# Microfire Warrior 10W HID



## Kiessling (Sep 10, 2005)

*Microfire Warrior 10W HID - 4xCR123 Version*



It finally arrived at my door, and here are my observations and thoughts. I am comparing this light quite often to the SF M6 (HOLA) because of the striking similarities in form factor and brightness claims that might lead to the thought of possibly similar uses.


















*Construction*



The Warrior is machined from aluminium and sports a HAIII black finish. The machining is quite good with only a few sharp edges and some minor bare spots in the anodise, but nothing really disturbing. The overall quality is still less than the SF … the tolerances are a bit looser, the finish a bit less perfect, the window isn’t Pyrex and I am not so sure if the o-rings engage with just the right amount of pressure like with the SF light.



The huge number of joints and seals in this light is noteworthy





First, you can take off the “tactical tailcap” to access the battery compartment …










… and after taking out the 4xCR123 it will look like this:










Then, the whole battery carrier can be taken off and replaced with a Li-Ion tail (would be the Warrior 500R then), exposing this view:










The contacts don’t seem to be silver or gold or anything special.



On the top end the bezel can be screwed in and out to change the beam focus. This action is rather loose, but stops at both “ends” of the way. A very cool feature is the presence of a small ring just below the bezel that can be screwed against said bezel to lock it in place to avoid accidental de-focusing







The reflector is metal with a small band of stipples in the middle. Upon delivery there was some metal debris still in there which interacted with the bulb when focusing the light … not good



:










It was cleaned easily though and exposed the bulb that looks like a WA Solarc Mini-HID bulb, but the vendor (Pacific Tactical Solutions) couldn’t confirm this.










Here’s a size comparison with the SF M6:










In the end the build quality is good but not superb.





*Ergonomics:*



The light isn’t too heavy (about 500g) or too long, but it is relatively fat. As it offers good grip though handling is still possible in tactical grip without any serious problems. Although I have doubts that gentle female hands will be able to hold it as comfortably as I can do.

The switch is a (non-reverse) clicky with a momentary function. For my taste it is a bit too sensitive (think VitalGear VB1), but it works as intended. Unfortunately it protrudes a bit too much so that the tailstand is wobbly but still possible. Changing batteries can be a bit of a challenge as the battery compartment doesn’t have separate chambers for each battery but only milled grooves to keep them in place so that they tend to fall around in there until you finally manage to put the fourth CR123 in … 

Focusing and blocking the focusing mechanism as well as changing battery packs is a piece of cake. Although you must pay attention not to accidentally unscrew another part than the intended one … as I said … it has a lot of moving parts. I did not attempt to remove the bulb as I don’t have a spare should I break it.

The lip of the bezel has some scallops so that it can easily be seen should you have left your light burning while face down.

Due to the wide head and fat body carrying this light is more difficult than the SF M6. It offers lanyard attachment possibilities at the tailcap and obviously no clip.





*Function:*



Beam quality. Yeah. See for yourself:








Focused








De-focused








less exposure.



Not pretty



… call it “funky”

There is much room for improvement IMHO. So … ok … it isn’t pretty you ask … but is it bright? Here’s a shot vs. the SF M6 HOLA that has a rated output of the light of min 500lm whereas the Warrior uses a 10W HID where the bulb is rated at 500lm:










SF M6 HOLA 22100 lux

Warrior 43400 lux



Ah ! The Warrior has a significantly tighter hotspot than the M6 and a much bigger and less brighter corona. Upon testing them both outside it is easily remarkable that the Warrior throws much better than the M6 but has not nearly the coverage of terrain that the M6 can offer. And the corona doesn’t throw far whereas you can use the tighter corona of the M6 in medium distances quite efficiently.








Warrior at 12m








SF M6 HOLA at 12m



Both pics are a bit underexposed and do not reflect the coronas properly. They are however with the exact same camera settings to ensure at least a certain comparability for those two samples of the lights in question.



I guesstimate that the Warrior has less than 500lm (duh!), but I personally think the performance is very acceptable brightness-wise, especially if it is throw you are after. There it excels. 

The big plus here is a runtime of 60min (manufacturers claims) on 4xCR123 compared to 20min on 6xCR123 with the SF M6.



Like every HID it need some time to warm up … approx. 8-10 seconds. Color temp is cool-white with some reddish and yellowish color hues here and there, but not unacceptable. There’s better out there though. Hot re-strike is working.



The light will get warm but not too hot to hold.





*Other points*



The instructions are insufficient, there isn’t even explained how to change the bulb. No pics there either, and words can be confusing when you want to describe how to turn and hold and screw together and apart the various parts of the thing.

Further more, the claimed specs of the instruction sheet differ from those at the web-site, for example it says 12W whereas the site says 10W … or “spashproof” vs. 3m waterproof …

Then there's the warranty ... or lack thereof. It is just noted in the isntructions that Microfire won't offer a lifetime-warranty and won't handle warranty claims and that those shall be done via the dealer.




