Ultrafire WF-600

[scott.cr]

I bought a WF-500 from DX and think it's a great light. Cheap ($25), a little on the crude side, but bright and with the right 18650s has been a good and reliable light.

Once talk about the WF-600 surfaced (which I learned about here on CPF) I decided to pick one up, thinking it'd be a good/brighter companion to the '500.

WRONG!!!!!

According to the reports I've read here, the WF-600 uses a lamp that's not compatible with the '500 due to its larger size. Now I know the lights that come from DX haven't been very uniform, but the '600 I received is virtually identical to my '500 (they even interchange lamps), except the build quality has gone down, waayyyyyyyy

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First thing's first, immediately noticeable on my '600 was the reflector, which does not have a bright coating on it… the coating is yellowed and stained. Lamp not centered, and it's halfway covered in the epoxy that holds it to the PCB.

Aluminum parts are all very loose-fitting with lots of rough edges. The tube was also WAY oversized! Over 20mm I.D., and the 18650s rattle wildly. The tube wall is also very thin.

A word on output. My '500 draws about 2.5 amps on fresh LG 18650s. Same cells in the '600 and she only draws about 1.8 amps. On my Sper Scientific lux meter, the '500 would peg the readout (20,000 lux) and the '600 would read about 900 lux. However, the springs on the 600's lamp assembly appear to be gold plated.

The WF-600, or at least the one I received, is a great disappointment. Honestly, I'd have to say I'd take a stock Maglite instead if given the choice.

The '600 did, however, come with a forward clicky switch… interesting, but if you tighten the tail cap, the light turns on. In order for the clicky to work properly, the tail cap has to be loose. At this moment it doesn't much matter: The tail cap is now seized onto the light body. I think this one's going straight to the trash….

WF-500 (top) vs. WF-600 (bottom). The 600 is a little longer, and the head's outer diameter a little smaller.

Yellowed reflector of the WF-600 on the right. It looks yellower in person than it does in this photo.

I.D. of the WF-500 is just over 18mm... fits 18650s nicely...

WF-600 I.D. is over 20mm, this makes for a very sloppy fit with 18650s.

Gold-plated contact springs... nice touch, but a fat lot of good it does!!!

 

[limecc]

Could you state the part number of your purchase please? There are three versions of the WF600 on DX, I wonder if they are all this bad?

I was on the verge of buying one myself, but this has swung it for me to get another V68C. It's a bargain.

 

[Pumaman]

thanks for the heads up. i got a wf500 recently for $25 and its a great light for the price.

 

[scott.cr]

Could you state the part number of your purchase please?

LINK

 

[jrdhmmr]

...the '600 I received is virtually identical to my '500 (they even interchange lamps), except the build quality has gone down, waayyyyyyyy...

This doesn't appear to be consistent with any other reviews I've read of this light. I personally have the WF-600 Q5 version, and its is a well built light, especially for the money.

First thing's first, immediately noticeable on my '600 was the reflector, which does not have a bright coating on it… the coating is yellowed and stained.

Again, this isn't consistent with my findings at all. My WF-600 has a very nice, shiny, aluminum (I have heard many state that they have a plastic reflector, mine however is a thin aluminum) reflector.

Aluminum parts are all very loose-fitting with lots of rough edges. The tube was also WAY oversized! Over 20mm I.D., and the 18650s rattle wildly. The tube wall is also very thin.

Also, not really consistent with others findings. My 18650's fit snugly, with no movement. It isn't thin walled, and actually had a nice, solid, hefty feel to it. There are no rough edges, or loose fittings.

...the '600 would read about 900 lux. However, the springs on the 600's lamp assembly appear to be gold plated.

Can't speak for the bulbs, as I have a Q5 version, and haven't really paid much attention to the power readings on the standard bulb versions. The Q5 has lux outputs comparable to very high end, much more espensive lights. (Tiablo's & LumaPower's)

The WF-600, or at least the one I received, is a great disappointment. Honestly, I'd have to say I'd take a stock Maglite instead if given the choice.

Sounds to me like you received a very defective light. I'd say there might be some differences between the LED and standard bulb light, but everything I've read seems to shows it to be the same housing.

The '600 did, however, come with a forward clicky switch… interesting, but if you tighten the tail cap, the light turns on. In order for the clicky to work properly, the tail cap has to be loose. At this moment it doesn't much matter: The tail cap is now seized onto the light body. I think this one's going straight to the trash….

Another finding that isn't the case with mine.

Sorry to hear that you received such a bad one. I can see in your pictures what you were saying about the yellowish tinting on the reflector, and the lens appears to be a bit foggy too. However, I don't think your findings are the norm.

The only issue I had with my WF-600, is that its supposed to be 2 mode, and for some reason is not. I'm waiting for a response from DX on my ticket. Seems that I am not the only person who has had this issue.

Oh, one other thing, I completely overlooked that yours is the "UltraFire" branded, whereas mine is the "Aurora" branded. I would think, though, that they should still be manufactured by the same people & should not be so vastly different.

 

[Isthereanybodyoutthere]

You dont have to trash it ,,just send it to me then i mod it ehhh i mean put it in the trash can for you