Surefire Fury DF - FIXED unit ramps 'way down' then back up (to avoid LED burn up?)

[rrego]

Hi all,

I sent into Surefire a Fury DF (single mode) to get it fixed for the burned up LED.

I got it back today (took 2 months as they mentioned) but it came back a different 🤨 light.

When I originally picked up the light, it hadn't been out long and after a while it burned up the LED as others had experienced.

I sat on it for years while Covid blew over (wasn't a priority - have many other lights).

Ok, so... I got it back today, popped in the Surefire 18650 and turned it on. I wanted to see if it would function as originally with a drastic stepdown (ramp down) and it did, but with a very strange twist! I'll have to time it when I get a chance, but, it started to ramp down as expected, but it went so low that I thought there was a problem. It ramped so low that I thought protection was going to kick in and shut off.

I kid you not, but it gets to I would estimate about 200 lumens (I'd say lower than my 320 lumens 6PX, G2X lights). It is very strange. It'll hover at that low output for a bit then slowly ramp up to about where it would settle before, which appears to me about 500~600 lumens. When I turn on a Fury Defender next to when the Fury DF settles, they're about the same.

I was kind of bummed 😒 What if I need to use light for something important and I'm obviously using the DF because it's bright, but during that low lumen ramp down, it would be nice for it to at least stabilize at the 500 lumen range (seems to me it drops output too much in that timeframe). I remember people saying when these came out "it's not really a 1500 lumen light, but a 500/600 lumen light - should've been straight forward and say the 1500 was more a short burst mode and not designate it as a '1500 lumen light' ", which I agree with.

This is very strange! I can only figure they updated the performance to avoid future returns of the dreaded burned up LED.

 

[rrego]

Fury DF LED before & after

 

[rrego]

I also sent in (same RMA) a Fury Defender for a burned LED.

Here is the LED before and after.
*The fixed unit has an updated XML (looks similar to my 2nd Gen Fury Intellibeam LED with silver plate - first LED had the green plate).

 

[aznsx]

(if I'm understanding your description correctly...)

'Just when I think I've heard it all, ............'.

I can't find a little .gif of someone shaking their head back and forth in disbelief, or I'd insert it here.

If you think what you're seeing is very strange, or if the outcome seems very unsatisfactory to you, I think you're justified on both counts. I agree.

Unfortunately when I think of scenarios which would possibly account for or explain what you're seeing, none of them ends well.

I'm very sorry / disappointed to hear this, and equally amazed.

 

[rrego]

Thanks for reading aznsx. Well put! I do feel very disappointed and amazed as well (obviously in a bad way).

When this light first came out, I think people were stoked on it due to high lumen performance, but it was not executed well. Then users started having LEDs burn and also disappointment with the drastic stepdown which essentially made it like the previous Fury but with a short burst mode. In actuality, I just prefer the 1st and 2nd gen Furys I have as THEY JUST WORK and there is not a fake "high/extreme lumen claim". Just pop in a 16650 and go!

This Fury DF, to me, is a big fail. Surefire wanted to compete in the lumens race and this light is a total flop. I wonder how the Fury Intellibeam DF performed? Hopefully better than this single mode.

Just to give a bit more info, after I had checked the performance of the light on the Surefire 18650 battery, I also tried with a Panasonic 18650GA unprotected button top 10 amp battery. Same result.

I am not even going to contact Surefire about this light as they'll most likely just say that that is the update made to avoid LEDs burning up, but that is not satisfactory. What is the use of having this very bright light, just for it to ramp down extremely low (I'll provide a bit more info), hover there, and then ramp back up where it finally settles at an acceptable output. The time that it hovers at extremely low, defeats the purpose of needing a bright light.

UPDATE: I was pretty pissed about the initial performance, I repeated a couple more times to check how low the output got. What I did was I get one of my G2X lights and set it next to the Fury DF. I put the G2X on low, pointing at a whitewall. Then I placed the Fury DF next to it and turned it on. So it did its thing, started very bright and shortly after started the rampdown, and while now having a G2X on low, I had a reference. I kid you not, during the peak of the rampdown, the damn Fury DF ramped down so low, to just not that much brighter than the low mode of the G2X!!! What the ....?

@#$% Super disappointing! This light is basically on par with the 320 lumen X lights (6PX, G2X).

This light will be very seldom used if at all. And if I do use it, it'll be for the first minute or so I guess when it is still very bright and I'll completely avoid the extreme low stepdown.

This sucks big time!

 

[Roger999]

I sent in my 3rd SF Fury DFT for the burnt out LED in December and just told them if I could replace it with the new EDC2DFT instead given the lower output which should prevent overheating since each replacement Fury DFT lasted me less than 3 months before burning out (still waiting for the EDC2DFT five months later), might be an option for you.

 

[rrego]

I sent in my 3rd SF Fury DFT for the burnt out LED in December and just told them if I could replace it with the new EDC2DFT instead given the lower output which should prevent overheating since each replacement Fury DFT lasted me less than 3 months before burning out (still waiting for the EDC2DFT five months later), might be an option for you.

Thanks Roger999!

That sounds like a good idea (to use it and burn out the LED again 😆), however, due to this stupid extremely low ramp down, I highly doubt it'll burn out again 😒

I actually thought about asking for the single cell new light, but thought "they'll deny that request since they are new models". And yes, I do agree with you, they (new models) shouldn't burn the LED since they are less lumens.

I actually would've been fine if they replaced it with a EDCL1-T. I'M SURE that single cell light outperforms this light 😡.

I think I read your previous post/experience. Were you the member that got a new in package replacement initially (or everytime)? When I initially talked to the SF rep he said I'd get a straight new in package replacement, but they "fixed" my light instead. I wouldn't care about it being fixed IF it performed as before. I just didn't want it to burn up another LED. Is that too much to ask!? I guess it is, from this light.

I hope it burns up again 😆 at this point, maybe I can get a NIP one next time 😬

 

[hamhanded]

I may never understand why surefire chose to cave and compete in the lumen wars yet do so with a decade+ old emitter

 

[rrego]

I may never understand why surefire chose to cave and compete in the lumen wars yet do so with a decade+ old emitter

Agree

 

[desert.snake]

It seems that they burn out because the aluminum board, if put copper with a direct thermal path, like the Convoy, then they would work well

 

[defloyd77]

I'd just shoot them a message telling them how you're unhappy with the performance of your light, that such light behavior is unacceptable for your usage, etc. and see what they say.

 

[mebiuspower]

One of my Fury DF is also at Surefire being RMA'd for burnt out LED.

 

[aznsx]

Sorry to hear this man. I know you ain't happy:-(

The more I read, the more I'm starting to wonder (from my perspective on the other side of the fence).....'How the H did this product ever make it through Product Test??'