*CONCLUSIONS:*



*Pros:*

- rather good overall quality

- monster throw

- “lock” for the focusing mechanism

- choice between primary and Li-Ion cells

- hot re-strike and signaling possible

- tailstand ability (albeit wobbly)



*Cons:*

- bad beam quality, especially when de-focused

- metal debris in the reflector 

- questionable o-ring engagement (subjective point - not tested)

- insufficient instructions (changing bulbs?)

- no apparent warranty

- specs of the instructions differ from those on the web-site

- changing batteries might be a bit difficult “in the field”





In the end … the Warrior is a solid small HID light that is certainly not king of the hill but no loser either. It can offer very good throw and runtime and use with primary cells, but suffers from bad beam quality and some other minor issues.

bernie


UPDATE: 
I was informed that my reflector was a faulty one and should in fact have dimples like the pic below:




I'll receive the correct one and will keep you updated on the improvements of the beam ...

_*for improved reflector see post #39 in this theater ...*_


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## jeffb (Sep 10, 2005)

Very Good review!! :goodjob:

I was very interested in this HID, due to size....................

guess I'lll keep the M6.

Thanks for the good pictures, comparisons and review.

jeffb


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## lotsalumens (Sep 10, 2005)

Great review, thanks very much!


cfb


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## Haesslich (Sep 10, 2005)

How much did this cost again?


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## Vee3 (Sep 10, 2005)

*Anodized???*

Hmmm....

That be the strangest looking anodizing I've ever seen. Looks like paint (Maybe it's just the pictures that make it look that way).


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## Lunal_Tic (Sep 11, 2005)

*Re: Anodized???*

Did you notice if the hole in the reflector is centered? I've noticed that several of my Chinese "tactical" lights are off center. My first Dragon was as are my WE M100Xs.

-LT


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## AW (Sep 11, 2005)

Very nice review. I have a Microfire Warrior K500R on order and I know what to expect now. Thanks!


AW


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## Kiessling (Sep 11, 2005)

Haesslich ... it was $320 minus 10$ CPF discount plus $25 intl. shipping.

Vee3 ... yepp. It does not feel like any other anodise I have. But as I am no expert here I'll just believe what is written ... HAIII. Just in case it should flake off tomorrow I'll let you know.

Lunal_Tic ... the hole is so small that the bulb just fits ... no room to be off-center here.

Thanx for the kind words, guys 

bernie


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## Kiessling (Sep 12, 2005)

UPDATE:

Mike (Pacific Tactical Solutions, the vendor) has informed me that the reflector supplied in this light was a faulty one. The real one should sport the dimples like this pic:






I'll get a new one and keep you all updated on the improvement of the beam.

bernie


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## McGizmo (Sep 12, 2005)

Great review Bernhard! :thumbsup:


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## nemul (Sep 12, 2005)

make sure to take new shots with the new reflector


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## Kiessling (Sep 12, 2005)

I will definitely! 
Once I get it, that is ...

Upon depletion of the batteries the ballast starts to make a funny irregular buzzing noise and then the light starts flickering and finally shuts down completely. At that point there sin't much juice left in the batteries, they barely light up a McLuxIII-PD on high for a few seconds, if at all. It is nice to have a little warning before the light shuts off.
However the brightness seems to diminish slightly over the runtime which might indicate that the ballast isn't regulated. But as I know strictly nothing about this electronic stuff I'll end my speculation here  

Don, thanx  ... and :nana:

bernie


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## lotsalumens (Sep 12, 2005)

The new stippled reflector should help the beam a fair amount. It looks identical to the reflector in the Dragon which has a decent beam. 

I wish some of these manufacturers would stipple their reflectors even more to achieve a smoother surefire-like beam.



cfb


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## Paul_in_Maryland (Sep 12, 2005)

Regarding the poor instructions: In the instructions for their 2, 3, and 4-cell conventional torches, Microfire (like Wolf Eyes) instructs us to mount the cells with "the anode" facing the tail cap.

I ask you, how many laymen will understand that _anode_ means the positive end?


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## CbusRog (Sep 12, 2005)

Thanks for the review. I've been watching this light on Ebay, and darn near bid on that latest offereing. Decided to hold off until I at least read a review. I did however e-mail PTS with some questions, and received a prompt reply, as follows:

Removed. When a moderator asks you to edit, please do so. Do *not* clutter the thread with asking why, but take it to PM or email.
Thank you.
[email protected]

I think however, I'll hold off on purchasing a Warrior until their support system is in place (replacement bulbs, service, etc.) I do like the concept though: Compact, reasonble light, non-proprietary battery option, user-focused beam. The price does seem a little steep ($279 Ebay) for a 10W HID when 24W HID's of similar build can be had for not much more. May the market prevail.


