FourSevens MMR-X Review
I have written before about FourSevens' need to stay on the bleeding edge of flashlight design. As a brand that disrupted the entire market by being innovative, they need to continue to do so in order for their lights and brand to remain relevant. Surefire can get away with being less cutting edge because their lights are associated with bomb-proof designs and impeccable performance. Emitter upgrades with no real changes to UI or form factor had left me cold on a lot of FourSevens' designs. Some of the mainstays of their line had remained unchanged in any meaningful way for their entire lifespan. As someone with a healthy addiction to flashlights I have come to learn over the years the incremental lumens upgrades, while being a great selling point, are pretty worthless in real life. I wanted to see some real change.
Here it is.
Here is the product page. The MMR-X costs $100. This appears to be the first review of the MMR-X anywhere (thanks Trevor!). Here is a video overview from FourSevens. Here is a link to Blade HQ, where you can find the MMR-X, and all proceeds benefit the site when you purchase things through this link (review sample sent by FourSevens and to be returned):
Blade HQ
Here is my review sample:
Twitter Review Summary: Bringing both thunder and lightning, the MMR-X revitalizes 47s line up.
Design: 2
I was so worried about the UI. The USB interface could have been SO overdone and confusing. But really the USB serves as a lockout more than anything else. With the light plugged into a USB port (even a non-computer USB port, such as a wall wart charger), the light is both recharging AND open to change the modes available. You can't tweak the low's lumen count, but you can change the order of the modes as well as which modes are used. There are five output configurations and you are bound to find something you like. More on this below, but suffice to say, in terms of design, the USB interface is very nice--allowing some tinkering without sending you down a rabbit hole. The USB jack is also nicely and securely hidden.
The rest of the light is pretty standard for an 18650. But the kit that comes with the MMR-X is great. You can go from a full on tactical light (yes, I used that word and no I don't know what it means), with a strike bezel, a single ultra high output, and an easy access clicky to a more practical light with a flat bezel, multiple outputs, and a tailstanding reverse clicky. As has been the trend recently, the MMR-X is a system or platform. It can be many things to many people and unlike a lot of products that try to do that, the MMR-X switches roles well. In the non-tactical mode it is easily on par with the Zebralight SC600 Mk. II and the Eagletac TX25C2, two of the better 18650 lights on the market. Its bigger than those two lights because of the need to accomodate a micro USB port, but it is still pretty small. Here is the light next to the ubiquitous Mini Mag 2xAA:
The stats on the MMR-X are quite good. The max lumen output found on Medium mode and is 72000 (150 lumens for 480 minutes). The lumens:weight is 163 (800 lumens/4.90 ounces, note that the weight is LESS than FourSevens specs, always a pleasant surprise).
One small note. This light uses a "buttonless" 18650. There are aftermarket buttonless 18650s but your probably best just buying them from FourSevens. Its not exactly a proprietary battery, but it is annoyingly close. Only the fact that you can charge the battery while it is in the light makes up for this drawback. I love the format and the rechargeability, I just which the battery was a normal 18650 rechargeable.
Fit and Finish: 2
The emitter is centered. The anodizing is consistent. The knurling is cleanly cut. The threads are smooth. The clicky is nice. Every single detailed has been attended to and the end result is a light that feels better than other FourSevens lights I have reviewed. The thin walls of the Mini is obviously out. The rough-ish threads of the Quark is gone. And the slop in the body parts I noticed in the review of the MMX is gone. Absent branding, and ignoring the micro USB port (because Surefire would never be that progressive), this light feels more like a Surefire torch than it does mid-market lights, even other FourSevens lights. Very, very impressive.
Grip: 2
Output: 2
Here it is.
