4sevens Quark Mini AA initial impressions

Not overly impressed I'm afraid:

The bad:
Very yellow/green beam
Small chips in anodising at base of head
No lube and o-ring split (not right through, just 'nicked')
Flickered badly at first until I cleaned contacts
Anodising feels cheap and too 'glossy' (compared to Nitecore anyway)
Packaging not as nice as seen on reviews on this forum - just usual clear plastic insert in box (box with flaps, not lid as I expected).

The good:
Well it was cheap(ish) compared to Fenix and Nitecore.

It works ok and the annoying thing is that these are not really big enough issues to warrant the hassle of returning it.

Just disappointed that it has not lived up to the hype!

Update.

Just replaced battery and found it hard to screw head back on. Looked closely through magnifier and the O ring is getting trapped between the body and head and slivers of rubber are getting sheared off. That's enough. It's going back for refund. No more 4Sevens for me!

Well, i'm bummed that you got a lemon. CS will take care of you though.

Yeah, sorry to sound negative but there are just TOO many things wrong with this light. I would have accepted one or two issues - even the greenish tint! but the problem with the O ring is too much of a worry. It's as though it is too big and seems to get squashed when screwing the head down. (The spare O ring is the same size though). I think it would shred the rings at an alarming rate so it's got to go back. I have been in touch with the seller and he seems reasonable enough about a refund so no complaints there. It's a shame 'cos it is a great size and weight for me and the 3 levels are just about perfect, as is the beam pattern. But I'm wary that if 4sevens QC has let this one through any replacement might be just as bad.

bad products slip through every company, writing off an entire company due to a single bad experience I always found a bit...premature

I agree completely and there are a lot of very satisfied 4Sevens customers out there, that's why I took their advice and bought the Mini AA. This was just a bad experience for me, not just one or two minor faults (which I would have lived with), but this was a light which never should have passed QC - the dings on the head were visible as soon as I opened the box. There is a saying 'once bitten twice shy', but having said that, this light did fit the bill in so many ways that I might venture back into the world of 4Sevens one day when I feel a bit less bitter about my experience....

Sounds like you got a lemon.
Have had different mini aa's for a long time with no problems.
The anodising will chip here and there, but not that mutch. At first i got worried about the ano, but it stopped loosing ano after some use and it still looks pretty nice today. (I guess there was some bad spots that got knocked off pretty quick). The ano on my mini holds up better overall than my early nitecore d10. The d10 looked amazing at first, but after some pocket use, it got a worn look.

I liked the green packaging, all came in a heavy duty zipbag. It's actually the only "boxing" i have kept from any light, nice for storing spare o-rings and boots :tinfoil: I dident even keep the luxury wooden box that my liteflux lf2xt came in.

I think of the mini as a tiny lightweight beater that will (if you accept loosing all warranty) be a real pocket rocket when feeded 3,7V rcr:devil: Tint gets better with rcr 14500 too.
I was not that impressed with the mini at first (other than the still impressive size/output ratio on 3,7v). But it grew on me as it survived my abuse, and now im a bit impressed by the the mini series.

When it starts acting up on me, I just clean it, and all is good. Common twisty issue.:nana:

Oh, and I forgot to mention the dirty LED! But only a bit on the side so I would class that as a 'minor' fault. But 4 faults on a brand new light? What are the chances of that happening? (leaving aside the packaging and the glossy Dulux black paintwork but I admit that I was just being picky). I still felt a bit sad packing it all up tonight to return it though :-(

That beam pattern was lovely even if it was green.

flasherByNight said:

bad products slip through every company, writing off an entire company due to a single bad experience I always found a bit...premature

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flasher, I'm new here but a long time flashlight fan. Been lurking and reading a lot here and on other sites. While I don't wish to disagree with your response, in my searches regarding Quark lights it does seem like there've been more frequent reportings of QC problems. This has me worried as I myself have been planning to buy two 4sevens lights. Based on what I've read the recent comments seem to all be very similar - different/oversized O-rings that shred quickly, variable thread machining quality, finish issues. I hadn't seen as many observations about these things in the older postings by Quark buyers / enthusiasts.

Let me be very clear in saying I do not wish to start any kind of Quark bashing - I've concluded that funtionally they seem to offer the best options for me! But I do wish someone from 4sevens would offer perhaps some response to these recent reports.

I have the Quark Mini AA Ti version, and it's a favorite of mine. Always in my pocket. Great light. I have other 4/7's lights as well, and have had no issues with any of them. Sounds like you have experienced that odd ball clunker that invariably slips through QC. Others have had them as well, and from EVERY manufacturer. It happens. Sorry for your luck, and it's good that the seller has offered you a refund. Maybe just exchange it for another, and ask them if they would mind "inspecting" your replacement before shipping it out to you. Send them a note explaining the issues you have with that light, and ask them to make sure the new one doesn't have them. They should be able to do that in just a few seconds. Centered emitter, lube, tint, properly fitted o-ring, etc. I think if you get a "good" sample, you'll really enjoy the Mini AA. Good luck if you choose a replacement, and let us know how it works out.

tony22 said:

Based on what I've read the recent comments seem to all be very similar - different/oversized O-rings that shred quickly, variable thread machining quality, finish issues.

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Too crazy to think that multiple buyers could have received that very same example, after others have sent it back consecutively? Don't return it again davecroft, end this cycle now! Take one for the team.

leon2245 said:

Too crazy to think that multiple buyers could have received that very same example, after others have sent it back consecutively? Don't return it again davecroft, end this cycle now! Take one for the team.

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LOL!!! That's what was rolling in my mind when I was reading this thread.

davecroft said:

Oh, and I forgot to mention the dirty LED! But only a bit on the side so I would class that as a 'minor' fault. But 4 faults on a brand new light? What are the chances of that happening? (leaving aside the packaging and the glossy Dulux black paintwork but I admit that I was just being picky). I still felt a bit sad packing it all up tonight to return it though :-(

That beam pattern was lovely even if it was green.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you're talking about, but if it's the dust in the lens and stuff, it's been common in my experience, and not necessarily with just 4Sevens lights. Most lights typically aren't built in clean rooms, so dust levels can vary. It also doesn't affect the beam or function of the light.

There was a grey-ish smear along the edge of the dome of the LED, looked a bit like glue? There was no dust in there and I can't say I have noticed dust or debris in the reflector or on the LED of any of my other lights.

I thought that like other electronic equipment they were manufactured in a fairly clean environment (at least as far as staff wearing overalls, overshoes and covering hair during assembly, and possibly also in a room with a filtered air supply) so wouldn't expect there to be much dust around.

If they are built in a workshop type environment with no measures taken against dirt and dust I am surprised that we don't get a lot more problems with quality control.