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## jmy808 (Sep 13, 2005)

GREAT review bernie,
It helps me in my decision, I have a couple of bucks in my cigar box saved but will wait awhile to see what else comes down the pipe.
Regards,
Jay


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## K-T (Sep 13, 2005)

Excellent review! :thumbsup: Seems to be a nice light. 

From your picture it looks like a WA ballast and bulb.


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## Kiessling (Sep 13, 2005)

CBusRog ... it isn't allowed to post private e-mail content on CPF without the ok from the "other party". Please remove the quote and jsut describe the content or get the permission from Mike. Thanx 
And yes, it is not cheap, but the advantage are the CR123 battery options and the size of the light. If the beam gets better with the new reflector I'll be a happy camper 

jmi808, K-T ... thanx!

And yepp, WA bulb I think, too, judging from the look and the fact that there seems to be only one 10W HID bulb around.

bernie


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## Kiessling (Sep 13, 2005)

Mike told me he inquired at the manufacturer in China about the HA question ... He said the finishing of MF is something between type-II and type-III, the thickness is about 25-30 micron. There apparently isn't an established standard about those procedures in China, whatever that shall mean. Probably means more type II than III 
But I am glad that it seems to be anodised and not painted, although I still think it looks like no anodise I have ever seen.
bernie


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## bfg9000 (Sep 13, 2005)

Kiessling said:


> It was cleaned easily though and exposed the bulb that looks like a WA Solarc Mini-HID bulb, but the vendor (Pacific Tactical Solutions) couldn’t confirm this.



If it is a WA Solarc the sides of the black bulb holder (hard to read when recessed so use an inspection mirror) should say so.

IMHO the stippling should smooth out the center of the beam but the characteristic dark donut hole around it is caused by the frosting on the tip of the envelope. Try lighting it without any reflector and you'll see a dark circle projected.

Has anyone tried removing the UV envelope on an HID bulb? My 10w WA bulb envelopes are vented on two sides at the base, and do not appear to support the HID element at the top.


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## CbusRog (Sep 14, 2005)

Kiessling said:


> CBusRog ... it isn't allowed to post private e-mail content on CPF without the ok from the "other party". Please remove the quote and jsut describe the content or get the permission from Mike. Thanx
> And yes, it is not cheap, but the advantage are the CR123 battery options and the size of the light. If the beam gets better with the new reflector I'll be a happy camper
> 
> jmi808, K-T ... thanx!
> ...


With all due respect, I don't see anything in the Forum Rules and FAQ's that address posting "private" e-mails without permission of the sending party. If doing so isn't "allowed", please point me towards where this is stated. Rather than regurgitate what was said to me in the e-mail, it was more efficient to cut-n-paste the text. There is nothing of a sensitive nature in that e-mail that would even necessitate a comment. I was just trying to convey some information.


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## JohnLev (Sep 15, 2005)

Hello . My first post on this Forum . Joined because I need information as to your collective thoughts as to "the best" currently available HID handheld torch with the form factor along the lines of the Microfire Warrior . Suggestions please . Thanks in anticipation . :huh2:


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## AW (Sep 15, 2005)

Got my MicroFire K500R today. Here is some pictures :



























The craftsmanship of this Chinese made Microfire is very good. However, it can't be compared to Surefire quality or other well known makers. As always, the HA seems to be quite weak and will scratch easily. One nice thing is the small form factor of this light and it can be carried conveniently with the optional nylon holster. The beam quality appears to be very tight direct from the factory and no adjustment is needed. Note the beam shot against a PR / TXOJ/500mA . I ran through a set of 3 protected R123 ( plus a dummy cell ) in the CR123 holder and had a runtime of 20 minutes. The light shut down abruptly with no flickering thanks to the protected cells. I think this is a bonus because flickering may reduced bulb life. The factory rechargeable cell body has a capacity of 2150mAH ( 3 X 18650 cells ) and the runtime is 105 minutes. However, this adds about two inches to the length of the flashlight. To sum up, I would say this is a very nice compact 12W HID and well worth the price I paid.


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## Kiessling (Sep 15, 2005)

JohnLev ... there aren't that many small HID lights out there. Besides this one I can only remember:
- Schulzendorf Delta1 available at www.globetrotter.de
- various Mag Conversions made by CPFers (search for MagHID for example)
- bike lights with external battery packs (www.lupine.com)

All the others I know are bigger than this ...


CbusRog ... I cannot point you to the rules section concerning the content of private e-mails as the rules aren't completely up again after the software change. However this is a well-known rule that has been in effect for a long time now.
I agree that in this case it didn't hurt, but this rule is a matter of principle, politeness, courtesy and maybe has even some legal implications, but I am unsure of it. No need to discuss it, the forum owner wants it that way, and so it will be.


