Chinese EOTech 552 Clone

[Avenging Angel]

Chinese EOTech 552 Clone
November 6, 2007

Introduction:
To begin with, I’m going to compare this unit to the HurricanE EOTech 552 that I also own. I was curious to see how much more quality you got for the extra $50 - $100 for the HurricanE unit. This review is short and straight to the point. No fluff.


Out of the Box:
When I first opened up the box I was pleased to see what looked to be a nice finish on the Chinese clone. When compared side by side the HurricanE unit the two are almost indistinguishable. The only notable difference is the lack of trades on the HurricanE unit. Both units are very solid and feel very rugged.


(HurricanE on the left, Chinese clone on the right)

(HurricanE on the left, Chinese clone on the right)


Trademarks:
One nice feature about the Chinese clone is that it has trademarks on it. Although, it is disappointing that the trade mark reads “FOR LAW ENFORCE MENT / MILITARY USE” A little bit more attention to detail with the English would have been nice.

The HurricanE unit has NO trademarks.


(HurricanE on the left, Chinese clone on the right)


The Buttons:
The buttons on the Chinese clone feel cheap are very stiff and tend to stick a lot. The sticking buttons cause the unit to stay on or prevent you from being able to change the brightness settings until you unstick them.

The buttons on the HurricanE unit are soft and easy to push and do not stick at all.


The Sight:
The red/green dot on the Chinese clone is broken up, slightly fuzzy and has a bit of ghosting. Also to be noted, the dot disappears when you have it in daylight. If you are under tree cover, it is fine but if you are playing in direct sunlight it completely vanishes and renders the sight useless. The Chinese clone only has 10 brightness levels and as I understood it, the brightness issue was to be taken care of a while back. Apparently it was never addressed.

The red/green dot on the HurricanE unit is nice and smooth and there is no ghosting at all. When you have the HurricanE unit under direct sunlight, you are still able to see the sight. The HurricanE unit has 20 brightness levels.


HurricanE


Chinese Clone


Conclusion:
The extra money that you pay for the HurricanE unit is well worth it. You get 10 extra brightness settings which allow you to actually use the sight outdoors, you get low battery indication and better clarity of the red/green dot.

I purchased my Chinese Clone for $125 and I purchased the HurricanE for $190. For the extra $65 I would say that the HurricanE would be the better choice.

I was very disappointed by the Chinese clone mostly due to the fact that it’s useless for outdoors play. I’ve now ended up spending $125 for what is essentially a paper weight. If I were to do it again, I would buy another HurricanE unit.

[Avenging Angel]

Pics Uploaded

[Donster]

love your review. short to the point and you state why you prefer one over the other with clear arguments and supporting evidence that is also backed up visually. now can you do that for all your gear? cause that would be awesome!

[Ronan]

Ahhh thank you. Might i ask which chinese clone that is?

[medhatboy]

The one that huang is offering. I got one too and it has all the same problems, but also has the problem of the emitter is loose in the eotech which causes the reticle to bounce around with the slightest movement, and even from the pulse threw my hand.

[szetor]

does the new version fix this i wonder???

[Avenging Angel]

The one that Huang shipped me and that I reviewed is one of the so called "new" ones. Obviously though, nothing against Huang. He has some wonderful products that I have also purchased but it just happens that this 552 replica isn't too great.

[huang]

Sorry, man. I will get your a better discount for your next purchase. The 552 is the so called "Unicorn" one. the "Unicorn" 551 has the same issue too.

[Goldman]

So the new full trade mark one has the same problem?

[huang]

Originally Posted by Goldman

So the new full trade mark one has the same problem?

No, the full trades one has been reviewed by Mr Jon and Maxx. It is the "unicorn" 551/552 have the ghosting issues.

[Avenging Angel]

That's very kind of you Huang. There are some other items that I still need to buy from you so, you will see another order comming in a few weeks.

[ownzyouall]

Sorry, I really wanted to post this question here because others might ask the same.

I bought a EOTech 551 on eBay costing roughly the same as what you paid for your china replica 552. For those of you who don't know what the 551 model is, its the same as the 552, but only with a smaller battery compartment.

Anyways... my question is how can I know for sure if it is a replica? All the clues you pointed out in your "real version" match mine. Its even got the "for law enforcement/ military use" written on the side.

Perhaps a serial code somewhere?

[surebet]

Red dot = clone
Holo = EOtech

[bruce]

Two easy ways to tell if it's a clone or not.

Pushing the NV button on the clone will change the color of the retical from red to green or vice versa. Pushing the NV button on the real EOTechs will make the retical disappear from the naked eye and can only be viewed with a night vision devise.

The front and back glass on the clones do not have any anti-reflective coating on them. You will be able to see your reflection which can be distracting. Real EOTechs has the anti-reflective coating on them.