Ultrafire Flashlight

[gcbryan]

It's quite simple really:
-Rule #1 of business is "Profits over People"
-Guideline #1 of buying any kind of product is "You get what you pay for."

Rule #1 means that there is no business that would make a quality product for a ridiculously cheap price, not unless they're suicidal. The price can be "competitive" meaning that a few others might be cheaper, but a good rule of thumb is to always suspect the cheapest or "best" deal.

Guideline #1 essentially means Quid Pro Quo. If you want something you'll need to give something of equal value. I say "guideline" because it's not an absolute rule. There will be companies who severely overcharge you for poor quality products(thus, pointing back to Rule #1) in order to increase their profit margin. Excellent example would be when I spent $300 on a Coldsteel knife when I found out the obvious design flaws(almost too heavy for pocket-carry, blade wouldn't always open and on one occasion dropped back down on my finger). I found that a much cheaper Emerson knife at $130 was a much more practical and efficient design(opened smoothly every single time, lightweight, durable, excellent grip). So price isn't always everything.

With Rule #1 and Guideline #1, you can simply make a blanket statement that Ultrafire is guaranteed to be of bad quality simply by virtue of the price.

Do you just make this stuff up as you go along? This is pure nonsense.

 

[Canon Photo]

Hi, I would like to first thank all of you guys for taking your time participating in this thread. To enrich me with knowledge for my flashlight purchase.


Actually I'm seeking for actually "Ultrafire" user... who can pinpoint what fault the flashlight have? Maybe can be more specific like xx model, got xx problem...etc


Heard a friend say, 'Ultrafire' huh? It's rubbish flashlight! I ask why? He just say the feel, the finish, the appearance can't be compare to high end one. Of course I understand it. I continue to ask what's wrong with 'Ultrafire', he can't say a fault out.


Hope some users here can discuss your unhappiness with 'ultrafire? Some say unreliable... How/ Why? Thanks.



cheers,
Canon

 

[Ian2381]

Mostly due to inconsistencies, one is brighter than the other(same model) and not all will work perfectly. Somewhat like a lottery.
Others says durability, one drop and its dead or will not work the same way.:shrug:

 

[andyw513]

I cannot cempletely agree with Ultrafire being total junk. My WF-008 thrower is an awesome pocket-sized addition for camping, etc. Also, the 502B host is perfect for my UV drop-in, both of which have never failed me yet. I have, however, purchased a single AA A2 for pocket carry and it only works on certain occasions, meaning only when I hit it the right way (connection problem.)

So, I can kinda see why it is, in some ways, a lottery for purchasers. I'd keep a rabbit foot in one hand if I planned on getting a light that i would need to rely on 100%.

 

[kramer5150]

Hope some users here can discuss your unhappiness with 'ultrafire? Some say unreliable... How/ Why? Thanks.


cheers,
Canon

Certainly... I will post some detailed pics tonight, showing the Ultrafire C2 switch repair I did... and why its an inferior switch design.

As for the 503B, its a perfectly serviceable P60 host... heres why:

Good type II finish, good knurl quality, body tube diameter is bigger than 1". The bigger OD results in thicker walls than an 18650 modded surefire or solarforce (for example). Thicker walls (in theory) result in more heatsinking mass and increased heft and mass in the hand.

Sillicone boot, smooth rev-clicky, water-splash tight switch boot

Glass window, removable plastic trim ring, easily replaced with UCL

Good quality switch-cap machining and threads. Firm spring that does not wobble.

Silicone O-rings throughout body tube.

Good quality machining. On-par with fenix and eagletac, step above Romisen. Deep shoulder area that completely cradles the P60 module to maximize thermal conduction.

My only complaint is that the O-ring gasket at the front window is too big.

I am not a fan one way or another of this light... I am merely reporting what I see. I have owned, sold, handled, used enough lights to make (what I feel is) an accurate assessment.

 

[Canon Photo]

Thank you bro "kramer5150" for your detail report with excellent photos. Think it's a positive report. :twothumbs


Any negetive reports from Ultrafire user? I dun believe cheap equal bad. I'm not looking for hearsay report like '...oh my fren say Ultrafire xxxxx '. Hope fellow user can point out why/ how Ultrafire is bad?



Thanks once again,
Canon

 

[kosPap]

......unfortunately the build quality stinks. My experience with any of the clone-fire lights specifically from DX has been a 50% DOA rate....QUOTE]

I almost agree with this. I never had aproblem with the electronics and the LED bins.....infact I made measurements oif that silver light (the C2) driver and efficiency was 80% on par with dereelight drivers....

indeed machining and fitmwent of poarts sucks....

The Romisen on the other hand are exactly the opoosite concerning construction. LED and electronics....

