[Review] Folomov 18650s

For consideration to be moved to the review forum*

Review copy was sent in by Folomov to me here in the Philippines, whom I thank for the confidence afforded to me.
Preface:
Folomov actually means, follow me to move on

This light is the newest line-up and sought after light from Folomov to date. It is very compact and has very dynamic range of options that it boasts 15 modes and functions depending on user preference. Folomov has definitely the consumer in mind when they designed this light.

Packaging:
It comes in a black and orange standard retail packaging with description on sides and some quick specs at the back.

Inclusions:
1 x Folomov 18650s Nichia 219D 15Modes 900Lumens LED Flashlight
1 x Micro USB rechargeable 18650 (2600mAh) 3.7V Li-ion
2 x spare o-ring
1 x Clip
1 x Lanyard

The battery is micro usb rechargeable

Quick Features:
-High transmittance glass
-Perfect parabola reflector
-Copper gold plating LED PCB and FR4 gold plating LED driver PCB
-Aero grade aluminum alloy with Type 3 military grade hard anodizing.
-Skid resistance pattern design
-Stainless steel clip
-Gold plated springs
-IPX-8 waterproof,Low voltage caution
-Short circuit protection
-Over-charge protection
-Over-discharge protection.
-Battery can be charge by micro USB cable
-InputC 5V, 1 Amps
-Utilizes Nichia 219D LED with a lifespan of 50,000 hours.
Max brightness:900 lumens
Other modes: 300 lumens(HIGH), 150 lumens(MED), 50 lumens(LOW), 10 lumens(ULTRALOW), 0.5 lumens(MOONLIGHT)
LED color temperature: 3000K,yellow light is more comfortable for eyes and pierces through the fog.
Max beam distance:167 meters
Max intensity:6940cd
Manufacturer Specifications:
Product name: Folomov 18650s Nichia 219D 15Modes 900Lumens LED Flashlight
Brand: Folomov
Model: 18650s
Emitter Type: Nichia 219D
Peak Beam Intensity: 6940CD
Range: 167m
Mode: Turbo, High, Medium, Low, Lowest, Moon, Strobe, SOS, Beacon
Lumens: 900LM, 300LM, 150LM, 50LM, 10LM, 0.5LM, 900LM, 900LM, 50LM
Runtime: 5H, 7H, 12H, 30H, 200H, 700H
Battery Configurations: 1x18650 Li-ion Battery(Included)
Switch Type: Clicky
Switch Location: Tail Switch
Material: Aluminum alloy
Impact Resistant: 1m
Waterproof: IPX8
Carrying Strap: Clip
Color: Black
Weight: 50g
Size: 99mm x 25.4mm
Warranty:
- 15 days free replacement for any manufacturing defects.
- 1 year free repair, from normal use
- limited lifetime warranty, will provide lifetime repair but will charge for parts.
- free warranty does not cover any damage or failure caused by:
a. normal wear
b. rough operation
c. battery leakage

Nicha 219D Led,Max 900 lumens,with one 2600mAh protected USB charging battery
15 Modes,include five brightness modes,strobe,SOS,beacon,moonlight,tactical modes,lock,memory and timing functions
Only 3.9 inch length,smallest size and lightweight,compact tactical flashlight
IPX-8 waterproof,can be resistant to under 2 meters water,it's very reliable outdoor
Hard anodizing,gold plating spring and perfect parabola reflector,it's high quality
Operation:
Normal modes and moonlight function
ON:
Option 1. Press and hold the tail switch for 0.5s to access to MOONLIGHT. Then press tail switch quickly to access to memorized mode.
Option 2. Quickly press the tail switch to access to a memorized mode.
When in the memorized mode, quicky press the tail switch to cycle ULTRALOW--LOW--MED--HIGH--TURBO--HIGH--MED--LOW--ULTRALOW.
Option 3.Double press the tail switch to access to a strobe mode,then double press to SOS,beacon to strobe circling.press once to memory illumination modes.
Option 4. Press and hold the tail switch while OFF to access instant MOONLIGHT
OFF:
Press tail switch for 0.5s to turn OFF the light.
Tactical mode and normal mode functions:
1. From ON or OFF, press tail switch twice to access to STROBE
2. When in STROBE mode, press tail switch twice to cycle STROBE ? SOS ? BEACON ? STROBE.
3. Press tail switch once to get back to the memorized illumination mode.
NOTES:
*Normal modes and tactical modes can be changed by quickly pressing the tail switch for 7 times to revise the modes. LED will flash for 6 times to indicate the mode has be revised.
*It does 2-3 mins on turbo before it steps down to 600 lumens depending on ambient temperature.

Lock, countdown timer and memory function:
1.Lockout function: Activate by turning the tail switch 1/4th counter clockwise to avoid accidental activation. When the light is OFF, quickly press the tail switch 3 times to access to electronic lockout mode,led will flash 3 times. When the tail switch is locked, press it 3 times unlock it, the LED will flash once to signal it unlocked.
2.Countdown timer function(Unavailable in tactical mode). When the light is ON, access to timer mode by quickly pressing the tail switch 3 times to start 3 mins countdown with led flashing once. Then if you press the tail switch again for 3 times, LED will flash twice (and so on). Countdown will increase to 6 mins. It can be 3-6-9-27-30 mins.
3.Memory function(Unavailable in tactical mode).