The MMR-X is a huge step forward. It puts FourSevens back on that bleeding edge with a host of features. And, for the first time in my opinion, the performance is now truly elite. The beam pattern on this light is perhaps the best I have seen on a production light and very close to the best I have seen on a custom. While the AL Atom was neat, and the headband a great idea, the MMX-R is a flagship product worthy of heralding. Its not a great EDC light because of its size, but it is a truly sterling flashlight. The recharging feature is great, the bit of UI programmability is very nice and thankfully not overdone, and the entire light feels and handles much better than the vast majority of aluminum tubes out there.
Blade HQ
Here is my review sample:
Twitter Review Summary: Bringing both thunder and lightning, the MMR-X revitalizes 47s line up.
Design: 2
I was so worried about the UI. The USB interface could have been SO overdone and confusing. But really the USB serves as a lockout more than anything else. With the light plugged into a USB port (even a non-computer USB port, such as a wall wart charger), the light is both recharging AND open to change the modes available. You can't tweak the low's lumen count, but you can change the order of the modes as well as which modes are used. There are five output configurations and you are bound to find something you like. More on this below, but suffice to say, in terms of design, the USB interface is very nice--allowing some tinkering without sending you down a rabbit hole. The USB jack is also nicely and securely hidden.
The rest of the light is pretty standard for an 18650. But the kit that comes with the MMR-X is great. You can go from a full on tactical light (yes, I used that word and no I don't know what it means), with a strike bezel, a single ultra high output, and an easy access clicky to a more practical light with a flat bezel, multiple outputs, and a tailstanding reverse clicky. As has been the trend recently, the MMR-X is a system or platform. It can be many things to many people and unlike a lot of products that try to do that, the MMR-X switches roles well. In the non-tactical mode it is easily on par with the Zebralight SC600 Mk. II and the Eagletac TX25C2, two of the better 18650 lights on the market. Its bigger than those two lights because of the need to accomodate a micro USB port, but it is still pretty small. Here is the light next to the ubiquitous Mini Mag 2xAA:
The stats on the MMR-X are quite good. The max lumen output found on Medium mode and is 72000 (150 lumens for 480 minutes). The lumens:weight is 163 (800 lumens/4.90 ounces, note that the weight is LESS than FourSevens specs, always a pleasant surprise).
One small note. This light uses a "buttonless" 18650. There are aftermarket buttonless 18650s but your probably best just buying them from FourSevens. Its not exactly a proprietary battery, but it is annoyingly close. Only the fact that you can charge the battery while it is in the light makes up for this drawback. I love the format and the rechargeability, I just which the battery was a normal 18650 rechargeable.
Fit and Finish: 2
The emitter is centered. The anodizing is consistent. The knurling is cleanly cut. The threads are smooth. The clicky is nice. Every single detailed has been attended to and the end result is a light that feels better than other FourSevens lights I have reviewed. The thin walls of the Mini is obviously out. The rough-ish threads of the Quark is gone. And the slop in the body parts I noticed in the review of the MMX is gone. Absent branding, and ignoring the micro USB port (because Surefire would never be that progressive), this light feels more like a Surefire torch than it does mid-market lights, even other FourSevens lights. Very, very impressive.
Grip: 2
Its odd to say this, but most lights this size have terrible pocket clips (the Eagletac TX25C2 being the notable exception). Generally they are bulky paint scrappers that do their best to keep a large, heavy, round object from floating around and banging stuff up. FourSevens didn't bother with a clip and the result is a light that is much better in the hand than its competition, including the FourSevens MMX.
The knurling is very good, but not rasp-like making the light very nice to touch. As you can see from the picture above, its easy to access the clicky from the place your hands are meant to be. I still like side switches a bit better, but this is not bad at all.
Carry: 1
With the lack of a clip and the extra length the micro-USB port necessitates this light is pretty tough to carry in a pocket. It is not close to the Eagletac in that respect. But this is not really intended to be a pocket light and compared to other lights like it, such as the MMX and the Armytek Viking (review coming) this is a pretty darn good pack light. The head is not overly bulky and there isn't anything to snag or bunch up when sticking this light in a pack.