 

[miphz]

nice, i love budget flashlight ... :huh:

 

[Monocrom]

Here's a scenario that plays out often on these boards:

New member asks for flashlight recommendation. Despite often getting several good recommendations for quality lights at reasonable amounts, they end up going with Ultrafire anyway. Obviously, due to the cheap as Hell price-tag. Light works for about a month or so. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes less. Cheap light = cheap quality. When it dies on him, new guy makes a new topic on CPF . . .

"Why did my light fail?"

Wonder what that topic is going to be about. Sometimes it's not about an Ultrafire, but often; it is. What can you say as advice after that? "Don't waste your money on a company that has earned a reputation for turning out crap."

Some veteran members don't want to state the obvious. (Sometimes you tell the truth, folks think you're an ***.) Some, including even our generally patient moderators, are just sick of seeing those same topics over and over again. Then the new member is not only out the money he spent on the light that crapped out on him, but now has to spend more money to get a good quality light. So in the end, he spent even more money than he would have if he hadn't have looked only at the price-tag.

 

[LEDninja]

The click switch of an European member's Ultrafire torch died. I was not using mine *** so I mailed it off to him. That one was dead in 2 weeks.

***I am using the Ultrafire head with a Civictor twisty body.

 

[CPFBiology]

In the flashlight world, for the most part, you get what you pay for. So that if you pay more money, you should get a better quality, and more reliable light. It is very rare that if you were to put in big money that you would receive an ineffective and unreliable light. It is far more likely that if you purchased a cheap and inexpensive flashlight that your light has a high chance of not working well, or even at all.

I want you to know that I am a unique user, my user ID does not belong to anyone else and I don't work for any flashlight company, so my interests are not influenced by any group or company. I have personally purchased cheapy flashlights from DealExtreme. I want to be as objective as possible. DealExtreme was quick to ship, their shipping and packaging were acceptable, but decent. Their products actually looked nice. On the surface, the craftsmanship looked okay. When the lights were used however, things were a lot worse. For my uses at least, the flashlight MUST work. I may get into situations in the dark where things will become uncomfortable, and possibly dangerous if my lights fail me. Along those lines, I carry backups, now at least, not a few years back. However, I don't want my primary light to fail me, and have to use the backup. They are there only if absolutely necessary, and should not be used because the primary light breaks down easily because of the construction, poor wiring, poor soldering and bad build quality. It should only fail if the battery was out of electricity, or if the light suffered enough physical blows or physical destruction. With that, most of my lights now can suffer heavy blows, drops and crashes and will still keep working.

My Deal Extreme lights don't work. They failed me when I needed them to get out of dark places. I don't want to seem like I am bad mouthing the company or their products, I am one person after all. I just want you to know that in light of my experiences, I won't ever purchase products from Deal Extreme again. I also will shy away completely from Ultrafire. I own an Ultrafire charger which I will be replacing. I have owned 4 or 5 flashlights from Deal Extreme including an Ultrafire flashlight. The other 4 flashlights don't work anymore, and stopped working soon after I bought them. The Ultrafire is a 2AA Cree flashlight, and it will work for 20 minutes, then shut off and won't work after that. If you do end up purchasing an Ultrafire or some other knock-off from Deal Extreme, I recommend you have a decent backup, such as a selection from a more reputable Chinese company such as Fenix, or Jetbeam, or something from Surefire or HDS. The lights I currently have are from these four companies, as well as a dropin from Malkoff Devices. If you are looking for a flashlight that will be reliable and will keep you and your family safe, I recommend putting aside a little more money and getting something good. It is better that way, than to spend your money buying junk after junk from those nonreputable sources just to save a few bucks. Sorry for the rant, but most CPFers will agree that it is important to watch out for one another, even indirectly by recommending a higher quality light.

 

[Frankiarmz]

I have had some fun ordering from DX, I have also enjoyed most of the flashlights such as my EDC ultrafire A1. That said, the differences between ultrafire and brand name products such as Olight and Tiablo for example are many. I have very few complaints with the A1, but some of the common problems with the other DX lights are off centered emmiters, poorly finished threads, cheap unreliable clicky switches. I think the best teacher is experience, so buy a good flashlight for your first purchase then buy an ultrafire from DX. A Saturn SC2 is a two door car, so is a Mercedes SL600, there are clear differences!

 

[CarpentryHero]

Not that my opinion is needed as most of the bases are covered but here's my two cents;
Ultrafire chargers are typically really well made, most of there lights are clones of better lights and work at the same quality of lights of that price work here, they might be brighter than that Dorcy at Walmart but it'll fail around the same time as it and for similar reasons. Some ultrafire lights are clones of clones but as long as you read reviews you should be able to avoid those.
A budget light is fine for the house or car but don't put your life in the hands of cheep electronics. Saying that, buy one if you want take it out for fun and games but bring a back up, there are reliable non bankbreakers out there. ;)