Form Factor:
This light is fits well in hand and has an ergonomic design for a tactical tail clicky light.
Head/Barrel:
The head is not removable and thus part of the barrel.

Beneath it is a gold plated contact for a button top cell, a flat top cell just won't make contact.

It has a deep smooth reflector with the emitter centered.

It has ample ribbed cooling fins on the head part and diamond knurling on the barrel which also is where the clip is.

On one side you can clearly read the brand, and on the opposite side is the model.

Tail:
The tail has the same knurling pattern as the barrel, it has a sturdy gold plated spring inside.

It houses the rubber boot with dotted pattern for grip, I must add that it has a nice crisp click to it with and audible sound to it.

It can tail stand pretty well and has two small holes for lanyard placement.

Beam shots:
LOWEST 10 Lumens

LOW 50 Lumens - tree at 150 feet away

MED 150 Lumens - tree at 150 feet away

HIGH 300 Lumens - tree at 150 feet away

TURBO 900 Lumens - tree at 150 feet away

Conclusion:
To sum up, I believe that the most important part of any review is if given the chance to purchase the same light for my own EDC, would I still purchase it?
For this light, it is a YES. Specially if you are looking for a budget friendly complete tactical light with complete functions.
Scrutinizing the light over throughout the review, I am hard pressed to find any flaws at this price point. If I were to nit-pick, it would be that it turns really hot on TURBO after the 2 minute mark that you can barely hold it, perhaps because I am located in a tropical country though.
Folomov continous to make interesting lights thus far, and I surely hope that they improve more on their lights for future releases, more powerful, more brighter and less hotter.
As with all gears, two is one and one is none.
Light on brothers!

Upon writing this review, Folomov is having a promo code on this light on Amazon at 30% off! here is the link -- https://www.amazon.com/promocode/AAFR5QN2PP86A

Video review (watch in HD, please hit the thumbs up and subscribe button

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I also have an 18650S.

My impressions:
(1) Excellent fit and finish.
(2) Very compact for an 18650 light with tailcap switch. Much shorter than a Convoy S2+, but not as short as some of the sideswitch lights such as the Emisar D4 or Zebralight SC64.
(3) Driver is in the tailcap and has an electronic switch.
(4) There is no driver board in the head. underneath the reflector is a copper star screwed into the shelf. A post soldered to the back of the star passes through a hole in the shelf and directly contacts the top of the cell. The star has 2 resistors on it, but it is possible to emitter swap.
(5) Smooth reflector gives a throwy beam profile.

What I liked:
(1) Compact size
(2) Great hand-feel
(3) tailcap e-switch - very unusual. The driver is in the tailcap, sorta like the Ultrafire UF10.
(4) decent selection of modes.
(5) Tactical mode
(6) throwy beam
(7) Feature-rich light for a relatively inexpensive price.

What I didn't like:
(1) No shortcut to turbo unless the light is in tactical mode. But in tactical mode the light cannot access lower modes. On the upside, switching in and out of tactical mode is easy.
(2) Nichia 219D - The emitter didn't seem to handle high current well. On a partially depleted cell the light worked fine. But fully-charge the cell that came with the light and it would only output max turbo for a couple seconds before the color blueshifted and output dropped to maybe 100 lumens. This problem did not occur with some higher resistance cells I used, or when I used the stock cell after it had been depleted to around 4v. The problem went away entirely when I emitter-swapped the 219D for an XPL HI.

What I am indifferent to:
(1) 3000K emitter color temp. As expected the light looks very orange. This is a matter of personal taste. I find such warm color is fine for outdoor use, but I prefer cooler color temps of 4000K-5000K for indoor use.
(2) Back of the body tube holding the tailcap has very few threads. It works fine though and feels secure.
(3) Front of battery touches post soldered onto back of star. This might be concerning for two reasons: (a) is too much heat going to translate direct to the battery? and (b) is mechanical shock from the battery and tailcap spring going to loosen the star?. I think it is probably ok though. The post appears to be made from plastic with an electrical connection through it so probably not too much heat should transfer from the star to the cell. Also, the star is held on with 2 screws plus pressure from the reflector, bezel and lens. I think it unlikely the light will suffer damage from repeated battery changes. I'm not so sure about dropping the light on its head though.... the momentum from the battery on contact with the ground might cause damage. I'm not planning on testing it though.

Overall conclusion: A well-built original design with an unusual internal layout. I quite like it apart from the lack of a shortcut to turbo in illumination mode. However, the problem of blue-shifting and dimming with the 219D, which some other owners have also reported, suggests that the choice of emitter may have resulted in a defective product at least for some owners.

Thanks for the great review.

I've had one for about 5 days and like pretty much everything about it, except the UI, especially the mode spacing, the compact size and the clip.

I'm searching for a similar sized and priced light with a more preferable UI.

Interesting. Just got mine today. The turbo mode is only warm for less than a second on mine, and then it turns blue-ish. All 4 of the other modes stay warm. I used an Orbtronic 3500..

I think I'll mostly use the 150/300 lumens modes the most.