Output: 2
The High is staggeringly bright at 800 lumens. That's the number to lure in suckers (as it lasts for a minute). 400 lumens is plenty bright but not best in class. Both the Eagletac TX25C2 and the Zebralight SC600 Mk. II have significantly higher highs for longer. Its the 1 lumen Moonlight mode that the rest of us appreciate. The other two levels are 25 lumens on Low and 150 lumens on Medium, giving this light a great high, a great low, and good spacing everywhere else down the line. But the mere numbers are only a small part of the reason why the MMR-X scores a 2.
ASIDE
FourSevens calls the modes by confusing names, such as Max instead of High. For purposes of this review here is what they are:
800 lumens (after 1 minute drops and holds at 400 for two hours): High, called MAX by FourSevens
150 lumens: Medium, called High by FourSevens
25 lumens: Low, called Low by Foursevens
1 lumen: Moonlight, called Moonlight by Foursevens
The problem with the nomenclature, and the reason I am going to the trouble of renaming them for this review, is that FourSevens names don't match up with what the rest of the industry is using, so a person may mistake the MMR-X's "High" as 150 lumens, which compares poorly to the High for other lights in this product class. The MMR-X's true high of 800 lumens is quite competitive. So for purposes of you doing comparisons I am going to use the nomenclature listed above as opposed to FourSevens' nomenclature. This, along with the confusing renaming of favorite lights, is another sign that FourSevens rebranding has gone crazy. I love the site and the logo, but I HATE the jargon. When your insistence on new and different names for lights and features makes your products look worse compared to competitors, its time to drop all of the jargon. Just a friendly suggestion from an avowed FourSevens fanboy.
END ASIDE
Here is the emitter end:
ASIDE
FourSevens calls the modes by confusing names, such as Max instead of High. For purposes of this review here is what they are:
800 lumens (after 1 minute drops and holds at 400 for two hours): High, called MAX by FourSevens
150 lumens: Medium, called High by FourSevens
25 lumens: Low, called Low by Foursevens
1 lumen: Moonlight, called Moonlight by Foursevens
The problem with the nomenclature, and the reason I am going to the trouble of renaming them for this review, is that FourSevens names don't match up with what the rest of the industry is using, so a person may mistake the MMR-X's "High" as 150 lumens, which compares poorly to the High for other lights in this product class. The MMR-X's true high of 800 lumens is quite competitive. So for purposes of you doing comparisons I am going to use the nomenclature listed above as opposed to FourSevens' nomenclature. This, along with the confusing renaming of favorite lights, is another sign that FourSevens rebranding has gone crazy. I love the site and the logo, but I HATE the jargon. When your insistence on new and different names for lights and features makes your products look worse compared to competitors, its time to drop all of the jargon. Just a friendly suggestion from an avowed FourSevens fanboy.
END ASIDE
Here is the emitter end:
The big trick with the MMR-X is the fact that you can choose how the light switches between modes. Here is how it works. First, plug the supplied USB to micro USB cable into a light and a USB port (either a computer or a powered USB wall wart). Once you do this you can charge the light, run the light from the external power supply, and alter the outputs. Altering the output configuration is easy and involves turning the light on and off while it is plugged in. There is an LED (seen two pictures below in the UI section of this review) that provides information about what configuration you are in and when you have changed from one configuration to another. Once you have selected your preferred configuration, simply unplug the light or turn it off and it is locked in. That is the beauty of the programmability here--it is really just a failsafe feature to prevent you from dropping into a programming mode by accident as can happen on lights like those from Zebralight or the notoriously daunting LiteFlux LF3XT.
There are five output configurations. Here they are:
Configuration 1: High only
Configuration 2: High then Low (25 lumens) (this is the default configuration)
Configuration 3: High then Strobe
Configuration 4: Low then Medium then High then Stobe
Configuration 5: Moonlight then Low then Medium then High then SOS then Strobe then Beacon High then Beacon low (I set it to this configuration which has the flashing modes hidden like most FourSevens products).
