against the spring on the pill. One bad thing about P60 style drop-ins IMO is that you need the reflector to be there, to hold the pill in place. So all pieces are necessary, including the head and reflector, for it to function. I don't like that, but oh well. Bigger flashlights like the C8 and Yezl Y6 have a pill which screws into the body, not the reflector, so the reflector (and sometimes even the head) aren't necessary to function, to get 'full flood' mode with a naked LED emitter.
But with the P60 host you can do interesting things like putting in the DX "optic" (which is actually a real lens) to make it zoom in (fixed) and project a very focused square beam of light for very long throw (not so useful, moreso just interesting/fun). They're also a decent compromise on size for 18650 cells, and of course by far the biggest plus is the modular design and numerous parts which have emerged around this phenomenon. So despite being fundamentally flawed by design, they're also an extremely compelling choice.
Yeah, I took off that sharp crenelated bezel of the L2 because I didn't want it ripping my pockets (and it will). Of course, the glass disk will not be held in at that point, so I had to take that out. It's also true that the glass does actually reduce the amount of light output (it all adds up), so to get maximum transmission, the ideal is no 'lens' at all. And yes the head will still hold back the reflector/drop-in, because there is something of a small fixed ring to hold the drop-in back, and in front of that is a little threading, where the "lens" gets dropped in, and the bezel screwed down into that threading. But if you have a host with a removable bezel, yeah, it doesn't need to be there to physically function. It just prevents dirt and lint (and supposedly water) from getting in.
But then, yes you need to worry about dirt getting onto the reflector, especially when you carry it around (in your pocket or pack). But for a long time, I only used them around the house, and they were stored "head down", which mostly kept dust and dirt out of them. Actually, on Orange Peel ("OP") reflectors, random dust doesn't show up very well. But when I got my Manafont drop-ins, which have very nice smooth reflectors, dust INSTANTLY showed on them--not in the beam pattern on a wall, never seen it make a tangible difference, but just aesthetically, looking at reflector. The reflectors/drop-ins are obviously made in a "clean room" and shipped in a baggie, so they're totally clean when you get them. I recommend putting it straight into your flashlight WITH the lens on, because I've never been able to clean them to the point where they looked as clean as when they arrived. Again, you don't need to be fanatical about the lint/dust--I think the real-world difference in lumens is miniscule if any... but bigger bits of dirt will be a distraction. The LED is pretty well protected by the big head and reflector, but of course anything in a bag or pocket with it could scratch the reflector or damage the LED dome. My biggest problem was pieces of dirt inside my coat pocket, where I had apparently put work gloves with bits of leaves, twigs and dirt, which got onto the reflector.
So now I keep the glass disc on, which (for me) necessitates a smooth bezel ring (supplemental purchase, $3 apiece at lighthound, cheaper [with a larger order] than ITC on Ebay who wants over $5 each/delivered). So I plunked down the $2.29/each for the 'anti-reflective' lens sold at Kaidomain due to the positive reviews (supposedly allows for a few extra lumens by reducing internal glare).. another supplemental purchase. And then my switch died (which I was going to upgrade anyway)... around 8 bucks for an alternative Solarforce tailcap, or to try your hand at DIY skills changing out internal switches. So, while all this kind of sucks, it does simultaneously point out the strength of this medium: replacement parts ARE available for this design, more than any other budget flashlight (next closest is the WF-500 and its variants, but significantly larger, based very loosely on the Mag Lite I think). With the Surefire 6P copies, spare heads, tubes, tailcaps and internal switches, all available INDIVIDUALLY, in a dizzying array of options (again, Solarforce is the strongest here).
With my less-used, less cared about lights which don't get 'carried' with me, and all have OP reflectors (I'm not a fan), yeah, I still remove the bezel and 'lens' (keeping the head and reflector on), and just store them face down. Either that, or I use the crenelated bezel on those to keep the lens in. I think that obnoxious Solarforce crenelated bezel should be an ADD-ON/option, not stock. It WOULD be perfect for some for defensive use, and IS well-made for that kind of purpose in comparison to some others (including being pretty sharp, not rounded-off)... it's just not ideal for general/"all the time" use. By the way, the fancy L2P does not come with anti-reflective glass. So you can see, you can quickly spend more on upgrades than primary lights. My recent lighthound order was almost $100, and aside from the $20 for my first L2P body, about 60% of the rest was accessories for my P60 hosts, which was shocking. Amazing how the Total Cost of Ownership piles up, if you get into it. And--if you're hanging around on here, you will.
I know are both new so probably nobody have already try this flashlight but i also know that sometimes experience can be more important than a direct test!
Do you think are both thrower or the are little bit balanced between throw and flood?
I need a light with a bright dot but also with good flood without using a flood-to-throw flashlight.
I'd probably get the KD light because the KD XM-L drop-ins have been pretty bright so far, but some of the DX drop-ins have been underdriven. You'll get a lot of flood out of both of these.
Spot on. I got my 501b today. No where near as bright as my XML from KD. Probably becase it has a much smaller head and is underdriven. It appears to be missing an o ring near the lens (it is) and is quite loose.
to make a twisty switch you need anodized(to don't make contacts) screws on body, afaik no way of use a twisty tailcap on 50x serie..maybe from the head btw is not worth xD
I have a WF-503B. It was originally bought as a 4xcr123a Xenon light before I discovered LED’s. I was wondering is this like the 501b only longer? The Xenon bulb used to seem really bright when I bought it but it absolutely ate batteries. Now that I am into LED’s and not incans I am wanting to purchase a good drop-in for it and possibly use it as a car light. I think I have read that some people do not recommend Li-on batteries for car flashlights so I could run the 4 primaries in it if needed. Just wondering if anybody has used this as a host.
I have a 502b, a 501a, and a C1, all from Manafont, and I dig all of them. A friend just got the new 504b and I really like it. First UF I’ve seen that tail stands, and it’s really nice quality. The most robust of the bunch are the 504 and the C1. The most fun is probably the 504a with a 18350 and a MF 3-mode XM-L because of the amount of light bursting from such a mini size.
That being said, I have effectively switched to SolarForce when I buy components for P60 anything anymore. WAY better quality and tons of accessories and options. I have the L2, L2M, and L2T, and will not be stopping there.
thread revival….
When I look up 504b’s on ebay etc…are all of them going to be that harsh cold tint….?
IS there a source where I can pick the tint on a sub $25 light…?
Thanks
Tony
Do you need a drop-in flashlight or is a normal flashlight also ok?
Take a look at this post: Fasttech - interesting new products - Flashlights, chargers, batteries and DIY and knives - please no discussions. flashlight number 3 (Convoy). If this is to small for you, click the link, use the drop down menu and choose the M2 (this is bigger - similar size as a 504. Another advantage: 2,8 Ampere linear driver, 2 groups of modes (low, mid, high and one group with 5 modes) and it cost under $23 with a XM-L T6 3C (neutral white) LED.
I have a silver Ultrafire WF-504B that has an intermittent tailcap/switch and would like to buy a replacement - but can only find the part in black. Can anyone suggest where to buy one - preferably in the USA, to avoid waiting for the coronavirus situation to settle down?
Thanks, Tex, I’ll save that Website. But I managed to liberate the switch from an unused junkbox C8 tailcap that had lost it’s rubber cover, and it’s working well in the 504B.
BTW, I graduated from Milby HS, long, long ago.