AW ... do you have the correct reflector? If so, can you do a beamshot showing the corona of the light to compare the quality of the beam with the right reflector to the crappy one I got?
And can you elaborate on the HA-issue since you seem to know more?
Thanx!

bernie


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## AW (Sep 15, 2005)

Bernie,

I think I have got the right reflector. I can't make the corona showed up on the beam shot but I do get a very nice hot spot and very good corona pattern with very little artifact right out of the box.

I have never come across a Chinese made flashlight with HAIII yet. The Microfire I have is what I think the HA II finish, it is very easy to scratch out like paint. I have talked to some electroplating factory and they say the cost and process for HAIII is just too much for them and very few customer would even ask for it.








AW


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## Trashman (Sep 16, 2005)

(first paragragh is an attempt to give a tiny bit of information to Bernie regarding the "between type-II and type-III" anodizing. The second paragraph is a response to AW's account of what an anodizer told him)

I was looking for a local anodizer to do some HA3 for me, and the first one I tried said they didn't do type-III, but did a "modified type-II", which was supposed to be similar to type-III. She said the difference was that it was a longer process.

I did, however, find a very local (within 1 mile) anodizer that did type-III, and he told me that type-III used the same chemicals as type-II, but that it involved something like double the amount current. It doesn't seem like more current would really make such a difference in cost. My guess is that it is just a little more time consuming. Fivemega told me one of his anodizers told him that he didn't do type-III because the chemicals involved were strictly regulated and not allowed in his area, but when I presented this information to my local anodizer, he told me it wasn't true and that most anodizers "just don't want to do it".


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## Kiessling (Sep 16, 2005)

AW ... your beam definitely looks nicer than mine, so I am looking forward to the new reflector  !

Strange thing on the HAIII issue ... since the manufacturer claims it to be HAIII! :thinking: :shrug:

Mike just told me the bulb was manufactured by a factory in China and might be different from a WA Solarc HID bulb. Unfortunately there isn't more info available.

bernie


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## waion (Oct 8, 2005)

Last night I changed the stock 10W HID bulb in my K500R with a WA 10W one from my UK LC100 HID, I found the light output was increased by at least 30% to my naked eye, when compared to a unchanged K500R side by side . I still got 120mins runtime with a fully charged battery pack!

The battery pack is consisted of 3X protected 18650. That means it's providing about 11.1V. Am I correct in saying that it's not overdriving the bulb? If not, that means it's very safe, right? If yes, I think those who own this light must try it!


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## cmacclel (Oct 8, 2005)

Using the 10.2 volt WA Ballast Burnt Retinas sold a 11.5v regulated battery pack. So at 11.1v I doubt you would be overdriving it. But your ballast is a WA Knock Off maybe it's different.


Mac


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## waion (Oct 8, 2005)

I see. After two cycles of battery run, the WA bulb seems to be intact. I think I will continue this usage until the it dies.


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## Kiessling (Oct 8, 2005)

Interesting.
Is the Chinese copy just inferior or the WA overdriven and thus endangered in this set-up? :thinking:

I really hope that we'll see the corrected reflectors soon ...

bernie


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## steevireno1 (Oct 20, 2005)

I am pretty impressed with mine as well. In fact, am I thinking of adding it as a product to my website if the interest is there. There really is only one other dealer n the U.S. and Microfire has agreed to let me sell.


Any thoughts?

Steve


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## Grox (Oct 27, 2005)

Bernie, 

Has the new reflector turned up yet?


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## Kiessling (Oct 27, 2005)

Grox, no it hasn't, but they are shipped right now and I should have it in a few days/weeks depending on delivery. I'll post an update for sure, I am very curious.
bernie


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## Grox (Oct 27, 2005)

Kiessling said:


> I am very curious.



Makes two of us!  :buddies:


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## cue003 (Nov 12, 2005)

Kiessling, did you ever get the new reflector for the Microfire?

Curtis


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## Kiessling (Nov 12, 2005)

Not yet, Mike @ Pacific Tactical Solutions is still waiting for ghis shipment ...
bernie


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## jashhash (Nov 27, 2005)

Since you replaced the faulty reflector I'm wondering if that also increases the throw.


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## Kiessling (Nov 27, 2005)

OK ... got the new reflector in, it is completely stippled, but not very aggressively so:






And the beam it produces is this:






You might think that it isn't very different from the initial beam ... and you are right. The artifacts of the hotspot are mostly gone now (improvement), but the overall appearance with that seperate zone of a reddisch light in the outer rims is still there (sigh).

Overall ... better, but not as good as I had hoped. Still an ugly beam.

bernie


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## cmacclel (Dec 14, 2005)

The WA Solarc system looks exactly the same it is the characteristics of the lamp design so I doubt any relector would make the "Perfect beam"


Mac


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