There is also mode memory, so the light defaults to the last non-flashing mode used before the light was turned off.
In short, this is a light that can do anything. If you want a lightning strike or a match flame, its got you covered and there are myriad of ways to access any of those outputs. Its probably more than anyone really NEEDS in a flashlight but the great thing about the output design is that if you just want it to turn on and make things bright it can do that with aplomb. High end, easy customizability AND simple rock solid performance? YEP.
I seriously considered breaking the scoring system here. This ability to tailor not just outputs but output configurations is truly amazing. I wrote this review once giving the MMR-X a 3, and then scrapped the whole thing and wrote it again (I very rarely do drafts, no time, hence the more than occasional typos). This is much better than the system the NexTorches use. Those lights require a software download and allow for a lot of tinkering, varying outputs by lumens not just choosing between configurations of preset outputs. Having played around with the NexTorches I feel like they are just TOO much, too fiddly and too tied to a computer. Like infinitely moveable shelves on bookcases (which I have built before), once the outputs are properly set you probably won't mess with them again. Why not set them right the first time like FourSevens did? This is the right amount of customizability.
There are five output configurations. Here they are:
Configuration 1: High only
Configuration 2: High then Low (25 lumens) (this is the default configuration)
Configuration 3: High then Strobe
Configuration 4: Low then Medium then High then Stobe
Configuration 5: Moonlight then Low then Medium then High then SOS then Strobe then Beacon High then Beacon low (I set it to this configuration which has the flashing modes hidden like most FourSevens products).
There is also mode memory, so the light defaults to the last non-flashing mode used before the light was turned off.
In short, this is a light that can do anything. If you want a lightning strike or a match flame, its got you covered and there are myriad of ways to access any of those outputs. Its probably more than anyone really NEEDS in a flashlight but the great thing about the output design is that if you just want it to turn on and make things bright it can do that with aplomb. High end, easy customizability AND simple rock solid performance? YEP.
I seriously considered breaking the scoring system here. This ability to tailor not just outputs but output configurations is truly amazing. I wrote this review once giving the MMR-X a 3, and then scrapped the whole thing and wrote it again (I very rarely do drafts, no time, hence the more than occasional typos). This is much better than the system the NexTorches use. Those lights require a software download and allow for a lot of tinkering, varying outputs by lumens not just choosing between configurations of preset outputs. Having played around with the NexTorches I feel like they are just TOO much, too fiddly and too tied to a computer. Like infinitely moveable shelves on bookcases (which I have built before), once the outputs are properly set you probably won't mess with them again. Why not set them right the first time like FourSevens did? This is the right amount of customizability.
Runtime: 2
The high runs for an hour before dropping down to "merely" 400 lumens. The moonlight runs for 35 days. Well above par. Move along.
Beam Type: 2
A lot of lights in this product category have HUGE throw heads and I understand why--many torches this bright are used for search and rescue. But personally I don't have the need for two mile throw and I think very few people do. Instead I like the more than average throw you get here, but the head is still normal sized. Put another way--enough throw to run with the big dogs without the downside of a megaphone-shaped flashlight.
Beam Quality: 2
Ah, the real secret of the MMR-X--its wonderful beam. This is a smooth reflector light and the overall beam pattern, nice spill with perfect hotspot, is amazing. There is nothing I can say about the beam pattern. It is smooth, clean, and perfectly tuned. Frankly, only the Haiku is in the same league and you know how much I love that beam pattern. The quality is so high I don't even think the much-vaunted Surefire beam pattern compares. The market is so big I am wary to say this, but this might be the best production light beam available. It is certain the best I have seen.
