Hi all - So, reviews of the Limelight Freehand's, especially written reviews, seem to be few-and-far between, so I thought I'd post my own! This review is specifically for the Limelight Bliss, the white delrin version, but a lot of the points can be carried across to the rest of the range.

I've been a fan of the Limelight mods for a while now, often swooning over Robs collection. I've owned a Freehand S Walnut version for about 3 months and have wanted to expand my collection, so when my local store decided to do a limited stock run of the Bliss, I umm'd for a couple of weeks and eventually decided to pick it up. The version I went for was the Mosfet, 24mm flat 510 version and i'm currently using it with the Psyclone Mods Entheon RDA.

First things first, and I fully understand that looks are subjective, but I think it's a really good looking mod. It's smaller than you would think, but, with a battery installed, has some reassuring weight to it and it feels really well built. The delrin version (both white and black), in particular, feels like it could be run over by a truck and still come back with hardly a scratch on it.

Next up are the much heralded ergonomics of the mod. So, this is where I tend to disagree slightly with a number of reviewers, but i'm convinced it's only a personal thing to me. Yes, it's beautifully designed and very well thought out, but I feel like, more than a lot of other mods, it's comfort of use is largely dependent on the size of your hands and whether you are a thumb-firer or finger-firer. I have big ol' shovels for hands, and personally, it's not the most ergonomic mod. For me, when firing, it feels like a little bit of a wrestle to make sure I have a good enough grip on it, or I have to use a couple of fingers underneath the mod to ensure it doesn't slip out of my hand. Granted, I'm sure this isn't the case for the majority of people as my hands are far bigger than the average, but it's something to bear in mind. It's by no means uncomfortable, but it's not a "perfect fit" for everyone.

As for performance, it works flawlessly. The tactile mosfet switch is responsive and, for me, hit's just as well as a full mechanical. I've not noticed any voltage drop, and the mosfet switch just keeps on hitting until your battery runs dry. Zero complaints with the way it performs.

I do have a couple of minor quibbles with the squonk bottle and the battery door. These are workable, but are an irritation when you look at the big picture. Firstly, the squonk bottle can be a complete pain in my arse to remove. You need to get a good hold of the bottle to pull it out, which means you really have to ensure that there is an atomizer on top before you pull the squonk bottle out as it's impossible to pull the bottle out without squeezing it first. I've also found that sometimes, the top of my squonk bottle will be left attached to the 510, and i'll just pull the bottle out with the bottle-top and the tubing still attached to my 510 squonk pin. This seems to be an issue only with the white delrin version though, as I have not had any of those issues with the Freehand S (although my Freehand S was brought second hand). I suspect it's just a tolerance issue between the tubing and the 510 pin, and will likely free up over time, but again, for the price, I would have liked to have seen a slightly better solution here. (disclaimer - The squonk solution of the Wismec Luxotic, for me, is flawless. A lot of people seem to disagree with me here, but I fail to see why. It's a clean, efficient, and easy solution. This solution has been around since the Kanger Dripbox days, and I still feel it's the best squonking design so far).

The battery door is also, for me, a little fiddly. There's not much of anything to grab hold of. It's easy enough to screw in and unscrew, but locating the battery cap in the first place isn't as easy as I feel it should be. A simple flick-down handle would solve all of these issues for me.

So, in summary. This one is a little difficult for me. I'm a fan of Limelight, I feel like they do customer service and product QC in the right way (EDIT: I should also add that, as part of the price you are paying, you get a lifetime warranty for the mod, even if you pick one up second-hand). All of the mods, I believe, are still hand-made by Dejan and his team, and you can see every ounce of effort and love he has put into these mods. At the same time, however, I feel like the design hasn't really progressed far from their initial release of the Freehand (aside from the introduction of the mosfet), which is a little disappointing. There are problems which I strongly feel prevent me from wanting to use these mods day-in and day-out. Getting the squonk bottle out of the mod should be easy, getting the batteries in and out should be easy, but for me, they're just not quite easy enough. If there's a mosfet installed, why not allow the user to 3-click on and 3-click off?