UI: 2
So its a standard clicky or a reverse clicky. Options alone boost the clicky only interface up a point, but then there is this little secret, here is the before:
and after:
As you could see from the output section, the programmability of the MMR-X hits a sweetspot--the Goldilocks of programmability. When I received the light I was skeptical. Do you really NEED all of this configurability? Then I tried it out and realized that this light can go from full on tactical light to kitchen drawer user within a few seconds. You might not switch the light around all that often, swapping out bezels and changing output configurations, but I bet you do it at least twice. And the fact that you can do it, but don't need to do it makes this among the most flexible UIs on the market.
Hands Free: 2
The light's kit comes with a reverse clicky that allows the MMR-X to tailstand and the cuts and grooves in the light make it pretty unlikely to roll away. Overall nothing to complain about and a great deal of modularity to praise.
Overall Score: 19 out of 20
As great as the MMR-X is, there is one thing that makes it even better. It is both better and CHEAPER than the light it either replaces or competes with in the FourSevens, the MMX, which retailed for $120. Cutting edge innovation, breathtaking fit and finish, AND cheaper? Amazing. The MMR-X isn't a great EDC light, its just too big, but it is a great flashlight. There is nothing more capable or flexible on the market. It is also a superior value, both because of the price and because of the rechargeable battery that is included (hey Eagletac, give us a freakin battery next time, the TX25C2 didn't come with one and 18650s aren't exactly available at the local Quicky Mart). This review took forever because this light can do almost anything. I didn't even mention the fact that you could run it from a laptop in the even of a power outage, getting all of the juice from both the included 18650 AND the laptop battery. That much energy on moonlight would last you probably three months.
The MMR-X can do just about anything and it does everything very very well. This is a great light and one of the best on the market. Time to go update the Top Five.
The Competition
Though they are only separated by a few points on the scale, the MMR-X is orders of magnitude better than the readily available benchmark, the Fenix PD22. In part the scoring system is a checklist of essentials. If a light doesn't roll and can tailstand it gets a two in hands free. That is a checklist. But the scoring system is also a bit of a judgment call--good design is less of a set of features and more of an overall impression (I was going to write "gestalt" but that seemed to pretentious and I am already hands down the most pretentious gear reviewer out there, no need to push it). The PD22 hits a lot of checklist points, but is not in the same league as the MMR-X in terms of both quality and value. This at $100 or the PD22 at the $40-$50 price range is not even a competition. The PD22 is more pocketable, but that's like saying a Toyota Corolla is a better car because it is smaller than a Rolls Royce Silver Seraph. This isn't quite the Silver Seraph, more like a Tesla--sporty, green, and innovative, but you get the idea.
The real competition here is the Zebralight, the Eagletac, and the NexTorch. The first two can be carried daily because of the clip and the smaller size, but neither of which is as versatile as the MMR-X. The MMR-X's other competitor the NexTorch isn't in the same league. That light is more of a novelty and the programmability is for the hardest of hardcore flashaholics. For the rest of us, the MMR-X is exactly what you want and need.
Lots of competitors, but the MMR-X still comes out on top. Great job FourSevens.
Corrections:
Trevor contacted me today (2/25/14) and made a few corrections, all of which make the light better, but doesn't really alter the overall score:
The high runs for an hour before dropping down to "merely" 400 lumens. The moonlight runs for 35 days. Well above par. Move along.
Beam Type: 2
A lot of lights in this product category have HUGE throw heads and I understand why--many torches this bright are used for search and rescue. But personally I don't have the need for two mile throw and I think very few people do. Instead I like the more than average throw you get here, but the head is still normal sized. Put another way--enough throw to run with the big dogs without the downside of a megaphone-shaped flashlight.
Beam Quality: 2
Ah, the real secret of the MMR-X--its wonderful beam. This is a smooth reflector light and the overall beam pattern, nice spill with perfect hotspot, is amazing. There is nothing I can say about the beam pattern. It is smooth, clean, and perfectly tuned. Frankly, only the Haiku is in the same league and you know how much I love that beam pattern. The quality is so high I don't even think the much-vaunted Surefire beam pattern compares. The market is so big I am wary to say this, but this might be the best production light beam available. It is certain the best I have seen.
UI: 2
So its a standard clicky or a reverse clicky. Options alone boost the clicky only interface up a point, but then there is this little secret, here is the before:
and after:
As you could see from the output section, the programmability of the MMR-X hits a sweetspot--the Goldilocks of programmability. When I received the light I was skeptical. Do you really NEED all of this configurability? Then I tried it out and realized that this light can go from full on tactical light to kitchen drawer user within a few seconds. You might not switch the light around all that often, swapping out bezels and changing output configurations, but I bet you do it at least twice. And the fact that you can do it, but don't need to do it makes this among the most flexible UIs on the market.
Hands Free: 2
The light's kit comes with a reverse clicky that allows the MMR-X to tailstand and the cuts and grooves in the light make it pretty unlikely to roll away. Overall nothing to complain about and a great deal of modularity to praise.
Overall Score: 19 out of 20
As great as the MMR-X is, there is one thing that makes it even better. It is both better and CHEAPER than the light it either replaces or competes with in the FourSevens, the MMX, which retailed for $120. Cutting edge innovation, breathtaking fit and finish, AND cheaper? Amazing. The MMR-X isn't a great EDC light, its just too big, but it is a great flashlight. There is nothing more capable or flexible on the market. It is also a superior value, both because of the price and because of the rechargeable battery that is included (hey Eagletac, give us a freakin battery next time, the TX25C2 didn't come with one and 18650s aren't exactly available at the local Quicky Mart). This review took forever because this light can do almost anything. I didn't even mention the fact that you could run it from a laptop in the even of a power outage, getting all of the juice from both the included 18650 AND the laptop battery. That much energy on moonlight would last you probably three months.
The MMR-X can do just about anything and it does everything very very well. This is a great light and one of the best on the market. Time to go update the Top Five.
The Competition
Though they are only separated by a few points on the scale, the MMR-X is orders of magnitude better than the readily available benchmark, the Fenix PD22. In part the scoring system is a checklist of essentials. If a light doesn't roll and can tailstand it gets a two in hands free. That is a checklist. But the scoring system is also a bit of a judgment call--good design is less of a set of features and more of an overall impression (I was going to write "gestalt" but that seemed to pretentious and I am already hands down the most pretentious gear reviewer out there, no need to push it). The PD22 hits a lot of checklist points, but is not in the same league as the MMR-X in terms of both quality and value. This at $100 or the PD22 at the $40-$50 price range is not even a competition. The PD22 is more pocketable, but that's like saying a Toyota Corolla is a better car because it is smaller than a Rolls Royce Silver Seraph. This isn't quite the Silver Seraph, more like a Tesla--sporty, green, and innovative, but you get the idea.
The real competition here is the Zebralight, the Eagletac, and the NexTorch. The first two can be carried daily because of the clip and the smaller size, but neither of which is as versatile as the MMR-X. The MMR-X's other competitor the NexTorch isn't in the same league. That light is more of a novelty and the programmability is for the hardest of hardcore flashaholics. For the rest of us, the MMR-X is exactly what you want and need.
Lots of competitors, but the MMR-X still comes out on top. Great job FourSevens.
Corrections:
Trevor contacted me today (2/25/14) and made a few corrections, all of which make the light better, but doesn't really alter the overall score:
- The MMR-X will take ANY 18650, not just flat topped version.
- The decision to step down as they do with the Burst and Max was something that underwent a great deal of scrutiny. It was not an accident or a desire to artificial boost the lumens ratings. Trevor notes that if they wanted to they could have listed the lumens count higher than they did as they always measure them conservatively. This matches up with both my experience and what others have said on CPF.
- The rebranding thing was also something that was placed under close scrutiny. That said I still think it is too complicated.