I still love the mod, I love the way it looks, I love the amount of effort and love and affection that has gone into the design of the mod. I love the way that Limelight and Dejan ensure that their customers are as happy as they can be, but I feel like the design has been slightly left behind in todays market. Bear in mind that this is not a criticism of Limelight in particular, but more a criticism of the whole "high-end squonk" market. For people that are happily using 3d printed full mechanicals on a daily basis, I'm sure they're fully comfortable with the little bit of fiddling that someone might have to do to make sure everything is in order, and in that market, the Limelight Freehand models are best-of-breed for me, but when I want to use a £30 squonker from China more than I want to use a £350 squonker all day, every day, I feel like something possibly needs to change. I don't feel that, just because a device is "high-end", that the user should be without the creature comforts of a on/off switch, an easier solution for removing their squonk bottle, an easier solution for changing their batteries.

With all of that said, I will likely continue to purchase the rest of the Limelight Freehand models, as I do feel like they are pieces of art, but the unfortunately flip-side to this is exactly that, they are pieces of art. If you owned a 1967 Ferrari GTB, would you drive it every-day on your daily commute? Or would you leave it in the garage until a nice, sunny, day, put the top down and take it for a spin? That's how I feel about the Limelight Freehand mods, and the majority of high-end squonkers on the market these days. They are spectacular in every aspect, apart from day-to-day usability.

I'm not allowed to say exactly where I brought the mod from, but I can say the price was £359.

Before anyone replies calling me a heathen, please note that these are my personal opinions. They're like arseholes, everyone has one and each of them are all slightly different.

 

Nice review mate

 

Fair and honest review @mustybadger. Your point about a piece of art and not for everyday use is the thing that as always puzzled me when it comes to anything expensive. I find it hard that we fork out lots of cash for things and don't use them very much and buy them more to look at them. I can understand people want to keep the items in as new as possible condition, i even admit to doing it myself which if i can't figure out why i do it then god knows who does.

 

I think it's pretty deep-seated mate honestly. It's happened for years and years through pretty much every industry. It's just a small version of reaffirmation that everything you do every day is for a reason. The larger reason is obviously to ensure a safe environment for your loved ones, but occasionally, you want to feel rewarded. "High-end" vaping gear is just another version of this. For vaping hobbyists, something like a Limelight is a treat, it's a reward for your hard work. That's not something you get with a £30 mod from China.

But yeah, I do agree that it's difficult to make sense of (which is probably the reason why I tend to keep hold of high-end stuff for a while and then move it on. I've already received my reaffirmation, and if I can't use it every day then the device basically becomes a mantle-piece - although the Limelights tend to keep me hanging on for longer than most just because of how well made up they are and how pretty they are!).

 

Very informative review @mustybadger

I'm with you, I think those mods look simply stunning. Too expensive for my tastes but it doesn't mean I can't appreciate quality craftsmanship.

 

But is it manufactured from sustainable Delrin,you hear about all these Delrin farms that’s no life for the little blighters.

 

May I recommend the Stealthvape Goldilocks bottles which are spot on for the slightly newer shape of recent Freehands. They also fit the originals but are tight.

Would echo Rob's comments regarding the refill bottles, I now use this for all squonk mods as it can be a messy affair regardless of design.

As for the eternal debate of cost, I feel that is a circular conversation on this forum that brings it's own baggage. Not really wanting to jump on that particular trolley

The Freehands are undoubtedly great mods and have played their part in the evolution of the evil finger poking art that is squonking. They fit very well in waistcoat pockets too... bonus!

Edit: Oooo forgot to mention, nerf gun bullet. Perfect for pushing the small plastic disc back onto the bottom of the 510 after cleaning. Now an integral part of my vape tools

 

Nice write up musty and discussion guy's. I do deeply love the plain wood and gloom model's dearly and it frustrates me greatly that I'm far to clumsy an oaf for such a beautiful mod.
I suppose I shall always just be limelight peeping Tom.